《A Date With Faet》


 1. Challenged

    Kelly took a sip of her hard lemonade then looked at me and asked, "So you know how me and Keira get kind of competitive sometimes?"


    "Uh yeah," I nodded, rolling my eyes. "Pretty much anyone who''s met the pair of you knows how you two get."


    Seriously, Kelly and her sister could turn just about anything into a challenge or a contest. If one did something, the other had to do it better. And if she couldn''t, then she''d do something else better and claim victory on that instead. It was usually just harmless fun, but occasionally the two of them took things a little too far.


    I had a feeling this was going to be one of those times, based on the way Kelly was smiling at me like a cat who''s just spotted a mouse.


    She took a deep breath then said, "So Keira talked me into a little challenge. A bet, I guess. And you know I can''t let her win, right?"


    I took a swig of my beer and sighed, "What is it this time?"


    Kelly talked me into one of their ''little challenges'' last month, and it wound up costing me an entire weekend and a full tank of gas. I had to drive Kelly halfway across the province to win a stupid scavenger hunt.


    Considering this was Friday night and neither of us had any plans for tonight or tomorrow, I had a bad feeling she was about to drag me into another expensive weekend-killing competition.


    Still, I didn''t want to complain too loudly. Kelly was drop-dead gorgeous, and I often wondered how I''d been so lucky as to hook up with her. Kelly, and her identical twin sister Keira too for that matter, were the kind of girls that caught everyone''s eye.


    They were tall, about five-foot-eight. Slim though, but with all the right curves in all the right places. They both had fiery red hair, beautiful emerald-green eyes, and just the right amount of freckles on their cheeks. And in other places too, but I was the only guy lucky enough to see those. At least with Kelly. With Keira, her girlfriend Amy was the lucky one.


    Kelly and Keira still tended to dress the same, unlike most twins I''d seen in their twenties. They didn''t wear matching outfits, but they had the same taste or style or whatever. Neither of them were overly femme, I''d only seen either of them in a dress once, or maybe twice. Usually it was jeans or leggings, and t-shirts, blouses, or oversized tops.


    They weren''t big on make-up or jewelry either, they normally just stuck with some lipstick and maybe some eyeshadow. And both usually had little studs in their ears.


    Really the main way to tell the two apart was Kelly kept her hair a little longer, she let it grow down past her shoulders. Keira on the other hand tended to keep her hair an inch or two above her shoulders.


    They weren''t interested in the same things, either. Kelly was taking a psychology program at college, she was hoping to get into forensic psychology after she graduated. Keira was doing an English Lit course, but I wasn''t sure what her plans were after that.


    Of course the other big difference between the two was Kelly''s straight, while Keira was gay.


    My eyes stayed on Kelly as I waited to hear about this ''little challenge'' she was about to drop on me.


    She kept that wide smile on her face as she said, "Hear me out ok? Because this is going to sound a little crazy at first. Promise you''ll hear me out?"


    I suppressed a groan and a sigh. This didn''t sound good, but I just nodded "Ok Kelly." I had another deep swig of beer and braced myself.


    "So tomorrow night, Keira has to take a guy out on a date. And I have to go on a date with a girl. If either of us balks, or can''t get a date, or doesn''t show up, she loses and the other wins."


    Kelly added, "It''s a double-date. We''ll all be going out for dinner together, then to a movie. Then I guess if it went any further, we''d be going back to my and Keira''s place. I doubt it''ll get that far, though."


    The two sisters lived together, they had a nice two-bedroom apartment in one of the new luxury condo towers uptown. I''d only been there a couple times, usually when me and Kelly got together we''d hang out here at my little basement apartment. It wasn''t anywhere near as nice as their place, but I figured she preferred it here because it gave her some time away from her twin.


    I wondered sometimes how they managed to live together without destroying the place or each other with their silly bets and competitions. They also shared a car, and I was positive half their little challenges had to do with who''d get the car one week to the next.


    Anyways, by now I was feeling kind of confused. So my girlfriend had to take another girl out on a date to win a bet? I wasn''t really sure what part of this was going to involve me.


    "Go on," I said, hoping I wouldn''t regret it.


    Kelly continued, "Here''s the thing though babe. I don''t want to cheat on you. So I got a crazy idea... What if we disguised you as a girl? Then you could be my date, I won''t be cheating on you, and I''ll win the bet!"


    I just stared at her in disbelief.


    Finally I sighed, "Seriously Kelly? Even if I did agree to that, there''s absolutely no way you could make me look enough like a girl that your sister wouldn''t see straight through it. In fact, everybody would see through it no matter how much make-up or how many skirts you stuck on me."


    Don''t get me wrong, I was no Mr. Universe, but my body was absolutely, unmistakably guy-shaped, through and through. Puberty hit me like a hairy brick soaked in Old Spice.


    I was a couple inches taller than the twins, at around five-foot-ten. I had broad shoulders, a strong jawline, and a heavy brow. And don''t get me started on the body hair. My skin''s fair but my hair''s dark, and a bit on the thick side. I''m one of those guys who''s ''five o''clock shadow'' shows up at seven in the morning. On top of all that, my voice was another killer. It was deep, low, and a little rumbly.


    There was simply no way I could fool anyone into believing I was a girl.


    Beyond all that of course was the potential for embarrassment. It''d be bad enough for my girlfriend to see me in drag, and even worse with Keira. I wouldn''t be caught dead going to a restaurant or movie like that.


    With that in mind I added, "And there''s no way I''d go out in public dressed up like a girl. None!"


    Kelly pouted, "But babe, I can''t let my sister win. This is important!"


    "So pick a girl and ask her out, Kelly. That was the bet wasn''t it? You have my permission to go out with a girl tomorrow night. There, now you don''t have to worry about cheating."


    I wasn''t sure why she was so stressed about cheating anyways. Even though we''d been seeing each other more than a year, our relationship wasn''t any kind of deep moving romance. We were both pretty casual about it. Don''t get me wrong, neither of us were dating anyone else on the side. Basically we were both still young, and I think neither of us was ready to seriously commit to anything.


    She pouted at me again, and I almost felt my resolve start to crumble. Seriously, nobody can resist my girlfriend''s pout. Sometimes I think it''s a superpower or something.


    "But babe," she pleaded, dialling the pout up another notch. "I don''t want to go out with some girl. I want to go out with you."


    I took another swig of beer, followed by a deep breath. Then I shook my head "Nope. I''m not going out in drag. I''m sorry Kelly, but it''s not going to happen."


    She sighed again. Then her pout slowly morphed into a sly smile. "What if I could guarantee nobody would recognize you? What if I could guarantee it was a perfect disguise, so you really looked like a girl? Like, so perfect even you were convinced?"


    I rolled my eyes, "That''s impossible, Kelly. I mean, it''d take actual magic to pull that off." I drained the last of my beer and set the bottle down on the side table for now.


    She was still wearing that sly smile as she said, "Yeah, you''re right." She leaned a little closer and whispered, "I shouldn''t tell you this, but... I really can work magic."


    I turned to look at her, then cracked a smile. "Yeah, right. So what, you''re some kind of witch or something?"


    She giggled, "No, it''s not like that."


    The sly smile came back and she said, "I could use magic to turn you into a girl. Just temporarily of course. We could go shopping, get you a nice outfit, and go out on the date tomorrow night. I win the bet, you and me come back here afterwards and I turn you back to normal before we go to bed."


    I got to my feet, laughing "Kelly, that''s nonsense. There''s no such thing as magic." I took the empty bottle and went back to the kitchenette, where I dropped the empty in the box then grabbed a cold one from the fridge.


    As I returned to the living-room, I saw Kelly had deployed The Pout? again.


    "You don''t believe me," she whined softly.


    "Kelly it''s not that I don''t believe you," I said, trying not to sound exasperated. "There''s just no such thing."


    She was still pouting as she looked at me and asked, "Can I prove it to you? Let me use magic on you. If you''re right, there''s no such thing and nothing will happen."


    I opened the beer and had a swig. I wasn''t sure where she was going with this. I knew the magic stuff was bogus, but I had no idea what she actually had in mind.


    Kelly''s expression shifted from the pout to one of those ''innocent smiles'' that you know''s going to lead to trouble.


    "I''ll make it worth your while? Let me use magic on you, make you a girl for a little while. And whether it works or not, I promise you two nights of the best sex you''ve ever had."


    I rolled my eyes a little, but I had to admit that sounded like a pretty good arrangement. I knew there was no such thing as real magic, so whatever she was up to it sounded like I''d win regardless.


    Finally I sighed, "Ok fine, it''s a deal. Go ahead and prove it to me, and I promise not to make fun of you when nothing happens."


    That sly smile was back again and she said "Great! Ok put the beer down for now so you don''t drop it. I''m going to turn you into a girl, and I promise nobody will recognize you, no-one will have any idea it''s really you."


    I rolled my eyes and had another gulp of beer. Finally I set the bottle down next to the sofa and sighed, "There. I''m ready, do your hocus-pocus stuff."


    She beamed at me and the look of excitement in her eyes gave me a slight chill. I watched as she grabbed her purse and dug something out of it. Then she stood up and moved to stand directly in front of me.


    Now I could see what she''d taken from her purse. It was some sort of necklace. There was a chunk of purple crystal in a silver setting, hanging from a length of black cord.


    She held the necklace out, "Here, put this on."


    I took it from her with a sigh. I slipped it over my head and looked down as it settled against my t-shirt, just above my chest. "Now what?"


    Kelly grinned, "Now magic!"


    Before I could say anything else she raised her right hand toward me and started whispering some strange words. At least I assume they were words, I couldn''t quite make them out and what I did hear didn''t make any sense to me.


    Her little performance only lasted about fifteen seconds, then it was over.


    I rolled my eyes, "Ok, that was -" The words caught in my throat as her brilliant green eyes seemed to flash with light.


    The crystal around my neck started glowing, and I looked down at it. A little filament of light arced upwards out of it and connected with my forehead, and I felt a wave of dizziness. A few more little strands of light emerged from the crystal and down into my chest.


    Then just like that, all the weird glowing light was gone. It all just blinked away as if someone flipped a switch.


    I let out a sigh and looked at my girlfriend. "What the fuck Kelly! What was that?!"


    Then everything around me dissolved into sparkling light.


    PurpleCatGirl

 2. Changed

    After what felt like four or five seconds the light finally faded away, and my little basement apartment came back into view around me.


    I was still sitting on the sofa with Kelly standing in front of me. She still had a smile on her face, but it wasn''t sly or eager now. She actually looked nervous, which didn''t help me feel any better.


    I took a couple deep breaths then demanded, "What the -"


    My eyes bugged out as the words died in my throat. Instead of my deep rumbly voice, the sounds that came out of my mouth were soft and high-pitched. Like I''d gone from my normal broken baritone to an airy soprano.


    My heart was racing now and I slowly tilted my head down. I was still wearing the same clothes. I had my favourite pair of blue jeans, and the grey t-shirt I''d grabbed this morning.


    Except the t-shirt was now too loose across the shoulders, and the ''short'' sleeves hung down past my elbows. But the biggest shock was instead of being just comfortably loose across my chest, the shirt was now stretched tight over what looked and felt like a huge pair of boobs.


    That stupid necklace was still there too, though it had slipped under my t-shirt. The crystal felt a little cold against my chest.


    And I could see my jeans were loose. Instead of feeling my belt pressing against my abdomen, it rested on my lap. The pants felt a little tight across my hips and butt, but were loose everywhere else.


    By now I was starting to hyperventilate. I finally tore my eyes off myself and looked up at my girlfriend again.


    I whispered, "Kelly, what the heck!?"


    She gave me an apologetic smile, "What? Isn''t this exactly what I said I was going to do? C''mon, stand up and let''s get a proper look at you."


    Without waiting for an answer, she leaned over and reached out, taking my hands in hers. Then she straightened up, pulling me up off the sofa and onto my feet. As she pulled me upright, I felt my jeans and boxers slip off, pooling around my ankles on the floor. I was barely aware of that, though.


    There was a lurch and a flutter in my stomach as I found myself standing in front of her, with my eyes directly level with her throat. Did I mention I was five-foot-ten? And Kelly was five-foot-eight? We normally stood almost eye-to-eye, I was just a little bit taller than her.


    Except now I wasn''t.


    Both my heart rate and my breathing sped up as I slowly tilted my neck back, looking upwards at her.


    My eyes were wide, and I couldn''t bring myself to speak. I just stared up at her in stunned disbelief.


    Kelly smiled down at me, "Babe... You''re frickin adorable."


    After a moment she added, "Come on!" She was still holding my hands, and she pulled me away from the sofa, towards the bathroom. I realized she was dragging me to the mirror. She wanted me to see what I looked like.


    With my first steps I left my shoes and pants behind. My socks slipped off over the next couple paces. I was too stunned to resist, and I just stumbled along with her for now.


    It was only a few meters from the sofa to the bathroom, but it was enough for me to realize my body was moving completely differently. My hips were swaying, and my stride was a lot smaller than it used to be. And I was aware of things jiggling that never jiggled before.


    We got to the bathroom and Kelly turned on the light as she positioned me next to her, the two of us standing at the counter, in front of the mirror.


    I stared at my girlfriend''s reflection first. Mostly as a way of putting off the inevitable.


    Kelly was tall, slim, and of obviously Irish descent with her fiery red hair, emerald eyes, and the freckles scattered across her cheeks. She was grinning, and her eyes were on me in the mirror.


    Finally I looked at the girl standing beside Kelly. She was almost the archetypical ''manic pixie dream girl''.


    She was about half a foot shorter than Kelly, she''d be lucky if she was five-foot-two. She was petite and slightly-built, except for the obvious assets hidden under the ill-fitting grey t-shirt.


    Her hair was a bright violet purple, and styled in a sort of messy bob. Her eyes were an intense aqua blue, and she was staring back at me with an expression that was a mix of shock and curiosity. Her skin looked fair and absolutely flawless. Her lips were full and pink and had a bit of a natural pout to them. Her nose was small, with a very slight upturn. Her face was rounded.


    Despite my shock, I had to admit this purple-haired girl looked incredibly cute.


    Apart from being about six inches shorter than Kelly, I realized the cutie in the mirror also looked a couple years younger. Kelly and I were both twenty-two, but this girl looked more like nineteen or twenty.


    The only thing she was wearing was my grey t-shirt. And that necklace with the purple crystal was still around the girl''s neck.


    Fortunately the mirror wasn''t full-length, and between the girl''s short stature and the counter and sink, I couldn''t see anything below her waist. And looking straight down much of my view was obscured by the boobs and the t-shirt.


    I was still breathing hard, and my heart was pounding. I don''t even know that my brain was running on all cylinders at this point. I didn''t know what to say, what to do, or even what to think, really.


    All this was impossible, it was insane. This sort of thing didn''t happen.


    Me and Kelly stood there in silence for a couple minutes, and her smile eventually faded. I think she was starting to figure out that I didn''t find this as entertaining as she did.


    Still, when she finally said something it wasn''t what I expected. And my response surprised me even more.


    "So babe," Kelly said, her expression and tone slightly more serious. "We need to think up a good name for you while you''re like this. Obviously I can''t keep calling you -"


    "Tegan," I stated, cutting her off before she could say the other name. "Call me Tegan."


    Kelly blinked then grinned, looking surprised but pleased. "Cool. Ok Tegan. That''s a pretty name. And honestly, I think it suits you?"


    I gulped, still staring at my reflection. And it was going to take a while to get used to hearing this voice. "I thought you weren''t into girls, Kelly. And I''d never have guessed you were into girls that look like this."


    "I''m not!" she protested. "It''s for the bet, remember? I have to go out with a girl, Keira has to go out with a guy."


    "Uh-huh," I said. I was trying to keep my voice level, trying not to completely fall apart into panic or shock.


    Finally I asked, "Can I take this stupid necklace off?" I was still staring at it in the mirror when a thought occurred. "Actually, if I take it off will I go back to normal?"


    She grinned, "Yeah take it off. The spell''s done, the necklace is just normal amethyst now." She added, "I used it to store the magical energy. It takes a lot to do a change like that, you know?"


    "I''ll take your word for it," I replied as I lifted the necklace up over my head then handed it to her. "So you''ve proved your point. Will you change me back now?"


    Kelly took the necklace and wound the cord up around the crystal, then shoved the whole thing into a pocket in her jeans. She bit her lower lip and shook her head. "The double-date''s tomorrow night, remember? We have to go out and get you something to wear tomorrow, then we''ll go and meet Keira and her date. Assuming she even has one."


    I took a deep breath, then sighed. I knew I was stuck. The worst part was I agreed to this. I hadn''t believed her, I didn''t think she actually had magic powers or whatever.


    To be honest I still didn''t really believe it, except here I was. I looked at myself in the mirror again and gulped.


    Kelly was still watching me, and she finally suggested "Why not get rid of the t-shirt? You still haven''t had a proper look at yourself, babe."


    I gulped, then blushed. I gestured towards the bathroom door and asked, "Could I have a little privacy?"


    "Sure," Kelly smiled. "While you''re doing that, mind if I poke around in your closet and see if there''s anything you can wear for now?"


    I sighed, "Go ahead."


    She was still grinning as she left, and I closed the bathroom door behind her. Then I locked it, for good measure.


    I closed my eyes and took a couple deep breaths, then pulled the t-shirt up and off, and dumped it on the floor for now.


    Finally I opened my eyes and stared in the mirror again. "Holy crap..."


    I had no idea what size they were, apart from ''big''. I was surprised to realize they were bigger than Kelly''s. I don''t know why but that was another one of those weird details that made my stomach flutter again.


    I had bigger tits than my girlfriend. I was shorter than her, and I had bigger tits... I suddenly wondered if she''d make me wear a skirt tomorrow night, and then I wondered why that thought made my stomach flutter yet again.


    Ok enough of that. I pushed those thoughts away for now and focused on my reflection again.


    They were bigger than a handful, that''s for sure. Especially with my hands being so small now, but honestly these boobs would be more than a handful for my old hands too. They were perfect though, the shape and the size and the look and feel of my flawless unblemished skin. My nipples were large and pink and sensitive, surrounded by perfectly round pink aureolas.


    I blushed again at the sight. I''d never admit this, not even to Kelly, but if I had to have boobs I''m glad I had these boobs.


    Finally I let my eyes wander further down. Without the t-shirt in the way, I had a clear view of my small flat belly and my narrow waist. My hips and ass stuck out further than I was used to, and they were nice and curvy. Like my arms, my legs were smooth and shapely. My feet were small and delicate-looking, like my hands.


    With another deep breath, I finally focused on my groin.


    There was a neatly-trimmed little patch of violet-coloured hair there, which was unexpected. I wondered for a moment if that was actually my natural hair colour now, then just as quickly forgot about it as I realized I was staring at my womanhood.


    I mean, I knew that was going to be there. I knew I wasn''t going to see my penis, I''d known since that swirling light faded and I realized I had boobs. It was still a shock though, to see it with my own eyes.


    "Crap," I whispered, as I straightened up and leaned against the counter.


    I took another couple deep breaths. My heart was racing again and I was feeling anxious. I wasn''t exactly upset, though. Actually I started to wonder why I wasn''t freaking out more, when I was distracted again.


    "Hey Tegan?" Kelly asked, from outside the bathroom door. "You doing ok in there?"


    "Uh, yeah..." I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.


    Kelly said, "I''ve got something for you to wear. Can I come in? Or you come out?"


    I took another deep breath then unlocked and opened the bathroom door. Looking straight at her neck again, I felt another flutter in my stomach as I tilted my head up to face her. She was looking down at me, and I felt myself suddenly blushing hard.


    We''d seen each other naked hundreds of times over the past year or so, and it never bothered me before. But this was the first time I was a girl, and despite her being straight I could swear she was checking me out.


    She held out some folded clothes, "This should be ok for you, for now."


    I mumbled a quiet thanks, but I was still feeling self-conscious so I quickly dressed. The t-shirt was a freebie I''d picked up somewhere. I''d never worn it because it was too big on me. Now it was almost like a shapeless dark blue dress. I realized it could work ok as a night-shirt though.


    And I used to wear these old grey shorts to the gym. I stopped wearing them last year when they got a little tight on me, around the same time I stopped going to the gym. I''m sure that was a coincidence. Anyways, now they were kind of big. It wasn''t the most attractive outfit, but like Kelly said, it would do for now.


    Kelly gave me a supportive smile, "There you go babe. How about we order in some dinner? Then we can figure out our plans for tomorrow."


    PurpleCatGirl

 3. Confused

    "We have to be at the restaurant for seven o''clock," Kelly said. "We''re going to Jake''s Roadhouse, since it''s practically next-door to the theatre."


    I had a sip of hard lemonade, and shrugged "Fine. It''s only like a fifteen or twenty minute drive from here."


    Dinner hadn''t arrived yet and while we waited we were discussing the plans for tomorrow night. And I was drinking one of her vodka-lemonades because I decided I didn''t want beer. I wasn''t sure why, I just felt like Tegan wasn''t a beer drinker.


    Kelly shook her head. "We can''t take your car, babe. Keira might recognize it."


    "Crap," I sighed. "What then? The bus? Or ride-share?"


    "Let''s ride-share," Kelly replied. "I''d offer to drive but Keira''s got our car for the weekend."


    I sighed again, "What about this shopping trip tomorrow? Can I at least drive for that?"


    Kelly looked thoughtful, then finally she nodded "Yeah. But to be safe, we won''t shop anywhere around here so there''s no chance of running into my sister. Let''s go somewhere out of town, ok? We can make a bit of a trip out of it, maybe stop for lunch or something?"


    "Who''s paying for all this, by the way?" I asked, frowning at her.


    Kelly smiled at me, "It''s on me, Tegan. The whole weekend. I''ll cover dinner tonight, I''ll buy you a fancy outfit tomorrow, and I''ll pay for lunch. I''ll take care of dinner and the movie tomorrow, too."


    I couldn''t complain about that. "Ok. That sounds fair, since all this is to help win you that bet."


    Her smile grew wider, "Thanks babe!"


    I smiled back at her before I realized what I was doing. Then I blushed and had another sip of the hard lemonade. Kelly''s enthusiasm was infectious.


    "So what movie are we seeing?" I asked.


    Kelly shrugged, "No idea. We''ll pick something tomorrow night I guess. Or maybe Keira will have something in mind."


    A few minutes later the food arrived, and I let Kelly go deal with it. I wasn''t quite ready yet to face anyone else while I looked like this. I mean, I knew nobody would recognize me. I didn''t even recognize me. Still, I needed some more time to get used to it.


    While she was doing that, I grabbed a couple plates and some napkins, and another two bottles of the hard lemonade.


    By the time she was finished at the door, I had the coffee table set up and ready for our little meal.


    Kelly smiled as she sat down beside me, "Carlos said to say hello."


    We''d got our usual order from the Asian Fusion place down the street, Carlos was one of their regular drivers. Yeah, we get delivery often enough that we''re on a first-name basis with some of the drivers.


    Kelly opened the bag and started pulling out the half-dozen little containers. As she set each one down on the coffee table in front of us, I felt my mood dropping rapidly. A frown formed on my face and it grew deeper with each container. She''d used my account, and each container had that name written on it in black marker.


    "All right, let''s..." Kelly''s voice trailed off as she glanced at me and saw my expression. "Tegan? What''s wrong?"


    I didn''t answer right away, but she followed my gaze back to the food containers. After a few seconds she asked, "You''re upset about the name?"


    I nodded slightly.


    Kelly frowned, but she opened all the containers and positioned the lids so I couldn''t see them.


    When she was done, she looked at me and asked "Why''s that bother you so much?" She sounded worried.


    I shook my head and replied softly, "I don''t know. I was wondering the same thing."


    Of course I had a theory, but I didn''t want to get into that discussion now that the food was here. Still, I couldn''t shake the memory of that magic light coming up and hitting me in the forehead. It seemed pretty clear to me that it was part of Kelly''s spell. I assumed she''d done something to make me accept all this, to make it so I wouldn''t freak out too hard.


    Kelly was still looking at me with a worried expression, and the concerned look on her face suddenly made me a lot less certain it was something she''d done with her magic. I decided to try and get both our minds off that for now, and onto the food.


    I gave her a smile and said, "Dinner smells great! Let''s eat, while the hot stuff''s hot and the fresh stuff''s fresh."


    "Yeah, good idea!" she grinned back at me, and we both dug in.


    We had a couple dozen pieces of our favourite sushi, and there were three hot dishes. We got shrimp pad Thai, a General Tsao chicken, and spicy orange beef.


    The food was great as usual, there''s a reason that place is one of our favourites. I noticed though that all three of the hot dishes were quite a bit spicier than normal. I could barely eat the orange beef, and after the first mouthful I had to have a gulp of my hard lemonade.


    I commented, "They really cranked up the heat tonight, eh? Did you ask them to make it extra-spicy?"


    Kelly gave me a puzzled look, "No, it''s just our regular order."


    After a few seconds I sighed as it hit me. Apparently as Tegan, I was a bit of a wimp when it came to spicy food.


    I left the rest of the orange beef for Kelly. I also realized I wasn''t going to be able to eat as much as usual. We always had some leftovers, but this time we''d probably have half the order left for breakfast tomorrow.


    When I''d had my fill I sat back on the sofa and sipped my drink as I watched Kelly enjoy the rest of her meal.


    "Hey Kelly? How''d you learn this magic stuff anyways? Are you like a witch or something?"


    She blushed, "I''m not supposed to say, Tegan. It''s a secret."


    "C''mon," I frowned. "You turned me into a girl, I think I deserve to know how you did it."


    Kelly had a few gulps of her lemonade, as she seemed to be thinking it over. Finally she said, "If I tell you, you have to swear not to tell anyone else. Like, swear it as an actual oath, ok?"


    I raised an eyebrow at that, then shrugged. "Ok I swear it. I swear I won''t tell anyone else."


    That seemed to satisfy her, but she kept her voice low as if there might be someone else in the apartment listening in. "My maternal grandfather is fae," she said, in a half whisper. "So I''m basically one-quarter fae."


    She was acting like this was some huge dangerous secret, but I had no idea what she was talking about. "What does that mean? Faye seems like a weird name for a guy."


    Kelly suppressed a giggle, "Not Faye... Fae. Fair-folk. Like fairies?"


    "What like Tinkerbell?" I asked, feeling silly as soon as I said it.


    This time she giggled out loud, "Oh my Gods Tegan, no!" She had another sip of her drink then said "Look, don''t worry about it ok? Fair-folk, or fae, are ''mythical'' magical creatures, from Otherworld. It''s like, Irish legend stuff. It just means I have access to a kind of magic."


    "So it''s a genetic thing, is what you''re saying?" I asked. "And that means Keira can do magic too, since you''re twins."


    Kelly nodded, "Yeah, Keira can do magic too. We''re not supposed to though. I''ll get in a lot of trouble if anyone found out I used magic on you. So please don''t tell anyone, especially not my sister."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t say a word." I added, "What would I say anyways? No-one would believe me if I told them who I used to be or what I used to look like."


    "Thanks babe," Kelly smiled at me. A moment later it faded and she frowned at me, but before I could ask why she suggested, "Let''s pack the rest of this up ok? I''ve had enough."


    I nodded, then hesitated. I didn''t want to see that name on all the container tops again.


    Kelly picked up on my hesitation and said, "Just a sec."


    She dashed into the kitchen and returned with the roll of cling-film. The container tops went into the trash and we sealed up the left-overs with plastic, then loaded them all into the fridge.


    When everything was tidied up, the two of us sat back on the sofa again with our drinks.


    "Kelly? I have another question," I said, watching her. I was feeling nervous again, but I figured it was time to talk about the spell.


    She gave me a slightly concerned look and asked, "What is it, Tegan?"


    I took a deep breath and dove in. "So when you did that spell, it was pretty obvious it did something to my head. I mean, I saw the light hit me in the forehead. I assume it''s your spell that''s keeping me from freaking out and stuff? And I thought maybe your spell had something to do with the uh, name stuff."


    Kelly bit her lower lip, and that worried look came across her face again. She shook her head, "My magic doesn''t... I didn''t put anything in the spell to mess with your name. I didn''t even do anything to make sure you didn''t freak out."


    She added, sounding uneasy "Now that you say it though, I realize I probably should have. But I didn''t, and now I''m wondering why you aren''t freaking out."


    We were both frowning now.


    Finally I just drained the last of my second hard lemonade. I had a bit of a buzz already, but I wasn''t surprised. I mean, by now I was getting used to the fact that as Tegan I was reacting differently to just about everything.


    I decided to change the subject again and asked, "So were you still planning to stay the night? I mean, I know you''re not into girls so it''d probably be weird for you."


    Kelly blushed, then drank the last of her second lemonade as well. Before answering she got up and took the empties back to the kitchen, and returned with two more drinks.


    She handed one to me then had a sip of hers before she finally answered, "I should probably stay. Incase you do start freaking out or whatever? I mean, you''re kind of my responsibility right now."


    "Well you''re welcome to stay of course," I said. "I just didn''t want you to be uncomfortable."


    I had a couple gulps of the vodka-lemonade then smirked, "Actually, I seem to recall our deal was two nights of outstanding sex if I let you turn me into a girl. But I suppose you meant to do your part of the bargain after you changed me back."


    Kelly''s face went beet-red and I couldn''t help it, I giggled.


    "Sorry Kelly," I apologized after I''d calmed down. "I didn''t mean to tease."


    She was staring at me again. Her tone was almost accusing as she stated, "You giggled!"


    "So?" I shrugged. "You giggle all the time."


    I had a few more gulps of my drink and asked, "Anyways, does that mean you''re staying the night?"


    "Yeah, I''m staying." she nodded, and had a sip of her lemonade.


    Then she gave me a sly look and asked, "I know you were just teasing, about cashing in on my part of the deal tonight. But what if I agreed? Were you just bluffing, or do you really want to see what sex feels like as a girl?"


    Now it was my turn, I felt my cheeks go bright red and I may have gulped. At the same time, I felt that flutter in my stomach again. Both my heart rate and breathing sped up slightly.


    I looked down at the floor, unable to meet her eyes as I replied "I uh... Honestly right now I''m pretty damn curious? But at the same time, I uh, don''t want us both doing something we might regret later..."


    "Yeah," Kelly nodded slowly. She had another sip of her drink, then gave me another one of those curious, slightly concerned looks.


    As I drank the last of my third hard lemonade, I couldn''t help but wonder if maybe Kelly wasn''t quite as straight as she claimed. On the other hand I was pretty sure I was a lesbian.


    I mean, I knew I was still into girls, I was definitely still into Kelly. I suddenly felt a little sad as I realized I probably wouldn''t get to experience sex with her while I was a girl.


    Kelly was still watching me and asked "What''s wrong, Tegan? Now you''re pouting."


    I sighed, and I could feel my cheeks turning a deeper shade of red. I set my empty bottle down on the coffee table and admitted, "I''m a drunk, horny lesbian. And I''m sitting next to my hot sexy girlfriend, but she''s not actually into me anymore because now I''m a girl."


    PurpleCatGirl

 4. Concerned

    "How are you drunk?" Kelly asked, staring at me. "You only had three little bottles of hard lemonade."


    "Same as everything else," I said as I frowned back at her. "Your spell made me a wimp with spice and a light-weight with alcohol. That''s ontop of making me a short-ass purple-haired chick and giving me these huge boobs."


    Kelly sighed and rubbed her forehead. I probably would have been more concerned about the worried look on her face, but that third drink was actually just starting to hit me now and I had other things on my mind.


    "And how come that''s the thing you''re focusing on?" I smirked at her, "Are you too embarrassed to touch the ''horny lesbian'' part of what I said?"


    She looked a little shocked as she just stared at me.


    I giggled, "I don''t mean like, literally touch the horny lesbian. Though it''d be kinda cool if you did, actually. Like, I''m not gonna complain."


    Kelly asked nervously, "Tegan what''s gotten into you?"


    "Nothing yet, but the night''s still young!" I grinned and tried to give her a suggestive wink.


    She actually face-palmed, and I giggled again.


    "Tegan that''s enough." Kelly''s tone was serious now, and it seemed to snap me out of the flirty drunken haze I''d been in.


    I took a deep breath and sighed. My head was spinning and I was still horny, but the alcohol was starting to win and I knew it probably wouldn''t be long before I''d be more interested in sleep than anything else.


    "Sorry Kelly," I apologized. "I''m not used to any of this and I guess I got carried away. I think I''m gonna get ready for bed, before I pass out."


    She frowned but nodded, "Ok babe."


    I got up and wobbled slightly as I made my way to the bathroom. Using the toilet for the first time as a girl wasn''t actually a big deal. I mean, you just sit and pee, it''s all kind of automatic? Way easier than as a guy, especially when you''re drunk. Like, I didn''t have to worry about aiming or anything.


    After I was done and cleaned up, I washed my hands and brushed my teeth. The shorts I was wearing got left on the bathroom floor next to that grey t-shirt.


    When I was all finished in the bathroom I shuffled out and made my way to the bedroom, though it was getting harder to stay upright. I was already starting to regret that third hard lemonade. And I definitely regretted how fast I''d drank it.


    I absentmindedly pulled off the big navy-blue shirt and dropped it on the floor, then let myself flop face-down into bed.


    "Ow!" I groaned and rolled onto my back, grabbing my chest. I''d hit the bed boobs-first and that frigging hurt.


    That was probably my last coherent thought for the night, I''m pretty sure I was out cold as soon as I was comfy.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    I slowly drifted awake and took a deep breath. The smell of fresh-brewed coffee was in the air, and gosh that smelled good!


    I rolled over and opened my eyes, smiling. Then I frowned. Kelly wasn''t there, I was alone in bed. Then I realized I was stark naked, and finally remembered how drunk I''d gotten and how lewd I''d been acting.


    My face went bright red, and I quietly scolded myself. I hoped I didn''t freak Kelly out too bad, acting like that towards her.


    I got up out of bed and grabbed the large blue shirt off the floor, slipping it on before I emerged from the bedroom.


    Kelly was sitting on the sofa in her nightshirt, cradling a mug of coffee. I was pretty sure she''d spent the night on the sofa, but she still looked amazing regardless. It was another one of her ''superpowers'', like her pout. She always looked gorgeous no matter what.


    She was watching me, her bright green eyes going up and down over me as I walked past her and the sofa towards the kitchenette. It was almost like she was studying me or something.


    I stopped in front of her. I figured it would be better to apologize first, then get coffee after.


    "Good morning Kelly," I said softly. "I''m really sorry for how I acted last night. I don''t know what got into me, but I was a little uh, inappropriate."


    Kelly was still sort of frowning at me, staring at me. Finally she gestured towards the kitchen and said "Get yourself a coffee, babe. Then we''ll talk."


    I sighed, but nodded. I figured she was ticked off with me, but at least she was letting me get some caffein into me before she started in on the lecture.


    By now I knew better than to make any assumptions about how I''d like my coffee. A little trial-and-error and I was surprised to find it wasn''t too far off from how I drank it before. I''d gone from one-cream one-sugar to double-double.


    Coffee in hand, I walked back to the sofa and sat down next to her. Not too close though, I didn''t want to make her uncomfortable again.


    After a deep sip of the glorious brew, I looked up at her and said, "Ok. I''m ready."


    Kelly was still watching me like a hawk. I had no doubt she''d been staring at me the whole time I was getting my coffee. I may have cringed slightly at this point, in anticipation of the talking-to she was about to unleash on me.


    Instead of a lecture, she just asked a question.


    "Babe, how''d you come up with the name Tegan?" she asked. She was still sort of studying me, watching me closely. "I mean, you had that name on the tip of your tongue, you wouldn''t even let me say -"


    "I don''t know?" I said, interrupting her. I wasn''t sure if she was actually going to say the other name or not, but I didn''t wait to find out.


    "I''ve always liked the name Tegan. If I was a girl, it''s a name I''d pick for myself. So when I saw myself in the mirror and I knew I was really a girl, it was kind of a no-brainer."


    After a moment I added, "You even said I looked like a Tegan. Like I said, I assumed it was all part of your plan or whatever."


    Kelly shook her head and admitted, "None of this was part of my plan. Well, apart from turning you into a girl. But my plan was you''d be the same height as me, basically the same shape as me. I even brought some extra clothes, thinking I''d loan them to you since we''d be the same size. Your hair should have been dark like before, but longer. And I had a name I was going to suggest."


    She took a deep breath and sighed, "Pretty much nothing''s turned out the way I expected, and it''s making me worried. I think..." She hesitated, then finally said "I think I should end the spell and turn you back to normal now."


    I blinked at her, then grinned. "Ok, who are you and where''s the real Kelly?"


    I was only half-joking. I mean, Kelly and Keira are basically identical twins, and both of them are obsessed with beating the other. Honestly, it wouldn''t be a stretch to imagine Keira somehow got wind of Kelly''s plan and snuck in here to try and sabotage things.


    Kelly shook her head, "Babe I''m not joking. I''m worried about you."


    "Kelly I''m fine," I said, my voice calm and level. "I agreed to this, remember? And it''d be silly to give up now, we''re like, halfway through already. Let''s stick to the plan. We''ll go shopping, I''ll get some cute outfits, then we''ll go meet Keira at the restaurant. Do the double-date thing, assuming she actually brings a guy. Then you win the bet, and we come back here."


    She was still frowning at me, she looked like she wasn''t convinced yet.


    I had a deep sip of my coffee then set the cup down on the coffee table. "Don''t worry. I''m fine. It''ll be ok."


    Then I got up and headed to the bathroom. The rest of last night''s hard lemonade needed to be set free.


    I didn''t bother closing the bathroom door as I sat on the toilet. I realized even sober this was a lot better than standing and aiming. After finishing up and washing my hands again, I stared at myself in the mirror.


    Heck, I really was cute. Even fresh out of bed, with messy hair and a hangover, I kind of looked fantastic.


    Then it hit me. I wasn''t hung over. Sure I was a bit dehydrated, and a little hungry maybe. But I didn''t feel like crap. I didn''t even have a headache.


    I was smiling as I returned to the sofa and sat down again next to Kelly.


    "What are you smiling at now?" she asked, sounding apprehensive.


    I had a deep sip of coffee and shrugged, "I''m not hung-over. In fact, I feel pretty good. And I''m cute as heck." I gave her what I hoped was a cheeky grin, so she''d know I was teasing.


    Kelly just sighed and shook her head as she finished her coffee. She still looked worried though.


    We both wound up having a second cup of coffee before we really started thinking about the rest of the day. Not that I felt I needed the caffein, I mean I felt just fine despite basically getting drunk enough to pass out last night.


    Breakfast was last night''s leftovers. Stale sushi and reheated pad Thai for me, stale sushi and reheated orange beef for Kelly.


    As we ate, Kelly said "So I was thinking about the shopping trip. The thing is, you don''t have anything to wear. I mean, to wear shopping? Like I said, I brought an extra change of clothes thinking you could wear that out to the store but it''s not going to work."


    "Yeah," I sighed. "I was thinking about that too." After a moment I shrugged, "I''ll figure it out after breakfast. It''ll be fine."


    Kelly just frowned again well as we both continued eating.


    Like last night, I was full before her, and there were still left-overs. I put them back in the fridge, though I doubted they''d still be good by tomorrow morning. Whatever, that was tomorrow-me''s problem.


    I went into the bedroom and started going through my clothes, trying to figure out a plan.


    Happily one came together pretty quickly. I found an old pair of jeans in the closet that were too tight on me. They''d be too long and too loose now, but it was a start. Next up I picked out a t-shirt that I could work with. I went back to the kitchen and found the scissors buried under the cutlery, and finally sat down on the sofa and got started.


    Kelly watched for a minute then asked, "Babe, what are you doing?"


    I suppressed a sigh, "Kelly, you haven''t called me Tegan once this morning. What''s up with that?"


    She blushed, "I''m sorry. I started to worry that uh... That you were getting used to this? Or that you were starting to like it or something. I didn''t want to encourage it."


    I stopped working on the clothes for now, and looked up at her. "Kelly, I know this is just temporary. But as long as I look like this, I''m Tegan ok? Think of it like... I''m just getting into character? And you know, Keira''s going to get suspicious if you keep calling me ''babe'' all night and avoid my name. I mean, maybe she''ll assume you''ve forgotten my name since it''s supposed to be our first date. But she might get suspicious, she knows you called the old-me ''babe'' too."


    "Ok Tegan," Kelly nodded.


    "Thanks Kelly," I smiled, then got back to work on the clothes.


    Not that there was a lot to do, it only took a minute or two and I had a pair of cut-offs and a crop-top shirt.


    "There!" I announced with a grin. "It''s not great but it''ll do till I get some proper clothes. Now I just have to figure out some footwear."


    That puzzle was solved with a pair of old flip-flops I got last summer. They were huge on me, but a couple minutes with the kitchen scissors and they were a little more manageable. Ugly as heck, but I''d just toss them out as soon as I had real shoes.


    Out of all the clothes Kelly meant to loan me, the only thing I wound up wearing were the panties, and even they were a bit too big. My cut-off shorts were maybe a teensy bit too short, but it was fine. It was August and the weather was nice. They were also a bit too loose, but they''d do for now. And the crop-tee was maybe not all that appropriate either, especially since I lacked a bra, but again I figured it only had to last till I had something better.


    I fished my wallet out of the jeans I''d worn yesterday, and picked up my keys. My wallet and phone wound up in Kelly''s purse since I had nowhere to put them.


    It was around noon as we set out on our shopping expedition. And honestly, I was feeling kind of excited about it. Kelly was still apprehensive though, and it almost felt like I was the one dragging her to the store instead of vice-versa.


    PurpleCatGirl

 5. Clothed

    I felt another one of those flutters in my stomach when I got into the car. With the seat in its normal position, I was just barely looking over the steering wheel and had trouble reaching the pedals. I blushed and grinned as I spent a few minutes getting the seat and all the mirrors adjusted.


    As I did all that, Kelly sat quietly in the passenger seat and watched me with an uncomfortable look on her face.


    Our first stop was the big discount-mart. I figured they''d have everything in one place, from underwear to outer wear to shoes. And it''d be cheap. The plan was just pop in and get one outfit and some sneakers, then change into that and go visit a nice boutique.


    That was the plan. What actually happened was I got carried away and we spent about an hour in there as I loaded up a shopping cart. I got a couple packs of panties, a half dozen pairs of socks, two pairs of sneakers... Hey, it''s not my fault I couldn''t decide between the purple ones and the white ones. Then there were a couple pairs of leggings, two really nice-looking pairs of jeans, and six or seven tops.


    The only thing that stumped me was a bra. All that other stuff I could either try on in the fitting room or just wing it, but I had absolutely no clue how bra sizes worked.


    Kelly helped out though, she picked out a package of sports bras and explained, "The fit isn''t critical with those and it''ll get you through the day. If you want a fancy one for tonight, we''ll visit a proper boutique and get you measured. But you''ll want to wear one of those first."


    I nodded, "Thanks Kelly!"


    On the way out, I spotted the purses and took a few minutes to pick out one I liked. It wasn''t fancy, just black canvas, but it had pockets for everything, and a comfy shoulder strap.


    There was just one last thing I needed. We found the make-up section, and soon enough I had it. Purple lipstick that matched my hair. I grinned, "Perfect!"


    It wasn''t till the cashier was ringing everything up that it finally hit me. I''d basically bought half a wardrobe''s worth of clothes. I only needed one outfit, and here I was with a week''s worth. I mean, it was honestly a lot of fun, but I wondered why Kelly didn''t say anything.


    When it came to pay, she fished my debit card out of my wallet in her purse. I managed to avoid looking at the name embossed on the card, my eyes firmly fixed on the machine as I slid the card in then tapped in my PIN.


    Then we loaded everything in the car, and wound up heading back to my place so I could get properly changed.


    Kelly opened a can of cola as she waited on the sofa while I carried my bags of clothes into the bedroom.


    I fussed for a few minutes before finally picking what to wear. I went with the black skinny-jeans and a dark green t-shirt, and the purple sneakers. I also switched from the panties Kelly loaned me to a new black pair I''d just bought.


    Getting the sports-bra on was an interesting experience and it gave me some more of those flutters in my stomach. The package had three of them, one white, one grey, one black. I went with the black one, I thought it looked sexier, and it matched my panties.


    Finally I loaded up my purse. My phone, all my cards, my cash, everything had a spot. Even the lipstick. I hadn''t actually put that on yet, I planned on asking Kelly for help with it later.


    When I emerged from the bedroom Kelly looked up at me. I had a huge smile on my face, but she just shook her head slowly, looking worried again.


    "Tegan, you look..." She hesitated, then finally said "Happy. You look really happy."


    I didn''t know what to say to that. I moved to the sofa and sat down next to her, feeling a little confused.


    After a minute or two, I asked "Kelly? Why didn''t you say something at the store? When I was getting carried away? I mean, I went in there for like five things and came away with what, six complete outfits? A week''s worth of clothes? It''s going to be kind of weird taking most of that stuff back tomorrow, after I''m back to my old self again."


    She had a sip of her soda, then admitted "You looked like you were having fun. I''ve never seen you enjoy shopping before. I mean, especially not clothes shopping. Usually you just bee-line to what you need, grab the cheapest or blandest thing, then bee-line back to the registers to pay."


    After another sip of her drink, she continued "I thought that''s what was going to happen today. I thought we''d be in there less than ten minutes, and five of them would be spent at the check-out."


    She turned to look at me and asked, "What''s different? Why was it so much fun for you today?"


    I bit my lip and frowned, thinking back to how I felt at the store. What was I thinking, as I went from one rack to the next, loading up the cart.


    I blushed when I realized the answer.


    "It''s because I''m cute," I half-whispered. "I was excited thinking about the different cute clothes, thinking how I''d look wearing them. I got excited about playing dress-up, I guess?"


    After an awkward pause I added, "I''ve never been cute before. I was always just, boring bland old me. Didn''t matter what I wore, it''d still be the same plain boring me. So clothes weren''t fun, they were just... Utilitarian. And shopping wasn''t fun, because I had to ignore all the cute fun stuff. I knew it wasn''t for me. Shopping wasn''t for me."


    Kelly looked thoughtful as she sipped her drink. Finally she looked at me and in a slightly nervous tone she asked, "Tegan, are you trans?"


    I just stared at her for a moment, I had no idea how to respond to that. Finally I laughed, "Seriously Kelly? We''ve been together over a year, you know I''m not."


    She sounded serious as she pressed, "You already had a girl''s name chosen for yourself. You basically just admitted you wanted to wear cute clothes, but felt like you couldn''t until now. And honestly, you just seem so happy and comfortable like this..."


    She added, "It sounds to me like you''re experiencing gender euphoria right now. And maybe you had some dysphoria as your normal self."


    A slightly uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach as her words sank in. Thinking about it was making me more uncomfortable though and I quickly decided to push those thoughts away and change the subject.


    I forced a relaxed smile, "It''s like I said earlier, I''m just getting into character. Don''t worry about it Kelly."


    Finally I pointed out, "It''s almost two o''clock now. Do you want to go out and get a bite to eat? Then we can go hit a boutique or whatever." I added with a smile, "You still need to dress me up pretty for our date, remember."


    "Yeah, ok." Kelly nodded, though she still looked kind of uncertain and thoughtful.


    She poured the rest of the soda in the kitchen sink, and the two of us headed back out. Wearing one of my cute new outfits, with my purse hanging off my left shoulder, I already felt fantastic. I couldn''t wait to see how I''d look and feel after Kelly got through dressing me up.


    We wound up going a ways out of town like she''d suggested last night. We found ourselves in a small upscale community about forty-five minutes north of the city. Since our dinner date wasn''t actually that far off we passed on a full lunch and just had a light snack in a pretty cafe.


    It was nice and felt kind of neat. Just two young women having ''afternoon tea'' before visiting the little shops on main street.


    As we enjoyed our coffee and fancy sandwiches I asked, "So what kind of outfit were you thinking about dressing me up in?" I tried to keep my tone casual, but I''m pretty sure Kelly could tell I was excited.


    She bit her lower lip as she looked at me. I honestly couldn''t tell if she was trying not to smile, or if she was trying not to frown. I knew I was making her uncomfortable with how hard I was leaning into being Tegan, but I hoped she''d roll with it. We both knew it was temporary, so why not enjoy it? That was my theory, at least.


    Finally she nodded "Ok. My original plan would have had you sort of, ''sophisticated-sexy''. But that''s out the window. No offence babe but I don''t think ''sophisticated'' is a look you''ll be able to pull off."


    She had a sip of coffee then said, "So instead I think we''ll do like you said earlier, about getting into character? You''re really into the whole ''cute'' thing, so that''s what we''ll do. But this is a date, so it''s going to be ''sexy-cute''."


    I tried and failed to suppress a grin, "Are you going to make me wear a skirt?"


    Her eyes narrowed slightly. I''m not sure which part of my question gave her that predatory look but it sent another flutter through my stomach.


    Then she nodded and smiled. Her voice was low and almost haughty as she said, "Oh yes, Tegan. There''s a lingerie store up the street, we''ll be visiting that first. Then a little shoe store, and then the dress shop. I''m going to make you wear heels, hose, and a lacy bra. And then I''m going to put you in a skirt, and a blouse."


    I swear I needed a minute to settle down after that. I''m not sure if it was the look in her eyes, the tone of her voice, or what she said. Maybe it was all three. But that flutter in my stomach dropped about six inches and I could feel my cheeks going red. All I could think about was I should have brought a change of panties because holy heck...


    Kelly was either oblivious to the effect she''d just had on me, or maybe she knew exactly what she was doing. Either way she took a bite of her little cucumber sandwich and casually said "Best finish up your lunch, cutie. We''ve got some shopping to do."


    "Y-yes ma''am," I half whispered.


    She looked at me again with one eyebrow arched, and I gulped. Her lips twitched but she held back her grin. Instead she said in that haughty tone, "If you want to be formal about it, then it''s ''yes mistress''."


    This time the flutter skipped my stomach and just started in between my legs. I might have even squeaked softly. I knew my cheeks were beet-red as I stared down at my coffee and struggled to get control of my breathing.


    Kelly just smiled as she sipped her coffee.


    That was the last of the teasing for now, un/fortunately. After all, we had a lot of shopping to do and time was limited.


    I wish I could say the bra-fitting was fun or at least interesting, but honestly it was just awkward. The woman was kindly and patient, but she was also old enough to be someone''s grandmother.


    Once she had my measurements, Kelly picked something out for me. I wasn''t allowed to offer any input. Not even the colour. She also picked out some stockings and a garter to match. I just about choked when the old lady rung it up and I saw the price, but Kelly paid without batting an eye.


    Next we visited a shoe place. I was honestly a little worried about that. I mean, it''s fun letting your girlfriend dress you up, but it''s less fun falling off a six-inch stiletto heel and breaking your ankle. I assume.


    Fortunately she didn''t go crazy there. She had me try on a few different styles, but settled on a pair of shiny black kitten-heels. The heels were about an inch and a half high, but I managed them ok when Kelly had me walk around the store in them.


    Our last stop was an actual clothes boutique. It seemed fashionable though, and the staff here were more my and Kelly''s age. Loud pop music was playing and I was quickly drawn in, looking at all the cute outfits and fun accessories.


    Kelly let me wander around the store while she did the actual shopping. In the end I know she wanted to surprise me, but she also needed to make sure things fit so I wound up in the change room. She had me try on four different skirts and three tops, so I guess the surprise would be when we got home and I found out which ones she actually bought.


    The skirts were all similar styles, they mostly varied in colour and length. The tops were all different styles and colours, one of them was even translucent.


    Everything fit though, so I really had no idea which ones she''d selected. After I modelled them all for her, she left me to get back into my jeans and t-shirt while she took the blouses and skirts back to the counter.


    By the time I emerged from the change-room with my clothes and shoes back on, she had the purchases in a bag and we were ready for the drive back to my place.


    PurpleCatGirl

 6. Cultivated

    It was quarter to six when we got back to my apartment. As we made our way back inside, Kelly sighed "I''ve messed up the time. We''re both going to have to skip the shower but I think we''ll be ok without."


    I just nodded. I figured we only had about forty-five minutes before we''d have to arrange the ride-share, if we wanted to be on-time for seven.


    Inside, Kelly gave me a small grin, "I suspect I''m going to have to help you get dressed. I don''t imagine you know how to put on the garter, or the bra."


    I blushed, "Uh, yeah."


    "I''ll get changed first," she decided. She picked up her little overnight bag from next to the sofa and strode into the bathroom, adding "Why don''t you go into your bedroom and get undressed? I''ll be there in a few minutes."


    "Ok Kelly," I nodded.


    While she was getting herself changed I looked at the pile of clothes on my bed from our first round of shopping.


    I sighed as I started putting it all back into the bags. It would all be going back tomorrow. The only things I couldn''t return were the package of panties and the sports bras, since they''d both been opened. And of course, the clothes I''d worn today wouldn''t go back either.


    It was weird but I actually felt sad as I put everything else back into the bags, knowing it''d all go back to the store unworn.


    It crossed my mind that I should have felt bad about the stuff we''d paid good money for that I''d only ever get to wear once. I mean, sure I could probably donate it or something, but I''d already decided I was keeping it. Even if none of it would ever fit me again, it''d be souvenirs from my day as Tegan.


    Once I had the bed cleared I sat down and undid my shoes, then pulled them and the socks off. I wriggled out of the jeans and pulled off the shirt. Finally I sat there in nothing but my black panties and sports bra. I was still a bit self-conscious about being naked in front of Kelly, so I put that off as long as possible.


    I only had to wait another few minutes before my girlfriend emerged from the bathroom. My bedroom door was open so she could just come in.


    Kelly was wearing a pair of black slacks and a sleeveless forest-green blouse. It had a deep neck, and I could tell she''d put on a push-up bra. She''d also fluffed her hair a little, and put on deep red lipstick.


    Honestly I was a little envious of how quickly and easily she could make herself look stunning. Another one of her superpowers. Actually it occurred to me, maybe it''s that part-fae thing she mentioned last night? If she had some magic ''fair-folk'' blood in her, maybe that''s how she always looked so good.


    She looked me over then reminded me, "I said undressed. Lose the panties and the bra."


    I blushed as I pulled the bra off, and gulped as my large breasts jiggled free of it. Then I stood up and started to pull the panties down, but hesitated.


    "Wait," I said, frowning. "You forgot to buy fancy panties at that boutique. Shouldn''t I keep these on?"


    I bit my lip when she arched an eyebrow.


    In a slightly haughty tone, Kelly replied "I didn''t forget, Tegan. I decided you wouldn''t need them."


    That sent another flutter through my stomach and beyond. And now I knew she was doing this on purpose. Crap!


    I took a deep breath then just nodded and slid the panties down.


    Kelly had me stand in front of her as she pulled the garter belt out of the first bag. She put it on me, then helped me get the stockings on. Finally she got the stockings clipped to the garter.


    Then the lacy bra came out and she helped me with that too. It wasn''t a push-up style, but it felt good and looked great. The way it held and shaped my boobs was a lot nicer than the sports bra, and it sent another flutter through my stomach.


    The whole ensemble was purple, but it was a lighter tone than my hair. Closer to lavender, rather than violet. I loved it though, and the feel of the lace against my skin was a sensation I''d never experienced before.


    Kelly looked me over, then went for the next bag.


    I was expecting the skirt and blouse, but instead she got out the shoes. She set them on the floor and had me step into them.


    When I''d tried them on at the store I had my jeans on. Now with almost nothing on, I could really see how the heels changed the shape of my legs and my behind. My eyes widened as I looked down at myself.


    Kelly looked me over again, then a small smile formed on her lips.


    "What?" I blushed. "What is it?"


    "Just thinking," she smirked. "This time yesterday, you swore you wouldn''t wear drag. Now I''ve got you in heels and lace."


    That just made me blush brighter, but I couldn''t think of anything to say.


    Her expression became serious again as she finally opened the last bag. The skirt she''d chosen for me was short, black, and pleated. It had some grey and purple lines across one side in an abstract, random pattern.


    She helped me put it on and she did it up for me, despite the fact that I''d already put it on by myself back in the boutique change room. I think she just wanted to be in control right now, and honestly I was extremely ok with that.


    The hem of the skirt ended about three inches above my knees. I hoped we''d be seated at a booth at the restaurant, or I was almost definitely going to flash someone getting up or sitting down. With a bit of shock I realized that had to be part of Kelly''s plan.


    Something about this whole experience had my stomach fluttering and my heart skipping beats. I mean, I knew I should have been embarrassed? But no, mostly I was just getting turned on. Crap. I hadn''t wanted to admit that, even to myself.


    Finally the blouse emerged from the bag. It was the light grey one, that was sort of translucent. It had long sleeves and a little collar, and to be honest it was my least-favourite of the three she''d had me try. The black sports-bra had been way too visible underneath it, and I was self-conscious about that.


    On the other hand, the material was very light and comfortable. And I realized, the lavender bra I now wore really didn''t show through the top that much.


    Once that was on me and done up, Kelly had me get my lipstick. She put it on for me, then took a step back and looked me over.


    I noticed one nice thing about the heels, I mean besides making my legs and ass look fantastic, was they made me just a little bit taller. So I didn''t have to tilt my head up so far to look Kelly in the eyes.


    Finally she smiled, "Perfect. Go have a look at yourself."


    My heart was racing as I hurried out of my bedroom and into the bathroom to check the mirror.


    "Oh my..." I didn''t have any other words. Like she said, she''d turned me from sort of messy casual cute, to holy-crap-I-can''t-believe-that''s-me sexy cute.


    I just stood there and stared for a minute or two. Gradually a different kind of anxiety floated up, as it suddenly sank in that this wasn''t just going to be me and Kelly. Keira would be there, and she''d potentially have some guy with her. But even worse, we''d be in a crowded restaurant, and then the theatre.


    Guys would be staring at me, and having been one myself up until yesterday evening I knew what they''d be thinking as they leered. Suddenly I was having second thoughts about this whole plan.


    Before I could slide into panic, Kelly was there. She stepped up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder.


    "How''re you doing, babe?"


    I gulped, then whispered "I''m kind of scared, to be honest."


    She gave me a reassuring smile in the mirror, "You''ll do fine. I''ll be with you, everything will be ok."


    I nodded slowly, then turned to face her. I felt another flutter in my stomach as I had to tilt my head up further to look at her again. Then I realized she''d put on heels as well. My inch-and-a-half kitten heels were soundly defeated by her three-inch pumps. Damnit, now she was even taller next to me then when we were both in sneakers.


    Kelly smiled down at me again. It was another warm, friendly, reassuring smile. "Our ride is on the way. We have about ten minutes, and I have some things to tell you really quickly."


    I gulped again, "Ok?"


    She guided me out of the bathroom and over to the sofa. She quickly taught me how to sit down and stand up in a skirt. Then she gave me a brief lesson in how to sit, what to do with my legs, that sort of thing. Basically to make sure I wasn''t slouching with my knees wide open like a typical guy.


    As she ran through the instructions she added, "To be fair you weren''t doing that earlier, but now that you''re in a short skirt it''s much more important."


    I nodded and followed her guidance. Most of it seemed like common-sense, really. I mean, being in a skirt just felt different and the things she was telling me just seemed like the natural way to do things when I felt this exposed.


    After the quick lesson there was enough time to use the washroom, then our ride was here and we had to go.


    The driver gave both of us a look as we got in, and I realized he was checking me out in the rear-view. He tried making small-talk on the way to the restaurant, but Kelly was having none of that. She had some more stuff to talk with me about. This time it was our ''back-story''.


    "So when Keira asks how we met," she said, ignoring the driver who was listening in, "We''ll tell her it was through a dating app. That cupid thing or whatever? You had your profile up there looking for short-term dating and hook-ups, and I messaged you last night. We met this afternoon, ok?"


    I nodded, but I was starting to feel overwhelmed.


    Kelly said, "Don''t worry. If Keira starts grilling you about your background or anything, we''ll just tell her you and I haven''t known each other long enough for that. That it''s literally a one-night stand and we''re not looking to get attached or anything. Ok?"


    "Ok Kelly," I replied nervously. "I''ll try. I know you don''t want to lose the bet, but... If I start to panic or something, what do I do?"


    She took my hand in hers, "Just tell me, Tegan. If you''re feeling overwhelmed, just say that. I''ll help. We''ll step out for some air. Or we''ll hide in the restroom for a bit. Or if we have to, we''ll just leave."


    I nodded, but I was still worried. I was staring at the back of the seat in front of me, but Kelly reached over and cupped my chin. She gently turned my head towards her and lifted my chin up, till we were looking each other in the eyes.


    She kept her eyes on mine for a few moments, then said "Yes I want to beat my sister, but not if it means hurting you Tegan. You''re more important to me than winning some bet with Keira. Ok?"


    I didn''t know what to say. I just stared at her for a couple seconds, and this time the flutter I felt was in my heart. She''d never said anything like that before. I mean, I never thought she''d put me in danger or anything. But this was the first time she''d actually said it.


    Finally I nodded, "Ok Kelly. Thank you."


    "No, thank you Tegan." She gave me another warm, reassuring smile. "I know the past twenty-four hours have been beyond crazy for you. I..." She hesitated. "There''s more I want to say, but this isn''t the place."


    Before I could respond the car came to a halt in front of the restaurant.


    PurpleCatGirl

 7. Contested

    Kelly hooked her arm through mine, and the two of us walked into the restaurant together.


    We were both overdressed for the place, Jake''s Roadhouse is not what you''d call fine dining. I could already feel the eyes on me, and I pulled myself a little closer to Kelly, clinging to her arm like it was my life-line.


    It was a few minutes past seven, and Kelly took a look around the restaurant before spotting her sister. I felt another flutter in my stomach as I realized I was too short to do that now.


    I mean, five-foot-ten wasn''t exactly towering over the crowds for a guy, but it did sort of let me see over about half the population? And right now Kelly''s five-foot-eight had a three-inch boost from her heels. Even with my modest heels I was still acutely aware of how small I''d become. Put me in a crowd and I''d literally be lost, I wouldn''t be able to see past anybody.


    So I just followed alongside her, trusting her guidance as we navigated around the busy dining room. Thankfully we wound up at a booth.


    Keira and her date were there, sitting together on one side.


    I felt my cheeks colour as the redhead looked me over with an intense curiosity. Of course, Keira was a lesbian so I''d be much more interesting to her than they guy she''d brought with her. It was hard to look at her while she was staring at me like that, but I stole enough of a glance to know her outfit was similar to Kelly''s. Only the colours were different, Keira was wearing dark green slacks and a light blue top.


    Kelly still had her arm hooked through mine, but she glanced at me. I realized she was letting me decide if I wanted to sit on the inside or outside of the booth, and I picked inside. It''d be easier to hide that way.


    I let go of her arm then sat down on the bench, sweeping my skirt under me like she''d showed me. Then I slid over and Kelly sat down beside me.


    This had me facing Keira''s date who had also taken the inside, while the twins sat opposite each other on the outside.


    Keira spoke up first, "Hi sis. I was starting to think you weren''t coming."


    "Please," Kelly rolled her eyes. "As if I''d give you that satisfaction."


    Keira just smirked, then glanced at her companion. "Noah, this is my sister Kelly. Kelly, this is Noah, my date."


    Kelly nodded politely, "Hello Noah, nice to meet you." She reciprocated, "Keira, Noah, this is my date Tegan. Tegan, my sister Kelly and her date, Noah."


    I gave them both a nervous smile, "Hi Keira, hi Noah."


    "Hi," Noah replied quietly.


    "Hello Tegan," Keira said. She was still smiling and staring at me, and I fought the urge to cling to Kelly.


    Apart from Keira''s hungry gaze, I was feeling a little better now that I was sort of sheltered in the booth. That was another advantage of being small, I didn''t have to hunch down to hide. From where I was sitting, the only people who had a clear view of me were the ones here in the booth with me.


    Keira was still watching me, but now Noah was looking me over as well. Meanwhile Kelly was checking Noah out, and I decided to do the same.


    Honestly, if I was officiating this bet, I''d have awarded Kelly the win right now.


    Normally I wouldn''t want to judge a guy by his appearance, but Noah could have passed as a girl if he put on a dress and some lipstick. I actually wondered if he might be trans. It was hard to guess his age, but knowing Keira was twenty-two provided a good baseline. I figured he was around that age too, give or take a year or so.


    It was just as hard to estimate his height since he was seated, but compared to Keira next to him I figured he was two or three inches shorter than her. He had shoulder-length black hair, blue eyes, and sort of pale skin. I couldn''t see any sign of facial hair on him. He looked kind of skinny, and he was dressed casual from what I could see. He was wearing a slightly oversized black hoodie despite the warm weather, which was odd. Or maybe it was to help hide his figure? Even his voice was sort of mid-range, almost androgynous.


    I blushed as I realized I was staring at him. He was staring at me too though, and he looked like he was feeling as awkward as I was.


    At least Keira had finally stopped staring at me. Now she and Kelly were trading taunts and barbs. I knew it was harmless, but I worried about Noah. If he didn''t know Keira that well he''d probably start worrying the sisters might go for each others throats soon.


    The twins cut the hostilities short as our waitress came to take our drinks orders. Keira ordered a glass of wine, Noah a beer, and Kelly asked for a hard lemonade. I decided to skip the alcohol, I didn''t want to risk repeating last night''s experience out in public, so I opted for a cola.


    As the waitress left, Keira gave me a quizzical look and asked, "You don''t drink, Tegan? Or aren''t you old enough yet?"


    Her tone made it clear she was suggesting I was too young to drink, and I wasn''t sure if that was meant to be a jab at me because I was so small, or a jab at Kelly since I looked a couple years younger than her now.


    "Keira!" Kelly stated in a firm tone that made my knees weak. "You snark at me all you want, but Tegan is off limits."


    I found myself staring down at the menu on the table in front of me. I didn''t really know Keira very well, but I''d met her a couple dozen times over the past thirteen or fourteen months. She was a bit snarky with me the first few times, but there was never any real animosity as far as I knew. And it never bothered or upset me back then. Now though... I realized I wouldn''t be able to stand up to her right now, and obviously Kelly knew that too.


    The twins locked eyes for a second or two, then Keira nodded. "Agreed." She looked towards me, "Sorry Tegan. It''s none of my business."


    That seemed to set the tone for the rest of the meal. Keira was polite when addressing me, but she didn''t actually talk with me much. Kelly and her sister wound up talking to each other, and that left Noah and I as conversation partners.


    The food here wasn''t anything special. I wound up ordering something cheap, just a sandwich and small salad, knowing I wouldn''t be able to eat it all anyways. Noah turned out to be a vegetarian, he ordered a pasta dish and made the waitress confirm there weren''t any meat products involved. Keira and Kelly of course both got the same thing, ten-ounce sirloins with fries.


    Noah seemed quiet and kind of shy, which was also a pretty accurate description of myself right now. We didn''t talk much, both of us just listened in as the twins carried the majority of the conversation.


    Still, I did find out Noah was attending college, he was in a drama program and looking to get into acting. He was hoping for live theatre, but TV would be his second choice.


    I hadn''t put enough thought into coming up with any kind of believable lies so I just told him what I was actually doing. I was taking a graphic arts program at a local college, with a focus on 3d modelling and character design. Yeah, I wanted to get into the video-game industry.


    Thankfully Noah didn''t seem to be a gamer, so he didn''t ask a lot of follow-up questions. I knew if I said too much, Keira might figure out who I really was.


    Towards the end of the meal, we did get to the inevitable discussion of how Kelly and I met. I went with the story Kelly gave me, that I had a profile up on the dating site, looking for hookups and short-term dating.


    Kelly took over saying "I found her profile last night, we messaged a bit, and met this afternoon."


    Keira raised an eyebrow and asked her sister, "Last night huh? I thought you spent last night at your boyfriend''s place. Were you seriously looking at girls online while hanging out with him?"


    I stared at her, half in shock and half cringing in fear. I was sure she was going to say his name, but somehow she managed to avoid it. After that scare, came the shock that my girlfriend''s sister would be so tactless.


    Kelly looked just as shocked as she said "Holy shit, Keira!"


    She glanced at me then looked back at her sister, "You think you''re going to sabotage me that easily? Tegan knows I''ve got a boyfriend. And he knows I''m on a date with Tegan. Hell he even gave me permission!"


    I had to suppress a grin at that point because it was true. I really did. And I was proud that Kelly hadn''t stooped that low in return. She could have just as easily mentioned Keira''s girlfriend Amy, to see how Noah might react.


    Keira seemed oblivious as she went a step further and asked, "Ok, but does Tegan there know you just asked her out to win a bet with me?"


    I glanced at Noah, wondering what he thought of all this. From his expression, I could tell he was feeling as awkward as me again. He didn''t seem surprised though, so I assumed he already knew about the bet. He probably already knew Keira was gay, and had a girlfriend. Maybe he''d even met Amy.


    Then a crazy thought struck me. What if Noah actually was Amy?


    What if Keira tried the same sort of stunt with her girlfriend, that Kelly had with me? I''d only met Amy once, but Noah actually wasn''t that far off from her. Same height, same hair colour, eye colour, even the same complexion. If Keira did use magic to ''disguise'' Amy, she obviously didn''t do a very thorough job.


    I knew Amy was doing something entertainment-related in college but I couldn''t remember if it was drama or music. Amy dressed and acted differently than Noah, but that could have been just an act for tonight.


    Noah was looking at me now and I blushed again, as I realized I''d been caught staring. I gave him an apologetic look and asked, "How are you holding up there, Noah? I''m guessing this date isn''t turning out how either of us thought."


    He grimaced, "Keira sort of warned me what to expect. How about you?"


    I shrugged noncommittally and replied, "Yeah, same I guess. I didn''t actually believe they''d get this bad though."


    He nodded slightly. "I''ve never met Kelly before, but I know Keira can be quite a handful."


    I was surprised, that sounded like he''d known her for a while. "Oh yeah? How long have you two known each other? How''d you meet?"


    He blushed, "Only a couple weeks. We met at an open mic poetry slam downtown."


    I blinked at him and glanced at Keira. I looked at Noah again and asked, "Seriously? Keira does poetry?"


    "Yeah," he smiled. "I guess she channels that anger and wit, she comes up with some pretty good stuff." He actually sounded kind of proud of her.


    At this point I had no idea if any of this was true, or if Noah was just just playing me. If he really was Amy, the whole thing could just be an elaborate prank. I just wasn''t sure who was the victim. I mean, with Keira it''d almost certainly be her sister as the target. But right now I wouldn''t put it past Keira to get at Kelly by going through me.


    Then again Noah hadn''t actually said anything to suggest he was Amy. That was just my idle speculation, and really that only crossed my mind because of my own situation.


    I decided I''d mention it to Kelly as soon as I got a chance. I had no idea, but maybe with her magic she could tell the difference.


    By now it seemed like everyone had finished eating. Kelly and her sister were still sniping at each other across the table, but I wanted to talk with her. And maybe get her away from Keira for a few minutes so she could calm down.


    I leaned in closer against her and got her attention, then looked up at her and asked quietly "Kelly? I think I could use some air..."


    The look of concern that appeared in her eyes right then sent my heart fluttering again. She slipped an arm around me and replied softly, "Of course. Sorry I''ve been ignoring you, Tegan."


    Kelly looked back at her sister and said "Tegan needs some air, and I think I''ve had enough of dinner. We''re going to step outside and maybe have a little quiet time. We''ll meet you both in the theatre lobby in twenty minutes, ok?"


    Keira was watching me closely again as she just nodded, "Fine. See you in twenty."


    I couldn''t meet Keira''s stare, I kept my eyes down as Kelly and I slid out of the booth. I had my purse over my shoulder, and Kelly kept her arm around me.


    Kelly and I tracked down our waitress and Kelly gave her cash to cover our two meals and a tip, then we made our way outside.


    PurpleCatGirl

 8. Confessed

    The walk from the restaurant to the theatre was a short one, but we took our time. Kelly''s arm was around my shoulders, and I had mine around her waist. My head was leaning against her shoulder.


    It was almost nine o''clock and there was still some traffic on the streets and people walking around, but it wasn''t that busy. It was significantly quieter out here than it had been in the restaurant, and I was glad to get Kelly away from her sister for a while.


    Normally I could handle the two of them together, but with everything else going on, I guess I was feeling a little more vulnerable than usual. Or a lot more.


    Rather than walk straight to the theatre, Kelly guided us on a slight detour. We kind of meandered across the parking lot and then along the sidewalk. It seemed she was serious about giving me some quiet time to unwind.


    A couple minutes after we''d left the restaurant, she asked "Tegan? How are you doing?"


    I was taken aback again by the amount of care and concern I could hear in her voice.


    "Better," I replied softly. "Thank you Kelly."


    I felt her give my shoulders a reassuring squeeze.


    "I''m sorry how things went at dinner. I''m sorry Keira is like that."


    I shrugged slightly, "It''s ok Kelly. I know how you and your sister get." I added, "I''m sure she''s not like that all the time. I mean, I know you''re not, it''s just when you two get together. Most of the time, you''re better. Like now."


    Kelly sighed but didn''t respond to that. It felt like her shoulders slumped a little though. Then I realized, I''d basically just told her she was as bad as Keira during dinner.


    She spoke before I could apologize. "Hey Tegan? Tell me the truth. Why are you going along with all this craziness? I mean, I know you ''agreed'' last night, but you had no idea magic was real. I basically tricked you into this. You let me completely change your body, boss you around, dress you up like that, drag you out in public... Parade you in front of Keira and her date..."


    Her voice trailed off but I could tell she was feeling guilty.


    I still had an arm around her waist and I gave her a reassuring squeeze as I replied "You''re my girlfriend. I trust you. I want you to be happy, and I know you like to beat your sister. And I love you."


    Kelly went quiet, and then it hit me too. That was probably the first time either of us said the ''L'' word.


    I mean, we''d always been sort of casual about our relationship before. Don''t get me wrong, we''d been together over a year and we both liked each other a lot. I realized though, something changed in the past twenty-four hours.


    Like, I''d noticed she was a lot more concerned for me. Then there was that moment on the way to the restaurant where she was holding my chin. And then back in the restaurant, the way she looked at me when I said I needed air.


    I was feeling it too. I felt closer to her, both physically and emotionally. She made me feel safe, and she made me feel happy, in ways I''d never realized before.


    So weirdly enough, after thirteen or fourteen months of dating, I was the first one to say ''I love you''. And I did it while I was temporarily transformed into a girl.


    We walked in silence for another couple minutes, I guess neither of us were ready to touch on what I''d just said. And I still wanted to tell Kelly my suspicions about Noah, and now we were a good distance away from both the restaurant and the theatre.


    "Hey Kelly," I said softly. "During dinner, I had a strange idea. It might be crazy, might be nothing, but I figured I should tell you. Just in case."


    She was quiet for another couple seconds before asking, "What was it?"


    I blushed slightly, suddenly doubting myself. But I''d kind of set myself up so I decided to press ahead anyways.


    "So um, I''ve only actually met Amy once. But I noticed, Noah''s about the same size as her. He has the same colour hair and eyes, even his complexion is similar. I mean, maybe it''s a coincidence, maybe that''s just Keira''s type or whatever? But considering you used magic on me, I couldn''t help wondering if maybe Keira used magic on Amy."


    Kelly stopped walking, so I stopped too. She turned to look at me, her eyes wide and her face going pale.


    I wasn''t sure what that reaction meant, so I quickly added "Like I said, it was just a crazy thought. Maybe I''m wrong. And I mean, whether Keira did that or not I still think you won because... No offence to Noah he seems nice but he''s like, the most femme guy I''ve ever met. Not that big a stretch for a lesbian to go out on a date with him, you know?"


    I was nervously babbling now, because of the way she was still looking at me. "And like, how I look now compared to before, I mean there''s nothing masc about me now at all. Like if Noah really is Amy, it''s like Keira kind of half-assed the spell, while you knocked it out of the park..."


    My voice trailed off again as I finally realized there were tears in Kelly''s eyes.


    "Kelly? What''s wrong, are you ok?" I looked up at her, suddenly worried. "Is it something I said? I''m sorry!"


    She shook her head slightly, looking like she didn''t trust her voice yet.


    My stomach clenched as I realized I''d seriously upset her somehow, and I had no idea what I''d done.


    "Kelly I''m sorry!" I told her, looking up at her. I''m sure she could see the worry in my face. "Whatever I said that''s hurt you, I''m sorry! Like I said it was just a crazy thought I had during dinner."


    She shook her head again, then put her arms around me and pulled me into a hug.


    Eventually she whispered, "Let''s go home Tegan. I can''t do this any more."


    I was surprised, "What about the movie? What about the bet?"


    She just shook her head, "I can''t."


    Kelly held me for another minute or so, then finally let go and fished her phone out of her purse. I had no idea what I''d done or said, but my girlfriend was fighting back tears and my stomach was twisted in knots knowing I''d upset her that much.


    She called Keira, I couldn''t tell if she got through or if it was voicemail but either way Kelly was brief. "Keira, we''re done. Me and Tegan are going back to her place. Enjoy the movie."


    She hung up then switched to the ride-share app. A moment later with her voice wavering, she said "Our ride will be here in a couple minutes."


    I just nodded, then asked "Will you tell me what''s wrong, Kelly? What did I do?"


    She just shook her head and wiped away a couple tears. "We''ll talk at home."


    The ride back to my place was quiet and awkward. Kelly was still fighting back tears and refusing to talk, and I felt almost nauseous with guilt as I tried to figure out what I''d done to screw things up so badly.


    In the apartment we wound up sitting on the sofa, but at opposite ends. After all the hugging and physical contact earlier it made me feel even more isolated and rejected.


    Kelly took a deep, shuddering breath then said "Ok Tegan... I have to tell you the truth. You''re probably going to hate me. I''ll understand if you never want to see me again."


    I didn''t even know what to say now. Here I was going crazy trying to figure out what I''d done to upset her, and now she was acting like she was the one who''d screwed up.


    She turned on the sofa so she could face me. "You''re right, Noah was really Amy. I knew that all along. I... I lied to you about the bet."


    That hit me like a slap across the face. It took me a few seconds to find my voice again, "So... There wasn''t really a bet? Then why did you change me into a girl?"


    Kelly shook her head "There was still a bet, but... It wasn''t for me to take ''some girl'' on a date. It was for me to turn you into a girl, and take you on a date. Same with Keira and Amy. The bet was whether or not we could convince you two to let us do that to you, then convince you to go out in public on a date."


    I stared at her, stunned. I was somewhere between confused and angry as I asked, "Why? Why would the two of you make a bet like that? Why would you do that to me and Amy?"


    Her lower lip trembled as she replied nervously "Keira made a comment that you were such a quiet, passive guy... She said that you were almost like a girl in disguise. So I said the same of Amy, she was so tough and so butch, and going around on her motorcycle, that it was like Keira was already dating a guy..." Her voice wavered and she gulped. "That''s when she got the idea. She challenged me and you know I couldn''t back down..."


    There were fresh tears running down Kelly''s face as she said "I used you, I lied to you... I wasn''t thinking. I... I didn''t think it would be that big a deal. I didn''t... I just didn''t think."


    My voice was gone, I had no words. I just kept staring at her.


    Kelly wiped her tears on the back of her hand but kept crying, as she continued with her confession.


    "And you''re right, Keira half-assed her spell. But I mean... I kind of did that too? I told you how I thought you''d turn out... But you went and came out so perfect... And you''re still perfect, Tegan. You''re loving and you''re kind and you''re always so worried about me..."


    She sniffed, "Even last night when you were drunk, you were worried about making me uncomfortable, you worried about making things weird for me." She rubbed her eyes again, "I mean, I just fucking changed you into a girl and all you cared about were me and my feelings!"


    She finally ran out of words and dissolved into sobs.


    I got up and grabbed the box of tissues from the bathroom, then came back to the sofa. I set the tissues on the coffee table in front of her, then I sat down right next to her.


    As I pulled her into a hug I said, "Of course I worry about your feelings Kelly. You''re my girlfriend and I love you."


    She slowly, almost nervously put her arms around me as well. I continued holding her, though it was actually kind of awkward figuring out how to be comforting when I was so much smaller. I ended up gently stroking her back and giving her the occasional reassuring squeeze.


    Eventually her tears slowed and she finally pulled away. She grabbed a couple tissues and sat back, staring at me as she wiped her eyes.


    After a few more minutes, she asked in a small voice "Why aren''t you mad at me?"


    I sighed, "I''m upset, and there''s some stuff I need to think about and figure out. But I''ll say it once more Kelly. I love you."


    After a pause I added, "And to be honest the past twenty-four hours have been pretty wild. It''s been fun. I''m a little sad I didn''t get to try sex like this, but... Yeah. It''s been fun."


    She wiped away some fresh tears as she continued watching me.


    We were both quiet for a bit, then I asked "You''re not as straight as I thought, are you? I mean, the bet wasn''t about making the straight chick go out with another girl. And I''ve uh, got the feeling you were enjoying me like this a little too much for a straight girl."


    Kelly nodded quietly. "I don''t care so much what''s between someone''s legs. It''s the person, their personality, that I''m attracted to. I guess that makes me bi?"


    She rubbed her eyes again then shook her head and added, "I don''t deserve you. You''re too good."


    That actually made me laugh. "Kelly, turn that around and I''ve been asking myself that for the past year. I mean, I could never understand why a smart gorgeous amazing girl like you would want to waste your time with a boring bland nobody of a guy like me."


    She shook her head "Oh Gods Tegan, is that how you thought of yourself? No! You were never boring or bland... You''ve always been loving, kind..." She bit her lip, hesitating a moment, then said "You''ve always been genuine. Whether your normal self, or now as Tegan. That''s why I..."


    She hesitated again, then finally said it. "That''s why I love you too. You''re genuine, and you''re honest. And you''re loving, and caring, and kind. You''re perfect, Tegan."


    I had tears in my eyes too, but mine were happy tears. I sat watching her for a minute or two, I didn''t trust my voice just now.


    Finally I got up and grabbed us a couple bottles of water from the fridge, then I sat with Kelly on the sofa again.


    I had a sip of water, then looked up at her. I took a deep breath and asked "So... What do we do now?"


    Kelly mumbled a quiet thanks as she accepted the bottle. She had a few gulps then stared at the floor. She looked like she was still upset, still feeling guilty.


    PurpleCatGirl

 9. Captivated

    Kelly''s voice wavered as she spoke. "If you want me to go, I''ll understand. I''ll dispell the magic, turn you back to normal, and I''ll leave."


    "No," I stated firmly. "I''m not kicking you out Kelly. I don''t want you to go."


    She stared at the floor again, a sad look on her face and fresh tears in her eyes. "I used you. I took advantage of you. I... I''m not a good person, Tegan. I don''t deserve you. And you deserve someone better."


    I shook my head "I already told you Kelly. I''ve been having fun. This has been... It''s been wild. You''ve made me feel things I could never have imagined, and I''ve enjoyed it."


    She closed her eyes and grimaced, then exclaimed "Tegan don''t you get it? My magic... I fucked with your mind! You remember last night after dinner, you asked if my spell did something to your head? I never gave you a straight answer."


    Once again I was speechless. All I could do was stare at her with wide eyes.


    Kelly said, "You asked if I did something to make you accept this. I told the truth when I said no. Because honestly it never even fucking occurred to me to do that. Instead, I figured if you started freaking out I''d just make you stop. So I..." She hesitated again.


    Finally she confessed, "I made it so you''d get a bit excited whenever I got kind of bossy. The spell doesn''t force you to do anything. I''d never do like, mind-control shit, that''s dark as fuck. But I thought, this way I could squash any freak-outs by distracting you with good feelings. I still fucked with your head, though."


    I frowned at her, "Why like that? I mean that''s so weirdly specific?"


    She blushed and looked even more guilty as she admitted, "I figured it''d be fun for me too. Like, to be a little dominant with you while you were a girl..."


    I slumped back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds as that sank in. Then finally, I couldn''t help it. I grinned.


    "You made me subby for you? That''s..." I giggled, then quickly caught myself and became serious again.


    I stared at her and sighed as I thought it through. "Kelly, you shouldn''t have done that without asking first. That''s... It''s a huge violation. I''m upset about it, but I''m not going to dump you. And I''m not kicking you out."


    After a pause, I asked "What you did to my head, does that affect me in any other way? My thinking, my feelings, anything?"


    She shook her head, "No. It doesn''t do anything to your thoughts or your personality or emotions or anything else. It doesn''t do anything at all, unless I activate it by being bossy with you. Then all it does is cause a physical response."


    Part of me knew I should just tell her to dispell it right now. But I wasn''t ready yet to go back to being him, and I figured it was all part of the same spell since it all happened at the same time. And even though I was upset she''d done that to me without asking, I also had to admit I''d enjoyed the effect it had on me at the cafe this afternoon.


    After a few minutes, I finally frowned and took a deep breath. "Kelly? I want you to apologize to me. For lying about the bet. For messing with my head without asking first. And for everything else you feel bad about. No excuses, no more self-deprecation. Just apologize."


    She gulped and wiped her eyes again. I knew this was probably hard for her. I mean, she''s said ''sorry'' in the past, for minor things. But I''ve never seen her back down with her sister, and this is the first time something this serious has come up between us. I had a feeling that she''s never actually had to truly apologize before.


    Kelly took a couple deep breaths, then slowly looked at me. I could see more tears pooling in her beautiful green eyes.


    "Tegan," her voice wavered, but she pushed on. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry I lied to you. I''m sorry I took advantage of you. I''m sorry I messed with your body and your mind. I''m sorry for using you to try and win a stupid bet with my sister... I''ve done that so many times and I''m sorry for each and every one of them. I''m sorry I''ve taken you for granted so much. I... I''m just sorry."


    I watched her, then asked "Have you ever used magic on me before, without telling me?"


    She shook her head. "Never. I swear it."


    "Ok," I nodded slowly. I watched her for another minute or so as I thought it all through once more. "I accept your apology, and I forgive you."


    Kelly frowned, she almost looked confused.


    "This was our first fight, Kelly. I just needed you to apologize and be sincere about it. I still love you. So let''s just put this behind us. Ok?"


    She nodded slowly, and whispered "Thank you Tegan. Um... Should I dispell the magic now?"


    I bit my lip then grinned. "No. You still owe me two nights of outstanding sex, and I want to cash one of those in before you turn me back. We''ll save the other one for after."


    Her eyes widened, then she asked, "What about the spell on your mind?"


    I thought back to the cafe again and how she made me feel there. Then I blushed and my eyes dipped as I looked at the floor. I did my best to act demure as I whispered, "That''s been part of the fun..."


    I swear Kelly nearly choked when I did that, and I had a hard time keeping a straight face.


    "Oh...ok," she took another deep breath. "I uh... I need a minute. And maybe a drink. Want a hard lemonade?"


    I smiled slightly but kept my eyes down as I replied softly, "Yes please."


    Kelly hurried to the kitchen to grab us a couple drinks while I stayed put and kept up the shy quiet act. I don''t know if she was thinking the same thing I was, but I''ve heard make-up sex is supposed to be pretty good and we''d just had our first fight.


    She returned with the two drinks, and neither of us took very long to get through them. Kelly asked if I wanted another, but I shook my head. I wanted to be buzzed, not drunk.


    She looked at me and asked quietly, "Are you sure about this Tegan? You want me to uh, be a little bossy with you?"


    I kept my eyes down, I wanted to keep up the demure act as long as I could. I nodded and replied softly, "Yes please."


    Kelly bit her lip then said, "If it gets too much and you want to stop you say so. No safe-word, no messing around, just say stop and it''s over. Ok?"


    I nodded again, "Ok."


    She stated, "That''s ''yes, mistress''."


    I swear I almost whimpered. When she did this stuff at lunch she must have been holding back, because the effect it had on me then wasn''t as strong. This time it was like my body just went from zero to sixty in half a second. I had that flutter between my legs and my heart skipped a beat. I could feel my cheeks going pink and my breath quickened.


    "Yes mistress," I whispered.


    Even without looking up at her, I knew she had her eyes on me. "Please take the empty bottles back to the kitchen Tegan, then I''d like another drink."


    I nodded and stood up, and did as she asked. I got another hard lemonade out of the fridge and opened it, then brought it back to Kelly.


    Before I could sit next to her Kelly stated, "I want to have a look at you. Stand there, and take off your skirt."


    She kept using that tone, and oh my gosh it kept having that same effect. My knees felt weak and now that fluttering in my groin was accompanied by a warm, slightly wet sensation.


    I was positive my cheeks were beet-red now, as I unzipped the skirt then slid it down and stepped out of it. Kelly took it from me and set it on the floor next to her feet.


    It almost felt like she was giving me an inspection. She clicked her tongue, "Tsk tsk. Good thing I didn''t waste money on a pair of panties, you''d have them soaked already."


    This time I think I really did whimper slightly. I was still standing in front of her, my face red, my heart racing. I''d never been the least bit interested in this sort of play before, in either role. The way I was feeling right now though, I was worried I wouldn''t even make it to the bedroom tonight.


    Of course I knew I was only reacting like this because of her magic. Somehow though, that didn''t lessen my response. If anything, the thought made me even more excited. I honestly wasn''t sure if it was her spell or if it was just me, but the realization that my girlfriend could do this, could have this kind of an effect on me, was almost intoxicating just on its own.


    Kelly sipped her lemonade as she looked me over. Without the skirt, I was fully exposed, at least my lower half. My drink was starting to kick in though, and the buzz helped dispell the little bit of anxiety I was feeling.


    "You may remove your blouse," Kelly stated. "Leave it with the skirt."


    I started unbuttoning my top, as I whispered again "Yes mistress."


    Once it was off, I set it ontop of the skirt. Now I was back to just the lingerie and the heels, as I stood before my redheaded goddess of a girlfriend.


    Kelly looked me over again and had another sip of her drink. "You may remove your bra now."


    "Yes mistress," I whispered. The way she was using that tone, but making it sound like she was giving me permission to strip myself seemed to make the feelings even stronger.


    My hands trembled slightly as I reached back and fumbled with the clasp. It took me a few tries, of course I''d never taken a bra off myself like this before. Once I got it undone, I shifted the straps off my shoulders, then slipped it off completely.


    My boobs jiggled as they came free of the cups, and I set the bra down ontop of the blouse and skirt, then just stood before Kelly again. I still had that wet tingling sensation going on between my legs. My nipples were standing out tall and proud, and my face was bright red.


    Kelly looked me over again with a satisfied smile. She finished her drink and set the bottle down on the side table, then looked back at me and said "Remove the garter, Tegan."


    I fumbled at first undoing the clips from the stockings, but that''s probably because I''d never done this before. I''m sure it had nothing to do with how flustered I felt or how my fingers were trembling.


    The garter wound up with the rest of my outfit, on the floor by Kelly''s feet.


    She looked me over again, and after making me wait another minute or so she finally stated "You may finish undressing. Bend at the waist, try and keep your knees straight."


    I gulped and stepped out of the heels, then once again fumbled a little in my haste to get the stockings down. I did my best to follow her instructions, though I had to bend my knees to get the stockings off my feet. As I was bent over I noticed a musky scent in the air, and realized with shock that was me.


    The shoes and stockings were added to the pile, and at long last I was fully nude, standing before my girlfriend.


    Kelly slowly looked me over once more. She arched an eyebrow, her lips twitched slightly as she held back a grin, and she stated, "Good girl."


    Those two words hit me so hard I almost thought she''d cast another spell. My knees wobbled and I actually felt my clit twitch. I may have moaned softly. By now my breathing was heavy and I desperately wanted her to stop teasing and take me to bed.


    I felt a need, a yearning unlike anything I''d experienced before. My nipples stood out rock-hard, they felt like they could cut glass, and that wet warmth between my legs had my muscles twitching slightly. I bit my lip and tried to stay calm, tried to stay in character.


    Finally Kelly stood up. She was still dressed and had her heels on, while I was nude and barefoot. The height difference between us was that much greater and I gulped.


    "Very good Tegan," she said. There was still that haughtiness in her voice, but it was tempered now with warmer, gentler tones. It didn''t hit quite as hard. "Let''s go to bed. It''s time for the real fun to begin."


    I gulped once more and whispered "Yes mistress."


    She put her arm around my waist and gently guided me towards the bedroom.


    PurpleCatGirl

 10. Contented

    I slowly drifted awake and took a deep breath. My first thoughts were about last night, and I felt another flutter in my stomach. I actually lost count of how many times I came. Kelly was in charge the whole time, but she was always gentle and she definitely put my pleasure ahead of her own.


    I had no idea she was into that stuff, or if she''d want to do more of it after I was back to normal. I can''t say I didn''t enjoy it though. I doubted I could ever be a domme, but being her sub was incredible.


    At the moment though, I wasn''t really interested in more. I felt really good, happy, and satisfied. We were still cuddling, and after the wild intensity of last night, it was nice to just lie quietly in bed with her like this.


    Kelly''s naked chest was pressed against my back, her arms around my waist. Her hands were just below my chest, tucked under my boobs. Our legs were intertwined, one of hers in between my own. I''d never been the little spoon before, but I loved it. I let out a happy sigh as I lay there, a blissful smile on my face.


    After a couple minutes, Kelly whispered "Tegan? Are you awake?"


    "Yeah," I grinned. "Good morning Kelly."


    She shifted slightly, "Good morning."


    I stifled a sigh as she pulled away, then I rolled over so I could look at her.


    "So," she seemed a little nervous as she asked, "What did you think of last night?"


    My cheeks started going pink and I bit my lower lip, but I smiled "That was... Wow! I''ve never experienced anything like it."


    Kelly smiled, but I could tell she was still nervous about something.


    "What''s wrong?" I asked, my grin fading.


    She sounded a little uneasy as she asked, "Are you ready for me to dispell the magic on you?"


    I sighed, but nodded. "It''s been fun. A lot of fun. But yeah, I guess it''s time for the fantasy to end and me to return to reality."


    Kelly asked, "Right now?"


    I frowned, then sighed once more. In all honesty I really wasn''t ready. I was embarrassed to admit it, even to myself, but I really enjoyed being Tegan. And I really wasn''t looking forward to being...him again. I wasn''t ready to try and examine those feelings, but a large part of me just really wanted to keep being Tegan.


    I knew that wasn''t an option though. I had a whole life as that other guy. I couldn''t just turn my back on all that. And anyways, Kelly said the spell was temporary so really it was a question of when I changed back, not if.


    Finally I nodded. "Yeah, may as well get it over with. Then we can shower, and maybe figure out breakfast I guess. I have to return those other clothes today too."


    She nodded, then slowly reached her hand out and gently pressed a fingertip against the top of my chest, below my throat. More or less the same place where the crystal necklace had been on Friday night.


    I felt a little bit of dread settle in the pit of my stomach, and I closed my eyes.


    With her finger lightly touching my chest, Kelly whispered something. More magic words I assumed.


    I kept my eyes closed and waited for the inevitable.


    After a few seconds, I felt Kelly''s finger press a little harder and she whispered again.


    There was another pause, then she said "Uh, Tegan?" She sounded scared.


    I opened my eyes, "What''s wrong?"


    Kelly''s face was pale and her eyes wide. "It''s not working. I''m trying to dispell the magic but nothing''s happening!"


    I sat up and let the sheets slip down off me. I was still Tegan. Still a short cute girl, with purple hair and big boobs.


    "Don''t freak out!" Kelly said, as she sounded like she was starting to freak out.


    "I''m not," I replied. And I wasn''t. My heart was racing slightly, but that may have been excitement rather than fear. "Can you figure out what''s wrong?"


    Kelly sat up and rubbed her head as she frowned. Finally she sighed, "I have to make a phone call. And I''m probably going to be in deep trouble. But we''ll fix this."


    "Just don''t panic," I gave her a reassuring smile. "I''m going to put the coffee on."


    I didn''t bother with clothes. If I was stuck like this for a little while longer, I decided I was going to enjoy it while I could.


    Kelly got up as well and pulled on her nightshirt. She wound up on the sofa with her phone while I was in the kitchenette getting the coffee machine started.


    I didn''t exactly mean to eavesdrop, but it''s a small apartment so I didn''t have much choice really.


    "Hi mom," Kelly said into the phone. "Sorry to bother you so early, but I''ve got a problem. I uh, screwed up."


    Her mother''s voice was audible through the phone but I couldn''t make out what was being said. I''d never actually met Kelly''s parents, but I knew Kelly and Keira were from somewhere out of town.


    After a pause, she explained "I used a transformation spell on my uh, boyfriend. And before you say anything, yes he agreed to it. That was Friday evening. Now I''m trying to dispell it, but nothing''s happening."


    Her mother sounded a little angry and Kelly winced, then blushed. She answered, "Uh... Into a girl..."


    After some more angry noises from the phone, she protested "She''s honestly taking it really well? I mean, I think she actually likes it..."


    Now her mom was yelling, and Kelly moved the phone away from her ear as she grimaced. Even with her mom shouting I couldn''t make out what was being said. Eventually it dawned on me, she wasn''t speaking English. I didn''t recognize the language but my guess would have been Irish.


    Finally her mother stopped yelling and Kelly looked at me. She whispered something and I saw a flicker of light in her eyes but nothing else seemed to happen. She frowned and said into the phone, "No, nothing. How can that be?"


    Her mom must have switched from yelling to quiet, because I couldn''t hear her now. Kelly''s eyes widened though and she whispered, "Oh fuck. Please tell me that''s not the only answer... Ok... Ok... All right. Thanks mom."


    Kelly put her phone down and let out a deep sigh. She looked really worried now.


    Fortunately the coffee machine was doing its thing and we''d have a couple mugs ready in the next minute or two.


    "Are you ok?" I asked softly. "It sounded like your mom was uh, a little pissed at you."


    She looked at me, her expression a mix of confusion, fear, and compassion. "I can''t believe you, Tegan. You have to know how serious this is, and you''re still worried about me being ok."


    I gave her a warm smile, "You''re worrying about me, so I''m worrying about you."


    Kelly sighed again and slowly shook her head. She still had that mix of fear, confusion, and compassion on her face.


    When the machine was done, I got both our coffees ready then joined her on the sofa. I set hers on the table in front of her and sat down beside her.


    "So what did your mom say?" I asked. "Give me the bad news."


    Kelly sighed, "Put down your coffee and look me in the eyes please."


    I had a sip then set my mug on the coffee table next to hers. I turned slightly towards her, and of course had to tilt my head up to look her in the eyes.


    She whispered some of her magic words, and I saw another flicker of light deep in her eyes. I don''t know what else happened, but she flinched and pulled back slightly. It was almost as if she''d seen a ghost or something.


    I frowned, "What is it? What''s wrong?"


    Kelly bit her lip. "I can''t dispell my magic, because it''s already gone. It''s probably been gone since the moment I worked the spell on Friday night."


    "That doesn''t make sense. I mean, you said last night your spell made me sort of subby and I''m pretty sure that worked."


    She blushed, "There were two spells, Tegan. One affected your mind, one was supposed to change your body. That second one would only hold you in the altered shape as long as the magic was in place. As soon as the magic''s gone, your shape goes back to normal."


    "That still doesn''t make any sense though," I said, trying to understand what she was saying. "I mean, your magic changed me into Tegan, and I''m still Tegan now."


    Kelly sighed, "But that''s not what my magic was supposed to do, remember? I told you what I was trying to do, and this wasn''t it."


    I shook my head, "I''m still not getting it. What are you saying?"


    "Mom says my spell probably started to change you but failed. And that probably broke another spell that was already on you. And without that other spell, you snapped back to your true self."


    I looked down at myself, sitting there naked on the sofa.


    Kelly said softly, "This is the real you. And Tegan''s probably your true name. That''s why it feels so right to you. That''s why the other name feels so wrong, now that the other spell is gone."


    Outwardly I was staying calm, but inwardly my heart was racing. And my mind was spinning, back and forth through everything that happened since Friday.


    The name was just one small part of the whole experience. There''s the fact that apart from the initial shock, I didn''t really freak out about any of this. How I felt looking at myself in the mirror. How much I enjoyed shopping, being cute, just being Tegan. Heck even the news that this might actually be permanent didn''t upset me that much.


    Finally I asked, "What was the thing with looking into my eyes? I saw some light in your eyes just then. It was like Friday night when you worked the spell, your eyes flashed before the glowy stuff happened."


    "You saw that on Friday too?" she sounded surprised.


    I nodded then had a sip of my coffee.


    Kelly sighed, "Our eyes do what when we use or are exposed to magic. Humans can''t see it though, only we can. What I just did right now was... Basically I bounced some harmless magic off you. When I did the spell on Friday I didn''t see it, but that''s probably because your true nature was concealed. But just now, I saw it. Your eyes flashed too. You''re one of us."


    "You mean I''m part-fae, like you?"


    She shook her head, "Not part, just fae. You''re what we call a changeling... A fae child, disguised and left with human parents."


    I sat back on the sofa and sighed. I still wasn''t freaking out, but I think at the moment I was mostly just numb. I didn''t understand a lot of what she was saying, and what I did understand, I wasn''t quite ready to believe yet.


    Finally I asked, "I guess my first question is, how do I explain this to my parents? And then next question, what do I do about work tomorrow? And college next month? What do I do about ID?"


    Kelly sighed, "I have to talk with my mom again. She''ll probably come to see us, and hopefully she can help."


    "Ok," I said quietly and had another sip of coffee. "How can she help?"


    She finally picked up her mug and had some coffee as well, then replied "She''ll know what to do. Mom knows way more about magic than me, and she can fix your ID and stuff. And she''ll probably know how to talk to your folks."


    After a pause she added, "Unfortunately she might ground me for the next decade or something. Me and Keira both actually. I wasn''t kidding when I said we''re not supposed to do this stuff."


    "Ground you?" I asked, surprised. "What are you, fifteen?"


    Kelly sighed, "If she''s angry enough, she''ll find a way."


    By now, some of the numbness started to fade, and I was beginning to feel better again. I looked up at her and asked, "Kelly, do you know what this means?"


    She hesitated. "Uh...not really?"


    "It means I don''t have to take all my cute clothes back after all!" I grinned. "Better still, I have an excuse to buy more!"


    She almost face-palmed again. "Tegan... You''re impossible!"


    I giggled, "You''ve created a monster, Kelly. Now you have to deal with the consequences."


    She rolled her eyes then mock-threatened, "I still haven''t removed that other spell, remember? If you start acting bratty on me, I''ll use my domme-voice."


    I bit my lip and grinned, "This morning just keeps getting better and better..."


    Kelly sighed and I giggled again as I cuddled up against her. "Wanna go out for breakfast? I feel like pancakes. Or waffles!"


    She sighed again but wrapped her arm around my shoulders. She whispered "Make it brunch. I''m too comfy right now."


    My head rested on her shoulder and I nodded, feeling happy and content.


    I didn''t know yet what was going to happen with my family, or my life. But whatever the future held, I''d face it as Tegan.


    PurpleCatGirl

 11. Collapsed

    I emerged from the bedroom in another outfit I''d picked up yesterday. I had the white sneakers this time, navy blue leggings, and an oversized pink top. It was casual, comfy, and I thought it was kind of cute even though it sort of made me look even younger.


    Kelly just finished getting dressed too, she was back in her skinny-jeans and a white t-shirt. It was almost noon, we''d both had a second cup of coffee, showered and gotten dressed. And Kelly called her mom back to let her know her hunch was correct.


    Mrs. Connolly would be on a plane this afternoon, she''d be in town tonight. Me and Kelly would drive to the airport together and pick her up, then probably take her to Kelly and Keira''s place.


    That wouldn''t be for another six or seven hours though. Right now we were both hungry, and I wanted waffles.


    We were just about to head out the door when Kelly''s phone started ringing. She checked the call display then let out a deep sigh as she swiped the screen.


    "Hey Keira," she said, sounding irritated.


    I had a feeling this might take a few minutes so I sat down on the sofa to wait it out.


    Kelly had a frown on her face and shook her head, "No you did not fucking win! The reason Tegan wanted some time away from you was she figured out Noah was really Amy! She wanted to get me out in private so she could tell me."


    After another pause Kelly stated "We skipped the movie because Tegan figured it out, dumbass! We came back to her place and I told her the truth... Yes everything."


    I could hear her sister chattering away, and after another minute or so Kelly tried to interrupt. "Listen Keira -"


    The chatter got louder, and I couldn''t tell if Keira was gloating triumphantly or trying to taunt Kelly into another challenge. Kelly looked more and more frustrated though and finally she lost her temper.


    "Gods damnit Keira, will you shut the fuck up and listen?!" she shouted into her phone. "Mom''s on her way here! I had to ask her for help, ok?"


    Another pause, then Kelly sighed "Because I couldn''t change Tegan back to normal... No she''s still Tegan..."


    Kelly''s voice started to break as she snapped at the phone, "Because she''s a fucking changeling, ok? She can never be turned back! I fucked up her life forever, because of our stupid bet..."


    There were tears in Kelly''s eyes and I got up and moved to her. I put my arm around her waist and whispered, "Kelly, just hang up ok?"


    My girlfriend looked conflicted, blinking away the tears as she hesitated. I think she didn''t want to hang up on her sister, but I could tell she didn''t need this stress right now.


    I reached up and gently took the phone from her, and held it to my ear. "Hi Keira? It''s Tegan."


    Keira started to say something, but I cut her off. "Look, your sister and I are going to pick your mom up at the airport tonight. I''m assuming we''ll take her to your place. Till then, me and Kelly need to deal with things. Kelly''s feeling really stressed right now and she needs some time, ok?"


    "... Fine." Keira stated. She didn''t sound happy, but at least she wasn''t trying to argue.


    "Thanks Keira. I''ll probably see you later." I tapped the red icon and handed the phone back to Kelly.


    She sniffed, "Thanks Tegan."


    "Any time, Kelly." I gave her a reassuring smile and gently squeezed her waist.


    She sniffed again and sighed, "How are you staying so calm about this? You heard what I just told my sister. You know what I''ve done to you. You''re stuck like that forever, because of me."


    I bit my lip and hesitated, then finally admitted "I kind of wanted this, to be honest? When you asked if I was ready to be changed back, I lied. I really wanted to just stay like this, but I knew I couldn''t. Because of all that ''life'' stuff. Family, work, college."


    I shrugged slightly, "Having it turn out to be permanent took the decision out of my hands, and gave me what I really wanted. And it''s not your fault, Kelly. The way you explained it, this is the real me."


    There were fresh tears rolling down her cheeks again, and I guided her back to the sofa to sit down with her. The box of tissues were still there and Kelly took one.


    Her voice was wavering again as she said, "It''s still messed up your life. You don''t even know yet what half this stuff means, Tegan. Two days ago you didn''t know what fae even were."


    "I still don''t," I pointed out with another little shrug. "But I''m sure you''ll explain, and your mom too I guess? So far I know it means I''m cute, and I assume it means maybe someday I''ll be able to learn magic like you."


    Kelly shook her head, "It''s not all good stuff."


    I gave her another hug and said, "Sounds like ''life'' to me. There''s ups, there''s downs."


    She nodded slowly and wiped her eyes again. After a few seconds she looked at me and narrowed her eyes. "Yesterday you told me you weren''t trans."


    "I''m not," I replied automatically, without really thinking about it.


    "Tegan you just said you wanted this," she pointed out. "You wanted to stay a girl, and you''re happy I couldn''t turn you back."


    I opened my mouth to protest, but realized she was right. I frowned as some uneasy feelings settled in my stomach, and some awkward thoughts surfaced in my mind.


    Finally I shook my head, "I guess it''s complicated, and I''m not ready to think about it yet. Anyways, are you still up for brunch?"


    She wiped her eyes once more, then nodded. "Yeah, ok."


    We stood up together, and finally made it out the door and into the car. Ten minutes later we were at a nearby all-day breakfast place.


    Lunch-time on a Sunday was fairly busy, but we got a table and soon enough I was facing down a big Belgian waffle covered in pretty much all the unhealthy things. When she brought our food, the waitress complimented me on my hair which caught me off-guard. I wasn''t used to strangers talking about my appearance. It was nice though, and I may have preened a little as I thanked her.


    Kelly got a slightly more responsible order of pancakes with some sliced banana. She smirked at me after the waitress left us alone and teased, "Tegan, that looks like the sort of thing a kid would order."


    I just grinned as I started digging in. The waffle was heavenly, and I was happy to see her mood picking up again.


    Of course I could barely get through half my breakfast, but I wasn''t too upset about that. I knew if I kept eating like this I wouldn''t stay petite for very long. So I just sat back and relaxed while Kelly finished her pancakes, and thought about what else to do with ourselves today.


    "Would you hate me if I dragged you shopping again this afternoon?" I asked nervously. "I''ll try not to go crazy this time, but there''s a few things I actually need. I want to get a jacket, and I''d like to get a nightshirt or some pyjamas or whatever. And probably some girl-appropriate toiletries. Oh, and I want to get some more proper bras too. The sports-bras are ok, but I like how the proper one made my boobs look."


    I added, "At some point I''ll have to empty my closet and dresser of all the guy-stuff and start putting away the new stuff, but that doesn''t have to happen today. Then I guess I''ll find somewhere to donate all the guy-clothes."


    Kelly looked a little uncomfortable. She glanced around then half-whispered, "I''m not sure you want to be talking about that in public."


    "What?" I frowned. "Which part?"


    She hesitated then replied softly, "We''ll talk after breakfast, in the car." At normal volume she added, "More shopping''s fine. Though I''m worried you''re going to go broke the way you''ve been buying clothes lately."


    I nodded, "Ok. Thanks Kelly."


    She had a point. I''d spent way too much yesterday, and I knew I''d be spending more today. I''d basically blown my budget for the month yesterday so the rest of August would be tight. I''d try not to go too crazy, but I really did need a few more things.


    Kelly paid for breakfast which was really nice of her, then we went out and climbed into the car.


    Before we set off to the discount mart, she said "Ok, about what you were saying earlier? You can''t talk about magic in public, and you absolutely can''t talk about being fae. I know you didn''t mention either of those things, but the way you were talking about suddenly needing a new wardrobe and getting rid of your old guy-clothes, was kind of dangerously close to mentioning the fact that you were a guy two days ago. And that''s the sort of impossible thing that only happens with magic."


    "Ah, gotcha." I nodded slowly. "Sorry Kelly, I wasn''t thinking."


    She gave me a gentle smile, "It''s ok Tegan. This is stuff I''ve had drummed into me since childhood, you haven''t even... You don''t even know yet what you are, what any of this stuff means."


    I frowned as that started to sink in.


    "Yeah," I gulped. "I mean, I don''t even know how to be a girl, really. I haven''t even thought about that other stuff yet..."


    I felt my stomach start to grow cold and heavy, and I''m sure my face went pale as it suddenly struck me. "I''m not even human any more, am I?"


    Kelly reached out and put a hand on my shoulder. "I mean, you never were. It was just a disguise that someone put on you."


    I know she meant to sound reassuring. She probably meant it like, to say I was still the same me as always or whatever. Instead it just left me feeling hollow, fake. Like, not only do I not know who I am now, but I don''t even know who I was before. And that''s when I broke.


    It was like the past two days I''d had a dam made of optimism, curiosity, and excitement that had been holding back everything else. That dam just collapsed, and all those other emotions came out at once in a flood.


    Everything I thought I knew about myself was wrong, it was all lies. Everything I knew about life in general was wrong, useless. I was a girl but I had no idea how to be a girl. I''d been raised as a guy, I knew guy stuff. I was a fae but I didn''t even know what that meant or what it was.


    I didn''t have any ID, I couldn''t return to my summer job tomorrow, I couldn''t go back to college next month. My own parents wouldn''t even recognize me now. I couldn''t even count on having a place to live, once my landlord figured out that the ''other guy'' was gone and some unknown purple-haired girl had moved in.


    I couldn''t even prove I used to be him. My parents would be looking for him, maybe the police would get involved. I''d been using his bank card and his car, maybe I''d get arrested for stealing my own stuff? Maybe they''d even suspect me of killing him?


    It was all too much. I just fell apart there in the car.


    I''m not even sure how we got home. I think Kelly had us switch seats so she could drive. I just remember the tears, the panic, the fear, the despair.


    It was late afternoon when I finally started to calm down again. By then we were back at my place, and I was curled up in bed hugging my tear-soaked pillow.


    Kelly was in the living-room, I could hear she had the TV on though the volume was low. Not that she was ignoring me or anything, I remembered after she brought me home she stayed with me. I probably cried myself to sleep, to be honest. I was still dressed, except she''d taken my shoes off before I got into bed.


    I finally got up, and shuffled out of the bedroom. As soon as she saw me, Kelly was on her feet then her arms were around me.


    "How are you feeling babe?" she asked softly.


    I let my head rest against her shoulder as I leaned into the hug.


    "I don''t know," I whispered. "I guess it finally caught up to me? The past two days. And what it all means, going forward."


    Kelly sighed and held me tighter. "Tegan I''m sorry. But I''m going to help you. My mom will help too, she''ll know what to do."


    PurpleCatGirl

 12. Crumpled

    Kelly suggested, "Let''s leave dinner till after we pick up my mom, then the three of us can go out for a nice meal together, ok?"


    I nodded and mumbled, "Yeah, that''s fine."


    Her mom had texted her flight details while I was resting, and we had to be at the airport for around six o''clock tonight. We had about two hours to kill before we''d need to get moving. For now we were just relaxing together on the sofa.


    "Hey Kelly?" I asked quietly. "Is that spell still on me? The one that makes me react when you get dommy?"


    She blushed but nodded. "Yes. You never asked me to dispell it."


    I frowned slightly, "Why didn''t you use it to distract me, when I started freaking out in the car? Or after you got me home? I mean, that''s why you put it on me in the first place, right?"


    She sighed and stared down at the floor. "Because I realized what a horrible thing it was, for me to use that to control you. Even if it seemed like it''d be helpful to stop you from panicking, that would still be me controlling your behaviour."


    "Then why not just get rid of it?"


    Her blush grew deeper and she confessed, "Because you enjoyed it when we used it together for fun. So did I."


    She finally looked up at me and said, "I''ll remove it right now if you want. Or if you want me to leave it, then I promise I''ll never use it to control or coerce you. I''ll only use it when you want me to."


    I thought it over then sighed, "I''m not ready to make a decision yet."


    We were both quiet for a while after that. Eventually I grabbed us a couple cans of cola. As we sat together sipping our drinks, I looked at Kelly and asked, "Can you tell me, what exactly is a ''changeling''? What does that mean?"


    She had a gulp of soda then sighed as a thoughtful look came over her face.


    "Ok. It''s not actually that common. It used to happen more, a century or two ago? Nowadays, it''s super rare to be honest. Sometimes, fae children were disguised as human and left with human parents..."


    She gave me an apologetic look and said, "So your mom and dad aren''t your real parents, Tegan."


    I sighed. "I know they aren''t my biological parents. I''ve always known that, I was adopted." I saw her eyes widen in surprise, I guess I''d never actually mentioned it before. "But they raised me, they looked after me. As far as I''m concerned, they''re my real parents."


    After some more cola I asked, "Why would fae parents do that? Like, why would they abandon their kids like that?"


    "Like I said, it wasn''t common. But there were different reasons. Sometimes it was done out of spite, like kidnap your enemy''s child then hide them on Earth as a human. Sometimes it was done because the fae parents were too busy or just didn''t want the hassle of dealing with a baby or little kid? So they''d leave them with the humans till the baby had grown up to a more manageable age. Or another reason would be, to keep the baby safe? Like if they were in mortal danger, they''d hide the kid with a human family till the danger passed."


    I frowned as I thought through all of that. "So my biological parents could still be alive? How long are changelings usually left here, before the parents show up looking for them?"


    Kelly replied, "Usually changelings are recovered once they ''come of age'', which could mean sixteen, or eighteen, or even twenty-one. I think it depends on who''s telling the stories, or maybe it just varies."


    "I''m twenty-two," I said. "It sounds like I got forgotten."


    My girlfriend leaned closer so her shoulder pressed against mine, "I''m sorry, babe. Sometimes changelings got lost? Like, the human family moves, or maybe the fae parents lose track."


    She added "Don''t let this stuff get you upset ok? Please? My mom will have more answers. She''ll probably get my grandfather involved too, and he might be able to help figure out who your parents are."


    That sent a series of weird feelings through me. I loved my parents, I had a good childhood, my folks were good people. I''d never been curious about my biological parents before. As far as I was concerned, they ditched me so good riddance to them.


    The thought that they might actually turn up and be some kind of mythical magical creatures from another world started freaking me out again.


    "So... I''m not human, I''m not from Earth. Will I get shipped off to this Otherworld place you mentioned? If my bio-parents are alive, will they demand I pack up and move in with them or something?"


    Kelly shook her head, "Nobody here is going to make you leave, or go away. Fae can blend in just fine and live among the humans. That''s what my grandfather did, that''s how my mom was born. Grandfather hooked up with a human woman and nature took its course. He''s still around, though I know he does spend time in Otherworld too."


    She continued, "As for your folks trying to haul you away..." She sighed and shook her head. "I don''t think that will happen, I don''t think they can actually do that? But my mom will probably have better answers for you. She''s had a lot longer to study and learn all this stuff, and she''s a lot more in-tune with it than me or Keira. She''s half-fae, right? My sister and me are just a quarter."


    I nodded slowly, then took a deep breath and asked the big question. "If I was really a girl, like born a fae girl, why was I disguised as a guy? Or is that like, a normal changeling thing?"


    From her expression I got the feeling she''d been hoping I wouldn''t ask that. She hesitated and had some more of her soda before answering.


    "It''s why we call them ''changelings''. The fae aren''t showing up and asking some human couple to look after their kid. They do it in secret. They''re replacing a human child with their own. Disguising their child as the human baby. In your case, the human baby you replaced would have been a little boy. So that''s what you were disguised as."


    That left a slightly sick feeling in my stomach. I knew better than to ask what happened to the human babies. I knew that answer would be somewhere between ''bad'' and ''horrific''.


    Instead, I slumped back on the sofa and had a sip of my drink. Finally I asked, "And this is considered ok? Fae civilization or whatever, think that''s just a normal way of dealing with children?"


    Kelly shook her head "No, it''s not. It wasn''t common in the old days, and it''s almost unheard of now." She sighed, "I''m sorry Tegan I know this sounds awful. And it is. I don''t support any of this, I''m just telling you what I was taught."


    I sighed, but I understood. She didn''t need me being bitchy at her when she''s just the messenger. "Ok. Thanks Kelly."


    Eventually it was time to head out to the airport. As we made our way to my car I asked, "Do you mind driving? I''m still feeling a bit out of it."


    "Ok Tegan," Kelly nodded, giving me another hug.


    It was about an hour''s drive, and happily the traffic wasn''t bad. Five o''clock on a Sunday evening was still busy, especially on a nice August weekend, but it wasn''t anything like rush-hour.


    When we got there, Kelly parked the car and the two of us went in and found the right gate. There were some seats not far from the gate, so we could sit down and watch for her mom. We sat with arms around each other, Kelly''s around my shoulders and mine around her waist. I was feeling a little better, but I wasn''t feeling good yet. Not even close.


    Fortunately we didn''t have to wait too long. Her mom''s flight landed on schedule, and only about ten minutes after we sat down Kelly stood up and said "There she is."


    I got to my feet and looked. I may have done one of those cartoon double-takes.


    The resemblance was unmistakable. Kelly''s mom was about the same height, around five-foot-eight. Her figure was pretty similar to her daughters'' as well. She was slim like them, though she may have had another five or ten pounds on her. She had the same emerald-green eyes, and her fiery red hair was cut a little shorter than Keira wore hers. She had the same dusting of freckles on her cheeks.


    What had me stunned though was the fact that she looked for all the world like Kelly''s older sister, not her mother. If I had to guess, I''d have put Mrs. Connolly''s age at somewhere in her late twenties. I certainly wouldn''t have believed this woman was thirty, let alone that she''s old enough to have twenty-two-year-old daughters.


    Mrs. Connolly was dressed in comfortable sneakers, stretch-jeans, and a black t-shirt. She was pulling a modest-sized navy-blue suitcase behind her, the kind with wheels and an extending handle. She was looking around, and quickly spotted Kelly and I.


    As she approached I could see she had a slightly irritated look on her face, and her body language suggested she wasn''t in the best of moods.


    Kelly and I moved towards her, and Kelly gave her a neutral smile as she said "Hi mom. Thanks for coming."


    I watched quietly as Kelly and her mom hugged. Neither seemed that thrilled about it, Kelly''s body language told me she was nervous. And her mother just seemed a bit cold to me. Maybe she''d had a rough flight, or maybe she just didn''t like flying. Or maybe she was unhappy about having to drop her plans for the week and fly out here to clean up her daughter''s mess.


    The embrace was fairly brief then they pulled apart and Kelly introduced us. "Mom, this is Tegan. Tegan, this is my mom."


    I gave her a polite smile as I said softly, "Hello Mrs. Connolly, it''s a pleasure to meet you."


    She frowned slightly as she replied, "It''s Ms. Connolly, in fact. Or ma''am."


    "Oh... I''m sorry." I blushed, feeling more awkward. "It''s nice to meet you, ma''am."


    She didn''t respond to that. Instead her eyes just flicked up and down over me, then she turned toward Kelly again.


    "So this is him? Your former boyfriend? What was his name again? I recall you wrote it on that picture of the two of you, that you sent last Beltane."


    A cold, heavy feeling of dread settled in my stomach. It seemed like Ms. Connolly was a lot more like Keira than Kelly. And I was supposed to rely on this woman for help? I could feel my cheeks starting to colour as my eyes began welling up with tears again. Needless to say, I was still feeling pretty fragile after my meltdown this afternoon.


    "Her name is Tegan," Kelly stated forcefully. She put extra emphasis on the ''her'' and on my name.


    Through clenched teeth, she added "I know you''re mad at me mom, but you will Not take that out on Tegan. If you upset my girlfriend or go out of your way to snark at her, then you can get your own dinner, and find your own damn way to the apartment."


    I was still feeling awful, but it lifted my spirits slightly to know that Kelly was going to support me and stand up for me, even against her mother. And I felt a flutter in my heart as I realized she''d just called me her girlfriend. I''m sure that was the first time she''d said it.


    Kelly and her mother had their eyes locked on each other. Kelly''s expression was brave defiance, her mother looked angry and indignant. They kept this up for a few seconds, just staring at each other.


    To my surprise, Ms. Connolly backed down. She seemed to suddenly relax, as her shoulders slumped and her expression softened.


    She gave me a compassionate look and in a much friendlier tone she said "I''m sorry Tegan."


    Then she looked back at Kelly and added, "And I''m glad to see you''re sticking with your friend through all of this, Kelly."


    Kelly let out a quiet sigh of relief, "Thanks mom."


    Ms. Connolly smiled and said, "You can both call me Kelsey while I''m here. Now, let''s get to the car and find someplace to eat. I''m famished."


    PurpleCatGirl

 13. Conversed

    I was happy to let Kelly drive again, and Kelsey sat next to her in the passenger seat. I rode in the back, but I didn''t mind. Despite her change of attitude I was still nervous around my girlfriend''s mom, and hiding in the back seat where she couldn''t see me felt safer for now.


    Despite being from out of town, Kelsey seemed to know her way around and she picked the restaurant. She even provided directions so Kelly could get us there.


    It was around seven o''clock when the three of us slipped into the large, private booth in what looked like a rather fancy upscale restaurant. Kelly and I sat together on one side, and Kelsey sat across from us. I took the inside again, I still felt like I needed to hide. It seemed kind of ironic though, last night Kelly and me dressed up really nice then went to a roadhouse, now we were at a classy place and all three of us were dressed casual.


    As we all opened up the menus Kelsey mentioned, "Dinner is on me tonight, girls. So indulge."


    "Thanks mom," Kelly smiled. A moment later she corrected herself, "Thanks Kelsey."


    By now I had about a hundred questions, but I was still too nervous and felt too fragile to ask. I tried to focus on the menu but when I saw the price of some of these entrees I nearly choked.


    I hadn''t quite got over that when the waiter showed up to take our drinks orders.


    "Why don''t we get a bottle of wine?" Kelsey suggested, looking at Kelly and myself.


    Kelly nodded in agreement but I shook my head and mumbled, "Just cola for me please."


    Kelsey didn''t comment, she simply looked to the waiter and ordered a bottle of Chateau de something or other. I don''t know what, but it sounded French and expensive. She also made sure he knew I wanted a glass of cola.


    After he''d left, Kelsey asked "You don''t drink, Tegan?"


    I blushed as I replied quietly, "Only at home..." Even though Kelsey was still acting nice, the whole situation reminded me of Keira last night and made me feel awkward again.


    Kelly added softly, "She''s still getting used to her body, mom. Her alcohol tolerance is a lot lower than before."


    "Ah," Kelsey said. She looked at me and asked, "Tegan, would you look at me for a moment please?"


    I gulped and looked up at her, "Yes ma''am?"


    There was a flash of light in her eyes and I flinched. I knew she''d just done something with magic, and it sent a chill down my spine as I wondered what she did to me. The light in her eyes was brighter than anything I''d seen in Kelly''s so I figured it had to be something pretty significant.


    Kelly hissed angrily, "Mom! You warn her before you do anything like that!" She slipped an arm around me and said "Don''t worry babe. That was just that harmless thing I did with you this morning, bouncing a little magic off you to verify what you are."


    Kelsey apologized, "I''m sorry Tegan, that was rude of me. I just wanted to confirm for myself what Kelly told me on the phone."


    By now I was completely overwhelmed and starting to come apart again. I leaned back against the seat, then slumped down. I honestly thought about letting myself slump all the way down till I was on the floor under the table. If I curled up down there against the wall at the back of the booth, maybe everyone would forget about me and leave me alone for a while.


    Two days ago I was a grown man, twenty-two years old. I knew who I was and what I was doing. My life wasn''t very special or important, but it was mine and I was in charge of it. Now I was a timid confused girl, I wasn''t even human any more. I had no idea who I was or what I was doing, and I was on the verge of tears and seriously considering hiding under the table at a fancy restaurant. At least down there I could have a good cry without anyone seeing me.


    Kelly was obviously keeping an eye on me and she knew what was going on. She turned towards me and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me close up against her. I decided this was slightly better than the floor. Even if people could still see me, at least it was warmer and softer.


    As I cuddled closer to Kelly, her mom commented "I see she''s having a great deal of trouble adjusting to her true form."


    Kelly replied softly, "No, she''s having trouble dealing with not being human anymore. She''s actually pretty happy about being a girl now."


    Her mom seemed surprised by that, and asked quietly "Oh? That''s unexpected. Is she trans?"


    Kelly sighed, "This isn''t the time or place for that discussion, mom. Change the subject."


    The two of them continued talking softly for now but I tuned them out. I picked up bits and pieces, enough to know Kelly was giving her mother a recap of the weekend. I think mostly she focused on the spell she used Friday night, and then how things went this morning when she couldn''t undo it.


    I tuned in again when Kelly started telling her mother the sorts of things I needed help with. Like my ID, dealing with my family, my job, and college next month. As I started paying more attention, I realized our drinks had arrived and the menus were gone.


    I straightened up and picked up my glass and had a sip of my soda. There were glasses of red wine in front of both Kelly and Kelsey, and an expensive-looking bottle was on the table between them.


    Kelly leaned closer to me and whispered, "I ordered something for you, babe. I didn''t want to disturb you, you looked like you needed some time."


    "Thanks Kelly," I replied softly. I didn''t mind, really. I was that overwhelmed, even the thought of deciding what to eat felt beyond me.


    As I took another sip of my drink, Ms. Connolly looked to me and asked, "If you don''t mind my asking Tegan, how old are you?"


    I set the glass down and replied softly, "Twenty-two. I''m five months older than Kelly and Keira."


    She nodded slightly. I wasn''t sure why she was asking, but I figured since she''d brought the subject up it might be safe for me to do the same. "May I ask how old you are, ma''am?"


    Kelsey grimaced slightly but nodded. She spoke quietly as she replied "I''m fifty-four. Fae are very long-lived, and age slowly. I''m only half-fae but I inherited some of that. That''s the main reason why I live so far away from my daughters. I can pretend to be a cousin, or an older sister, but there''s no way I''d be accepted as their mother. And that''s why I''ve asked Kelly to call me by my first name while I''m here."


    I thought for a few moments then asked "That''s why I look younger now?"


    "Yes Tegan. You''re going to look young for a very long time." She gave me an apologetic smile and said, "I was getting carded in bars up until I was nearly forty. You''ll probably be dealing with that past your hundredth birthday."


    I didn''t have any response for that. Kelly gave me another hug as I just sat there feeling numb.


    "Speaking of, let''s take care of your ID right now, shall we?" she smiled. "Do you have it with you?"


    I nodded and picked up my purse from where I''d dumped it on the seat next to me. I handed it to her and mumbled, "Help yourself."


    Ms. Connolly went through and pulled out everything. My drivers license, health card, bank card, credit card, student ID, every little plastic rectangle I had. She handed the purse back while she held the cards in a little stack in her hand.


    She had the drivers license on top, as she looked at that other name and the old photo. I focused on my cola and avoided looking at the cards.


    "Tegan," she asked quietly, "Do you intend to keep using the same last name? And have you thought about a new middle name?"


    "Same last name," I stated. I thought for a few seconds then shrugged, "No middle name I guess. I never liked the one I had before, I like it even less now."


    She was still holding the cards in a stack in her hand, and Ms. Connolly whispered a series of words as she focused. There was a bright flash of light in her eyes and she tapped the stack of cards in her hand three times. Then she handed them back to me.


    I hesitated, then looked down at them. My eyes widened. My drivers license now had me in the photo instead of him. And there was my name, all legal and official. Tegan Vale. There was even a little F in the box next to my birth date. It gave me some little flutters again, seeing that. I checked the others, and every single card was updated.


    "It''s nice to see a smile on your face, Tegan." Kelsey said.


    I blushed and started putting all the cards back in my purse, as I said "Thank you ma''am. Thanks very much."


    The food arrived shortly and we all dug in. Kelly was having steak and fries again, Kelsey had a filet mignon and salad, and I''d been given a fancy-looking chicken and pasta dish. It was tasty, but as usual I couldn''t finish it.


    As we ate, Kelsey gave me the good and bad news about the rest of my life. Mostly bad news.


    She suggested I forget about my summer job and simply don''t bother going back. Same with my apartment, I should just pack up and leave, get a new place under my new name. Ditto for my car, she said I should just buy a new one rather than try and change ownership on the old one.


    And same again for my bank account, "I''ve changed the name on the card but I can''t change the records in the bank computers. Best to just visit a bank machine and cash out, then open a new account somewhere else in your new name."


    "Walking away from my work, my apartment, and my car sounds great," I lied. None of that sounded good. "But it''s also expensive and I''m broke. I need the job, I can''t afford to move, I certainly can''t afford a new car."


    "I understand, Tegan." Kelsey replied. "We''ll discuss the details and financial implications later. Moving on..."


    I think she would have suggested the same tactic for college but Kelly made it clear I wouldn''t walk away from the two years I''d already put into that. Instead, Kelsey said she had a contact who could access the school''s computers. It would seem like the old me had transferred away, while new me transferred in. I''d be showing up in September as a ''new student'' but I''d have my two years worth of credits and grades, so I wouldn''t lose all that.


    Family would be the hardest to figure out. Once again I think she would have suggested I just walk away and never see them again, but that wasn''t an option.


    Ms. Connolly sighed, "The three of us will have to meet them in person. We could try and tell them the truth, but that will be difficult, they may reject you outright, and they may become belligerent. I could use magic of course, to make it easier... Or I could use magic from the start, to just have them believe you''d always been Tegan. There''ll be some practical issues, like family photos and old paperwork, but it might be doable."


    Kelsey took a deep breath and with her eyes on mine she stated, "You need to be aware of this up front Tegan. Maintaining the relationship with your human parents will probably require me to use magic on them, one way or another. You have to figure out first if that''s something you can live with. And you''ll need to make that decision before we contact them."


    "Crap," I whispered to myself. "Ok... I need to think that over."


    After the meal, the two of them both had dessert and all three of us had coffee. When the bill came, Kelsey paid in cash. It was nearly ten o''clock when we finally left the restaurant and piled back into my car. Kelly was still driving and I rode in the back again. It was fine, I had a lot to think about and I didn''t mind the relative privacy.


    At some point it was agreed that Kelsey would be staying in Kelly''s room at the twins'' apartment, and Kelly would be staying at my place with me. I think they were worried about leaving me alone at the moment, but I was happy with those arrangements.


    We dropped Kelsey off at the condo, Keira met us at the front doors. She handed a bag of clothes and things to Kelly, then took their mom''s suitcase out of the trunk and carried it inside.


    Then Kelly drove the two of us back to my place. It had been a long, emotionally exhausting day and we both just wound up in bed.


    PurpleCatGirl

 14. Clarified

    Monday morning I was up before seven o''clock just out of habit. I left Kelly asleep in bed and hopped in the shower. Kelly had a few of her things there and I used her soap, shampoo, and conditioner again. Normally I''d have shaved at this point too, and I found myself standing in front of the mirror for a few awkward moments trying to figure out where I was in my morning routine.


    I was about to toss the razor and shaving cream in the trash, but realized I might still need them for my legs. I bent over and ran my hands along my shins and calfs, but my skin was as smooth as it had been Friday night when I first found myself in this body.


    Either I was just naturally hairless, or maybe it was some fae thing. So the shaving stuff went in the trash, along with all the mens toiletries.


    Then I went back to the bedroom and quietly dressed. Today I went with the blue skinny-jeans, purple sneakers, and a little black t-shirt. I had one of the sports-bras on, but I still wanted to buy some more proper ones. Maybe we could get to the discount-mart today, if I managed to avoid another meltdown.


    Finally around eight o''clock I put the coffee machine on. About fifteen minutes later I was sitting on the sofa with my coffee when Kelly got up. She emerged from the bedroom in her night-shirt, looking beautiful as ever.


    "G''morning babe," she muttered as she went to fix herself a coffee.


    I smiled, "Good morning Kelly."


    We wound up just sitting quietly, cuddling for now on the sofa. We were both on our second cup when my phone started ringing at around nine o''clock.


    I dug it out of my purse and sighed. It was work of course. I put it on silent and set it on the coffee table. A minute later it started buzzing as work tried to reach me again.


    Kelly gave me an apologetic look and said, "You''ll probably want to get a new phone, or at least a new phone number, under your own name. Same as everything else."


    I sighed. "It''s like the old me''s died, isn''t it? I can''t just keep living the same life as before, but as Tegan. He has to die and disappear, and I have to start over from scratch..."


    "I''m sorry babe. I really am." Kelly put an arm around me and gave me a comforting squeeze.


    "It''s not your fault," I shook my head slightly. "Thanks for sticking with me through all this, Kelly. I don''t think I''d be able to cope without you."


    Eventually she got herself showered and dressed as well. Work tried calling twice more while I waited for her, and they left a couple messages.


    I started to think about my parents again. I realized there was no way I could get through a conversation with them without my old name being mentioned a dozen times. Combined with what Ms. Connolly said last night, about having to use magic to help smooth things over with them, I knew I just wasn''t ready to face them and deal with that situation at all. Not yet.


    Once Kelly was dressed and ready, the two of us wound up going to that breakfast place again since we still didn''t really have any food in the house. I was ok driving today, and I got some more of those little flutters as I had to adjust the seat and mirrors. Kelly had changed it all yesterday, and it was another reminder how much smaller I was compared to her.


    I didn''t feel like anything big and fancy, especially considering I hadn''t been able to finish a single meal yet. I asked the waitress if I could order off the kids menu, and she said yes. It left me feeling weird, but it was cheaper and meant I wouldn''t be wasting food, so that''s what I did.


    I wound up with two little chocolate-chip pancakes and two strips of bacon, and a small glass of orange juice. Kelly got a grown-up sized order of french toast with a side of bacon and a large juice.


    As we started eating, she asked softly "How are you feeling, Tegan?"


    I didn''t answer right away. I thought it through as I chewed on a mouthful of pancake and syrup.


    Finally I half-whispered, "Happy. Terrified. Numb. Confused. In roughly equal parts." I added, "Sometimes one after the other, sometimes all at once."


    I had another bite, then said "Last week if someone told me to order off a kids menu, I''d have been angry. Now it''s like... I realize it''s stupid to pay full price for a meal that I''d end up throwing half of it out, and I''m kind of glad she let me get a kids breakfast. I''d probably even take it if she offered me a toy or something, just for the silliness of it? But..." I frowned as my voice trailed off.


    Kelly watched me as she ate a piece of her bacon. She swallowed and asked "But what?" She sounded concerned again.


    I sighed, "I guess I''m starting to wonder now, if I''m even really still me? I mean, at first I was digging the whole ''cute'' thing? I thought it was an act, I was getting into character, right? Now I know this is permanent, and I wonder if I''m still just acting, or if this is really who I am now. If who I really am has changed, and I''m just in denial about it."


    A thoughtful frown appeared on her face, but she didn''t respond right away.


    It was another minute or two before she finally said, "I''ve known you nearly fourteen months now. So I think I''m in a good position to judge that? And from what I''ve seen? You''re still you. Just more."


    She had a sip of juice then tried to explain, "You''ve always had a playful side, I think. But you seemed to keep it in check before. Like you said about shopping the other day? You wanted the cute things but you felt they weren''t for you. I think you wanted to be playful and fun, but you felt that wasn''t appropriate. Now you feel it''s appropriate to be cute, and to be playful, so now you''re letting yourself indulge in those desires."


    That gave me a lot to think about, and I was silent for the rest of the meal. Which I actually managed to finish for a change.


    Kelly paid for breakfast again, for which I was grateful. And this time we did manage to make it to the discount-mart.


    I was a lot more mindful of my spending, but I couldn''t avoid the fact that I needed some more things. I wound up with a couple night-shirts, some cute pyjamas covered in little black kitties, and three proper bras. I got one pink, one purple, and one black. And I picked up a jacket and a hoodie.


    I also stocked up on some toiletries in girl-appropriate scents. I found I liked fruity rather than floral, and wound up getting strawberry-scented everything. And finally, we picked up some groceries.


    We were back at my place by eleven, and I got to work replacing the contents of my closet and dresser. Kelly started stuffing the guy-clothes into bags while I put away my new purchases. We had that all wrapped up by noon. Just about everything of ''his'' was in a couple big bags by the door so we could drop them off at the local Goodwill.


    I only kept three things from before. There were two t-shirts that had sentimental value, and a hoodie that was almost brand-new. It was crazy-big on me now but I thought it looked cute. It made me look even smaller, and I liked the way I kind of disappeared into it.


    Kelly and I were sitting together on the sofa, just finishing a light lunch when her mom turned up. She''d got a ride over with Keira, who didn''t bother to stay long enough to say hello.


    Kelsey pulled the chair over from my little desk in the corner to sit facing us across the coffee table.


    "Time to discuss those financial details," Ms. Connolly stated, and I felt myself growing anxious again.


    She explained, "Changelings are normally the responsibility of their fae parents, once they''ve come of age and their true identity has emerged. In your case Tegan, since Kelly found you and uncovered your true self while your origins remain unknown, that makes you Kelly''s responsibility. Which means you''re my responsibility. And ultimately, it makes you the responsibility of my father, as he''s the full-blooded fae in our family."


    I just listened quietly as she continued, "I''ve already sent him an email explaining the situation, and let him know that I''m taking care of things. He may turn up at some point, or he may decide to leave the matter in my hands."


    Kelsey asked, "With your permission, I''d like to take a picture of you and send it to him, on the off chance it might help him identify your real family."


    "Oh..." I wasn''t sure I wanted to meet the people who''d messed up my life then abandoned me, but I figured in the long run I ought to at least find out who they were, so I agreed. "Ok, I guess."


    She obviously noticed my hesitation and commented, "There''s no guarantee my father will be able to figure out who you are. And it''s not likely to be something that will happen right away, regardless. It could take months, years, or never. So don''t worry too much about this right now Tegan."


    I nodded quietly as she dug out her phone. The picture was just a standard head-and-shoulders shot, but before she sent it off she asked "Is that your natural hair colour?"


    I blushed, "I have no idea, to be honest. It looked like this from the start though?"


    Kelly added, "She hasn''t dyed it, and her other hair''s purple too, so yeah I think it''s natural."


    I blushed a little deeper as Kelsey just nodded, "Good to know."


    She spent a minute tapping out some details then sent my picture off to her dad.


    Finally Kelsey said, "Back to the matter at hand. Thanks to my father, our family is rather wealthy by human standards. We''re careful not to flaunt it, nor do we live ostentatiously, but we are all quite comfortable. As I said, you are currently our responsibility Tegan. So I will help you out financially, just as I''m doing with my own daughters."


    I was kind of floored at that point. I mean, I knew neither Kelly or Keira worked. I knew their parents were paying their college tuition. I guess I never really thought about how they could afford that nice apartment in the luxury condo tower, or their car, or anything else.


    Before I could come up with any actual words, Kelsey glanced from me to Kelly and suggested, "If the two of you feel like moving in together, I can arrange a nice place for you both." She continued, "And as I suggested last night Tegan, rather than trying to update the particulars on your current car, we''ll just go and find you something else and put it under your real name. You should also set up a new bank account in your real name in the next day or two, and when that''s done I''ll arrange to have a stipend deposited monthly so you needn''t worry about work."


    By that point I think my brain may have needed a reboot. I just stared at her, overwhelmed and shocked. Lurking under the surprise though, I was excited. I loved the idea of Kelly and I sharing a place. I just hoped she''d be as keen on it as I was.


    Kelly seemed just as surprised by the suggestion of us moving in together. She asked her mom, "You want me to move out of my and Keira''s place?"


    "You and Keira will be moving regardless," Ms. Connolly stated. "I''ve decided to separate you two, after these recent shenanigans."


    She sighed, "I''d originally worried the two of you might feel lonely when I shipped you out here for college. That''s why I wanted you to share an apartment. Now I see it''s made your and Keira''s competitive streak even worse. I''ve already spoken with a real estate agent, I''ll be listing your condo for sale shortly. Right now the options are, you and Tegan get a place together, or I put you somewhere by yourself."


    Kelly stared at her mom in shock and said softly, "Oh... Who gets the car?"


    "I''ll be selling that too," her mother stated.


    PurpleCatGirl

 15. Conceded

    My own shock was just starting to fade, and I could tell it was Kelly''s turn now to be dumbfounded by her mother''s announcements.


    I put an arm around my girlfriend''s waist, as I said "I think me and Kelly will have to talk things over, before we make a decision."


    "While you''re considering your accommodations, I trust you''ve also been thinking about the matter of your human parents?" Ms. Connolly asked, her eyes fixed on me.


    I sighed, "I''ve been thinking about it but I still don''t know what to do. I''m... I don''t like the idea of using magic to mess with their heads? But I understand that there''s probably no other way to do it. I mean, there''s no way they''ll believe who I am if I just tell them."


    She nodded, "I understand it''s a difficult decision, Tegan. And I know you have several difficult decisions to make. I don''t mean to pressure you, but the clock is ticking. The old you is now a ''missing person''. Your work has undoubtedly noticed your absence. Sooner or later your human parents will as well. You''ll want to have completely left this old life behind before anyone ''official'' starts looking for the old you."


    "Crap," I sighed. It was just like I said to Kelly earlier. The old me really did ''die'', or at least vanished. I really did have to start over from scratch.


    Kelsey gave me an apologetic look, "I know it''s not easy Tegan. It''s something we all have to get used to, though. Kelly and Keira have done it once, when they were children. I''ve done it twice now, due to my appearance not matching my ''official'' age. My father''s done it countless times since he came here, and you''ll get used to it too."


    "Crap," I said again. I wasn''t sure I wanted to know the answer, but I asked. "You said fae age slowly and live a long time. How long?"


    She gave me a sympathetic smile, "My father is in his sixth century. He looks about forty. I believe twelve-hundred years is a fairly common lifespan."


    I said it a third time, "Crap."


    That was the last of the shocks Ms. Connolly had for Kelly and me, at least for now. She stayed a while longer, but eventually she got a ride-share for herself and left. Apparently she had to attend some other business while she was in town.


    She also let us know she''d be having dinner and spending the evening with Keira, so Kelly and I wouldn''t see her again until some time tomorrow.


    The two of us had a lot to discuss of course, and I had a ton of stuff on my mind.


    "This whole thing is starting to feel more like a nightmare," I sighed, looking at Kelly. "I just wanted to get back to my normal routine life, you know? I thought I''d just be same old me, but as Tegan? Instead it feels like every time I turn around, something else comes up that pushes the whole ''normal routine'' thing farther away."


    Kelly sighed, "I''m sorry babe. I know it''s rough. I''ll help though, ok? I want to move in with you. My mom will set us up somewhere nice. In a couple weeks we''ll be going back to college, that''ll be a step back towards normal right?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. I''m actually looking forward to college again. It''ll be weird though, pretending to be a new student, pretending I don''t already know all the profs and the other guys in my classes."


    She put an arm around my shoulders and said, "You can do it though. Like you said the other day, it''s just getting into character. You did that just fine with being Tegan, I know you can do it for being a new student."


    I sighed again. The whole ''getting into character'' thing reminded me of another topic that kept cropping up. I finally decided to bite the bullet and deal with it.


    "At dinner last night, your mom asked if I was trans. You''ve mentioned it twice. Why does everyone think I''m trans?"


    Kelly didn''t answer right away. I think she was figuring out what to say or how to say it.


    Finally she replied, "Like I said on Saturday, it seemed to me like you were experiencing gender euphoria, the way you were enjoying yourself and having fun being a girl. And having a girl''s name already picked out for yourself made it sound like you''d at least put some thought into being a girl. And like I said yesterday, you wanting to stay this way and being happy when it turned out you were stuck? That''s not something a cis guy would want, you know?"


    She suggested, "Let''s turn the question around. Why are you so opposed to the idea that you might be trans? I can tell it bothers you, I know you''re feeling uptight right now."


    I sighed once more. I felt my cheeks colouring, the answer was embarrassing. Finally I mumbled, "You know what I used to look like, Kelly. You know who I used to be. I couldn''t be trans, I would have... I wouldn''t have looked good. There''s no way I could have been a girl."


    She looked me in the eyes and asked, "Did you want to though?"


    I blushed brighter, and shrugged. "I mean, I was curious? I thought about it now and then. But I knew it was impossible, so... No, I never sat around pining about it or anything like that."


    "Tegan," she said with a sympathetic smile, "Wanting to be a girl but giving up on the idea because you thought you''d be an unattractive girl, that''s like one of the textbook examples of gender dysphoria."


    "But..." I frowned, grasping at straws. "I mean, maybe it''s just because of the whole changeling thing? Like, if I was really a girl from the start, inside, and just disguised as a guy on the outside..."


    I felt her suppress a laugh, "Tegan that''s what being trans is. Except for the changeling and magic disguise part."


    She gave me a kiss then said quietly, "You were always a girl on the inside but your body didn''t match. So you accepted what the outside world told you to be, and you suppressed and ignored how you really felt inside."


    "Crap."


    After a few quiet moments, Kelly said "You don''t have to go around telling people you''re trans, you don''t have to make it a big thing. But I think it''s important you know who and what you are, and I''m glad we''ve talked about this."


    I was quiet for a few more seconds, then finally nodded. "Ok. Thanks Kelly. I guess it kind of makes a lot of other things make sense to me now. It''ll probably still take time for me to really accept and understand it, but I guess you''re right. It''s best that I know.


    After a second I added with a sigh, "If only it was so easy to get my head around the fae stuff..."


    Kelly gave me another kiss, "I''ll help with that too. There''s a lot of stuff you need to learn, and I''m sure I''ll be spending the next few months giving you a crash-course on all of it." She sighed, "Don''t think my mom was playing cupid or thinking about romance when she suggested we move in together. She wants me to be your tutor."


    She added, "Not that she doesn''t care about the other stuff. I''m sure she''s happy you and I are together. Just, she''ll want someone teaching you and since we''re already close it makes me the best choice."


    I nodded slowly. It made sense. And if I had to pick, I''d definitely choose Kelly as my fae tutor. Especially if the other options were Keira or Ms. Connolly.


    By now it was late afternoon, and my phone started buzzing. Work was looking for me again.


    I sighed when the new voicemail notification came up. "That''s either an ultimatum, show up tomorrow or I''m fired. Or I''m already fired and that was the don''t bother coming back message."


    Kelly gave me a sympathetic look, "At least they''ll stop bothering you."


    "Yeah," I nodded slowly. "I suppose there''s that."


    We wound up ordering pizza for dinner. We both felt like we could use a quiet night in, after the way things had been the past few days.


    As we ate, I asked "So I guess we''ll have to start looking at apartments or something, in the next day or two?"


    "Nah," Kelly shrugged, "I''m sure my mom will do all that. She''s probably already started looking. I''m sure she''s just waiting for us to tell her we''ve made the decision before she pulls the trigger on a lease or buys a place or something."


    I frowned, "I mean, I guess it''s nice that she does all that for you. But don''t you ever want to like, do your own thing? What if you don''t like what she picks?"


    She grimaced, then said "It''s sort of fae culture I think? They live over a thousand years, so they kind of consider anything under a hundred to be a child." She added, "It''s not as bad for me and Keira, but I think mom''s going to treat us as children till we''re twenty-five? Basically twenty-five will be our eighteen."


    I groaned slightly, "That''s what you meant when you said she might ground you... You''re still a teen in her eyes."


    "Yeah," she smiled. "She had it like that too. She''s half fae. I think her dad didn''t decide she was an adult till she was thirty, or maybe thirty-five."


    "Crap," I sighed. "So I''m like a toddler, basically? At twenty-two they''re all going to be looking at me like we look at two-year-olds?"


    "No," Kelly shook her head. "You''re a changeling, you grew up here, you were raised here. You matured here, as a human. You didn''t have fae parents treating you like a kid for the past twenty-two years. I''m pretty sure they''ll probably treat you like a teen, like me and Keira."


    She added, "And I mean, that''s not far off from how you look? Like yesterday with that oversized pink top and the leggings, you could have passed for a high-school senior. So don''t worry about them treating you like a baby."


    I was glad for that, but it still wasn''t that great to be honest. I sighed, "Ok... I can see what you mean about me needing a crash-course in all this stuff."


    It only took a slice and a half of pizza to fill me up, then I sat back on the sofa and sipped my cola while Kelly continued eating.


    "So, your mom''s going to take care of a place to live, and a new car. And I guess she''ll get her ''contact'' to fix things for me with college. I''ve already given up on work. That just leaves what? I need to open a bank account? And get a new phone."


    Kelly nodded, "You should probably set up a new email account, new social media accounts too. Don''t even bother closing anything tied to the old you. Just walk away from them."


    After a moment she added, "And there''s still the big one, Tegan. You have to decide what to do about your human parents."


    I sighed, "Right..."


    After a few minutes and another sip of cola I sighed again and admitted, "I don''t know what to do, Kelly. I can''t just turn my back on my family and disappear, that would kill them. They''d go crazy trying to figure out what happened. And I''d miss them. But messing with their heads... I''m really not comfortable with that."


    Kelly gave my a sympathetic look and said "I know it''s a tough call, Tegan. I wish there was an easier way, or another option."


    I shook my head, "I get that this is normal to you, but it''s... This isn''t normal to me. It feels like an almost impossible decision to make. Either never see my folks again, or use magic to mess with their heads."


    She sighed as a sort of distant, pained look appeared on her face. Like she was remembering some terrible or tragic thing that happened to her.


    "What''s wrong?" I asked, "What did I say?"


    "It''s not normal for us either, Tegan. I know how much it hurts."


    She hesitated, then in a soft voice she said "My mom mentioned me and Keira did the whole ''disappear / new life'' thing when we were kids? We were still in grade school, I think we were about ten. Mom was using make-up and stuff to make herself look older, but she''d got to the point where she couldn''t hide it anymore, so we had to just pack everything up and disappear. We moved halfway across the country and started over. We had to start calling our mom ''aunt Kelsey'', we had to pretend our mom was dead and we were living with her younger sister."


    I was shocked. It made sense though, when I thought about what Ms. Connolly said at dinner last night and the stuff she said this afternoon. "What about your dad, how did he manage with all that?"


    Kelly shook her head. Her voice was almost a whisper as she replied sadly, "He didn''t come with us. I haven''t seen my dad since I was ten."


    PurpleCatGirl

 16. Crashed

    After that revelation, Kelly didn''t want to talk about her family any further. The rest of the pizza wound up in the fridge and the two of us just sat cuddling together on the sofa watching tv.


    Before we got comfortable, she texted her mom to let her know we''d agreed to move in together, and her mom texted back that she''d have something for us in a day or two.


    We opened the last two hard lemonades, and made some plans for tomorrow.


    We''d head over closer to the college and I''d open a new bank account there. Kelly instructed me to use her address rather than mine, so there''d be nothing to connect the new account to the old me. We''d have to change the address once we knew where we''d be moving to, but she said it was important that there was no paper trail or anything. Then we''d go and buy me a new phone on a pay-as-you-go plan.


    It didn''t take long to make the plans, and we wound up just sitting quietly sipping our drinks. There wasn''t anything that captivating on TV though, and eventually we just went to bed.


    I don''t think either of us slept well, but I still woke up around seven. It''s like my body hadn''t got the message yet that I wasn''t going back to work.


    So I followed my usual routine. Shower, clothes, coffee. Kelly joined me for coffee around eight, then she had a shower and by nine she was dressed too. We had cold pizza for breakfast, and after another coffee we finally set out to the bank.


    We dropped my old clothes off at the Goodwill on our way, then hit a bank machine and I drained the last of my old account. It wasn''t much, I had just over three hundred dollars to open the new account with.


    It''d been a while since I had to open a new account with a new bank, and I''d forgotten how boring and time consuming the process was. Kelly was there with me though and it helped having her along for moral support.


    At one point I saw a flash in her eyes. I didn''t know what she''d done, but the bank employee who was working with us obviously didn''t notice anything out of the ordinary.


    It was kind of weird to realize that. He was an ordinary human, we were... Something else. And she could just use magic, do stuff like that, and him and all the other humans had no idea. It also meant they had no defence, either. I sort of felt bad for him. I guess I still thought of myself as human, I still related more to the helpless human banker than my part-fae girlfriend.


    Eventually the ordeal was over. I had a small stack of paperwork stuffed into my purse and a new bank card.


    After we were both in the car I asked, "What did you do? In the bank, you used magic."


    "Yeah," she sighed. "Mom left your old address on the drivers license, and if he''d seen it he''d have added that to your account info. I made sure he didn''t see it."


    "How?" I asked, frowning.


    "It''s basically called a glamour," she explained. "It''s a little cantrip that you can use to disguise or hide something? I just sort of obscured the address so he didn''t notice it. It doesn''t do anything harmful, and glamours don''t last very long. I didn''t enspell him or anything."


    I nodded slowly, then asked "Do you do that sort of thing a lot? Just use magic whenever?"


    "No Tegan," she shook her head. "We''re not supposed to use magic at all. Only for safety or self defence, and that was a safety issue."


    I still wasn''t entirely comfortable with it, but I understood. Finally I started the car and we drove over to the electronics superstore.


    I was going to just pick up a cheap bargain phone but Kelly wouldn''t let me. She got me the latest top of the line model of the same brand I''ve been using for the past two years. She actually paid cash for it too, over a thousand dollars. The clerk threw in a pay-as-you-go SIM card and gave us a coupon for a hundred dollars airtime credit.


    I was blown away once again, but grateful. "Holy crap, Kelly! Thanks!"


    She smiled, "You deserve it."


    That was the last of our plans for the day, and it was barely half past eleven. On the way back to my place we picked up another case of hard lemonade, then stuffed the bottles in the fridge when we got home. There were still a half dozen beers in there, but I realized I wasn''t going to drink them so I just dumped them in the box with the empties, to free up space in the fridge.


    Kelly texted my new bank info to her mother, then we just wound up sitting on the sofa again while I set up my new phone.


    My thoughts kept drifting back to my folks and wondering what to do about them. And of course I hadn''t forgotten what Kelly told me last night about her dad. She hadn''t gone into any more details about that. I had so many questions but I could tell it hurt her to talk about him.


    That''s when I decided, whatever happened I wouldn''t just disappear. I wasn''t comfortable using magic on my parents, but I wouldn''t just walk away. I knew it would be tough but I was starting to think maybe we could try and talk with them, without magic. Just hit them with the truth, and see where it went.


    There was always the chance they''d freak out, or get ''belligerent'' like Ms. Connolly said, but I couldn''t bring myself to just vanish without a trace, and I was positive I wouldn''t be able to live with myself if we manipulated them with magic.


    "Hey Tegan," Kelly asked softly, "What''cha thinking about? You look pretty serious."


    I sighed, "My folks. I want to tell them the truth. I don''t want to use magic. If they freak out, they freak out. But I can''t just vanish on them. And I can''t... I just can''t imagine manipulating them, messing with their heads."


    She nodded slowly as she took that in. Finally she said, "I understand. I know what my mom will say. Don''t talk to them till you''ve moved, and don''t tell them where you''re living. That way if they do freak out, at least they won''t be able to find you."


    "Crap," I frowned. "I have to keep my address secret from my own parents?"


    "Only till you know it''s safe. If they don''t freak out, if they accept things, then sure, tell them. But till then, till you know it''s safe, yeah. You''ll want to keep it secret."


    She sighed and added, "Secrecy is like, a huge part of what I''ll be schooling you on. Like, I know mom changed the info on your health card but you may as well just shred that. You can''t go to a human doctor, you definitely can''t go to a hospital."


    "Why not?" I asked. Of course I already knew why not, but I guess I needed to hear it.


    She just looked at me, then replied gently "Because you''re not human, Tegan. You only look human on the outside. While you were magically disguised as a human that''s how doctors saw you, but now your cover is blown. You''re fae, your body is different. I''m studying psychology not biology so I don''t know all the specific details, but I know your physiology is different."


    I sighed again as I started to feel overwhelmed for the hundredth time in the past few days.


    Kelly slipped an arm around me and pulled me close against her. "It''s ok Tegan. I know it''s a lot, but it will get better. I promise, it''s going to get better."


    Before I had a chance to respond to that, there was a knock at my apartment door followed immediately by the sound of a key in the lock. Then the door swung open and my mom walked in.


    "Sorry for dropping in unannounced! I was in the neighbourhood and saw your car so..." Her voice trailed off as she finally registered that neither of the two young women sitting on the sofa were the son she was looking for.


    I was almost frozen in fear and probably pale as a sheet. My mom didn''t even look at me, she obviously didn''t recognize me. Instead her eyes were on Kelly.


    It took her a second to find her voice, then mom addressed my girlfriend. "Hello Kelly, I wasn''t expecting to see you here. Is -"


    "No," Kelly stated, interrupting before mom could say my old name. "He''s not here right now, Mrs. Vale."


    My heart was pounding as I just sat there frozen, staring at my mom.


    She in turn was staring at Kelly, and I''m sure she was very curious to know why her son''s girlfriend was cuddled up with another girl on her son''s sofa, in her son''s apartment.


    Mom stared at Kelly for another few seconds, then finally looked at me. "And who might you be?"


    I gulped and I could feel Kelly tensing slightly.


    My mouth was dry, and I think my voice wavered as I replied "Hi m... Hello ma''am. I''m... My name is Tegan. Tegan Vale."


    Mom frowned, staring at me.


    I don''t know what possessed me to do it, but I picked up my purse and fished out my drivers license. I reached out and handed it to my mom.


    She frowned as she stared at it. "This is my son''s address. And you have the same birthday."


    Kelly was looking at me with eyes wide, shaking her head slightly. I ignored her and nodded to my mom, "Yes ma''am. I''m... I''m him. I used to be him. Up till Friday. It''s a long story."


    Mom handed the card back and stated "Bullshit." Her voice was cold and she sounded impatient as she said "That''s a forgery or something. Is this some kind of joke, or prank or something?"


    I took the card back and gulped again. Then I just started talking, and it all came out in a flood.


    "It''s true mom. Turns out my biological parents were mythical magical beings from Ireland called fae. They used magic to disguise me as a human child, a boy, and abandoned me here. I grew up thinking I was a guy, till something happened Friday night that broke the spell and I turned back into a girl. Since then I''ve been figuring out how to adapt and learning about my true nature and all that stuff. And I''ve been agonizing about how to tell you and dad. I was planning on talking to you both later in the week."


    As I was talking, I could see out of the corner of my eye Kelly had grabbed her phone and sent a couple texts. I knew she''d texted her mother, and I wondered how quickly Ms. Connolly would arrive.


    Mom just frowned at me, "That''s nonsense and you know it." She fixed her gaze back on my girlfriend and said "I know you''re a responsible young woman, Kelly. Will you tell me what''s going on? Where''s my son, is he behind this?"


    Kelly sighed, "Tegan''s telling the truth, Mrs. Vale. She used to be your son, now she''s your daughter. I''ve been staying with her since then, trying to help her adjust."


    Mom glared at Kelly, then stated "I think you two should leave. This is my son''s apartment, and I''m going to wait here for him until he gets home."


    I knew the next step would be mom trying to call me. I hadn''t got rid of the old phone yet, it was still in my purse and she''d hear it buzzing when she tried it. At that point she''d probably call the police.


    My mind was racing and I felt desperate. That''s when I suddenly remembered something that I hoped would convince her.


    "Mom," I said, watching her closely. "Remember when I was twelve, and you and dad rushed me to the hospital? We all thought I had appendicitis and they were going to take my appendix out? But it turned out to be food poisoning and I was fine the next morning? Before they figured it out, they gave me something for the pain and it made me kind of loopy. And I told you, I said I wished while they were working on my appendix, they would also make me a girl at the same time. Do you remember that? Nobody else knew that. Not even dad."


    She stared at me while I talked, and her expression shifted from angry to uncertain, and then in the end, shock.


    "Oh my god," she whispered. "When the drugs wore off you were so embarrassed you begged me not to tell your father..." She gasped and added, "You even told me you wanted to change your name to Tegan!"


    "Yeah," I blushed. "It took another decade, but I finally got that wish."


    PurpleCatGirl

 17. Convinced

    "Ow," I pouted at Kelly as I rubbed my upper arm. "Why''d you hit me?"


    She glared, "That was for making twelve-year-old Tegan wait ten years while you hid behind a mountain of denial, Miss I-can''t-possibly-be-trans."


    I sighed, but kept pouting. Her punch actually hurt, I was sure I''d have a bruise later.


    My mom was sitting in the desk chair that Kelsey used yesterday. She still looked a little stunned but I actually thought she might be starting to believe me.


    She shook her head, "But this is impossible... You can''t just turn into a girl. There''s no such thing as magic!"


    I nodded, "Up till Friday night I would have agreed with you, mom. Since then..." I glanced down at myself. "I''m kind of thinking it might be real."


    Kelly said, "My mom''s on her way. She might be able to help explain."


    I finally got up and headed to the kitchenette. "I think I need a drink. Mom, Kelly? Either of you want a vodka-lemonade?"


    "Yes please," Kelly nodded.


    Mom was staring at me again as she shook her head, "I''ll have some water, please."


    I grabbed a couple bottles of the lemonade and one water then returned to the living-room. Mom was still staring at me as I handed her the bottle.


    "You''re so small," she whispered in amazement.


    I blushed as I sat back down, handing a lemonade to Kelly. "Uh, yeah... That''s just one of many uh, big changes I''ve been trying to get used to."


    Mom slowly shook her head again. I knew she''d be going back and forth between disbelief and acceptance for a while. I kind of wished I knew some magic, so I could just show her. I didn''t want to ask Kelly to do that though, I figured she''d have done it already if she could. Or maybe she was waiting for her mom to get here.


    We were all quiet again for a few minutes, sipping our drinks while mom stared at me.


    Finally she asked, "So this just happened Friday? You''ve obviously bought some new clothes, and had your hair dyed. What else have you been up to?"


    I blushed again, "Actually this is my natural colour." I gave her a quick recap of the past few days, including the shopping trips, the freak-out on Sunday, the trip to the airport, and dinners out Saturday and Sunday nights.


    Mom frowned as she listened, then asked "What about work? Did you call in sick?"


    I sighed, "They wouldn''t exactly recognize my voice, mom. And obviously I couldn''t just show up for work looking like this. So I guess I quit."


    Her frown deepened, "I hope you''re not planning on quitting college too."


    "No mom," I shook my head. "Ms. Connolly is going to get someone to help fix things with the college, so I can continue my classes next month."


    Kelly looked a little uncomfortable again. I realized I probably shouldn''t say too much about how her family can help and do all this stuff.


    I added, "I shouldn''t say anything else mom. I''ve probably said too much as it is. Let''s just wait till Kelly''s mom gets here."


    Still frowning, mom glanced at Kelly then back at me. "What do Kelly and her mother have to do with all of this? Did they do this to you?"


    "No mom," I stated emphatically. "My biological parents did this to me. They used magic to turn me into a guy and abandoned me here as a baby. This is the real me, I just didn''t know it till Friday."


    Right on schedule there was a knock at the door. Kelly set her drink down as she stood up, "I''ll get it. That''ll be my mom."


    I watched as she went to the door and sort of mentally braced myself. I knew my mom wouldn''t believe Kelsey was anywhere near old enough to be Kelly''s mom. When Kelly returned from the door with her mother, I felt my eyebrows shoot up and my jaw drop open.


    Ms. Connolly looked like she''d aged three decades since yesterday. Her red hair had lost its lustre, now it looked dull and there were streaks of grey in it. Her eyes weren''t as bright, and today her skin just looked sort of pale rather than fair, and it sagged in places. There were some laugh lines on her face, and her lips looked a little thinner. She was still slim, and was still wearing jeans and a t-shirt. But she looked every bit like a woman in her fifties, much like my own mom.


    Kelly did the introductions, "Mrs. Vale, this is my mother, Kelsey Connolly. Mom, this is Tegan''s mother, Mrs. Vale."


    Mom greeted Ms. Connolly, "Please, call me Laura."


    I got up and offered, "Ms. Connolly, why don''t you sit on the sofa with Kelly. Can I get you a drink?"


    She thanked me and asked for water. I grabbed her a bottle, and dragged one of the uncomfortable little chairs over from the small kitchen table. I handed the water to Kelsey and then sat down next to my mom.


    Ms. Connolly had a sip of her water then looked between me and Kelly and asked, "So? What secrets have already been divulged?"


    I blushed again, and Kelly sighed. "Tegan''s told her mother that her biological parents are fae, that they disguised her as a human boy using magic, and left her here. And that the disguise spell was broken on Friday and now she''s back to her true self."


    Ms. Connolly looked at my mom and asked, "And what do you think of all this, Mrs. Vale?"


    Mom sighed, "I think it''s impossible, there''s no such thing as magic, and no such thing as ''Fae''. But... This young woman knew something that my son told me when he was twelve. And since I''ve been here watching her, I can see a lot of his mannerisms in her. She seems to think you can explain what''s actually going on here. And please, call me Laura."


    "Very well Laura," Ms. Connolly said. "There are some things I can''t discuss, some secrets I must keep. But I can confirm to you, magic is real. I''m currently disguising my true appearance under a glamour, which is why Tegan looked so startled when I arrived. Although I am Kelly and Keira''s mother, I don''t normally look like this."


    I saw the flash of light in her eyes and her appearance seemed to flicker, and then suddenly she was back to looking like a young woman in her late twenties again.


    My mom''s eyes almost bugged out of her head and her mouth dropped open as she stared. "Oh my god..."


    "This is my true appearance. And please, call me Kelsey."


    Me and Kelly wound up just sitting quietly, sipping our vodka-lemonades while our moms talked for almost an hour. My mom had all kinds of questions, but Kelsey didn''t have too many answers. She said a few things, she explained I could never go back to what I was before, and explained that was just a mask, not the real me. That mask was shattered now, and could never be restored.


    I explained to my mom that I was definitely happier and more comfortable like this. And I had to admit that I wouldn''t want to go back even if I could. I reminded her again of what I said when I was twelve, and I sighed as I admitted that I''d never really given up on that wish, I just suppressed it. I told her I knew there was obviously a lot of stuff I still had to get used to, but Kelsey said she was going to help me get re-established under my new name.


    Kelsey never said anything about her and Kelly being part-fae, though she did say she''d been studying them and their culture for most of her life, which explained why she was in a position to help me.


    And finally, she told my mom that all this stuff was secret. Obviously people don''t believe in magic and supernatural beings like fae, and she explained if that got out it would be very bad for me and put me in danger.


    Mom seemed to understand the need for secrecy, and agreed to keep all this to herself for now.


    By now it was getting near dinner time, and she had to head home.


    Before she left I suggested, "Don''t tell dad yet? I''ll come over towards the end of the week and we can all talk with him together. Ok?"


    She hesitated then nodded "Ok...Tegan. Stay in touch, please. I''m still not sure how to handle all of this, and I''m worried for you."


    My heart skipped a beat when she actually said my name, and I smiled, "Thanks mom. I will."


    I stepped closer and gave her a hug, which I think caught her by surprise. It was probably weird for her in a hundred different ways, not the least of which being I was now about four inches shorter than her, and I had boobs. She gave me a tentative hug in return, then she left.


    As I returned to the living-room, Kelsey said "Well, that went much better than I would have expected."


    I drained the last of my lemonade and nodded "Yeah... I hope it goes as well with my dad but," I sighed. "I kind of doubt it."


    "Speaking of fathers," Kelsey stated, "I heard back from mine today. He''s going to slip over to Otherworld and do some quiet digging, to see if he can find out who your parents are."


    She added, "He said violet-coloured hair is not that common among fae, which might make it easier for him to identify your lineage. That, and knowing when you were born. Still, best not to get your hopes up. Otherworld is a big place and could be a long time before there''s any news."


    "Oh," I felt a little uncertain at that. "If he does manage to find them, what happens next? Will he bring them here?"


    "No," she stated, sounding quite certain. "He''ll find out what he can about them, then he''ll return to Earth and send me the details. Or he might come visit in person, but either way he''ll be discrete. He definitely won''t tell your parents about you, should he find them. I''m sure he''ll do his best to ensure nobody over there knows what he''s up to or what he''s looking for."


    I frowned, "Is this dangerous? For him, or for you, or for me? I guess, for any of us?"


    Kelsey sighed. She pursed her lips and frowned, then finally replied "Dealing with the fae is always dangerous, Tegan. For humans, it''s very dangerous. But even for other fae, there are hazards. Right now you''re as unprepared as a human but you''re potentially at greater risk simply because you may be a more valuable ''target''. If your parents are important or wealthy, or if they hid you for reasons of safety, then you could be at risk from dangers you can''t even conceive right now."


    She added, "Which is why it''s important we start your education as soon as possible. I''ve begun the process of getting you and Kelly a new place, that should be completed in the next day or two. We''ll get you moved by the end of the week, then she can begin your education."


    It took a moment or two for all that to sink in. Finally I asked, "Am I putting my parents in danger, if I stay close to them?"


    Kelsey nodded slightly, "It''s possible, Tegan. Especially until we get you educated."


    I took a deep breath then sighed, "Ok... That''s one more thing to worry about."


    The three of us were quiet for a bit, till Kelly finally asked "Mom? How''s Keira doing? I mean, with the news that you''re separating us and kicking her out of the condo and stuff?"


    "She is handling it quietly and stoically," Ms. Connolly replied. "She knows what the two of you did was wrong, and she''s accepting the consequences. If you want to know how she feels, then speak with her yourself."


    PurpleCatGirl

 18. Consented

    "Ok Keira," Kelly said into her phone. "I miss you. When all this has settled down we need to get together. Maybe another double-date? Anyways, I better go. Talk later. I love you!"


    I could tell by her tone my girlfriend was half-teasing about the double-date part. Otherwise, I was actually amazed. That was the longest conversation I''d witnessed between the two of them that didn''t include any arguing or any bets, challenges, or competitions.


    As she put her phone down, I asked "So how''s Keira doing? And how is Amy?"


    Kelly sighed, "Her and Amy had a fight on Sunday, but they''re patching things up. She agreed that neither of us won that stupid bet on Saturday, but she had to tell Amy she won to try and save face, to try and make it seem like the whole thing was worth it. And she told Amy that I dumped the old you and hooked up with the new you. She''s not sure yet where Mom''s going to make her move to, but she''s worried about being lonely so she''s trying to convince Amy that the two of them should move in together."


    I frowned slightly. I didn''t really know Keira that well, and I barely knew Amy at all, but I hoped they''d both be ok. "That double-date thing actually wouldn''t be a bad idea. I mean, maybe your mom''s right, separating you both might make you a little closer in the end?"


    "Maybe," Kelly shrugged, though she sounded a little sad.


    Ms. Connolly had left after the crisis with my mom was over and she''d delivered the news about her father''s plans. Now it was about seven o''clock and I was getting hungry, but I didn''t really feel like going out, and wasn''t interested in cooking.


    "Are you up for some Asian Fusion again? Or do you feel like something else?" I asked Kelly.


    She thought it over the nodded, "Yeah, ok."


    I logged into their site, but before I ordered I changed the name on the account. It meant seeing the old name for a few moments, but it didn''t upset me so much this time. I''m not sure if it''s because ''that me'' felt so far away now, or if it''s because I was getting more comfortable and settled into who I''d become.


    After fixing that, I went with our regular order except I cut a half dozen sushi and dropped the spicy orange beef.


    While we waited, I grabbed us two more vodka-lemonades from the fridge.


    Kelly raised an eyebrow and teased, "A second drink, huh? You planning on getting drunk tonight?"


    I blushed, but sighed "Honestly I''m still really stressed right now? Having my mom just walk in like that... She might have called the police or something, if I hadn''t been able to convince her. Then having to tell her everything. Then your mom and her news, and learning that we could all be in danger because of me."


    I sighed again and had a few gulps of my drink. "I don''t really want to get drunk, but I really do need to unwind."


    She put an arm around my shoulders, "I''m sorry babe. I know it''s a lot. And I know all this is hard on you."


    I leaned against her, and had another gulp of my drink. I was starting to feel the buzz now. I think the first one was a dud, because I''d sipped it so slowly while all that stress was still happening, with my mom and Ms. Connolly and everything.


    Even with the growing buzz I was still uptight, and I couldn''t get my mind off the stressful topics. I was starting to worry I''d end up pushing myself into another meltdown or something, when I got an idea. Though maybe the alcohol helped.


    "Hey Kelly? I know you promised you wouldn''t use that spell to stop me from freaking out. You said you''d only use it when I said it was ok, for fun. But what if I said it was ok to use it to make me not freak out? Like, if I said it was ok, and asked you to do that?"


    I felt her muscles tense slightly, I knew I''d just made her uncomfortable by asking that. But I knew she could probably tell how stressed and uptight I was too. And she could probably tell it was getting worse, despite my second drink.


    "I''m not sure, Tegan. That feels like it could be a mistake." She glanced at my drink and added, "And you''re halfway through your second hard lemonade, I''m not sure you''re really able to give consent when your judgement might be impaired."


    I sighed and set the bottle down on the coffee table. "I''m not drunk. Not yet. That first one didn''t do anything for me, I''m too stressed and I probably drank it too slow. And that was like an hour ago."


    She still seemed reluctant, as she thought it over. Finally she asked, "What if we try first, without the spell?"


    "What do you mean?" I frowned. "Try what, exactly?"


    She kissed me on the cheek and replied, "Try and get the same result, but without actually triggering the spell."


    I sighed, "I guess we can try. If it doesn''t work though and I stay stressed, will you change your mind?"


    "We''ll see," she replied. "I won''t rule it out, I''m just saying let''s start small before we break out the magic."


    My shoulders slumped slightly but I nodded "Ok."


    Kelly kept her arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek again then whispered in my ear, "You remember how that spell affected you? It''s activated when I use the right tone of voice. And like I said, when the spell isn''t triggered, it''s completely inactive."


    I nodded quietly.


    She continued whispering, "When it''s active, the spell responds to the tone of my voice, and you respond to what I say. I can control how intensely the spell affects you by carefully controlling my tone. And by watching how you respond to what I say, I can choose my words so you''re more or less receptive. It''s a bit like a feedback loop, I suppose? I watch how you''re affected, and adjust my voice and my words accordingly, to achieve the desired result."


    My eyes widened slightly as I realized what she was saying. The spell wasn''t all-or-nothing. That explained why it didn''t make me melt to a puddle at the posh cafe, but then Saturday night she had me quivering after using it just once or twice.


    I also remembered thinking at the time, how intoxicating it was knowing that she could make me feel that way just by talking to me. And right now, I knew she wasn''t using it. She was whispering softly, there was nothing bossy or dommy at all in her voice. Her tone was caring, and her words weren''t even all that sexy at the moment.


    And yet my heart-rate had jumped slightly, and I was breathing faster. I felt a little flush in my cheeks as I realized I was getting turned on, just thinking about this stuff.


    She continued, "On Saturday, I never did try and push the spell to its full potential. You still haven''t felt what it can do at full strength."


    My eyes widened a little more and I gulped. I thought back to Saturday again, and my heart rate got a little quicker as I wondered just how much stronger it might get if she pushed it all the way.


    Kelly could obviously see what was happening. She was still holding me close, her lips by my ear.


    She whispered, "I can tell you''re already a little excited, Tegan. You know our dinner will be here soon... If I used the spell like you asked, think of the state you might be in. What if I asked you to answer the door in that state? Cheeks pink, breathing hard... Your nipples are already trying to poke through your bra and shirt. I bet you''re getting wet right now just thinking about this. Why, if I triggered the spell, I could probably get you wet enough to soak right through your jeans."


    By now my heart was racing and my cheeks were burning. I could already feel my nipples straining against my bra, but I glanced down anyways and sure enough they were visibly poking at the fabric of my shirt.


    I shifted my legs slightly and pressed my thighs together. I could feel that warm wetness, and I started to become aware of the yearning sensation.


    I hadn''t had a chance to say anything but I didn''t have to. Kelly could easily tell all this was going on from my body-language alone.


    She held me even tighter and kissed my cheek, then whispered softly "You know Tegan... If I triggered the spell and used it just the right way, I could probably make you come just with the sound of my voice."


    My breath caught for a moment and my heart skipped a beat. I bit my lower lip and took a few deep breaths, then finally whispered "I...you...what..?" I was too flustered to even form a sentence.


    Kelly gave me another kiss, then smiled and said quietly, "There. I didn''t need the spell at all, and I think I''ve managed to get you a little worked up?"


    I took a few deep breaths to settle down slightly, and nodded "Uh, yeah... Wow. I didn''t... I didn''t think that''d work..."


    She smiled, "Remember when I told you, even Keira noticed you were really passive as a guy? I think you''ve always had a submissive side. But same as being cute or being playful, you suppressed it. Society says guys can''t be cute, shouldn''t be playful, and isn''t kind to submissive men. Now you''re Tegan and you can allow yourself to be all those things. You can enjoy being cute and playful. And you can enjoy being submissive."


    I bit my lower lip and nodded slowly. "Ok...Yeah."


    She gave me another kiss and said, "So we may as well just get rid of that spell then."


    "No!" My blush went from pink to bright red as soon as I said it. I gulped and whispered, "All that stuff you just said you could do with it... I still want to try that."


    Kelly smiled, she had a kind but knowing look in her eyes, and replied softly "Good girl."


    I knew she still hadn''t triggered the spell, but those two words hit me almost as if she had. Maybe because I was already worked up, maybe because it reminded me again of Saturday night. There was a flutter in my stomach and between my legs, and it took another few moments to get my breath under control once more.


    She let me settle down again, then said "We''ll have dinner first, then afterwards we can play."


    I gulped and nodded, "O-ok. Thank you."


    When dinner arrived, Kelly got the door while I grabbed the plates and napkins. We ate quietly, but I was still flustered and honestly I was barely aware of the food. I was much more interested in what would be coming afterwards.


    Kelly didn''t let me rush, she made sure we had a relaxing meal and tidied up afterwards. The dishes cleaned and put away, left-overs were in the fridge.


    We finished our hard lemonades and had some water. I knew she was being careful and making sure we both stayed hydrated and all that, but I was frustrated. I was positive she was dragging things out and making me wait on purpose, just to get me a little more eager.


    And of course it worked. By the time she was finally ready to play, I was feeling stressed and jumpy again. It had nothing to do with my earlier worries though, and everything to do with her making me wait so long.


    She finished the last of her water then looked at me with a teasing smile. "Now that you''ve eaten, and had some water, I think that''s probably taken alcohol out of the equation. So I can trust your judgement now, to properly give consent. So Tegan, do you want me to use that spell again? And you want to try those things I mentioned, before dinner?"


    I bit my lip and tried not to look too enthusiastic or excited. I nodded quietly, and whispered "Yes please."


    PurpleCatGirl

 19. Charged

    We were still cuddling together on the sofa, Kelly had her arm around my shoulders. She said softly, "Same as on Saturday, if things get too intense or you feel overwhelmed, or for any reason at all, if you want me to stop you say so. Just say stop, and it''ll be over. All right?"


    I nodded, "Ok."


    Kelly kissed me on the cheek. She was still speaking softly as she added "So you know, the spell is only temporary. Even if I don''t dispell it, sooner or later it''ll wear off on its own. Might take a week, maybe two. But sooner or later it''ll be gone."


    "Oh..." I tried not to sound too disappointed but she obviously noticed.


    She gave me another kiss and smiled. When she spoke this time, her voice was still sort of soft but there was also that slight haughtiness in her tone, and I knew we were getting started.


    "Don''t worry Tegan, I''m sure we''ll find other ways to play that will be just as exciting for you."


    It wasn''t quite like going zero-to-sixty, she was starting off slowly this time. My cheeks were flushed though, and my breathing and heart-rate jumped slightly. Now that I had a better understanding of how it worked, how she controlled the magic, I was trying to pay closer attention to her tone of voice. I wasn''t sure if she knew I was doing that, but she was still watching me closely.


    "Let''s try turning it up a little," Kelly smiled. There was more authority in her tone this time, but it was still tempered with some softness. "I can see you''re trying to concentrate on something Tegan, but I want you distracted."


    I suppressed a slight whimper. I felt a flutter between my legs, and my heart was starting to race. I knew my cheeks were on their way from pink to red, and I bit my lower lip.


    "That''s better," Kelly said, with even more authority in her tone.


    I felt the muscles in my groin twitch, and my nipples were straining against the fabric of my bra. My breathing was a little quicker, and it was hard to just leave my hands where they were. I still had one arm around Kelly''s waist, the other was resting on the sofa by my thigh.


    "Tegan," she stated.


    This time a little whimper did escape my lips. She''d said my name with such authority, it was almost like I could feel her voice. It sent a pulse down my spine and straight into my groin.


    "Y-yes, Kelly?" I whispered.


    She softened her voice slightly this time, as she asked "What is it about this experience that you enjoy so much?"


    I gulped and took a deeper breath, "I...It''s the spell...Your voice...tone..."


    "No," she stated, her tone sending another pulse through me. She asked once more, in a softer tone again "Be honest, Tegan. Before dinner you got wet just thinking about this. Why do you find this so exciting?"


    I''d have blushed bright red if my face weren''t already that flushed. I gulped again, and admitted "It''s knowing you can make my body respond like this..." I paused and took a slightly shuddering breath, "Knowing you can...make me feel like this...whenever you want..."


    By this point I was flustered enough I''d forgotten about trying to pay attention to her tone and how I reacted to it. I was mostly just along for the ride now. And it was a ride I really liked.


    She kept that soft-but-authoritative tone in her voice as she clarified, "It''s because I can make you horny, make you wet, maybe even make you come, whenever I want?"


    I felt a slightly stronger flutter between my legs, and another soft whimper escaped my lips. I nodded slightly and whispered, "Yes..."


    "Hmm." She had a faint smile on her lips and a slightly thoughtful look on her face.


    Then her tone was much more firm as she stated, "Stand up, in front of me, facing me. Take off your t-shirt."


    My knees were a little weak but I struggled to my feet and did as she asked. I left my top on the sofa where I''d been sitting.


    I stood with my legs pressed tight together, little muscles in my groin were twitching now and then, and I knew my panties were already drenched. My nipples were straining at the soft pink fabric of my bra. I left my arms at my sides for now as I stood before her.


    Kelly looked me over, then stated "Take off your shoes and socks, Tegan."


    Her words sent more little ripples and shocks through my body, and once again it was almost like I could actually feel the sound of her voice caressing my skin. I may have wobbled slightly as I crouched down, and my hands trembled as I struggled to untie the laces.


    When I was done, Kelly looked me over again. The corners of her lips twitched, like she was suppressing a smile. "Sit down Tegan. On the coffee table, so you''re still facing me." She added, "We don''t want you to fall and hurt yourself, and I don''t think you''ll be able to remain upright much longer."


    I felt a little shudder of excitement, along with another whimper as her words once again caressed over my skin. This time it almost felt like her voice was trying to work her way inside me.


    I sat before her on the end of the coffee table. It was lower than the sofa, and combined with our height difference it helped emphasize how much smaller I was compared to her. My arms were at my sides, my hands holding the edge of the table. I had my knees together, and my thighs tensed, pressed together tightly.


    Kelly watched me like this for another few seconds. Her eyes were on mine, and when she spoke next, her voice was nothing but pure authority. "Very good girl."


    Her words hit me like a bolt of lightning, my whole body tensed and I think I let out a little cry or yelp. My toes curled, my hands clutched the edge of the coffee table, and I felt a surge shoot down my spine and into my groin, then it exploded outwards from there, rolling over my entire body in waves of ecstasy.


    I lost track of time as my brain stopped working entirely. It may have been eternity, or it may have been ten or twenty seconds, but eventually I started to think again.


    I took a deep, shuddering breath then moaned softly. My thighs were still pressed together, but now I was moving them slightly, rubbing them tightly together as more little waves of pleasure washed outwards through my body.


    Through it all, Kelly was still sitting in front of me. She''d been watching the entire performance, and when I was finally able to focus my eyes again, I could tell she enjoyed it.


    She had one eyebrow raised and a slight smile on her lips. When she spoke, her tone was once more a blend of haughtiness and softness. It sent another shock through my body, but it wasn''t enough to push me back to the edge again. Not yet, at least.


    "Did you enjoy that, Tegan?"


    I gulped, "Y-yes..."


    "Good," she smiled. She turned up the intensity slightly as she added, "Stand up, and undress. Time to get you out of those wet clothes."


    I shuddered slightly as I struggled to my feet again. My fingers felt a bit weak as I fumbled with the jeans, but soon enough I had them and the panties off. Sure enough they were soaked through, and the scent of my arousal was unmistakable.


    I''d probably be embarrassed in the morning, but right now I was too excited to care. With my lower half now fully exposed, I straightened up and reached back and quickly unhooked my bra. A moment later it joined the rest of my clothes in a pile on the sofa.


    Kelly looked me over. I bit my lip as it felt like I was being inspected again.


    She gave me a smile and said, "Gorgeous."


    Her tone sent another little shock through my body. It was just enough to make my knees weak, and I moaned softly again.


    Finally Kelly stood up, and had me follow her into the bedroom. She stood me next to the bed and had me watch as she got herself undressed. She kept talking to me, and my brain was functioning just enough to know she was using that tone of voice to keep me hot, wet, and needy, while I watched her strip.


    She took her time as she removed her clothes one piece after another, gradually revealing her beautiful body.


    When she was finished, she moved to stand directly in front of me.


    I looked up at her, I was still feeling the flutters and tremors between my legs, but being reminded again of how much smaller I was gave me another little flutter in my stomach as well.


    She smiled and wrapped her arms around me and pulled me against her, into a warm, gentle embrace.


    I sighed happily and my arms encircled her waist as I let my head lean against her left shoulder. My boobs were pressed against her body just beneath her own, and I could feel my still-hard nipples poking against her soft skin.


    Kelly tilted her head down a little closer to mine and I felt her lips brushed the top of my cheek. I was expecting a kiss, or perhaps a soft whisper.


    I was completely unprepared when she stated in a voice once again full of authority and control, "I want you to come right now, Tegan."


    My knees actually buckled, but she held me tight as my body shuddered then my muscles went rigid. If anything it was even more intense this time, the surge of energy felt stronger and lasted longer as it blasted down my spine, collected between my legs, then exploded outwards through every fibre of my being. Finally my whole body went slack in her arms as I slumped against her.


    For those few seconds there was nothing but Kelly, her voice, and the intense, overwhelming ecstasy that had displaced my ability to think.


    When my brain finally finished rebooting, I was still in her arms. We were now sitting together on the edge of the bed.


    Or rather, Kelly was sitting on the edge of the bed. She had her legs spread slightly and I was on her lap facing her, I was straddling her right thigh, my right leg in between both of hers.


    Her arms were still around me as she held me upright, and I could feel her thigh pressing against my sex as I sat straddling her leg. Any little movements either of us made sent sparks of pleasure shooting through my core.


    My breath was coming in short hard gasps and my heart was still pounding.


    Kelly smiled slightly and asked, "And how was that, Tegan?"


    "Ngghmmth" was about as eloquent as I could manage.


    She leaned forward and planted a kiss on my lips, then let herself lay back on the bed, pulling me atop her. We lay together like that for a few more minutes as I recovered.


    Eventually I regained the ability to speak, and I whispered "That...wow!"


    Kelly kept one arm around me, but her other hand moved up and she ran her fingers through my hair. Then she lightly touched my forehead, and whispered "I''m going to remove that spell now."


    I frowned, "Oh...why?"


    She replied softly, "It''s not necessary... It probably never was. And I still feel bad that I did it without your permission."


    I didn''t argue. I just stayed quiet as she whispered some of her indecipherable words. I didn''t feel anything happen, but I somehow knew it was gone.


    She ran her fingers through my hair again then added quietly, "If you wanted, we could try it again at some point. But only if you want."


    I nodded slightly, then shifted so my lips were by hers. I gave her a kiss, and whispered "Thank you Kelly."


    She kissed me back, and her fingers started to gently carress my back and sides.


    I sighed happily and shifted again, rubbing myself against her.


    I could feel the excitement starting to build in me again, and I could tell she was feeling it too. And I knew she was right, we didn''t need magic for this.


    PurpleCatGirl

 20. Contemplated

    Wednesday and Thursday went by in a blur. I spent some time Wednesday setting up a new email and social media accounts, then we had to go out and do laundry. In the afternoon we started packing up my clothes and things, and Kelly packed up the stuff she had here. By the time we went to bed Wednesday night we were ready to go.


    Thursday morning Kelsey showed up driving a newish car. It was one of those ''cross-overs'', not quite an SUV but chunkier than a sedan and bigger than a compact. It actually looked kind of like a box on wheels, but I thought it was cute. And the blue-green colour matched my eyes. The mileage was really low and it was only two years old, but compared to what I''d been driving before it was basically brand-new as far as I was concerned.


    A few minutes later two guys arrived with a van. All my clothes, my computer, pretty much everything that wasn''t nailed down was packed up and loaded into the van. The only things they left behind were the furniture and the appliances.


    Kelsey gave my old car keys to one of the movers, I left the keys to the apartment on the little kitchen table, and the three of us climbed into my new car and drove away from my old life. I had no idea what happened to my old car, and Kelsey said she''d take care of things with my old landlord.


    By noon Kelly and I were sitting in the living-room of a fancy seventh-floor two-bedroom condo, with a balcony and a south-facing view overlooking the lake. The place was fully furnished, and most of Kelly''s stuff was already here.


    While my new car was listed in my name, I had no idea who''s name the condo was in. Kelsey said we didn''t have to worry about rent though, which was good. I had a feeling the monthly on this place would have been more than I was paying per year at the old place.


    Kelly and I each had our own large bedroom, and there was a big luxurious washroom. The main area was open-concept, with a large living-room, dining room, and a beautiful kitchen. The whole place was three or four times bigger than my basement apartment. We even had our own little laundry-room with a stacked washer-dryer. I hadn''t had that kind of luxury since I moved out of my parents house three years ago.


    My new bed was large and comfortable, the sheets were soft, and Kelly and I did our best to break it in when we finally went to bed Thursday night.


    Friday morning I actually managed to sleep in till eight. I guess my body-clock was finally starting to adjust to the fact that I wasn''t going to work. By eight-thirty, both me and Kelly were sitting together on the balcony, sipping our first coffee of the day. She was in a night-shirt, I was in my cute kitty pyjamas, and we were relaxing on an outdoor sofa while we watched the boats out on the lake.


    "This is insane," I said softly. "This time last week I was an ordinary plain-looking guy, in a boring life, living in a basement apartment and driving a beat-up third-hand car. Now I''m a small cute girl, living downtown in a million-dollar condo overlooking the lake. I''ve got a new car, and my life is anything but boring."


    I had a sip of coffee then added, "The absolute best part though, is I''ve still got you."


    Kelly slipped an arm around my waist and I leaned my head against her shoulder.


    She replied quietly, "I never thought you were ordinary, or plain-looking. Though I''ll admit you''re right about being cuter now. As for exciting... We''ll see how much fun you think it is, spending all your free time learning fae stuff."


    I grinned, "If I get to learn it with you, then I''m sure I''ll manage."


    She smiled too, and held me a little tighter.


    We eventually got ourselves some more coffee, but it felt like this was going to be a quiet, lazy, stay-at-home kind of day. I did have to talk with my mom at some point, and see about meeting with her and dad. I''d originally planned on seeing them tonight, but after how busy the past few days had been I started to think maybe tomorrow afternoon would be a better bet.


    It was mid-morning before I tried doing anything productive at all. I logged on to my new bank''s website and accessed my account, so I could put in my new address. I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw my account balance. There was another two thousand dollars sitting there, courtesy of Ms. Connolly.


    Around noon I decided to try and talk with my mom. I kept my old phone at Kelly''s suggestion, and I''d use that to talk with my family for now. Until we knew how dad would react, I wouldn''t give them my new number or our new address. I felt bad about it, but it was better than using magic to mess with them.


    I took a deep breath then tapped their number and waited.


    Mom answered on the third ring, "Hello?"


    Even after seeing her on Tuesday, I was still nervous. "Uh, hi mom. It''s Tegan."


    "Hello Tegan... How are you doing?" From the sound of her voice, she was probably as nervous as I was.


    I sighed, "Busy. Lots going on, lots of stuff to adjust to."


    She hesitated, then said "I''ve been doing some reading, trying to learn more about what you and Kelsey told me. You''re a changeling, aren''t you? That''s the word for you?"


    I was surprised she''d been looking into this stuff, but I nodded as I replied "Yeah, that''s what they tell me. I uh, I haven''t actually done any research yet. Haven''t had time. You probably know more about me than me now. Anyways, I was thinking maybe I could come visit you and dad tomorrow?"


    She was quiet for a few moments, then finally said "I don''t think that would be a good idea. I spoke with your father yesterday. I didn''t tell him anything, but I did sort of bring up the subject of you possibly being trans and... He didn''t take it well."


    I sighed as my stomach started to feel cold. "I see. You think... You figure he''ll be mad, or won''t accept me like this?"


    "I''m afraid not. I''m sorry Tegan." She sounded apologetic, and upset.


    I tried to keep the sadness out of my voice as I replied, "It''s ok. Thanks for trying, mom. Thanks for looking out for me."


    She asked, "Will you be ok? Would you like me to come by and see you?"


    I hesitated, then admitted, "I''ve moved. I''ll stay in touch, I promise. I... I think I''d better go."


    Now it sounded like she was trying not to cry. "Ok Tegan... I''m sorry."


    "Me too mom," I sighed. "Talk to you soon."


    I disconnected, then I hit the power button and turned off the phone.


    Then Kelly was there with an arm around me. She didn''t say anything, she didn''t need to. We just sat and held each other for a while as my emotions churned.


    We were still cuddling together on the sofa an hour later when Ms. Connolly showed up at the door.


    Kelly opened the door for her, then returned to the sofa to sit with me while her mother sat across from us on the recliner.


    I don''t know if Kelsey missed the fact that I was feeling emotional again, or if she noticed but didn''t care. Either way she just dove right in and started talking about her announcement.


    "Needless to say, this isn''t a social call. I received word from my father this morning. He''s back from Otherworld, and he brought news."


    I felt a chill go through me. I couldn''t hide my surprise as I asked, "Already?! It''s only been three days!"


    "Yes," Kelsey nodded. "A bit of wild luck but apparently one of his contacts was familiar with your family."


    She watched me for a moment, then asked "Are you ready for this?"


    I felt Kelly''s arm around my waist, she gave me a reassuring squeeze. I took a deep breath, then nodded "Ok. I''m ready."


    "Very well," Ms. Connolly said. She pulled out her phone and opened an app or document. Her eyes flicked back and forth over it as she spoke.


    "My father is certain that your parents are Maeve and Connor Br¨¢daigh. Maeve is a woman short of stature and with bright violet hair. According to my father, there is more than enough of a resemblance between you and she to leave no doubt in his mind. In addition, there were rumours some twenty-three years ago that Maeve may have been with child. Around that same time, Connor Br¨¢daigh vanished, and has not been seen since. And despite the suspicions that she had been pregnant, Maeve was never seen with a child."


    Kelsey hesitated, then went on "Fae do love their rumours, and on this topic there are several. One has it that Connor and Maeve had a falling out, resulting in him killing the child and exiling himself to Earth. Another variation has him killing the child and Maeve killing her husband, then hiding the remains. Yet another suggests the child was still-born and that drove the couple apart. And one more claims that an enemy of either Connor or Maeve arranged both husband and child to be killed."


    She paused for breath, then concluded "Maeve remains alive and well, living at the Br¨¢daigh estate. She and Connor had no other children, Tegan would be their first and only. If there was any kind of tragedy or falling-out, Maeve has said nothing of it, not even to her servants. Rumours among the servants suggest Maeve has been sad or melancholy at times over the past two decades, but if she is mourning a lost child she is doing that in private."


    I just sat there when Kelsey finished talking. I didn''t know what to say, my mind was kind of numb, and it would take a few more minutes to even process everything she said.


    After a few seconds, Kelly suggested "Since we know Tegan isn''t dead, I''m guessing either Connor brought her to Earth and hid her as a changeling, or perhaps an enemy did that and Conner''s been here looking for her ever since?"


    Ms. Connolly shrugged slightly, "At this point, speculation isn''t helpful. What''s important is we now know who Tegan is."


    She fixed her eyes on me and said, "You are almost certainly Tegan Br¨¢daigh, daughter of Maeve Br¨¢daigh. According to my father, your family are among fae nobility, and are wealthy even by fae standards. That means they are rich and powerful, and it means they will have rich and powerful enemies."


    I gulped nervously, "So... What do we do?"


    Kelsey took a deep breath, then replied "You could do nothing. Stay here, continue living your life here. Learn all you can from Kelly about the fae and their ways, and hope they never find you. Or we could try and contact your mother. My father could put us in touch with someone to act as an intermediary, to handle correspondence between worlds for you."


    Kelly asked, "Why send messages through someone else? Isn''t that what grandfather does?"


    Her mother replied, "My father said as long as Tegan is under our protection it would be best if a third-party handled any negotiations. To avoid conflicts of interest."


    Kelsey turned her attention back to me and warned, "Maeve might be thrilled and happy to have you back, or she might want to have you eliminated. We simply have no way of knowing what her motivations are. Even if she did seem thrilled, we''d still need to exercise caution in arranging any kind of meeting. If a meeting were to happen I''d suggest having her come to Earth. Meeting her here wouldn''t guarantee your safety, but sending you to Otherworld would almost certainly put you in danger."


    "Crap," I sighed. "Ok... I''ve barely got used to everything else that''s happened and it''s only been a week as it is. For now, I think I like plan A the best. Let''s just stay quiet and let things settle down. I really need to get myself sorted out and everything."


    She nodded, "Of course, Tegan. I''m only in town until Monday, but you can always reach me through Kelly." She added, "I''ll see that this information is forwarded to you, so you have a copy of it.


    "Thank you," I nodded slowly, still feeling numb.


    Kelsey didn''t stay much longer after delivering her news. She and Kelly had coffee and sat out on the balcony and talked, then she bid us both good-day and she was off to see Keira again.


    After her mom left, Kelly sat down with me. She slipped an arm around my waist and gave me a squeeze as she asked, "How''re you holding up, babe?"


    I sighed, "I honestly don''t know anymore, Kelly. Like I said this morning? Just a week ago I was a boring human guy. Now I''m fae nobility? I don''t even know what that means, except that I''m probably in danger."


    She leaned in and gave me a kiss, then whispered "Right now it doesn''t mean anything. What''s more important is, you''re Tegan. You''re my girlfriend. I love you, and I''m going to stick with you whatever happens. And whatever does happen, we''ll face it together. Ok?"


    I let my head slump against her shoulder again and sighed, "Thanks Kelly. I love you too, and having you here with me through all of this is the only thing keeping me sane."


    PurpleCatGirl

 Interlude

    "Destination. Two hundred meters. On your left."


    Even with her phone''s GPS giving her directions, Joan nearly missed the turn. It was a damned odd place to put a fancy restaurant, out in the middle of nowhere off a country road. The place was practically invisible from the street at this time of night, hidden behind a thick stand of trees.


    She grumbled about the lack of street lights, and the lack of signage. As she followed the winding driveway through the woods it crossed her mind that maybe the place was closed and this whole trip had been a waste of time. After all, what sort of fine-dining establishment was open at two in the morning?


    For the hundredth time since she left the house, she thought about turning around and just going home. And for the hundredth time, she decided to keep going. She was desperate, she needed that money or she was well and truly screwed.


    She swore to herself though, after tonight she was done and she was out. She''d make the exchange tonight and get the money, then pay off her debt tomorrow and she''d be free.


    The driveway took one more turn, then the woods opened up and she saw the place. There were lights outside, and the small parking-lot was fairly well lit. It was a bit of a shock, none of this was visible at all from the road.


    Joan pulled her minivan into a spot and took a few deep calming breaths before she cut the ignition. She grabbed her phone and her purse, then left the vehicle.


    There was a slight chill in the air, but at least it was dry and the sky was clear. In truth it wasn''t that bad for the end of September. Still, she pulled her hoodie a little closer around herself as she approached the front entrance.


    Once inside she felt warmer, and the place was certainly posh. The lobby area was decorated with wood panelling and deep red and gold wallpaper. There was a small podium but no maitre d'' around.


    Joan hesitated, she knew better than to just walk in and start wandering around. She wasn''t even sure what she''d say though, she didn''t have a name to ask for. The text just gave her the address and said to be here at two o''clock Saturday morning.


    She was still fretting what to do when her phone buzzed. She glanced at the text message and felt a slight chill.


    "Through the door on your right, turn left, then right. Last booth on the left, by the windows."


    Joan glanced around, but she couldn''t see any security cameras. There was no indication how the contact knew she was here. She figured, the cameras must be hidden. Or they were outside and she didn''t notice as she came in.


    After another deep breath she followed the directions. The doorway led to a little hall that went both left and right. She went left, then through another doorway on the right. That led her into the restaurant''s dining room. It was dimly lit, quiet, elegant. There were five large booths on either side of the room, and six tables spread out in the middle of the room. Three of the tables had diners seated. The men wore tuxedos or dark suits. Some of the women did too, but others were in gowns or designer dresses.


    Joan never felt more out-of-place in her life, and she avoided their stares as she tried to sneak past in her yoga-pants, hoodie, and running-shoes. She hurried to the far end of the room by the windows, and stopped at the last booth on the left.


    The booths here were large and deep, and were separated with thick wood panelling that reached up to the ceiling. It made them very private, almost like small private rooms on their own. The table and benches were big enough to seat three to a side.


    Her contact was here, sitting alone on the right. It was hard to judge his height as he was seated, but he looked tall and slim. Joan figured he was probably stood about six feet tall. What caught her eye though was how handsome he was. He looked like he should be an actor, or a model maybe.


    His hair was jet-black and a little on the long side, and slightly messy. It gave him a bit of a rugged care-free look though. His face was clean-shaved and his skin sort of dusky, and he had dark eyes. He looked to be around thirty, but she knew enough about his kind to know he was probably closer to three or four hundred. He was wearing a long black overcoat even in here, seated at the table.


    He looked up at Joan and she felt her heart skip a beat. He was hot, but she was scared. It left a strange feeling in her gut.


    She gulped and tried to keep her voice steady as she asked, "I understand you''re looking for information?"


    His eyes slowly moved up and down over her. After a few moments he gestured at the other side of the booth, "Have a seat."


    His voice was kind of deep, but smooth and soft. Joan felt her heart skip another beat as she nodded and slipped into the booth across from him.


    He continued watching quietly as she got herself settled. She was trying not to let on how nervous she was, but she was sure he could tell.


    After another few seconds he asked, "What do you have, and what''s your price?"


    Joan gulped then licked her lips. Her mouth was dry. This was it though, she couldn''t back out now. She leaned forward slightly and half-whispered, "I believe there''s a changeling recently emerged. I know where to find them. Ten thousand, and you''ll have their name, address, and picture."


    He watched her for another few seconds, then asked "You ready to trade right now?"


    She glanced around again but these booths really were private. She couldn''t see anyone else in the restaurant from here. Finally she nodded to him, "Yes."


    For a moment she thought he was reaching for a weapon. His hand slipped under his overcoat, but then when he pulled it back out he was holding a tightly-wrapped stack of cash. He set the bundle down on the table between them, though his hand stayed resting protectively on the money.


    Enough of it was exposed that she could see it clearly. It was a stack of hundred-dollar bills, brand-new and fresh from the bank. They still had the band around them with the count and value. One hundred bills, ten thousand dollars.


    Joan felt her eyes widen and her heart-rate jumped slightly. That was it. That''s all she needed, and she''d be done. This time tomorrow she''d be a free woman, and she''d never have to see or deal with the fae ever again.


    Her hands shook slightly as she unzipped her purse and pulled out the sheet of paper. She''d printed it off last month, and kept it to herself as insurance. It was a student transfer form, from a local college''s administration computer. The student in question was one Tegan Vale, aged twenty-two. It had her address, some posh condo-tower on the lakeshore downtown, and it had her picture in the corner. She was a cute girl, with strange purple hair.


    Joan hated to do it, but she was desperate. She had the page folded over, so the information was hidden inside. She set it down on the table, with her hand on it the same way he was holding the cash.


    Her eyes lingered on the money as she thought to herself, just take it and go. Take it and go. Don''t wait, don''t delay. She knew how dangerous these situations could get.


    The man was watching her again. He seemed to hesitate, and Joan started to worry it was a set-up. She could just run for it. Take her piece of paper and leave. Or fuck it, leave the information and run.


    She was getting more nervous until he finally slid the money towards her and reached for the piece of paper.


    Joan let out a quiet sigh of relief as she took her hand off the page and grabbed the stack of money.


    "You best count that," he commented.


    She nodded. Of course. That''s what you do when you''re making a deal, you have to make sure the money''s right. She needed ten grand, it wouldn''t do if he short-changed her.


    She focused on the stack of bills in her hands and started counting. One, two, three, four.


    The man was reading over the sheet she just gave him. Even focused on her counting, she could tell he was pleased. The corners of his lips twitched slightly, like he was fighting a smile.


    For now Joan kept counting. Twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty.


    "If you don''t mind my asking, how''d you come by this?" She couldn''t get over his voice. He could definitely be a movie star. Or heck even a voice-actor.


    Joan frowned, "Oh uh, I did a job. For a half-fae woman, Kelsey Connolly? She hired me last month to hack the college computer, to set up the changeling''s transfer. Kelsey''s taken charge of the girl."


    She went back to her counting. Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty.


    The man was frowning now too, and commented "I''d steer clear of that lot if I were you."


    "Why?" Joan asked, looking up from her counting. "Do you know her?"


    He shook his head slightly, "Never met Kelsey. I know her father though. There''s a fae you want to avoid. He''s not a good man."


    Joan just nodded. This time tomorrow she''d be free, she wouldn''t have to deal with Kelsey or any other fae ever again. She went back to her counting. Twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six.


    The man tucked the sheet of paper under his coat as he said, "Thank you Joan. You''ve been most helpful."


    She just nodded, focusing on her money. Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four.


    She was distracted a moment later by a waitress who set the bill down on the table in front of her. Joan looked up in surprise and glanced around. The man was gone, though there was an empty plate and glass where he''d been sitting. And he''d stiffed her for the check. She frowned at the waitress, then looked back at the money she''d been counting.


    Her stomach lurched and her hands shook. She was holding a pile of little paper rectangles, each one had the word ''money'' written on it in pencil.


    PurpleCatGirl

 21. Chagrined

    "Hey babe?" Kelly called. "You almost ready?"


    "Be right there!" I called back then quickly finished doing my lipstick. I checked my hair once more, then turned out the bathroom light and hurried out to the door where Kelly was waiting.


    I pulled on my jacket then picked up my bag and slung it over my left shoulder. "Ok, let''s go."


    She smiled and teased, "Once upon a time it only took you ten minutes to get ready for class, you know? Just pull on some jeans and a t-shirt and you were done."


    "Yeah and once upon a time I could get away with it," I replied.


    We hurried out of the condo, and a few minutes later we emerged from the lift into the parking garage. We were in the car and on our way to college at eight-thirty-five, so only five minutes late.


    Mondays were the worst, me and Kelly both had early classes and full days. As I drove, I reflected again on just how quickly I''d settled into this new routine. It was the last week of October now, and I''d been a girl for just over two full months. I was more or less used to it, and I mostly really liked it.


    Me and Kelly had been living together since I''d changed, and we were closer now than we ever were before. Our relationship was slightly different of course. Mainly because we were both girls, and we both had fae blood in us. I was happy with how things turned out though, and so was Kelly.


    Our living arrangements were also pretty good, except for two things. We were a little further away from college than my old place, and being right downtown meant there was a bit more traffic to contend with. That wasn''t a big deal though. The bigger problem was something I''d figured out after the first month.


    It was a great condo, large and luxurious and fancy and all that. But it wasn''t mine. It was Kelsey''s, and it meant I was living under someone-else''s roof. That meant I had to live by someone-else''s rules. She paid the rent, and she gave me and Kelly money every month. She called it a stipend but I knew what it really was. It was an allowance.


    It''s like I was a kid again, living in my parents'' house, getting an allowance. It meant I could be cut off, grounded, or worse.


    It meant that I was no longer in charge of my own life.


    Granted, it wasn''t exactly like being a kid or teen. Kelsey didn''t live with us, I eventually found out she was out on the west coast. She didn''t give us a curfew or watch over our shoulders all the time. And I was definitely getting more sex now than I could have even dreamed of back in high-school.


    But Ms. Connolly did check up on us regularly, she made sure I was keeping up with my lessons with Kelly, learning fae stuff and all that. There were never any threats or warnings, but there was always that unspoken knowledge that if she was unhappy, she could just change things, separate me and Kelly, whatever. I didn''t like it, but at the moment I didn''t have any other options.


    My new ID was good enough most of the time, but Kelsey only changed the cards. I found out during some of my lessons with Kelly that if anyone actually tried to look me up on official databases, they wouldn''t find me. Or they''d find the old me. She told me there''s some people, fae, part-fae, or humans aware of our existence, who work in various government offices and could access and change the official records. They tended to have a fairly steep asking-price though, so usually wasn''t worth it.


    So most of the time, people like us just carried ID that''s borderline-fake, and if we did get in trouble we used magic to get out of it before anyone had a chance to run the ID or dig any deeper.


    And where that all came back to me and my living arrangements, was it meant I couldn''t pass a credit-check to rent my own apartment. I couldn''t pass a background-check to get a new job either. Which meant I was stuck doing what Kelsey wanted and living under her rules.


    None of this had caused any trouble yet, but it was something I was aware of. Having had a few years of freedom after moving out of my folks'' place, I wasn''t happy about being back in that position.


    Traffic wasn''t bad and we got to college at about quarter after nine. As we left the parking lot, Kelly and I hugged and kissed before we went our separate ways. Our classes were on opposite sides of the campus.


    Of course, college was mostly how I remembered it from the previous two years. There were still differences, and some of them felt weird but I was slowly getting used to that.


    One big thing was the way everybody was taller and bigger than they were in June. I mean, obviously it was me who''d changed, I was smaller. It was just a bit of a shock going into a class and all those guys I used to see eye-to-eye with were suddenly towering over me.


    The other thing that took getting used to was how all those taller, bigger guys were now leering at me and staring at my boobs or my ass all the time.


    There were a few girls in my classes too, but rather than all of us all sort of bonding and sticking together, I discovered there was some rivalry instead. They viewed me and each other as more of a threat or something, which made me sad.


    The fact that I was completely open and out about being a lesbian probably didn''t help either. I''d hoped that might get the guys to leave me alone but they didn''t seem to care that I wasn''t interested. It certainly didn''t do anything to stop them leering at me when they thought I wasn''t looking.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    "It just really pisses me off," I complained, before taking another bite of my pizza.


    Kelly sighed, "I know babe. I''m sorry."


    "As soon as I learn how to do that transformation spell, pow! I''m going to show that jerk what it''s like."


    She sighed again, "And that''s why mom doesn''t want to you learn it."


    We were back at home now. It had been another long, boring, annoying, and tiring day for me.


    I grumbled, then had a sip of my vodka-lemonade. "I''m just as good at this stuff as I was in June. My skills and abilities haven''t changed. Why the heck do they all have to act like I''m some idiot who doesn''t know her way around the modelling software?!"


    There weren''t too many things I had to complain about when it came to me being a girl now. But this was easily one of the most annoying things I had to put up with since my transformation.


    Between having to pretend to be a new student transferred in from another college, and the fact that I looked two or three years younger than I really was, and being a girl, every male prof and almost every guy in class talked down to me and treated me like I didn''t know a damn thing.


    As a guy, I''d been getting excellent grades and was considered one of the stars in the program. Now they all treated me like I needed special help or something. The profs didn''t even take me seriously half the time, and my grades dropped despite the fact that I was turning in work that was better than most of the rest of the class.


    It was like any little fault or flaw, whether perceived or real, was judged harshly. Meanwhile the guys could screw up all over the place and just get a pat on the back and an ''atta-boy'' because they put in a half-assed effort.


    At the end of the day it meant I had to work twice as hard just to get anywhere, and it was seriously sucking all the fun out of college for me. I wasn''t ready to quit yet, but I was ready to start throwing some fae magic around. Except I knew that would get me into a world of trouble with Kelsey.


    The whole problem was made worse because I had a ton of extra work to do above-and-beyond the normal college stuff.


    Since I was allegedly a different person, I couldn''t use any of my old work from last year as the basis to work off of this year. The profs would recognize it as ''his''. So I had to spend my weekends redoing or modifying a bunch of last year''s work, to make it different enough that nobody would make the connection.


    Then there were the fae lessons with Kelly, which usually took us a couple hours every night. It was mostly boring stuff, but it was stuff that could keep me alive so it had to be done.


    The only fun bit was learning magic. I''d only picked up a couple spells and things, and most of the time I wasn''t even allowed to use them, but it was still pretty cool. So far I''d only learned how to do stuff for safety and security, and of course I was still very much at a beginner level.


    The first thing I learned was how to protect myself from being enspelled. It was a sort of defensive counter-spell, and I was pretty good at blocking Kelly''s magic when we practiced. She made it clear though that a half-fae like her mom, or a full fae like her grandfather would be much harder to defend against.


    The fun stuff I''d learned so far included glamours and charms.


    I could disguise myself like Ms. Connolly did that time with my mom, and I could use it to mask or hide things like Kelly did at the bank. I was really good at it too. Kelly could only hold glamours for ten or fifteen minutes, and she said her mom could only do it for an hour at most. I could hold them all day long. We both figured that was because I was full fae, so it meant I had more magical-whatever-ness to work with than her or her mom.


    The charm spell was for situations like if we got pulled over and a cop wanted to run my license. I could ''charm'' him out of it so he''d just let us go.


    When Kelly described it, I thought it sounded dangerously close to mind-control. She said it wasn''t though, because it didn''t change people''s thoughts or personality, and it was really short term. And you couldn''t use it to make people do stuff they wouldn''t anyways, you couldn''t make someone hurt themself or others.


    So you could make a cop decide to let you off the hook with a warning, but you couldn''t make him like, quit his job or give you his gun or hand over his badge or whatever.


    After dinner we did the dishes and tidied up. As we were putting the plates away I apologized "Sorry for taking it out on you Kelly. I didn''t mean to spend the whole meal bitching and whining. It just really bugged me today."


    She put an arm around me and pulled me into a hug, then gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I know babe. I get it. I hope you can let it go though, so you aren''t distracted while we''re doing your fae lesson."


    I hugged her back but sighed, "I''ll try. What are we doing tonight? More boring history lessons?"


    Kelly smiled, "Let''s save the history for another night. How about we do some more magic tonight?"


    That brought a smile to my face, as I''m sure she knew it would. "Oh! Yes please, that sounds much more fun. What''s the spell?"


    "Not a spell," she replied. "Let''s work on improving your magical senses." After a moment she added, "Ok it''s kind of like a spell, in a way. Really though, it''s about helping you to be more aware of magic around you. Like, to see people''s auras, to see glamours around you, and see through them. To see when someone''s enspelled."


    I frowned, "Can''t I already see that? I mean, we can see when someone uses magic, we see that flash in their eyes right?"


    Kelly shook her head, "That''s just when a spell is cast. I mean afterwards. If I''ve put a glamour on me or something else, but you don''t see me do it, you won''t see anything unusual. That''s what I''m going to teach you tonight, how to see that stuff."


    "Oh... Ok, I guess that sounds all right." I frowned slightly. "Not as fun as actual spells though."


    She smiled, "We''ll be casting a bunch of spells tonight to help you learn to see the magic, so I''m sure we can have some fun with it."


    I grinned, "Oooh. Ok, yeah now it sounds fun again."


    She led me to the sofa and said "Ok have a seat, get comfy, and let''s get started..."


    PurpleCatGirl

 22. Caffeinated

    "Hush you!" Kelly gave me a mock-glare as she settled into her seat and had a sip of her coffee.


    I tried and failed to suppress another giggle. It wasn''t even all that funny, but for some reason it always gave me the giggles when she ordered an Irish coffee. I guess it just seemed too stereotypical or something?


    Meanwhile I had a cafe-mocha, with whipped-cream and chocolate shavings. Kelly called it coffee for kids, with all the chocolate and sugar and stuff. I was still a complete wimp with alcohol though, so I wouldn''t drink while we were out. Plus I was driving, so I had a legitimate excuse to avoid the ''grown-up drinks''.


    We''d got here early so we grabbed a nice table with big cosy seats and got our drinks while we waited.


    It was Wednesday afternoon, our classes were done for the day, and we''d arranged to meet Keira and Amy at a quiet little caf¨¦ a few blocks off campus. It had become a regular thing actually, the four of us would get together for coffee, or sometimes we''d meet up for dinner. We tried to do it every week, and it usually fell on Wednesdays, since that''s when all four of us tended to be free in the afternoons or evenings.


    The first time we all got together things started out super-awkward. Kelly reminded me that Amy didn''t know who I was before. And I wasn''t supposed to know she''d been ''Noah'' for that first date, and that I didn''t know her from when I met her before as my old self. So Amy and I both had to pretend that we didn''t know each other.


    The act lasted almost forty whole minutes, till Amy slipped up and mentioned something from that first double-date. I felt sorry for her as she desperately tried to cover-up the mistake, so I admitted that I knew she''d been Noah then told her who I used to be as well.


    Keira and Kelly were both a little leery and uptight as that conversation unfolded, but it actually worked out ok. Me and Amy sort of bonded over the shared experience, though of course she got turned back to her original self at the end of the night while I stayed like this.


    She''d been amazed how well I was adapting to my new life as a girl, she said she figured I''d need some massive therapy or something to get over the shock. I explained that it turned out to be a blessing in disguise since I was actually trans.


    As for how I''d gotten stuck, we made up some hand-wavy excuse about the magic going awry for some reason. Obviously we couldn''t tell her the truth about me being a fae changeling. I wasn''t even sure if Amy knew Keira and Kelly were part-fae. That was the sort of thing we just didn''t discuss in public, for obvious reasons.


    All that happened four or five weeks ago. Now it was just a regular routine get-together for the four of us. Amy was Amy, I was Tegan, and we never really mentioned Noah or the guy I used to be.


    I learned that the stuff about her being into acting was actually an act, Amy was really studying music at college. One thing that turned out to be true though was she and Keira really did attend poetry-slams at a place downtown. Amy didn''t participate but Keira did, and Amy was there to cheer her on.


    Meanwhile Keira and Kelly had lightened up a lot since their mother separated them. They could usually get through an entire hour without sniping at each other or coming up with silly new challenges or bets.


    There was only one thing that remained kind of uncomfortable, and that was how Keira acted around and towards me.


    Amy and I were friends, Kelly and Amy seemed friends with each other, and Kelly and Keira were much closer and less hostile around each other. But Keira always seemed to act a little cold towards me, or a little wary, and I had no idea why.


    My guess was that she blamed me for her and Kelly being split up. I mean, we all knew that was their mother''s decision. And it wasn''t my fault, it was because the two of them used transformation spells on Amy and I. So if she did blame me for that, it was a bit unfair.


    The only aspect of that which could be put on my shoulders was Kelly had to call her mom for help after I turned out to be a changeling and Kelly couldn''t turn me back to my old self. And that still wasn''t my fault, it''s just Kelly needed to get help, which led their mother to finding out what the two of them had done.


    Of course, it could have been something else, I had no idea. Maybe she thought I''d turned her sister gay? Or maybe she just never liked me and I hadn''t noticed before. I also realized it might be that she just didn''t like trans people, but I honestly hoped that wasn''t the problem. Neither Kelly or Amy seemed to care about that.


    Anyways, I tried to be nice to her, polite and everything. I hoped sooner or later she''d warm up to me, or at least tell me what it was I''d done to upset her.


    Kelly and I only had to wait a few minutes before Keira and Amy came in through the cafe door. As usual, Amy was wearing her big black biker boots and black jeans. She had her favourite black leather jacket on, and despite only standing about five-foot-six she still managed to look tall and tough. She wore her black hair with a side-shave, shoulder-length on the right, buzz-cut on the left.


    Keira was dressed similar to Kelly of course, today it was blue skinny-jeans and a green jacket, and sneakers on her feet. The two got their drinks then came and joined us at the table.


    Amy nodded at us as she slumped into her chair, "Hey Kelly, Tegan. How you been?"


    "Hi sis," Keira said, then added "Hello Tegan."


    Me and Kelly greeted them both, and the four of us settled into our usual conversation patterns. The twins talked with each other, while Amy and I had our own separate conversation on the side.


    Today Amy was excited about some plans she and Keira had made for their place. The two of them lived about a thirty-minute drive north-east of the campus. They were basically in a rural area, and they had a little cottage-style place on a decent-sized lot.


    It was a trade-off. Me and Kelly were right downtown and while it was a big condo, it was still just an apartment. We had a few dozen delivery places in the area so we didn''t hurt for choice there, and we had a nice view of the lake. But we didn''t have a yard, there wasn''t any nature around we could enjoy. We were in the heart of the concrete jungle, the best we had were some postage-stamp sized parkettes and potted trees.


    Keira and Amy were out in farm-country, their house was slightly larger than our condo but they sat on an acre or two of land. They had a yard, trees, there was even a river not far from them. It was the exact opposite of our place in almost every way. The downside of course was no food delivery, any shopping was a bit of a drive, and in the winter months they''d have to contend with more snow.


    Anyways, Amy was excited because there was a big old stand-alone garage on their property and she was going to convert it. One half would be a little garage where she could store and work on her Harley, the other half would become a soundproofed studio where she could work on her music. She played the electric bass, keyboards, and she did some funky stuff with synthesizers. She specialized in some kind of electronic music genre she called ''Trance''. It wasn''t my thing, but she was proud of it, and she had some fans. She had a Soundcloud and she DJed some raves or something.


    She was already looking forward to next summer too, "We pretty much missed barbecue season this year, but you and Kelly have to come visiting next summer. The place is absolutely perfect for backyard barbecue parties. We''ve got a sweet patio, and the neighbours are far enough away that we won''t bother them if we get a little rowdy."


    "Sounds like fun," I smiled. "Too bad summer''s another eight months away."


    Amy frowned, "Yeah. Still, the four of us should do something sooner. Maybe during the winter break? You and Kelly can come crash at our place, or we''ll crash at yours."


    I thought back, and realized I couldn''t remember doing anything with Kelly over winter break last year. I mean, we hung out and stuff, but we didn''t do any holiday stuff. I''m sure she didn''t go home to see her mom or anything like that. Maybe fae didn''t celebrate the same holidays as humans?


    I asked, "Did you and Keira do anything last winter?"


    Amy shook her head, "I didn''t really know her that well last December. We were friends but we only really hooked up around February."


    We ended up not making any plans, but we did talk about planning to make plans, which was nearly the same thing. Eventually Keira and Amy had to get home, and me and Kelly did too.


    As we set out in the car, I glanced at Kelly and asked "So I was wondering. Do you know if Keira doesn''t like me or something? She always seems kind of cold and indifferent towards me, and I''m wondering if it''s something I did?"


    Kelly sighed, "I''m sorry babe. She''s got some issues with you, but it''s nothing you did. And I think she mostly knows it''s all in her head, it''s stuff she has to work through on her own."


    "Oh," I frowned.


    After a few moments, Kelly elaborated. "So she does kind of blame you for me and her getting separated... I mean she knows that was mom''s decision and it was mostly because we screwed up, enspelling you and Amy? But if moving in with you wasn''t an option for me, then mom probably wouldn''t have split the two of us up after all."


    She continued, "I think she''s also a bit worried about you and Amy becoming friends? I''m not sure if she''s worried you''re going to try and steal her girlfriend or something, or what her issue is there to be honest. I just know she''s not really keen on the four of us getting together. She mostly only comes because Amy wants to."


    After a pause, Kelly added "And I have a feeling Keira might be jealous of you, though she''d probably die before admitting that."


    I frowned, "What? Why in the world would she be jealous of me?"


    Kelly sighed, "You''re a full fae. Me and Keira are just a quarter. We''ve already seen how you''re better at magic, right? Like granted you only know a couple spells, but what you do know you''re already better at than me. Heck you''re better than our mom. Then there''s other stuff, like your folks being fae nobility and all."


    She added, "I know it doesn''t really make any difference to you if you''re not planning on ever meeting them or anything, but it''s like you have that whole rich-and-powerful family thing going on. We don''t really talk about it but our grandfather isn''t anything special. All he''s got going for him is he''s able to cross worlds, which is a somewhat rare skill. He''s basically just a glorified courier, really. He moves letters and people and stuff back and forth for money."


    "Huh," I frowned. Like Kelly said, it was all stuff Keira would have to work out on her own. There wasn''t really anything I could do, or anything for me to apologize for.


    I finally sighed, "Well, I hope she gets over it. I''d like to be friends with her, I don''t want stuff to be awkward between us when the four of us are together."


    Kelly nodded in agreement, then asked "What were you and Amy talking about?"


    I told her about Amy''s home-improvement plans, and mentioned the idea of the four of us doing something over the break. "Their place or our place, either way it might be nice for us all to hang out for a couple days?"


    "We''ll see," Kelly smiled. "Maybe we''ll end up finding out how much time it takes for me and Keira to fall back into our old bad habits again."


    I grinned, "If we have to, me and Amy will stage an intervention or something."


    PurpleCatGirl

 23. Connected

    "Hi mom," I smiled as I slipped into the booth across from her. I dumped my purse next to me then wriggled out of my hoodie and left that balled up on the bench beside my purse.


    She smiled back, "Hello dear, how are things? How''s college?"


    "Things are good. School''s going ok, or as ok as it can be, I guess. I''m still really busy with everything though, between my actual classes and the uh, extra-curricular studies stuff."


    She knew I was learning more about what I was, though she didn''t know I was learning that stuff from Kelly. Only that I was spending time every day learning the ''other stuff'' and that it was important.


    It was Thursday and since school started, we''d made it a bit of a routine to meet up for lunch on Thursdays. Kelly was busy all day long with classes, and hanging with my mom was better than eating alone. And anyways, I was happy to see her and maintain or re-build the relationship between us.


    "What do you mean, ''as ok as it can be''?" she asked, frowning. "Are you having trouble with your classes?"


    I sighed and bit my lip. I wasn''t sure if I wanted to get into that topic with her, but after a few moments I figured I may as well. She''d keep bugging me if I didn''t tell her.


    I lowered my voice and leaned forward, and replied "I''m just running into a lot of sexism and misogyny I guess? Like, I''m the same person I always was, I have the same skills and the same knowledge? But a few of the profs treat me like I''m not that smart, and they''re way harder on me now than they were before. And harder on me than on all the guys in the class. So it''s like, they act like I''m not that smart, then they mark me down for stuff the guys get a pass on, then they point at my grades and claim it''s proof I''m not as good as the guys."


    I sighed again, "Plus I have to deal with like, half the class staring at my boobs and my ass. Including some of the profs. It just really pisses me off. I just want to be treated like I was before, you know?"


    Mom grimaced and sighed, "I''m sorry Tegan. I know there''s all kinds of talk about equality, but what you''re experiencing isn''t much different than what any other young woman has to deal with."


    "I know," I grumbled. "I know it''s not just me. And I know it''d probably be even worse if they actually knew who I used to be, if they knew I was trans and stuff. I just wish there was some way to fix things. It shouldn''t be like that."


    She gave me a sympathetic look, "Just keep doing what you''re doing, do your best and try not to let it get to you. I''m proud of you dear, for sticking to it despite all the er, difficulties and changes you''ve had to go through."


    We paused the conversation as the waitress came by to get our drinks orders. We were both ready to order our lunch too, we met here often enough mom and I knew the menu off by heart.


    After the waitress left to get our drinks, I asked "So how''s dad doing?"


    "He''s fine," mom replied. "He''s still not really comfortable with you being trans. Hi is making an effort though, I think. He''s been spending time visiting those websites you linked in that email last month. I think he''s decided to learn all he can about being trans, so he can understand what all means, what it was like for you. So at least he''s trying."


    She sounded hopeful, and honestly I figured that was a good sign too.


    As far as I knew, mom still hadn''t told him anything about the magic or fae stuff. And he probably hadn''t even seen a picture of me, since there''s no explanation of how I got to look this way without magic. But around the time school started back up, mom broke the news to him that I was trans and had changed my name to Tegan. And that I was using she/her pronouns.


    I wasn''t sure if it''d make it easier on him or not if we just sort of ''tore the bandaid off'' and met. I had a feeling at least part of the problem dad was having was he was probably picturing me as what I used to look like, but in make-up and a dress. And I could sort of sympathize with him on that. I mean that''s the kind of thinking that kept me in denial for ten years, kept me from being true to myself for so long.


    We were quiet again when the waitress returned with my cola and mom''s coffee.


    After she left again, I said "I know it''s two months away, but we should think about what to do for xmas. If he''s not comfortable having me visit that''s fine, but I''d really like to see him. Even if it''s just like, meeting at a restaurant or cafe during winter break or something."


    Mom nodded "I''m going to work on him. I don''t want our holiday get-together this year to be a half hour spent at some coffee-shop, the three of us talking to each other over drinks served in paper cups. I want you home for a proper family holiday visit. And Kelly''s welcome too of course. I think it would be lovely having the both of you."


    She added, "It was bad enough not having you home for thanksgiving two weeks ago."


    "Yeah," I sighed. "I missed that. Me and Kelly didn''t even do anything special, we just got take-out I think."


    Mom gave me a disapproving look. "I should have taught you better, Tegan. You need to learn to cook. It''s not healthy getting take-out all the time. Maybe instead of meeting here, we should start meeting at your place. Then I can teach you how to make proper meals."


    I suppressed a groan, but rolled my eyes slightly. "Mom, I''m already swamped learning new stuff. There''s only so much learning my brain can take before it overloads and breaks."


    Mom sighed and gave me a mom-look, but the two of us were quiet again for the moment as the waitress brought us our meals.


    One thing I liked about this place was they had a special lunch-menu with small portions. I got a half-sandwich and a small side salad, and even then I usually struggled to finish it all.


    Mom got a baked pasta dish that looked and smelled great, but if I tried ordering that I''d have at least half of it left over for dinner.


    As we started eating she commented, "Well even if your food choices aren''t the best, I''m glad to see at least you''re keeping reasonable about the portion sizes. You got quite an amazing gift when you received that figure, it would be a shame for you to ruin it."


    I sighed. I knew she was sort of, kind of complimenting me? But it also felt a little judgemental, and honestly I had enough people making comments on my figure at college, I didn''t need it from my mom too.


    I also had a sneaking suspicion mom''s fears were unfounded. Neither Kelly or Kelsey had said anything, but I was beginning to think maybe fae metabolism was a little different or whatever. I certainly got way more sugar in my diet than you''d think was healthy, between the cafe-mocha''s and the Belgian waffles and whatever other sweet treats I indulged in now and then.


    Not that I was gross about it, but as Kelly kept reminding me, it''s like I had a child''s palate or something. Yet it never seemed to really affect my waistline, or my weight.


    On the other hand, maybe it''s just that I tried to stay active, and like mom said, I kept my portions under control. Sooner or later I''d ask Kelly, assuming it didn''t eventually come up in one of the boring lessons.


    Eventually our focus shifted away from the food and back to conversation. Mom asked, "How''s Kelly?"


    "She''s fine," I replied. "Like I keep saying, she''s what''s keeping me sane."


    "I''m glad she''s there for you, Tegan." Mom smiled.


    She added, "As much as I enjoy our lunches together, and enjoy having you to myself for this time every week, I''d like to visit with the two of you together now and then. Maybe we could set something up?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. "I''ll talk with Kelly, maybe this weekend? Or next weekend. We''ll make it happen, I''ll let you know."


    Mom smiled, happy for that. She lowered her voice slightly as she asked, "Any news on the subject of your er, biological parents?"


    I''d filled her in on that topic, as much as I could at least. She knew that I''d been told a name and had some other information, but I''d never given her any of the details.


    "Nope," I shook my head. "I''ve basically decided it''s no different now than it was last year, or ten years ago. They gave me up, I''m not interested in meeting or knowing them. I know there''s some slightly different considerations of course. I mean, they''re obviously not what any of us might have assumed or expected. But at the end of the day, it doesn''t matter. You and dad are my parents. You two are the ones who matter to me. Not some strangers I never even heard of before."


    She smiled, she looked happy to hear that of course. Still, she was at least aware of other considerations, it was about more than just emotions.


    "What about medical questions?" her voice dropped even lower, "Are you sure there''s no odd biological things you might need to know about?"


    I gave her a confident smile, "I''m sure mom. But thanks for asking, thanks for worrying about me. It''s ok though. You and dad are my folks, and you always will be."


    Mom smiled back, "Thank you Tegan. I''m your mom, it''s my job to worry about you. I''m glad to hear though, it sounds like you''ve got things under control."


    After a pause she added in a half-whisper, "It''s still hard to believe sometimes, you know? I have to almost pinch myself now and then, to remind myself this isn''t some sort of strange dream."


    "Yeah," I nodded. "I get that too mom. I mean, I''m living it and even I find it hard to believe sometimes."


    She kept her voice low as she asked, "But you''re still happy, right? You''re not upset or unhappy about anything that''s happened?"


    I smiled and nodded, "I''m very happy. I mean, I complain about the sexism and stuff at college, but honestly that''s a price I''ll gladly pay to be me."


    I added, "It''s not just the physical changes either, I''m really happy how Kelly and I are so much closer now. Life isn''t perfect, not yet at least, but it''s pretty darn close. So yeah, I''m happy."


    "Good," she smiled back. "I''m glad."


    Eventually she had to get going, and I had to head back to the campus to get to my one afternoon class today. It was my turn to pay for lunch, mom and me alternated each week. Then the two of us went out to our cars.


    We hugged in the parking lot and she smiled, "Another thing I''m still not used to, is you being shorter than me again."


    I just grinned up at her and said "See you later mom. I''ll call or text you once I''ve spoken with Kelly about the three of us getting together. Bye for now, I love you mom."


    "Bye Tegan," she replied. "I love you too."


    PurpleCatGirl

 24. Cheated

    "But it''s not fair!" I protested. "Why won''t you teach me that spell?"


    Kelly sighed again, "Because if you use it, mom will ship us to opposite ends of the country and we''ll never see each other again."


    I pouted, "I won''t use it, I promise."


    She frowned, "You literally just said you were going to transform Professor Craig into a lingerie model as soon as you learned the spell, Tegan."


    "It was a figure of speech?"


    She rolled her eyes and shook her head.


    I sighed and pouted again, "Anyways if that spell''s such a big scary deal, how come she taught you and Keira?"


    Kelly blushed slightly then admitted "She didn''t. We uh, got our hands on some ''forbidden knowledge''..."


    That caught my attention and my eyebrows went up. "Oh? Do tell, this sounds interesting!"


    She sighed as she looked like she was thinking it over. Finally she grabbed herself a hard lemonade and got me a can of cola. "Have a seat, I''ll tell you the story."


    I grinned and accepted the soda as I sat next to her on the sofa.


    Kelly had a sip of her drink then said, "Ok so the summer when me and Keira were fifteen, our mom decided she needed a vacation. So she shipped the two of us off to live with her dad for a month. Now, our grandfather''s an ok guy, he was nice enough to me and Keira, but he had no idea what to do with a couple fifteen-year-old girls. Especially girls who were more human than fae."


    She paused and had another sip of her lemonade, then continued. "So the two of us wound up with a lot of free time on our hands, and of course we were bored. And of course we wound up looking for things to do, ways to get in trouble or whatever. Now, neither of us could work magic at that age. We knew about it, mom had been training us on this stuff most of our life? But we were too young to actually work it."


    "Grandfather was living in a big old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. So we were really, really stuck for things to do. We wound up exploring the house. And we found where he hid a bunch of his fae stuff, like stuff he''d brought over from Otherworld. And among his things, we found some actual spell books. It all seemed super-cool to us, and of course it was stuff we were very not-supposed-to-mess-with. So we messed with it."


    Kelly was smiling now at the memories. "We ended up figuring out which spell book was the most forbidden, the one with the nastiest naughtiest spells in it. And of course we couldn''t cast any of them, but we could read it. So what did we do?"


    She grinned. "We used our phones and took pictures of the entire book. All eighty-four pages. Then we put it back, so our grandfather never even knew we''d found it. Later on, after we were back home again, we spent the next couple months transcribing it from our pictures. We each did half, then we combined the results. We basically made our own ebook, of some nasty forbidden fae knowledge."


    Kelly smiled proudly, "Fast-forward six or seven years, and now we''re both able to work magic, and suddenly remember we have that old ebook full of nasty, naughty, forbidden magic."


    I''d been quiet through the whole story, sipping my cola and smiling along with her. Now I stared at her, "Kelly, you have got to give me a copy of that book!"


    She bit her lip, as a conflicted look settled on her face.


    "Please!" I begged. "I''ll do whatever you want. You can''t tell me you''ve got a copy of a whole fae spell book then not let me read it!"


    Kelly had a deep sip of her drink and finally said "Let me think it over. I''ll sleep on it, and let you know tomorrow. No promises! But we''ll see."


    She added with a naughty smile, "If I do give you a copy, maybe I''ll take you up on that ''whatever I want'' offer."


    I grinned widely "Thank you! I swear you won''t regret it!"


    "Don''t thank me yet," she stated. "I haven''t made a decision."


    I nodded, but I still had that grin on my face as I sat a little closer to her, so we were cuddling.


    We were both quiet for a bit as we enjoyed our drinks. Eventually though I commented, "I know I talk about wanting to zap some of those jerks at college, but you know I couldn''t do it even if I did know the spell. I mean, how long did it take you and Keira to prepare it? You said you had to charge up a bunch of magical energy into that crystal thing? I wouldn''t be able to stay angry at them for long enough."


    Kelly sighed, "Two weeks. It took me two weeks to charge up the amethyst with enough magic to power the transformation."


    "Right, so even if I did really lose my temper and want to do it, I''d have like a two-week cool-down. Plus I''m sure you''d notice if I was trying to charge up a crystal."


    I added, "Actually I''d have to get you to show me how to do that first. So yeah, you''d know what I was up to regardless."


    Kelly frowned slightly, with a thoughtful look on her face. After a few moments she said softly, "I''m not so sure you''d need to do that."


    "What?" I asked. "Which part?"


    "Store up energy in a crystal," she replied. "I''m just a quarter-fae remember. You''re the real deal. We''ve already seen how much stronger you are than me, you''re even stronger than my mom who''s half fae and has decades of experience. And you pick magic up really quick too. Me and Keira took weeks to learn each spell when we were just starting out. You''re learning them in an hour or two in a single evening."


    She hesitated again, then admitted "You might actually be strong enough to just cast the transformation spell whenever you wanted."


    "Huh," I frowned. "Is that normal?"


    Kelly shrugged, "I have no idea, Tegan. You''re the only full fae I''ve ever met, apart from my grandfather. And he never used magic around me and Keira, and I don''t know how fast he learned stuff. I don''t even know what it was like when he was teaching my mom."


    We were both quiet for a bit as we continued sipping our drinks. Eventually I asked, "What do you want to do for dinner?"


    It was Friday night, the last Friday of October. Tuesday would be Hallowe''en, but we had no plans. Apart from the usual, stay home, study, and learn fae stuff.


    I knew there were some parties going on tonight and tomorrow, but neither Kelly or I were interested in hanging out with a bunch of boozed-up guys from college.


    "Friday-night favourite?" Kelly asked with a smile. "I feel like sushi and stuff."


    I grinned, "Sounds good."


    Our condo was too far away to order from our old favourite delivery place, but we''d found a new one nearby that was similar, and it had quickly become our new number-one delivery choice.


    I grabbed my phone and opened up their app, and a few minutes later I announced, "Dinner will be served in forty-five minutes."


    Kelly giggled, "Such a talented chef."


    I giggled as well, then said "Actually my mom was bugging me, she thinks we order-in too much. She was threatening to come over and teach me to cook so we could have some healthy meals for a change."


    I was expecting her to laugh, or tease, or even just roll her eyes. Instead, Kelly got a sort of thoughtful look on her face.


    After a few moments she suggested "Maybe you could get her to teach you how to sew and clean too. Then you could forget about those mean old men at college and just stay here, be my perfect little housewife. Or my cute little maid..." She followed that up with a cheeky grin.


    "Hey!" I protested as I swatted her arm. I tried to act indignant, "I''m fae nobility you know. I''m nobody''s maid."


    "What?" she acted all innocent. "I thought you liked it when I bossed you around?"


    I blushed and gave her a grumpy look. Then we both just giggled.


    After we settled down again, Kelly smiled "I get she''s concerned but I mean, she''s not going to teach you how to make any of the stuff we actually like to eat."


    "I know," I agreed. "We have way better selection, and fewer dishes to wash afterwards. I think she''s mostly just worried that we''re eating healthy? Or maybe she thinks take-away is all just junk-food."


    Kelly shrugged, "I mean, some of it''s kind of questionable. But we don''t just eat the same thing every day, and I think enough of it is good for us. It''s not something I''d worry about, and I don''t think my mom worries about our eating habits either."


    "Is that another fae thing?" I asked. "Like our metabolisms or something?"


    "I''m not sure, to be honest." Kelly frowned as she thought for a bit. "Keira and I certainly had our share of sweets and junk food when we were kids and teens, and we never had any trouble with weight, or skin problems or anything. So maybe it''s something to do with fae biology."


    She pulled me closer and gave me a kiss, then added "I don''t think either of us are going to complain about it."


    "Nope," I smiled, kissing her back.


    We continued cuddling as we both finished our drinks. The food arrived right on time, the driver texted from the lobby and I buzzed him up. Kelly answered the door when he knocked, and I got out some dishes and napkins. And some more hard lemonade for the both of us.


    Kelly returned to the sofa and sat back down, "Tim said to say hi."


    I grinned. Of course we already made friends with all the regular drivers. I helped her open the various little containers, and the two of us dug in.


    "So what''s the lesson tonight?" I asked, then popped a piece of sushi into my mouth.


    Kelly grimaced, "Another boring one tonight. Sorry babe, but it''s stuff you need to learn. How to do business with fae."


    I frowned, "It''s different than doing business with humans?"


    "Yep," she nodded. "Best advice for making deals with the fae is: Don''t."


    I was still frowning, "That''s not really practical though is it? I mean, there''s going to be times we have to deal with them."


    She ate a bit more then nodded, "Yeah. I mean there''s that whole ''shadow economy'' we already talked about. Fae, part-fae, and fae-aware humans, working in government or bureaucratic jobs, even in banking and stuff. There''s even fae doctors. You''ll have to deal with some of them sooner or later, it''s kind of unavoidable. So I''ll give you some pointers and stuff, to help you survive."


    As we continued with dinner, she explained that most of the ''shadow economy'' people would either deal for cash, or for favours. The cash prices were always expensive, sometimes outrageously so. But they were almost always cheaper in the long run than any other option.


    She went on to describe how they did expect you to haggle a bit. So that was a good skill to have, knowing how to bargain and negotiate and stuff.


    The bottom line though, was not to trust any of them, never agree to give an unspecified favour, and basically try and avoid making deals with the fae in general.


    She added, "At the end of the day, a lot of them are a bunch of untrustworthy tricksters. Some are just greedy, some are kind of evil, most are just in it for themselves."


    I frowned, "That doesn''t make me feel so great about being one of them."


    "Sorry babe," Kelly gave me a hug. "You''re not like that, you were raised human. I guess it''s a bit of culture shock for you."


    I sighed, "Yeah. A bit."


    PurpleCatGirl

 25. Conned

    Saturday morning Kelly was up before me, and I woke to the smell of the coffee machine already brewing up some lovely caffeinated joy.


    I found Kelly relaxing on the sofa with a mug of coffee in one hand and her phone in the other. She was staring at her phone and smiling about something.


    I grabbed myself a coffee as well then joined her. I smiled as I cuddled next to her, "G''morning Kelly."


    She grinned, "Morning babe."


    After a sip of coffee I asked, "What''s up? You''re looking happy about something this morning."


    "Yeah," she smiled. "I was thinking about what I said last night, about maybe letting you have a copy of that spell book."


    My eyebrows shot up and I started grinning too. "You''re going to give me a copy?"


    "I might," she said. "If you make it worth my while."


    She suppressed a grin and said, "You offered ''whatever I want'' last night, so here''s what I''m thinking. I''m going to order a little sexy maid outfit for you, and one weekend a month for the next year you''ll have to wear it around the condo and let me order you about. Maybe we''ll even use a little magic to make it more fun, but I won''t insist on that. We can decide that together each month. What do you think?"


    I blushed as I thought it over. To be honest it sounded like fun, and I''m sure she knew I''d probably enjoy it. I could think of one catch though, "I won''t wear the costume when anyone else is over, and if I''m wearing it then we aren''t inviting or allowing anyone else to come over unexpectedly. Or I take it off before they arrive. Bottom line is I''ll only wear it for you, nobody else."


    I added, "And no pictures, you''re not posting on your social media or sending pics to anyone, of me in a maid outfit."


    Kelly nodded, "Agreed, if I can take pictures for myself but don''t post or share them. Is it a deal?"


    I thought it through again but couldn''t see anything else that would be a problem. Finally I nodded, "Ok, deal. When do I get the book?"


    She tapped her phone, "I just sent it to you. And now I''m ordering your maid outfit."


    She smiled wide as she switched from her mail app to her browser, and I saw she was already on some shopping site with a French maid costume on the screen ready to go.


    I blushed but hurried to grab my phone, then opened the mail app as I sat back down. I took a deep sip of coffee as I thumbed the email, then tapped the icon to open the file.


    Kelly was humming happily as she put through the purchase, "There. Your new uniform will be here next week."


    I stared at the first page of the ebook, and a frown settled on my face. "Uh, Kelly? What language is this?"


    She smiled, and in an innocent voice she answered "It''s a fae spell book, so it''s written in Fae of course." She suppressed a smirk as she added, "It''s a little like Gaelic, and has some commonalities with primitive Irish."


    I felt my cheeks go pink as I kept staring at the screen. "So you got me to agree to wear a sexy maid costume for you, in return for sending me a an ebook you knew I couldn''t actually read?"


    She smirked, "Yep. Think of it as a little practical experience after last night''s lesson. I mean, it was like twelve hours ago I told you not to make deals with the fae."


    After a sip of coffee she added, "I''m sure we''ll eventually get around to teaching you how to read and speak Fae. Or maybe we could try and cover that a bit sooner... For a price." She smirked again.


    I was still blushing as I stared at the ebook on my little phone screen. I had a sip of coffee, then asked "So tell me if I''m wrong, but I''m pretty sure the forbidden book you just sent me is called ''Sex Magick''?"


    The smirk vanished off her face in an instant and her eyes widened. "How''d you know that?!"


    Rather than answer I just swiped along the screen to the next page. I spent a few seconds staring at it, then commented "Eighty-four pages, huh? I think today''s going to be one of those quiet days where I just curl up with a book."


    Kelly was still staring at me. "You''re bluffing. You can''t read it, that was a lucky guess."


    I had another sip of coffee as I continued staring at my phone. I glanced up at Kelly and grinned, "Like you said, don''t make deals with the fae. I guess it cuts both ways."


    "Crap," she fretted. "Tegan, you have to promise me you won''t use any of those spells. Especially not at college!"


    "Mmhmm, and what''s that worth to you?" I asked with a sly smile on my face. Before she could panic I grinned, "Don''t worry Kelly, I''m just messing with you."


    I looked back at the text on my phone screen again. In fact I couldn''t read it, it just looked like gibberish to me. Except if I stared at it long enough, it was like the gibberish started to make sense. I was kind of reading it out in my mind, figuring out what the unfamiliar words would sound like, and those sounds actually did sort of make sense to me.


    I had no idea if it meant I already knew the language, or if it was some kind of latent talent or memory or something. There were so many little things like this that I didn''t understand and didn''t know about. And Kelly obviously hadn''t expected it either so I knew there was no point asking her.


    Instead I just relaxed with my coffee and my book, that I''d be paying for one weekend a month for the next year. There was no table of contents, no index at the end. From seeing how the text was structured I figured there were a few dozen sections, and if each section was a spell then there were around twenty or thirty spells in here. Even if only half of them were usable that was still a good bargain as far as I was concerned.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    "So I''m pretty sure I figured out how you did that domme spell back in August," I smiled.


    It was Sunday night, Kelly and I were eating leftover pizza for dinner, and I''d spent pretty much the whole weekend trying to read the ''forbidden'' book.


    Kelly frowned, "No way."


    I nodded, "Yeah. It was actually two spells you put together, right? Like there was a control half, that was the tone-of-voice thing, and the payload half, which was the physical reaction part."


    Her eyes widened, as her expression became part disbelief, part shock, and part confusion. She almost sounded flustered as she shook her head, "Tegan... I don''t even want to admit how long it took me to figure that out. And that''s after spending most of my life learning this stuff. How could you figure it out in two days, staring at a book you can''t even read?!"


    "It''s always easier to reverse-engineer a thing than it is to create the thing." I replied. "And it''s honestly not that far off from some of the concepts I know from working with computers? Like, I don''t do programming but I know some scripting, and it''s not a big leap from putting together some functions in a script, to seeing how you did that spell. You have a trigger, and an action." I shrugged and took another bite of pizza.


    She looked a little nervous as she asked, "So you''ve figured it out, does that mean you could cast it?"


    "Nah," I shook my head after swallowing my food. "It''s pretty complicated, and I''d be scared of messing it up. Plus I''m not actually that confident in how well I''m understanding any of this stuff."


    We both ate in silence for another minute or two, then I gave Kelly a sly look and added "Of course, it also means I know you could cast just the physical-reaction part of the spell without much effort. It wouldn''t be as much fun as it was when you were controlling it with your voice and all, but it''d still be um...interesting, I think?"


    Kelly rolled her eyes, "Oh my gods Tegan! You spend two days reading all the most forbidden spells I know, figure out a complicated combination spell, and the first thing you think of is you want me to use it on you again?"


    Her expression shifted to a smirk, "That maid costume can''t get here quick enough."


    I blushed but smiled. I had a feeling I''d be having at least as much fun as she would, once she got me dressed up in it.


    In as innocent a voice as I could manage, I suggested "Even though it won''t be here for a few days, perhaps we could um, practice a little tonight? Get into character, that sort of thing?"


    She just rolled her eyes again, but I noticed she didn''t actually say no.


    I didn''t push the idea any further, I knew that would just annoy her.


    When we''d both finished eating I got up and took both our dishes back to the kitchen, and did the cleaning-up by myself. Kelly watched quietly with one eyebrow raised. I was sure she could tell I was already in character.


    "Would you like another drink?" I asked softly, while I was still standing by the counter.


    She nodded, "Sure."


    I grabbed another bottle of hard lemonade from the fridge, then turned around just in time to catch the flare of light in her eyes. I could have blocked her spell, but this was what I''d been hoping for so I let it hit.


    To my surprise, nothing seemed to happen. I tried to keep the confused look off my face as I walked back over to her with her drink.


    As I approached she asked "Did you find time to do laundry today, or were you too busy reading?"


    "Yes I did laundry," I replied. I handed her the bottle and asked, "Why?"


    As she took the bottle she replied in her domme-voice, "Because you''re going to have to wash those jeans again."


    For a moment I thought she''d used that spell again from August. I expected her words to hit me like they had back then, but there was no reaction to her voice. I had about a second where my mind raced, wondering what spell she''d used, wondering what she was planning.


    Then the magic hit me. Like a bolt of lightning it shot down my spine, collected between my legs, then exploded outwards through my body in rolling waves of ecstasy. It was like my entire nervous system was the strings of a guitar and the Goddess of Pleasure Herself was using my body to belt out power-chords.


    By the time my brain finally finished rebooting, I was on my knees in front of Kelly. My breath was coming in short ragged gasps and my muscles felt like jelly.


    Kelly watched me with an eyebrow slightly raised and an amused grin on her lips. "A little louder and your screams might have cracked a few of the windows, Tegan." She was still speaking in that haughty tone, and once again I expected it to affect me. And once again, it didn''t.


    Before I could think to ask, she added, "Take off your shirt and bra."


    "Y-yes mistress," I murmured. I got the t-shirt off, but as I reached back to unhook my bra I felt a series of pleasurable jolts shoot through me.


    I moaned softly, but my fingers fumbled with the clasps. My mind was definitely not running on all cylinders, but I was positive she''d used that spell from the summer. Except it seemed like it wasn''t responding to her voice this time.


    I was distracted again by more little jolts of pleasure, and it took me three or four attempts before I finally got the bra off. I left both t-shirt and bra on the coffee table. My hands were still shaking slightly and I was still breathing hard. My nipples stood out tall and proud, and I could feel my panties were soaked. I''m sure my jeans were well on their way too, I had no doubt Kelly meant it when she said I''d need to wash them again.


    She was still watching me of course, as she sipped her lemonade. She smiled slightly, "Very good. Now undo your jeans."


    I nodded but as I tried to undo them I felt another wave of pleasure surge through my body. My fingers fumbled with the button as I let out a long, low moan. My thighs tensed and pressed together, and I could feel the waves of pleasure starting to build again.


    "Having some trouble there, Tegan?" Kelly asked, sounding slightly amused.


    I gulped and tried to reply. Then my entire nervous system lit up once more. This time I may have actually rattled the windows as I screamed, while every muscle in my body went rigid as the ecstasy crashed through me like a tidal wave.


    It was a few more minutes before I was able to think again. I was breathing hard, and my muscles were still weak, my hands still shaky. I was finally able to get the jeans undone though, then Kelly had me strip completely.


    "Much better," she smiled. "Until your uniform gets here, you''ll just have to go without."


    She finished her lemonade then stood up and said, "Let''s retire to the bedroom."


    PurpleCatGirl

 26. Captured

    "Thank you Tegan," Kelly smiled as she sat up in bed and accepted the coffee I''d brought her. "I trust you enjoyed yourself last night?"


    She was still using her domme-voice, but by now I knew that wasn''t the trigger. I had no idea what she was doing though that kept setting me off.


    Whatever it was, she kept it going. A fresh wave of tremors and tingles shot through my body, and I bit my lip while I waited for the sensations to settle down again. It took a few seconds, and even after they''d gone they left me feeling hot and needy.


    "Y-yes mistress." I kept my voice quiet and my eyes down, as I tried to stay in character. I couldn''t quite suppress the grin on my face though.


    It was Monday morning, I was still naked and still playing at being her submissive little maid. Unfortunately our alarm had woken us both up about fifteen minutes ago, and I knew the fun had to end very soon so we could get ready for college.


    With that in mind, I added sadly "I think I need to get in the shower now, before I get dressed."


    Kelly had a sip of her coffee and raised an eyebrow. "Bold of you to assume I''m going to allow you to dress. Your uniform won''t be here for a few days yet."


    Whatever she was doing, she did it again. I bit my lower lip once more and shivered as I felt the magic delicately caress over my skin, then wind its way inside me. My nipples were rock hard and I felt that warm, wet need building between my legs once more. I was standing with my legs together, and the muscles in my groin flexed and tensed. I pressed my thighs together tightly, which sent even more little sparks of sensation shooting through my body.


    After a few seconds I got my breathing under control again. I actually wondered for a moment if she was serious about keeping me in this state all day. The thought sent another little shiver through me, but as appealing as it was, I also knew it wasn''t a good idea.


    I mean, it''s fun to joke now and then about cutting class and spending the day messing around in bed, but I had enough issues with my profs as it was. I really didn''t want to make things worse by skipping my busiest day of the week.


    Of course, I could always just put a stop things. We actually had a proper safe-word, Kelly and I sorted that stuff out over a month ago as our play started to get a little more serious. I''d never once had to use it though. She always paid very close attention to me and she was careful not to push my limits or do anything I wouldn''t like or want.


    And as usual Kelly was paying close attention to me now. After another sip of coffee she gave me a gentle smile and said, "Don''t worry Tegan, I''m teasing. Playtime''s over. We both have to get ready for classes."


    I smiled and relaxed. Or I would have relaxed, but my body was probably going to keep buzzing and tingling for a while yet. I sat on the edge of the bed and said "Thanks Kelly. And yeah, that was a lot of fun."


    After a moment I added, "I had no idea you could cast that spell any time you wanted. For some reason I thought you''d need to do the crystal thing to use it again. And you changed it too, right? What was the trigger this time? It wasn''t your voice."


    She took another deep sip of coffee then smiled, "I can cast it any time. I used the amethyst originally because I needed that for the transformation spell and it was easier to do them both at once. And as for the trigger..." She smirked, "I''m going to keep that secret for now."


    After another sip she added, "Without using the storage crystal, I can only put enough into the spell to make it last a day, two at most. Then it''ll wear off on its own. But to be safe, let''s dispell it now anyways."


    I leaned closer and she reached up and lightly touched my forehead. She whispered the words to dispell the magic, and I saw the flicker of light in her eyes.


    "Thanks Kelly," I smiled. "I''m sure once that costume gets here, we''ll be doing that again soon enough."


    She smirked, "Too bad we have your mom coming over on Saturday, that rules out this weekend. Your uniform should be here in a few days, it would have been nice to put it to use right away."


    She paused just a moment then with a sly smile she added "Of course we could do it anyways, and just give you a few hours reprieve while she visits."


    I blushed, "No thanks. I don''t want to mix mom-visit and play-time stuff. It''ll break my brain."


    Kelly giggled but agreed, "It might be funny making you squirm while your mom''s visiting, but yeah. Inappropriate."


    "Very!" I made a bit of a face, then stood up. "While you''re enjoying your coffee, I''ll hop in the shower."


    I added as I left the bedroom, "Might have to make it a cold shower, you got me all worked up before dispelling that!"


    Her reply came in the form of a giggle. I rolled my eyes as I stepped into the bathroom and got the shower started.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Both Monday and Tuesday were fairly typical days for me. I still had my usual hassles at college with profs and classmates, but I was actually a little less grumpy about it.


    After spending the weekend learning about a bunch of ''forbidden magic'', it made me feel a little better to imagine putting the zap on some of those jerks in my classes. I mean, I''d never actually do it but just thinking about it defused some of my anger and frustration. And that kind of helped me be less uptight and stressed.


    Kelly on the other hand seemed a little quieter than usual, a little down. I first noticed it Monday afternoon on the drive home, but whatever was bothering her she didn''t want to talk about it. She still seemed a bit down Monday evening, and my fae-lesson was kind of a dud, like she wasn''t really into it at all.


    She was still quiet Tuesday morning, then in the afternoon as we drove home from college she seemed even more withdrawn.


    I hadn''t really seen her like this before. Not in the two and a half months since we''d moved in together, and I couldn''t remember seeing her like this in the year and a bit before that while we were dating.


    When we got home Tuesday afternoon, we wound up sitting together on the sofa. Kelly was sort of staring blankly out the windows, at the sky over the lake.


    I watched her for a while as I felt more worried, and finally decided to ask again what was going on.


    I went to the fridge and grabbed her a hard lemonade and got a cola for myself, then sat down next to her on the sofa and put the drinks on the coffee table in front of us.


    "Hey Kelly," I asked softly. "Are you ok?"


    She sighed, slowly turning from her window-stare to look at me."Yeah. Sorry babe, I''ll be ok."


    I slipped an arm around her waist, "Do you want to talk about it? What''s bugging you?"


    She sighed again, then admitted "Tonight''s the first Samhain that I''m not doing anything with family. Not with my mom, or even my sister."


    I gave her a sort of blank look, "The first what?"


    She put her arm around my shoulders and pulled me into a hug. "We''ve been focused on practical stuff with your lessons, the keep-you-alive stuff. We haven''t talked about culture, rituals, ceremonies at all. It''s hallowe''en tonight, right? That''s Samhain eve for us. One of the four big festivals of the year."


    "Oh," I sighed. "I''m sorry Kelly. Is there anything we can do? You could call your mom or your sister, talk with them at least? I''m sure Keira''s feeling it too, if you used to celebrate this stuff with her."


    She nodded, "Yeah, that''s a good idea. I''ll call Keira."


    I suggested, "Why don''t we get our favourite delivery for dinner, too? Unless sushi and General Tsao chicken are inappropriate for Samhain supper."


    She smiled, "No, actually that sounds perfect Tegan. How about you order the food, and I''ll give my sister a call?"


    "It''s a deal," I grinned, and she rolled her eyes.


    She grabbed her phone and soon enough she was talking with Keira and sipping her lemonade. I did my best not to listen in, but it sounded like her sister had been kind of down as well.


    Meanwhile I got my phone and opened up the restaurant app. In addition to our usual order, I decided to splurge a bit and added a few extras. I figured we''d make it more of a ''feast'' since it was supposed to be a festival after all.


    Kelly was on the phone with her sister for quite a while, so I just waited quietly and sipped my cola. I didn''t mind, of course. I was just happy to see her mood picking up as she and Keira talked.


    Actually if Keira and Amy didn''t live so far away I''d have suggested inviting them over. It was a little over an hour''s drive though, which made it a bit too far to just casually drop in. Especially when it was already dinner time on a Tuesday evening, and we all had classes in the morning.


    Eventually Kelly got off the phone. She set it down on the coffee table and slipped an arm around me, "Thanks for suggesting that, babe. You were right, she was feeling it too and she couldn''t even talk about it with Amy. You helped us both feel better."


    I leaned my head against her shoulder, "I''m glad. You said there were four of these festivals right? Let''s plan to do something for the next one. Even if we don''t have time to teach me the details, we can still do something. Maybe even invite Keira and Amy over?"


    She nodded, "Yeah, good idea. Next one is Imbolc. Starts at sunset January thirty-first, till the end of the day February first. We''ll make plans ahead of time. Thanks babe."


    We sat cuddled together like that for another five or ten minutes, till the driver texted from the lobby. I grabbed my phone and buzzed him up, and a few minutes after that came the knock at the door.


    "I''ll get it," I said to Kelly as I stood up.


    Kelly nodded, "I''ll get the plates and some more drinks."


    She went to the kitchen while I hurried over to the door.


    When I opened the door, I was a little surprised to see a new driver. I almost did a double-take, he didn''t look like the sort of guy you''d expect to see see doing food delivery for a living. He was tall, at least six feet, and slim, but really handsome. He looked like he could have been an actor, or a model even.


    Normally I wasn''t the least bit interested in guys, but something about this one caught my attention. He was clean-shaven, but his black hair was a little long and a bit unkempt. He looked to be in his early thirties, and he was wearing a long dark coat, like a trench coat or a duster. He had leather boots on, and dark pants. Overall he had a sort of attractive ruggedness to him.


    I looked up at him and said "Uh, hi." Honestly it was almost hard not to stare at him, he really was hot.


    He held up the bag of food and read the name on the receipt, "Tegan Vale?" Even his voice was hot, kind of deep and smooth and soft.


    "That''s me," I smiled, as I tried not to act flirty.


    He smiled back, and there was a flash of light deep in his eyes.


    Everything started fading to black as the apartment turned sideways around me. The floor slowly came up to meet me, and the last thought to cross my mind was that Kelly would be disappointed I didn''t even try to defend myself.


    PurpleCatGirl

 27. Confined

    I drifted awake and took a deep breath, then groaned softly. I hadn''t had a hangover, or even a headache since I became a fae girl. Why''d I feel like crap now?


    After a few minutes I remembered that I hadn''t had anything to drink last night, which made me even more confused. Finally I opened my eyes to see where I was.


    It took me another ten or fifteen seconds to figure out what I was looking at. It was the canopy of a huge poster-bed. I sat up and looked around again, now that I had a better view.


    I was both relieved to see Kelly was next to me and she appeared to be ok, and also saddened to realize whoever had grabbed me had taken her too. On the one hand we were together, on the other hand we were both kidnapped.


    Oddly, we''d both been changed into different clothes. I was wearing an aqua-blue dress that I''d swear was tailor made to fit me. It hugged my curves perfectly, the sleeves were the right length, and the end of the skirt was right around ankle-level. I was also wearing a silver necklace with a little silver pendant hanging from it.


    Kelly was in a similarly-styled dress and had a matching necklace. Her dress was dark green, and wasn''t as perfect a fit as mine, but it was pretty close.


    She was still asleep, breathing slowly and deeply. I decided to let her sleep for now. I hoped she''d skip the hangover if she had a little more time to sleep it off.


    I slipped off the bed to have a closer look around the huge bedroom we were in. This one room was about the same size as our entire condo, and the ceiling was quite high. The bed itself was massive too. Like, whatever was two sizes up from a king-size? Then there were the four tall posts, the canopy on top, and curtains or whatever that could be closed for extra privacy.


    I figured the room was about ten meters square, and the ceiling about four meters high. A modest fire was burning in a huge fireplace in the middle of the wall across from the bed. In the wall to the right of the bed there was a large sturdy-looking wood door. To the left there were two tall narrow windows. They were how you''d picture stained glass windows, except without the stain. Basically small clear rectangles of glass, held together with dark metal framing.


    The walls seemed to be made of large cut stones, but most of that was hidden behind rich fancy-looking tapestries. On the left, in between the two windows there was a table with two chairs. The floor was probably more stone, but it was hidden beneath thick furs and carpets.


    It was kind of weird, but from the impression I got just standing there next to the bed I had a feeling we were in some kind of fancy castle somewhere.


    My feet were bare, but the fur and carpets looked comfortable to walk on. I made my way over to the nearest window. As I walked away from the bed I spotted a large wooden trunk at the foot of the bed, with a couple pairs of leather sandals on top of it.


    As I neared the windows, I saw they had hinges and little latches. The glass was kind of warped or something that made it hard to see through clearly, so I turned the latch then pulled the window open and looked outside.


    My breath caught in my throat for a moment. We were almost as high up off the ground here as we were in our condo, about five or six stories up I figured. The view was completely different though.


    Looking down from the window revealed at least some of the building we were in. There was a lot of smooth white stonework, and it seriously looked like some kind of huge castle.


    We seemed to be in a tower, and there was more of the castle below us. The lower parts of the building had roofs covered in blue tiles. I saw what I guessed was probably a grand hall, and there were some other smaller structures I couldn''t identify. The castle''s outer walls looked thick and sturdy. There were even some people walking around ontop of the walls, dressed up like old-timey guards or soldiers or something.


    Dotted around those outer walls were some flags or pennants, flying in a gentle breeze. I couldn''t make out the design on them from here, only that they were pale blue with something black and purple on them. The old-timey guards had similar colours on their outfits.


    The whole place sat atop a hill which made it seem even taller. To the left there was a large spread of flat land, a patchwork landscape of farmed fields. There were some smaller structures scattered around, farmhouses I assumed. The land was all green, but in different shades and heights, suggesting different crops. In the distance beyond the farmland appeared to be forest. And to the right, it looked like nothing but thick forest as far as I could see. All the green made it feel more like summer here, but I figured they just got their autumn later than ours.


    The air outside smelled fresh and clean. It was actually kind of welcoming. The sky was a clear deep blue, with just a few clouds in the distance. Going off the light and angle of shadows below, I figured it was late afternoon. So we''d been out almost a whole day.


    Finally I turned away from the window and walked across to the other side of the room, to have a look at the door.


    As best I could tell, it was made of thick, heavy, solid wood. It looked old, there were spots that were well-worn, where you''d grab it or push at it. It sort of suggested centuries of use. The wood was dark, and the door was held together with what looked to my untrained eyes like wrought-iron. There was a large iron handle, and one of those old-fashioned locks set in the door, with the big funky-looking keyhole.


    I grabbed the handle and pulled, pushed, twisted, and turned. The door wouldn''t budge. I wasn''t surprised, but I had to try. I mean, I''d feel stupid if it wasn''t locked and I didn''t even test it.


    Finally I went back to the other side of the room and sat in one of the chairs by the table.


    I had no idea where we were, but I figured it was somewhere in Europe. What I saw of the castle from the window reminded me of something I''d seen on tv once, some big fancy castle built by a crazy king in the eighteen-hundreds or something like that.


    It didn''t make sense of course, why someone would knock us out and fly us partway around the world then stuff us in a fancy room in a castle. I couldn''t see a phone or anything like that in the room, no way to call for help. And no sign of our own clothes, so for now it looked like me and Kelly would be stuck in the dresses.


    Having lots of questions and no answers, there wasn''t much else to do so I just sat there and waited for Kelly to wake up.


    As I waited, there was one other weird thing I noticed. It was something odd, something different in the air. Something I couldn''t quite identify, like a feeling I couldn''t quite pin down.


    The closest thing I could think of to describe it was that feeling in the air right before an electrical storm. It was like there was a kind of charge in the air, that made me feel just a little bit more alert, a little more alive.


    I stood up and had another look out the window, but the sky was clear and blue. There were a few little white clouds in the distance, but nothing to suggest an imminent thunderstorm. It was weird, but then so was everything else right now and ''something intangible in the air'' was probably the least of my worries.


    There was a soft groan from the bed, and Kelly started to stir. I walked back over and sat on the edge of the bed and watched as she drifted awake.


    "Ugh," she groaned again. "What happened? What did I drink last night?"


    I gave her a sympathetic smile, "I don''t think it was the hard lemonade. You might want to brace yourself, but I think we''ve been kidnapped."


    Her eyes shot wide open and she sat up, looking around in shock.


    "No idea where we are," I said with a shrug. "I''m guessing we''re somewhere in Europe? It''s like some kind of fancy castle. Nice view though."


    Kelly got out of bed and hurried over to the window and looked outside.


    "Oh fuck," she whispered. "Fuck fuck fuck. We are so fucked..."


    I followed, and stood next to her by the window. "Why? What''s wrong? Do you know this place? Have you been here before?"


    She turned and looked at me, her face was white as a sheet and her eyes wide. "No, I''ve never been here before! Tegan we aren''t on Earth! This is Otherworld!"


    "Huh," I went sort of quiet as that sank in.


    Kelly started to pace, she looked like she was on the verge of panic. "We''re fucked, a hundred times over. What are we going to do? We can''t even call for help!"


    "Why not?" I asked, watching her.


    She stopped and stared, "We''re on another world! They don''t have cellphones here! They don''t even have phones! No internet! There''s literally no way we can call for help! I don''t know anyone here! Neither of us have ever been here before!"


    She stumbled to the bed and sat down, and I moved to her side and put an arm around her as she continued to panic.


    I tried to comfort her, "It''ll be ok. Keira will realize you''re missing. She''ll talk to your mom and grandfather. They''ll come find us."


    Kelly shook her head, "We''re in a tower, in a castle, on another fucking planet Tegan! Even if my family figures out we''ve been brought here, there''s still a whole fucking world for them to search!"


    I shrugged, "I''m sure they''ll narrow it down soon enough. I mean, odds are we''re either at Maeve whats-her-name''s place, or we''re with someone who''s Maeve''s enemy. And the fact that we''re in a big fancy bedroom instead of a dungeon seems like a good sign, right?"


    She sighed, "Don''t you remember anything I''ve been teaching you for the past two months? Fae are dangerous, treacherous, tricky. Even when they seem nice. Especially when they seem nice!"


    "Yeah, I remember." I shrugged. "Panicking isn''t going to help us though. So let''s think of what we can do that will help. If we got here, we can get home again right? Your grandfather moves back and forth from home to here, how''s he do it?"


    Kelly frowned, "It takes very special magic, and I don''t know it. I probably couldn''t do it even if I did know it. I know it can only be done in certain places, where the walls that separate the worlds are thinnest. And I know it''s easier at certain times of day, certain times of year..."


    She cursed, "It was Samhain when we were nabbed. Even if everything else goes perfectly and somehow we survive and are allowed to leave, we might have to wait till Imbolc to get home. Or Beltane..."


    I sighed, "That''s going to mess us both up for college. And my mom''s going to be freaking out."


    She shook her head, "Tegan, right now you should be worried about whether or not we''re going to live or die. College can wait."


    "Ok." I didn''t want to argue, but I didn''t see the point in worrying about the big stuff we couldn''t do anything about. If we lived, I''d have to deal with college and that was something I could at least visualize and comprehend.


    I asked, "So what''s our next step? Maybe we should try and get the attention of whoever else is here? Let them know we''re awake?"


    Kelly sighed once more then looked around again. She pointed at the wall just to the right of the bed. "That''s a bell-cord. Give it a pull, it should ring a bell somewhere. Like, servants quarters or something. It''ll at least tell people we''re awake."


    I stood up and moved to it. The cord was sort of a thick red rope with a soft velvety feel to it. I gave it a few tugs then let go again.


    I moved around to the foot of the bed and said, "There''s some sandals here. I don''t want to meet our hosts barefoot."


    One pair was obviously my size and the other Kelly''s. I brought both pairs over and handed the larger ones to her, then I sat next to her again and we both put them on.


    After we both had our new shoes on, we just waited quietly. Kelly was looking sad and scared. I just felt kind of bored and frustrated.


    After about five minutes, the silence was broken by the clunking sound of a key turning in lock on the door.


    Kelly and I glanced at each other then we both turned to stare at the door.


    PurpleCatGirl

 28. Convened

    I think Kelly and me were both holding our breath as the heavy wood door swung open. Then into the room stepped what looked for all the world like some stuck-up old butler.


    He looked like he was in his fifties, with short greying hair, and some slight wrinkles on his forehead. He was about average height, maybe five-foot-seven or so. I was pretty sure he wasn''t quite as tall as Kelly. He had a bit of extra weight around his middle, but not a lot actually.


    It was hard to keep a straight face looking at his outfit. He had black shoes, what appeared to be hose or at least long tight socks, then his trousers had short cuffs like he was wearing capris or something. He had a tight white shirt, and a small tight jacket. The pants and jacket were the same light blue as the pennants I''d seen out the window, and accented with purple trim.


    Mister Butler approached the bed where Kelly and I were sitting, but he stopped about two meters away from us. Then he gave us a stiff bow and stated, "Lady Tegan, Miss Kelly. Your presence is requested in the dining hall."


    I wasn''t quite sure how to respond.


    Kelly spoke up, "What if we refuse?"


    The butler guy hesitated, like he wasn''t sure how to react to that.


    A strong, confident-sounding woman stated from the doorway, "Then you become my responsibility."


    Both Kelly and I looked, as a tall slim strong-looking woman entered the room.


    She stood nearly six feet tall. I''d guess her age to be mid-thirties. Her short hair was strawberry-blonde, and her eyes were greyish-blue. She was dressed in what I could only describe as a kind of eighteenth-century military uniform.


    Her boots and trousers were black, her jacket was the same light blue and purple trim as the butler. Her jacket''s style looked more military though, and there were markings on it that suggested she had rank, like an officer. A sword hung by her left hip, and a knife at her right hip.


    She gave us a very slight bow, just a little more than a nodd of her head. She didn''t take her eyes off us as she did this. Then she stated, "I''m under strict orders not to harm either of you, but I can promise you will be much more comfortable and will feel much more dignified if you attend the dining hall unaided."


    I glanced at Kelly, then asked the woman "Who exactly are you two? And where are we?"


    "I am captain Siobhan," the woman replied. She nodded to the butler, "And he is seneschal Owen."


    She didn''t answer my second question, and I assumed that was intentional. There was something else I''d noticed, when the two had spoken. Like a little nagging sensation in the back of my mind, as if something didn''t quite fit right.


    I kept my eyes on the captain and asked, "What language are we speaking?"


    She replied, "Common Fae. The necklaces you''re both wearing are enchanted, to ensure you''re able to communicate properly during your stay with us."


    Kelly''s eyes widened as she glanced down at the necklace around her neck. I don''t think she''d noticed the language thing, and now she was obviously getting more anxious. She was probably worrying what other spells or enchantments might have been done to us.


    I slipped my arm around Kelly''s waist and said to her, "We may as well go, it sounds like we''re going to wind up there one way or another."


    Kelly nodded slowly, and the two of us got to our feet. She put her arm around my shoulders and I kept mine around her waist. It felt like she was trying not to panic, but for some reason I was pretty calm. Maybe it was because we didn''t wake up in a dungeon, or because they sent the butler first, while the soldier was back-up.


    The seneschal guy said to us, "Please follow me."


    He turned and led Kelly and I out of the room. The captain followed behind us at a discrete distance. Close enough to keep an eye on us, far enough back that we didn''t feel crowded.


    Ours seemed to be the only room on this level. The only thing outside the door was a small landing and the staircase, which went both down and up. The seneschal led us down, and down, and down. Finally we left the stairs and went through a double door, then down a long, wide hallway.


    At the end of the hall he opened a large fancy double-door, then stepped aside. He motioned Kelly and I to proceed through.


    The two of us still had our arms around each other, and we stepped through together.


    The dining hall was a huge, grand room that could have held a hundred people. Right now there was just one large table to the left side of the room. Only three places were set, at one end of the table.


    There was one other person in the room, she stood partway between us and the table. She was staring at me and Kelly. Mostly just me.


    My eyes went wide and my jaw dropped open as I stared back.


    The woman looked for all the world like a slightly older me. Or like an older sister. From her appearance I''d guess she was about twenty-five. And as soon as I saw her, I knew who she was. This was my biological mother, Maeve Br¨¢daigh.


    Maeve was the same size as me, barely five-foot-two. She was petite but busty like me. She was wearing a very fancy elaborate gown in blue and green. Her hair was longer than mine, hanging down just past her shoulders. But it was the exact same shade of violet, and her eyes were like mine, aqua blue. She wore some silver jewelry, though nothing too gaudy or ostentatious. There was a fancy necklace, a ring on the third finger of her left hand, and another on the pinky finger of her right hand.


    Her expression mirrored my own, except her mouth was closed tight. Her eyes moved up and down over me, taking it all in. She looked like she was fighting hard to maintain her composure.


    She moved towards Kelly and I, though her eyes remained on me alone. She stopped a few paces away, and finally tore her eyes off me to glance at the door. "Thank you Owen, Siobhan. You are dismissed."


    The two bowed then exited, closing the doors behind them.


    With them gone, Maeve suddenly moved to me and threw her arms around me. I was startled, so was Kelly. My girlfriend let go and moved a step or two to the side, so she wasn''t in the way.


    I didn''t resist, I just stood there quietly as Maeve held me tight. Although I didn''t resist I also didn''t really respond. I didn''t hug her back or anything, I just waited quietly.


    Finally she let go with a sigh. She stepped back and said "Forgive me. My emotions overcame my manners. Allow me to properly introduce myself."


    She sort of shifted her posture so she was standing tall and proud, which I honestly found borderline amusing. I mean she was the same size as me, so no matter how much she puffed herself up she wasn''t going to impress either myself or Kelly.


    She took a deep breath, then in a sort of official-sounding voice she stated "I am Lady Maeve Br¨¢daigh, leader of Clann Br¨¢daigh, and Countess of Cathasaigh."


    I glanced at my girlfriend again. I was still having a hard time taking this too seriously. On the other hand, Kelly looked more uneasy as our hostess recited her rank and titles.


    With her official introduction out of the way, Maeve seemed to relax slightly. I got the feeling she was only slightly less anxious than than my girlfriend. She looked at me and in a much more friendly voice she added, "I am also your mother."


    I nodded to her, "I''d guessed that bit. And obviously you know I''m Tegan Vale. And this is my girlfriend, Kelly Connolly."


    Maeve hesitated before asking, "Will you continue to call yourself by your human name?"


    "Yes," I stated.


    She nodded slowly, "I see... Let us eat. We can talk over our meal." She turned and motioned us towards the table.


    I glanced at Kelly and she shrugged. We both followed Maeve over to the table. The way the places were set up had Maeve sitting at the end of the table, and Kelly and I would be across from each other. I was at Maeve''s right, and Kelly to her left.


    I didn''t want to have the table in between me and Kelly, and I could tell she didn''t like it either so I said "Let''s fix this first."


    To Maeve''s surprise I slid Kelly''s place-setting across the table till it was next to mine, then dragged her chair around too. That left me at Maeve''s right, but put me between the fae woman and my girlfriend.


    With that done, the three of us took our seats.


    Maeve remained a little startled by my actions, but she rang a small bell which apparently summoned our dinner. A trio of young women in maid outfits emerged through a small door in the wall behind me and Kelly. They set down full plates of food in front of the three of us, and wine was poured into our glasses.


    Before they could retreat I asked the one nearest me, "Can I get something non-alcoholic to drink? Cola if you''ve got it. Or juice or water."


    The young woman looked nervous but bowed, "Yes m''lady, at once." She hurried out after the other two.


    She was back a minute later with a glass of something that looked like fruit juice, but I wasn''t sure exactly what fruit it was from. It was too pale to be orange juice. Maybe mango or something? The girl fled again as soon as she''d delivered it.


    The food looked and smelled amazing. We''d each been served a few slices of what appeared to be roast beef, alongside roasted potatoes and vegetables. A rich-looking gravy had been drizzled overtop, and there were two thick pieces of fresh-baked bread on the side.


    It suddenly reminded me how hungry I was. We''d been nabbed before dinner. That was probably a day ago, and we hadn''t eaten since then.


    Despite my appetite I held off on the food for now, and just looked towards Maeve once more.


    She still had her eyes on me, her expression a mix of surprise and confusion.


    She finally asked, "Are you always this calm and bold, Tegan? After having been abducted and whisked away to another realm, I''d have expected you to be a little more uneasy."


    I shook my head and admitted, "Normally, no. First time I met Kelly''s mom I almost wound up crying under the dining table."


    To be honest I wasn''t feeling calm or bold, so much as I was annoyed and acting a little defiant. By this point I had no fear Maeve was going to harm or kill us, it felt like she wanted to be friendly. However, I still saw her as one of the people who''d messed up my life then abandoned me, and now she was the one who''d kidnapped me and Kelly. So I wanted to be a little hostile and I wasn''t going to act timid or nervous around her.


    She just stared at me for a few more moments, clearly she had no idea how to respond again. Finally she took up her cutlery and started eating. I waited a second or two then did the same, then Kelly did as well.


    The food was every bit as amazing as it smelled. The meat seemed to melt in my mouth, the vegetables had just the right amount of crispness on the outside and were light and fluffy inside. And the gravy was to die for. Everything was seasoned and flavoured to perfection. Even the juice was incredible, a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, while being light and refreshing. I couldn''t place the flavour though, it was like something between a pear and a peach.


    We all ate quietly for a while. Eventually though, Maeve looked to me and commented, "I''m sure you have many questions, Tegan."


    I replied "Right now I just have four. Why did you abandon me on Earth when I was a baby? Why did you kidnap me and bring me here now? Why did you drag Kelly along too? And when can the two of us go home?"


    Maeve hesitated, then replied softly "Kelly accompanied you here because my informants told me the two of you were very close, and I would not separate you from your lover. I know that pain only too well, and I would not inflict it on my own child."


    I glanced at Kelly. We''d all stopped eating now that the conversation had resumed. I moved my right hand to take her left, so the two of us were holding hands just below the table.


    Maeve continued, "I brought you here because this is your home, and because you are not safe among the humans. It''s fortunate that my spies found you first. I could not risk leaving you there unprotected."


    She paused and took a deep breath, then said "And it was neither I nor your father who stole you away to Earth and hid you among the humans, Tegan. You were taken from me, taken from your home, by a traitor. A man who betrayed us all, to an enemy of our family."


    She sighed, "That enemy''s dark magic took your father from me that same night. I lost both husband and child at once, and I''ve been searching for you ever since."


    PurpleCatGirl

 29. Clashed

    Both me and Kelly sat stunned after Maeve dropped that news on us. I guess I''d let myself forget that kind of scenario was a possibility. Even though Kelly told me back in August that it was one of the reasons changelings happened, and Kelsey had mentioned a similar rumour among those her father had heard.


    I think I''d discounted it because it made it easier for me to push the whole topic of my biological parents out of my head. By picturing them as some callous jerks who''d messed up my life then abandoned me, I could avoid thinking about the possibility of having to deal with them at some point. I made them villains in my mind, so I didn''t have to think of them as family.


    Now that little illusion had been shattered. While I still didn''t actually know this woman sitting to my left, I could suddenly imagine the pain and anguish she must have felt over the past twenty-two years. Since waking up here I''d been worried how my mom on Earth would feel when she realized I''d vanished, but Maeve had been living with that pain for basically my entire life.


    Kelly and I were still holding hands under the table, and I felt her give my hand a gentle squeeze. She obviously realized what I was going through, as Maeve''s news sank in. I''m sure the emotions were obvious on my face.


    Finally I took a deep breath and looked at Maeve, "I''m sorry. I''m really sorry. I had no idea. I thought it was something you two had done to me."


    Maeve picked up her glass and had a deep sip of her wine, then shook her head. She said softly, "You couldn''t have known."


    The three of us were quiet again after that. We''d all pretty much stopped eating and for me at least, it felt like what remained of my appetite vanished when Maeve delivered the news of my original abduction.


    She and Kelly sipped their wine, and I finished my juice.


    Eventually Maeve rang her little bell, and the three young servants came and collected the dishes. I noted Maeve only managed to eat about the same as myself, we''d both left half our food on the plates. Kelly did better, as usual.


    Once the main course had been cleared away, the girls returned and topped up Maeve''s and Kelly''s glasses, while I was brought a full fresh glass of juice. After that, dessert was served.


    We''d each been given a plate containing a decadent-looking chocolate sponge, drizzled in cherry syrup, and topped with freshly-whipped cream. Once again it looked and smelled divine, and even though I wasn''t actually hungry the dessert set my mouth watering.


    It tasted even better than it looked, but I was still only able to manage a few mouthfuls. Finally I just settled back in my seat and sipped my juice.


    Maeve ate a bit more than myself, but like me the fae woman reached her limit before long. Kelly actually finished hers, I think she enjoyed it that much.


    We all sat quietly for a little while longer, then finally Maeve stood up and suggested, "Let''s retire to a more comfortable room, then we may continue our conversation."


    Kelly and I wound up walking side by side with arms around each other again, as we followed Maeve out of the large dining hall. She led us through another hall, a doorway, up some stairs, and eventually we wound up in a room about the size of the bedroom Kelly and I had first found ourselves in earlier.


    It was furnished with about a dozen large comfortable-looking chairs, set up in groups of four. Each cluster of chairs surrounded a small table. In the middle of the wall opposite the door there was a large fireplace, with a good-sized fire burning. The walls to the left and right were hidden behind large bookcases, filled with hundreds of books in all shapes and sizes.


    There were some small, narrow windows up near the top of one wall. They were too high too see through, but they did let some light in. And the fading tone of that light told us it was probably dusk now. I figured it was around a full day since we''d been kidnapped. Keira and Amy would have realized me and Kelly were missing when we didn''t show up for our regular weekly get-together.


    Maeve motioned for Kelly and I to sit, while she moved to a bell-cord in the corner and rang for a servant. Then she joined us and said, "We''ll have some after-dinner drinks, and continue our conversation. It''s rather more relaxed I find, than the dining hall."


    Kelly and I took a couple chairs near the fireplace, and before I sat down I pushed my chair up alongside hers. Maeve took a seat across from us, with the small table between her and the two of us.


    We only had to wait a half minute before a servant appeared at the door. This time it was a man, he was dressed like a butler. His outfit wasn''t as fancy as that seneschal guy''s, and he looked younger, like in his twenties. I assumed that meant he was a junior butler or something like that.


    Maeve asked him to bring after-dinner drinks for the three of us, but I spoke up and asked for more of that juice.


    After the junior-butler bowed and left, Maeve asked me "Do you not drink alcohol, Tegan?"


    I shook my head, "Only at home, and then not much."


    She nodded slightly, accepting that. Though I could see a little flicker of pain in her eyes at my mention of home. I''m sure it was a reminder for her that to me, home was someplace else.


    The butler guy returned after a minute or so with a tray. He set down small wine glasses before Maeve and Kelly, and a juice glass for me. He also had a decanter and a pitcher on the tray. From the former he poured some kind of alcoholic drink for Maeve and Kelly, and from the latter he filled my glass with more of that same juice. Finally, a bowl of what looked like mixed nuts was set on the small table between the three of us.


    He took the tray and set it on a side table against the wall next to the door, then he just sort of stood there by the door as if he was part of the furniture.


    Maeve ignored him, so me and Kelly did the same even though it felt kind of weird. We all had some more of our drinks, then finally our hostess spoke again. I think she was trying to make casual conversation, as she looked to me and talked in a somewhat relaxed tone.


    "I''ve never actually been to Earth myself, although I have read accounts of the place." Maeve commented, sipping her little drink. "I know their customs and ways are quite different than what I am familiar with here. Tell me Tegan, as I am curious. What was it like to be raised on Earth as a human girl?"


    I sighed, and I could feel my cheeks colouring slightly. I felt something between embarrassment and irritation as I replied, "I have no idea. I wasn''t raised as a girl."


    Maeve just stared at me for a few moments. Finally she blinked once and asked, "Excuse me?"


    I frowned slightly and tried not to sound too uptight about it as I replied, "My uh, the human I replaced, I don''t know what the correct term is. He was a boy. I was disguised as a boy, raised as a boy. I spent the first twenty-two years of my life believing I was a man. I''ve only been ''Tegan'', only known I was a girl, for the past two and a half months."


    Kelly gave me a sad look, and reached out to take my hand again and gave it a gentle squeeze.


    I realized my emotions had shifted from upset and embarrassment, to anger. I hadn''t really faced that before, but it just hit me. I was angry for what was done to me and how it messed with my sense of identity, my sense of self. Angry for the childhood I missed out on, the experiences of growing up as a girl that had been stolen from me. All that was gone forever, and I was suddenly angry about that loss.


    Maeve was still staring at me, her face had gone slightly pale. There was a look in her eyes that I couldn''t quite place, but I think it may have been outrage or anger.


    The three of us were silent for a few moments, then she turned toward the butler who was still stood next to the door pretending to be a coat-tree or whatever. She glared at him and demanded angrily, "Have captain Siobhan bring me the prisoner immediately!"


    The young man''s eyes widened and he paled slightly, but quickly bowed. "Yes m''lady."


    Then he turned and scurried out of the room. I could hear the sound of running as he took off down the hallway.


    The three of us waited in an uneasy silence now. Kelly was still holding my hand, and Maeve looked like she was trying to keep her emotions under control.


    After about ten minutes, we heard a group of people approaching. The sound of booted feet echoed through the hall and grew louder as they neared. I could also hear a sort of metallic rattling noise that I couldn''t quite place.


    Captain Siobhan entered the room first, her left hand rested lightly but obviously on the grip of her sword. She stepped to the side, positioning herself so she was somewhat close to Maeve, between her and the doorway, but a step or two to the side so she wasn''t blocking her boss''s view.


    Behind her, three men entered the room. To the left and right were two soldiers. They wore tall black leather boots, dark trousers, and what looked like large loose chainmail tank-tops over their light blue tunics. They both wore belts, with both sword and dagger hanging from them. Both were also carrying some kind of short spear, wooden poles about six feet long, tipped with another foot of sharp pointy metal. They were both sort of average height, and looked to be in their late twenties or early thirties.


    Between them stood the prisoner. He was a gaunt, bearded, scruffy-looking man. He was tall, nearly six feet, but obviously malnourished. It was hard to guess his age, but I figured around mid-thirties. He was barefoot, wearing only a simple linen shirt and trousers. His clothes were dirty and threadbare with age. Heavy iron shackles and chains hung from his wrists and ankles, and an iron collar was secured around his neck. His skin had a sort of dusky tone, his hair and beard were dark, as were his eyes.


    Maeve rose to her feet. She fixed an angry glare on the prisoner and half-shouted, "For two decades I''ve had my spies scouring the human world for my daughter! And you never once thought to tell me you had her hidden as a boy!?"


    For a small woman, Maeve was actually kind of terrifying when she was angry. Though maybe it was less about how she looked and sounded, and more about how everyone else in the room, tall imposing armed guards included, all flinched and winced when she shouted. They were all scared of her.


    Like everyone else, the prisoner flinched and recoiled when Maeve was shouting at him. Unlike the others, as soon as she stopped he acted relaxed.


    He looked at her with a slightly cocky grin and shrugged, "Must have slipped my mind, m''lady."


    Maeve seethed, I think she was actually grinding her teeth together. Meanwhile the prisoner turned and fixed his gaze on me, his eyes slowly moved up and down over me.


    I thought by now I was used to being gawked at by annoying men, but having this guy stare at me left me feeling disgusted. It was even worse knowing that he''s the one who kidnapped me as an infant then turned me into a guy and abandoned me on Earth.


    He was still leering at me as he asked Maeve, "So now you''ve found the little miss, I assume that means I''m free to go? No hard feelings, water under the bridge, all''s well that ends well?"


    "Captain Siobhan," Maeve stated through gritted teeth. "Take him away. I want him beheaded at sunrise. Have his remains fed to the dogs."


    "Yes m''lady," the captain gave a curt nodd, then she and the other soldiers dragged the prisoner back out the way they''d come.


    It felt like my blood had turned cold. Things suddenly shifted from unfamiliar and strange, to completely surreal.


    This small woman, my biological mother, had just ordered a man brutally murdered, and everybody was acting like that was just a normal thing you did over after-dinner drinks.


    Kelly was still holding my hand, and she looked as pale and uneasy as I felt. She gave my hand another little squeeze and I did the same for her. I think we were both kind of horrified at the moment.


    Maeve meanwhile was back to acting like nothing even happened. She sat back down across from us and had a sip of her drink, then calmly asked "Now that that unpleasant business is behind us, what else shall we discuss?"


    PurpleCatGirl

 30. Cursed

    I was still feeling pretty weird about my ''fae mother'' ordering an execution. I wasn''t comfortable with it, but wasn''t sure it was something I should try and interfere with. So instead, I decided I needed to try and understand it.


    I looked at Maeve and asked, "Can you tell us what happened? What did that guy do to me, to us?"


    She sighed, and took up her glass. She drained it of the dark alcoholic liquid, then her expression took on a slightly distant look. Finally she started talking. Her voice was soft as she described the events of that day over twenty-two years ago.


    "You were born at the break of dawn on Imbolc morning. As I held you in my arms, the early morning light came through the windows and your father and I were both struck by your beauty, so we named you Tegan. Your name means fair and beautiful."


    She had a wistful smile on her face as she recounted the happy memories, but that gradually faded as she continued.


    "The castle was busy with Imbolc celebrations. Connor and I stayed in our private chambers with you, until it was time for the evening feast. We left you asleep in your crib, with nurses to attend you. The feast was begun, and all were happy..."


    Her expression fell to a frown as she got to the bad part.


    "Midway through the meal, your father was stricken. A curse settled upon him and he was transformed from the caring, gentle man I loved, to a violent, vicious, untameable beast. It was chaos. Over a dozen were killed, and still more were injured. He could not be contained or controlled, and I could not bring myself to destroy him. The best I and captain Siobhan and the other guards could manage was to clear a path to the gates then chase him out."


    There was pain in her voice now, and in her expression.


    "While that horror was unfolding in the dining hall, I sent Siobhan''s second-in-command, lieutenant Liam, to our private chambers to guard you with his life. After I''d seen my own husband banished from the castle, I had the gates shut tight then I rushed to check that you were safe. Instead, I found the bodies of your nurses scattered about the floor. One still lived, and in her dying breath she told me Liam had betrayed us. He killed them and took you."


    She sighed deeply then finished the story, "I and a dozen soldiers mounted horses and started searching. We located you and he at dawn, in the woods to the south. Liam stood in a meadow and held you in his arms. Before I could apprehend him, he pushed through the veil between worlds and was gone. There was no way to know where he had taken you. You were lost, but I never stopped searching, never gave up hope."


    After a few moments Maeve added, "I had everyone present at the castle that night, staff, guards, everyone, pledge an oath of secrecy. If others knew my child was lost, there would have been an endless stream of opportunists looking for you, for any number of terrible reasons."


    Kelly and I were silent through the whole story. I finally picked up my glass and had a sip of juice as it all slowly sank in. After a minute or two, I asked "How did you catch him?"


    Our junior-butler hadn''t returned, but Maeve got up and got the decanter herself then returned to her seat. She topped up her glass and set the decanter on the table.


    "I posted men to guard the meadow. I knew there was a chance that when he returned to Otherworld, he might arrive at the same place where he''d departed. As the days passed, the guards set up a camp, then the camp became a small garrison. Two years after he left, Liam re-appeared in that meadow. He was apprehended, and my soldiers brought him here. He has been in my dungeon ever since."


    By now Kelly had finished her own drink. She leaned over and grabbed the decanter and refilled her glass, then asked "What happened to Connor?"


    Maeve sighed deeply once again. "He''s still out there. The great forest to the west is his domain. It is somewhat safe during the day, but he hunts at night. He has resisted all efforts to capture or contain him, and I will not order him killed. So notices are posted, people are warned to avoid those woods. Still, there are several deaths every year."


    We were all quiet again for a few minutes, till I came up with another question. "Why''d that guy betray you? Why curse your husband, why kidnap me?"


    That led to another deep sigh from my fae mother. She finally replied, "I do not know why Liam betrayed us, but I do know who he betrayed us to. Her name is Eileen Ceallaigh, and she was once meant to be Connor''s bride."


    My eyes widened as that sank in.


    Maeve explained, "Connor''s and Eileen''s families arranged the marriage while both were young. It was purely for political gain, a union of two lesser houses that would be beneficial to both. Eileen was the fourth child in line of her family and an arranged marriage was her best option. Connor was a second son, and had slightly better prospects should some tragedy befall his older brother. Connor had no feelings for Eileen, though the pair had met numerous times. It would have been more like a business partnership than anything else."


    She drained her glass again then continued, "A decade before the marriage was to take place, Connor and I happened to meet. As they say, it was love at first sight. We were smitten with each other. Clann Br¨¢daigh has been wealthy, powerful, and popular for fifteen-hundred years. As its heir I was considered a prize catch for the parents of every unwed noble son in the realm. My parents didn''t need to worry about making arrangements, they didn''t need to worry about political gain, so I was in the unusual position of being free to follow my heart."


    There was a faint smile on her face now as she reminisced, "Connor and I had a whirlwind romance. Of course I knew his hand was already pledged to another, but there was no love in that direction, and he determined to break his family''s agreement and marry me instead. In normal circumstances that would be cause for his family to disown him. In this case, they publicly denounced his decision but privately supported it. After all, he''d be marrying into the Br¨¢daigh family, that was a much higher status than he''d ever dream of on his own or with the Ceallaigh house."


    She sighed once more, "Unfortunately, we all overlooked one critical detail. While Connor had no feelings for Eileen, apparently she loved him. And when he broke their marriage agreement to wed me instead, she vowed revenge upon us both."


    Maeve poured herself another drink, then said "Connor and I were married a little over a century ago. I was two hundred and fifty, he was two hundred and sixty-five. We lived here happily, and eventually forgot about Eileen and her threats. Twenty-five years ago, my mother passed away and I took her place as head of Clann Br¨¢daigh and Countess of Cathasaigh. Three years later you were born, and Eileen finally took her revenge upon our family."


    "Damn," I shook my head slowly.


    Kelly asked, "So that Liam guy, you don''t know why he did it? It couldn''t be for money, it sounds like you could pay him way more than Eileen. And you''ve had him in a dungeon for twenty years, and he''s still loyal to her after all that time? What kind of hold does she have over him?"


    Maeve frowned, "He''s never told me why. He''s held his secrets fast, despite some very enthusiastic ''questioning'' through the years."


    "Can''t you just use magic or something?" I asked. "Like I don''t know, I assumed there''d be some spells or something for reading minds, or getting the truth out of people, something like that?"


    The fae woman''s cheeks blushed slightly, "Such spells exist, of course." She gestured to the wall behind me, with bookcases covered in row after row of books. "We have hundred of books, describing thousands of spells. The sort of magic you refer to is dark, dangerous, and difficult to control. And alas, I am not the mage that my grandmother was."


    After a moment she realized neither Kelly or I would know that tale, so she elaborated.


    "Taralynn Br¨¢daigh was my grandmother, your great-grandmother. She built this place." Maeve gestured, meaning the castle around us. "She was both an expert swordswoman, and a mage of remarkable talent. It''s said she could learn spells after a single reading, and cast even the most challenging spell without tiring. She''s the one who brought fortune, power, and fame to Clann Br¨¢daigh."


    Maeve sighed, "My mother inherited Taralynn''s talent with the sword, but her command of magic was not so exceptional. And like my mother, I too am an expert swordswoman, and quite skilled with the bow as well. But with magic, my abilities are merely average."


    After a moment she added, "This is something I share with you both in confidence. My mother was always disappointed that neither herself nor I inherited Taralynn''s gift for magic."


    Kelly and I glanced at each other, and I asked, "You said she could learn a spell just by looking at it once. How long does it normally take, for someone to learn a new spell?"


    "It varies of course," Maeve replied. "Magical talent is not universal among fae. Those of us who do have it, will typically take a few days to a week of study to learn the basic spells. More complicated spells will take weeks or months to learn."


    Kelly kept her voice level, as she asked "So for example, a glamour spell. How long would it take someone to learn that? And once learned, how long would someone be able to hold a glamour in place?"


    "That one took me a few days to learn," Maeve replied with a shrug. "It was a few years before I''d mastered it though. According to my mother, being able to hold a glamour in place for three or four hours was about the best anyone could hope to achieve. Of course Taralynn could hold a glamour twice that long, if my mother''s stories were to be believed."


    Kelly glanced at me once more and I knew what she was thinking. She didn''t want me to say anything about my own magic experiences, at least not yet.


    Instead I asked Maeve "I know that Liam guy''s caused you a whole lot of grief, me as well, but maybe we should try again to get some more information out of him before you have him killed? If he''s been holding on to his secrets for twenty years, there must be more going on. Maybe there''s some different angle, something you''ve overlooked?"


    I added, "I don''t mean to sound disrespectful, it''s just, sometimes another set of eyes on a problem can see different solutions."


    She watched me for a few moments, then finally nodded slightly. "Very well, Tegan. I will speak with captain Siobhan and stay the execution, for now."


    She stood and added, "We''ll continue our conversations another time. If you''ll both wait here a few moments, a servant will come to guide you to your quarters. If there is anything else you need or desire, ask the servant and they will accommodate you. Good night Tegan, good night Kelly."


    With that, she walked out of the room and left the two of us alone.


    As soon as she was gone I was on my feet and checking out the bookcase she''d gestured at earlier.


    Kelly stood up and moved to join me. I''d already pulled out three books and was holding them in my arm as I searched for more.


    "What are you doing?" she asked quietly.


    I grinned, "Reading material. I''m sure she won''t mind."


    Kelly still seemed anxious, she whispered "I don''t think it''s a good idea to be stealing books, Tegan."


    "Not stealing," I replied. "Borrowing."


    I had a half dozen of them in my arms by the time the servant arrived. She looked a little older than Kelly, and was wearing a maid outfit.


    She sort of eyed the books in my arm but didn''t comment. She curtsied and said, "Lady Tegan, miss Kelly? I''m to escort you to your chambers, and take care of any needs you may have."


    "Thanks," Kelly said, and the two of us followed her out.


    We were taken to an entirely different room this time. Rather than a room in the tower, this was more like a suite or an apartment. The room was big and luxurious, and it had an attached bath room. In addition to a table and chairs by the windows there was also desk in one corner with pen, ink pot, and stationery. Finally there was a wardrobe against the wall, full of clothes sized to fit Kelly and I.


    On the table was a pitcher of water and another of that juice, I guess word got around that I liked it. There were also a couple glasses.


    Before she left, the girl indicated the bell cord next to the huge bed. "If you require anything during the night, just ring and I will attend."


    After that she left, and closed the door behind her. It wasn''t locked, we weren''t sealed in this time. Kelly sighed and sat on the bed, while I rooted around till I found some candles in the desk.


    I wound up at the table with some juice, a candle, and the six books I''d grabbed.


    PurpleCatGirl

 31. Calmed

    Kelly wound up getting undressed and into the large bed, and she was soon fast asleep. I was a little surprised, considering we''d only been up a few hours after sleeping an entire day. I chalked it up to the three or four drinks she''d had, and the stress she was dealing with.


    As for myself, I was wide awake and kind of wired at the prospect of reading all the books I''d grabbed. The enchanted necklace meant I could read Fae as well as speak it, and I spent most of the night sitting at the table studying.


    I took a break at one point to get out of the fancy dress, it was kind of uncomfortable and very not-my-style. I dug through the wardrobe in search of something relaxed and comfortable, and wound up wearing a sort of knee-length tea-dress. It might''ve been a nightshirt or something, I wasn''t sure. It was comfy though, especially without anything on underneath it.


    By the time my candle sputtered out I''d devoured one book and was about a quarter of the way through the second. I''d already learned a few useful new spells from that first book, and I decided to try using one of them rather than get another candle.


    A small globe of light appeared over the table and hung there like a tiny moon. The light it gave off had the same soft, cool tone as moonlight. It was kind of calming, but at the same time I let out an excited little giggle. I was proud of my little accomplishment. Then I turned my attention back to my books.


    I must have drifted off at some point, as I felt myself slowly nudged awake by my girlfriend''s hand on my shoulder.


    "Tegan. Hey Tegan," she said softly.


    My eyes fluttered open and I grumbled slightly. My back and neck hurt, I''d been hunched over with my head on the table.


    She scolded me quietly, "You should''ve gone to bed, silly."


    Kelly was still naked as she settled into the chair across from me. She poured herself a glass of juice and had a sip.


    Sunlight was streaming in the windows and our whole room was brightly lit. I rubbed my eyes and picked up my own half-empty glass and drank a few gulps, then stood up and stretched. I tried to work out some of the kinks in my neck and back, then sat back down with a grin.


    She asked "How late did you stay up reading?"


    "Not sure," I replied. There were four books in my ''done'' pile, the fifth was open on the table before me, and the sixth hadn''t been looked at yet. "I guess, four and a half books worth?"


    She rolled her eyes and had another sip of juice. Despite her spending the full night in bed, she actually didn''t look that rested. She still looked stressed.


    "I was thinking last night," I gestured towards the desk in the corner. "We could both write letters for our moms, and get Maeve to have them sent over. So our families know we''re ok?"


    Kelly frowned, "Do you think she''ll actually do it?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. "I think we can trust her. But it''ll be a good test I suppose, if she does it."


    Kelly sighed. She was definitely still stressed, and now she looked worried again too.


    "Hey," I said, trying to sound reassuring. "We''ll be ok. Things will be ok."


    She sighed again, then asked "How are you staying so calm through all this?"


    I shrugged slightly, "I don''t really know. I guess part of it is I''m sure Maeve isn''t going to hurt us."


    There was something else I wasn''t sure I wanted to admit yet, but I was starting to wonder if I felt so calm here because this was my family home. Even if that were true though, I still had no intention of staying.


    After a few moments I gave Kelly another confident smile and said "I know we''ll get home again. Don''t worry."


    "How can you be sure?" she asked, still sounding nervous.


    "Maeve told us last night, remember? There''s a meadow in the forest to the south. The ''wall'' between the worlds must be thinner there, that''s where Liam went across. So that''s where we''ll go, when it''s time to go home."


    Kelly sighed. "Neither of us knows how to do that, Tegan."


    I grinned and picked up the second book from my ''done'' pile. "I know how. That''s why I grabbed this book. It''s basically about fast-travel spells, both within a world, and between the worlds."


    "Fast travel?"


    "It''s like teleporting or whatever," I grinned.


    She frowned as she asked, "And you think you can do it? For real?"


    I set the book down and nodded, "I think maybe I''ve got a touch of Taralynn''s gift. I''ve learned about a dozen spells since last night. So yeah, I think I can get us home."


    Kelly looked thoughtful as she had a few gulps of her juice. Finally she asked, "Then why bother sending letters home? Why don''t we just leave, go home right now?"


    I sighed, "At dinner Maeve said it wasn''t safe for me on Earth. After what she told us last night, I understand why. That Eileen is probably still searching for me. I mean, if she just wanted me dead Liam could have killed me when I was a baby right? She wanted me alive but somewhere Maeve couldn''t find me, so she had Liam hide me on Earth. There''s got to be something else she has in store, and if we just go home now? Sooner or later she''ll find me. That puts you in danger, and my parents, and maybe even your sister and mom too."


    I shook my head, "So I think we need to deal with the situation once and for all. Figure out what her plan is, figure out what other secrets Liam is keeping, and fix it. Once the danger is gone, then I can go home."


    Kelly frowned as she listened. She still looked anxious, stressed.


    After another minute or so I suggested, "We could ask Maeve to send you home. You''re probably not in any danger if I''m not around. You could go home, see your sister and your mom, and let my mom know I''m ok. You don''t have to stay here Kelly."


    "No way." There was no hesitation as she shook her head. "I''m not leaving you here alone. We''ll stick together and figure it out. You''re right, facing the threat head-on is better than going home then looking over our shoulders forever."


    "Thanks Kelly," I smiled. "I''m sorry you got dragged into this, but I''m glad you''re here with me."


    She drained the last of her juice, then asked "So what sorts of spells have you learned?"


    I grinned and gestured at the books as I replied, "A handful of utility spells, the spell to get us home, some more defensive magic, and a couple combat spells."


    She frowned, "Combat spells?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. "Check this out."


    I turned and raised my right hand towards the fireplace as I murmured the words. Dark ripples bent the fabric of the air, as the spell surged between my fingertips and the fireplace, crossing the span of several meters in an instant. There was an explosion of sparks and flame as the logs and hot coals were suddenly ripped and splintered as if the whole lot had been dropped into a wood-chipper.


    "Holy shit!" Kelly gasped, eyes wide.


    I nodded, and with a sombre expression I said "I seriously hope I never actually need to use that on a living thing. But I figured, we''re in danger. It''d be stupid to ignore the possibility that we might need to fight for our lives."


    "Yeah," she nodded slowly. "I hope you never need to use that either. But honestly Tegan? I feel a little better knowing you could do it if you had to."


    She poured herself another glass of juice and said "Ok. I''m going to write a note to my mom, then I guess see about getting dressed. How about you?"


    I thought a moment, then decided "I''m going to finish reading this book I fell asleep to, then I''ll do a note for my mom as well. If they''ll let me, I''m comfy just wearing this for now. I don''t want to be bundled up in a tight fancy dress all day long, and there aren''t any jeans or t-shirts in the wardrobe."


    Kelly sighed, "It''s probably taboo or something for girls to wear pants."


    I grumbled, but worried she might be right.


    Kelly got up and took her juice over to the desk, and I picked up my book and continued reading. It was the book on combat magic, there were another couple spells in it I wanted to try and learn.


    It took me another hour or so to finish the book, and by then Kelly had written her letter, got washed up in the bathroom, then found something to wear. It was another dress but it looked more relaxed and comfortable than what she had on last night.


    As I set the book in my ''done'' pile she commented "I hope you''re not going to start on that last one. I''m getting hungry. I don''t know if they''ll come get us for breakfast, or if we''re supposed to ring for food, but either way I want to eat."


    "Ok Kelly," I smiled. "The last book can wait till later." I pulled on some underwear and my sandals, but didn''t bother with any additional clothes. I was comfortable like this for now.


    She pulled the bell cord as I moved to the desk. I wrote out a brief note to my mom, telling her I was safe but that I couldn''t get back home right away. I asked her not to worry, and promised to be in touch again as soon as possible.


    I was just finishing up when a maid arrived. She knocked once then entered and stood just inside the door. She wasn''t the same one from last night, but she was dressed in a similar outfit. She looked a little younger, more my age rather than Kelly''s. Though I realized I was still thinking in human-terms, all the people here were probably at least a hundred years older than Kelly and me.


    The maid curtsied and asked, "What may I do for you?"


    Kelly asked her, "What are the arrangements for breakfast? Can we get food brought to us here, or do we need to go to the dining room or something?"


    I added, "And when are we supposed to meet with Maeve again?"


    "I can bring breakfast to you both here, ma''am. And I will have word sent to Lady Maeve that you are both awake. She will likely send someone to inform you of the rest of the day''s plans."


    Kelly thanked her and the girl left, closing the door behind her.


    "That''s kind of convenient," Kelly commented, "But I also feel kind of guilty, you know? Like, if we knew where the kitchen was I could just go grab us some toast and coffee."


    "Do they even have coffee here?" I asked.


    Her eyes went wide, "Oh crap. I have no idea."


    Since we had more time to kill, I started reading the last book. This one wasn''t about spells as such, but it was a topic of personal interest to me. It was all about changelings. I was only interested in the first part of the book, that described the details, benefits and drawbacks. I didn''t need to know how to do it, what spells were involved. I wasn''t looking to do this to anyone else, I just wanted to know what it meant for me.


    The maid returned ten or twelve minutes later, carrying a large tray. There were fresh pitchers of juice and water and some clean glasses. There was a bowl of fresh fruit, a platter of freshly baked buns and pastries, and a couple little pots of jams, jellies, and honey. And two plates, and some napkins. She laid it all out on our little table, then took away the pitchers and glasses from last night.


    Finally she informed us that Maeve would send someone to collect us at around midday. Then she curtsied again and left us to our meal.


    Everything tasted amazing, and I was starting to get the feeling that would be a theme for our visit here. Maybe it was something about the place, like it was supposed to be a magical world, maybe all the food magically tasted fantastic.


    I kept reading as I ate, but after a few minutes Kelly commented "I thought you weren''t going to start that last book just yet. What sort of spells are you learning now?"


    I grimaced and set it aside. "Sorry Kelly. It''s not spells. It''s basically everything I didn''t really want to know about changelings but figured I should probably find out anyways."


    "Oh," she sighed. "Not a lot of good news, I expect?"


    "Not really," I shook my head. "I already guessed it wouldn''t end well for the human children that got replaced, but I didn''t think it would be quite like that."


    She obviously knew some of this already, as she sighed. "I''m sorry babe. Just remember, it''s not your fault. You didn''t do it, you didn''t ask for it."


    "I know," I sighed as well. "I''m just glad I was adopted, you know? It means the human kid I replaced wasn''t my parents actual son. And by the time the adoption happened, it was me rather than him? So they never had a human child that was lost. They always just had me. That''s about the only thing that makes it bearable."


    After that unhappy thought, the two of us finished our breakfast in silence.


    PurpleCatGirl

 32. Counselled

    "Of course," Maeve nodded. "It is easier to cross over at sunrise, I will have your letters sent tomorrow at dawn."


    Kelly looked happy to hear that, and I smiled "Thank you."


    The three of us were walking along the top of one of the castle walls, enjoying the fresh air and the mid-day sun. Maeve and several of the staff and guards were initially shocked at my scandalous lack of formal attire, but I told my fae-mother I was more comfortable like this than all bundled up tight in some fancy dress.


    I got the feeling though she''d be arranging for Kelly and I to talk with a dress-maker or something, so we could come to some arrangement where the two of us were comfortable, but also properly attired.


    The outer wall of the castle completely encircled the inner buildings, and passed through the tall towers. So we could tour all the way around the structure and get a view of the surrounding estate while we talked.


    There was sadness in her voice as Maeve pointed out the great forest to the west. We knew that''s where her husband, my biological father stalked at night. Then we saw the forest to the south. To the east and north it was mostly farmland. We could see a village to the east, and she told us there was another to the north, but it was a little too far to see from the castle wall.


    She mentioned, "This is all part of the Br¨¢daigh estate, by the way. Everything you can see from the castle, everything you can see from the top of the tallest tower."


    Kelly asked, "What does that mean, being part of the estate? Does that mean it belongs to you?"


    Maeve nodded, "Yes. In total it''s around forty-two thousand acres. Including the forests, the farmland, two villages, and there''s a lake to the south as well. It belongs to me, and some day it shall belong to Tegan."


    My eyes went wide and I had to fight to keep my jaw from hanging open.


    Kelly looked shocked too, but she recovered quicker. "Is that the whole ''Countess'' thing? You rule all this because you''re a Countess?"


    "No," Maeve shook her head. "This is just my personal estate. The title is because I am in charge of the county Cathasaigh, in which the Br¨¢daigh estate is located. The county is much much larger, over twenty thousand square miles, It is home to hundreds of villages and towns, and dozens of estates."


    Even Kelly was speechless for a few moments at that. Finally she asked, "And that''s all yours?"


    Maeve smiled, "No Kelly. I don''t own the county, I just rule it."


    We were all quiet again for a few moments as we continued our circumnavigation of the castle wall.


    Eventually Maeve commented, "I understand you''ve begun reading some of our books on magic, Tegan?"


    I blushed, "Uh, yeah. I hope that''s ok?"


    "Of course," she smiled. Then she sighed slightly, "Normally age twenty-two would be considered much too early for one to begin their magical studies, but your development was accelerated due to your time disguised as a human..."


    Kelly caught the sadness in Maeve''s voice and asked "Why is that a bad thing?"


    The fae woman sighed again, "As I''m sure you are aware Kelly, humans and fae age at different rates. Tegan''s physical growth and development occurred at a human pace while her disguise was in effect. To us here, she appears to be just past her first century."


    I figured Kelly didn''t know this part, but I''d read it this morning in that book. "It means my lifespan is shortened by that amount of time. That''s why changelings are usually recovered around age sixteen. That''s the trade-off. You can fast-forward your kid past the annoying childhood years, aging them at a human rate, but the cost is their lifespan is shortened by that amount of time, in fae-years."


    Maeve nodded sadly, "Every year Tegan remained concealed as a human, was costing her more and more years of later life."


    "Fuck," Kelly sighed.


    "It''s ok," I shrugged. "I mean, I grew up thinking eighty years was a full life. Telling me I might only reach a thousand instead of twelve-hundred is kind of meaningless."


    Maeve shook her head "There is another cost right now, Tegan. While you appear to be a fae just past her first century, you are far behind in what someone of your apparent age should know. Someone your age should have five decades of training behind them, with magic, the sword, the bow. And of course knowledge of our culture, our history, and..." she glanced at how I was dressed. "And other aspects of decorum. As it is, you''re uneducated in all those subjects, which puts you at a considerable disadvantage."


    She sighed once more, "People will look down on you, and some will take advantage."


    I grimaced, "Ok I don''t know anything about using a sword or bow. But Kelly''s started giving me lessons already in some of the other things. I know it''s not a lot, but I''ve had a couple months of training, including some magic."


    She looked at me with one of those patient smiles parents give their toddler. "I''m sure Kelly has given you a good primer Tegan, but that''s two months against fifty years. You have a long way to go yet. At this rate it may be another decade before you''re ready to start casting your first spells."


    I bit my lip and glanced at Kelly. From her expression I could tell she still wasn''t sure it was a good idea to let on I could work magic.


    This time Maeve caught the glances between us. Or perhaps she did last night as well but chose not to comment on it. She looked between us and asked, "What is it? You are obviously hiding something from me. I won''t demand you tell me, but I am asking."


    I decided a half-truth was better than trying to lie, and admitted "I can already work some magic. Kelly''s taught me a few spells. I can do a glamour, and a charm spell. And she taught me how to block some spells to defend myself, though I''ve only practiced that with her."


    Maeve looked surprised, "You''ve learned these spells, and you can cast them? Show me, please."


    I glanced at Kelly again, then cast a glamour. I wrapped myself in an illusion of Kelly, making myself look like a perfect double of my girlfriend.


    Maeve took a step back and stared, eyes wide. "It took me years to master that spell! How long have you been practicing this?"


    I shrugged, "She taught it to me about five weeks ago?"


    Even my voice came out sounding like Kelly''s. My girlfriend''s expression was a cross between a proud teacher and a slight cringe at seeing me mimicking her.


    I let the illusion flicker then vanish after only a minute or so.


    Maeve continued to stare at me for a few more moments, then finally said "Impressive. We still need to begin your other training though, Tegan. You need to learn swordsmanship, and we have to see if you''ve any aptitude for the bow."


    I sighed, "Maeve, you know I''m not planning on staying here, right? Kelly and I are both going to return to Earth. That''s our home."


    My fae-mother''s expression shifted to a sad frown. "I told you, it''s not safe for you there. I have no doubt Eileen has spies searching for you. If you return there, it''s only a matter of time before they find you."


    "I know. Kelly and I are going to stay and deal with the threat here, head on. Once that''s taken care of, we''ll go home when it''s safe."


    Maeve gave me another one of those condescending smiles. "That''s very ambitious of you both, but you don''t know the first thing about Eileen, or what she''s capable of. You don''t know where she lives, or how to get there. You know nothing of our culture, or the dangers you might face if you were to try and reach her."


    I sighed. "I get all that. But I also know you''ve got Liam in your dungeon, and I know there''s something keeping him loyal to her. And I suspect he''s got more secrets up his sleeve. If we can get him to talk, that''ll be the first step at figuring the whole thing out."


    Kelly added, "It''s worth a try, isn''t it? I mean, what''s the alternative? If we can''t find a way to defuse the situation with Eileen, what else could be done about her?"


    Maeve pursed her lips and frowned.


    After a few moments she stated, "I could raise an army and lay siege to her home. I could raise about five thousand fae within a fortnight, and be at her doorstep inside a month. She''d have very little time to prepare. It would take two to four months to crush her, and probably cost fifteen hundred dead and injured."


    Her tone was as hard as her expression. It was strange seeing this small attractive purple-haired woman talking about such a brutal and deadly subject.


    "The only reason I have not done so already over the past two decades, is that killing her wouldn''t have brought back either my child or my husband. And after I destroyed Eileen, her family would undoubtedly declare war on me. That would draw in other noble families in the region. While I am confident of victory, it would likely take a further five years for the conflict to run its course, and the loss of life could reach into tens of thousands."


    She shook her head, "It would destabilize this part of the realm and it would be a black mark on our family name. That is why I''d rather focus my attention on my child''s education and training. Once you have the skills and knowledge to protect yourself Tegan, Eileen and her spies will no longer be a danger to you."


    Kelly and I were both shocked, and kind of pale after hearing all that. It certainly made a few things clear to me. I had to stop thinking of Maeve and other fae by the ages they appeared to my human-raised eyes. Maeve was something like three hundred and fifty years old now, and her rank and titles weren''t just for show. She obviously knew about strategy and warfare, and she also had the wisdom to know it wasn''t worth the cost.


    It occurred to me that maybe I should just let her know what my magic skills really were. Otherwise I might wind up being stuck here a few decades regardless, if she wasn''t willing to let me leave till I''d been ''properly trained''.


    After a few moments thinking things over, I said to Maeve "Ok. I think me and Kelly need to talk about our situation and figure out what we''re going to do. If you could have those letters sent to Earth in the morning and delivered to Kelly''s family, we''d really appreciate it."


    Maeve nodded, "Of course Tegan. I understand this is all a significant shock to you both. Take all the time you need. If you require anything, just ask and the servants will accommodate you. And if you wish to speak with me, tell them and they''ll let me know."


    With that, she left Kelly and I as she went off to do whatever it is fae Countesses do with their time. I assume running an enormous castle and estate, and a whole county, probably took up at least some of her day.


    Kelly and I were still unfamiliar with the layout of the castle, but we wandered around and eventually managed to find our way back to our suite.


    We sat down together at the little table. She was looking uncertain again and I sighed.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to just go home?" I asked, watching her expression. "It sounds like even following our plan and trying to face Eileen head-on could take a long time. There''s no need for you to be stuck here. I mean..." I felt my stomach twist slightly as I said it, "It sounds like this could take months. Or maybe even years..."


    Kelly took a deep breath, then let out a deep sigh.


    "Let''s give it a week or two." She gave me a sad look. "I want to stick with you Tegan. But I''m not sure I''m ready to spend years here. We might have a better idea what we''re up against in a week or two. Then... I guess I''ll have to re-think things."


    PurpleCatGirl

 33. Chanced

    We didn''t actually see Maeve much over the next several days. Kelly and I assumed she was busy managing her estate or running her county or whatever.


    Instead, we busied ourselves with learning as much as we could. We''d spent a few hours a day wandering around the huge castle, exploring the various rooms and halls, or walking about the outer walls, or getting fresh air in the courtyard or atop the towers. There were only a few places we weren''t allowed to go, which included the dungeon and the section where Maeve''s private chambers were located.


    Most of our time was actually spent reading. We''d spend hours every day either in our room or in the study. I mostly focused on books about magic, as I was eager to learn as many spells as I could, and also to understand the basic fundamentals or whatever, like how magic worked and what made it go.


    Kelly meanwhile read up on geography first, to get a feel for the landscape. Mainly she wanted to know the layout of the realm, where Maeve''s castle was in relation to Eileen''s home, that sort of thing.


    We''d also had a couple encounters with a seamstress, which I kind of thought might happen. It took some explaining, but me and Kelly eventually managed to describe what sort of clothes we''d be comfortable in.


    And so, eight days after Kelly and I first woke up here, we found ourselves once again in Maeve''s study, sitting by the fire as we continued reading.


    Kelly was dressed in a pair of tight black trews instead of skinny jeans, and a loose short-sleeved green blouse rather than a t-shirt. I wore soft purple hose in lieu of leggings, and a small pink cotton dress took the place of an oversized top. We both had soft leather shoes which were nearly as comfortable as sneakers.


    I had a sip of juice and commented, "I think I''m going to have to tell Maeve the truth, about how I''m learning magic."


    Kelly sighed, "I was hoping we could avoid that. It feels like it''s the one ace up our sleeve in this whole situation, you know?"


    "I know," I frowned. "But she''s been dragging her feet the past three days about letting us talk with the prisoner. I think that''s because she thinks he''ll attack us or something. Like, she thinks we can''t handle him? I have a feeling this is the only way she''s going to let us interview him."


    I added, "It might also be the only way I can convince her it''s safe to let me go back home to Earth. And I''m positive it''s the only way we''ll convince her we can deal with Eileen."


    Kelly nodded slowly. After a few moments she asked, "What if even that doesn''t convince her? What if she just keeps stalling, to keep you here indefinitely? She might not want you to leave at all, Tegan."


    I sighed, and leaned closer and brought my lips to her ear. I whispered, "If it comes to that, then we''ll just go. I''m pretty sure I can get us to the edge of the south forest. If we went at night, straight from our room, we could disappear into the woods and try to find that meadow. Then come dawn, we slip back home. They won''t even know we''ve gone till morning when they realize our room''s empty."


    I could see the concern on her face. I couldn''t blame her, I knew it was risky. I wasn''t going to stay here as a prisoner though. My mind was made up on that point. Either we followed our plan then went home, or we abandoned the plan and went home early. But either way, me and Kelly would be going back to Earth.


    She finally nodded, "Ok Tegan. How do you want to break the news to her?"


    "I''ll ask her to come join us here, then we''ll talk in private. I''ll show her some of what I''ve learned, and see what she says."


    Kelly nodded again, and I went to the bell-cord and gave it a tug.


    A minute or so later one of the young butler-guys showed up, and I told him "Please ask Lady Maeve if she could join Kelly and I in the study some time today?"


    He bowed, "Yes m''lady." Then he went off to deliver the message.


    Kelly and I returned to our reading again for now.


    About an hour or so later, Maeve turned up at the study and joined us. A servant followed shortly after carrying a tray of refreshments. There was wine for Maeve and Kelly, juice for me, and a small platter of meats and cheeses, a bowl of fruit, some vegetables, and some bread.


    After the refreshments were set out, I asked the guy to leave so the three of us could talk in private.


    Maeve was surprised, and after the butler had left she commented "All of my staff are trustworthy, Tegan. There is nothing to be feared, speaking openly before them."


    I shrugged, "I don''t mean to be disrespectful, but Liam was one of your staff until he betrayed you."


    Her expression darkened slightly but she accepted my observation. "What is it that you wished to discuss, that is so delicate?"


    Kelly still looked a little apprehensive, and to be fair I was feeling a little anxious as well. I honestly had no idea how Maeve would take it when I told her the truth. I was hoping she''d be pleased or impressed, but I worried she might find some way to turn it against me. Like instead of accepting that I could look after myself, maybe she''d think I was some precious jewel that needed to be protected at all costs.


    Maeve kept her eyes on me, and raised an eyebrow as I stood up and moved to the door. I swung it closed, then returned to my seat next to Kelly.


    I asked, "So you know Kelly and I have been doing a lot of reading over the past week?"


    She nodded, "Of course. I understand you have quite the interest in spells and magic. I wish you''d allow me to arrange a tutor and begin some actual training, rather than wasting time just reading books of spells. I''m sure it''s fascinating for you, but without the proper training those books are of little use."


    I glanced at Kelly again, then looked back at Maeve. "The thing is, I don''t need the training, or the tutor. I''ve learned a bunch of new spells over the past week."


    Maeve gave me another one of those patient condescending smiles, "Tegan just memorizing words does not mean you know how to cast a spell. You''ve been here but a week, if you''d focused on a single spell you might have learned it by now. But you''ve been wasting your time just reading book after book."


    I smiled, and gestured to her wine glass on the table before her as I worked the spell. Frost formed on the glass as the wine inside froze solid. I turned and gestured at the study door, and worked another spell. There was a sound like stone scraping against stone, as the walls and floor seemed to flow like cement, spawning new blocks of stone which quickly covered over the doorway, sealing the three of us inside the study.


    And finally I pointed at the fireplace, and worked that combat spell I''d demonstrated for Kelly. I pushed it a little harder this time. Not only were the logs and coals shredded into splinters and sparks, but the metal grate beneath was mangled and broken, and even some of the bricks in the firebox were cracked and shattered.


    I''d picked those three spells as I figured they demonstrated a good cross-section of skills. The trick with the wine was actually a really simple water-manipulation spell. The one with the stone was probably the most difficult of the three, and I thought that would show Maeve I was capable of doing more than just parlour tricks. And the combat spell was to prove I could dish out some violence if necessary.


    There were some even-more advanced spells I''d learned but I didn''t want to show Maeve everything. Kelly made a good point about keeping some tricks up our sleeves, and I figured all this might be enough to show my fae-mother that I had some talent beyond her expectations.


    Maeve sat completely silent, her eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Finally she shook her head slightly and whispered, "This is impossible!"


    She looked at me, her eyes still wide with shock. "How have you done all this?"


    I relaxed in my chair and replied, "I don''t really know, but my guess is my great-grandmother''s gift skipped a couple generations. You said she could learn a spell just by reading it? And she could cast advanced spells without tiring?" I gestured around the room, "I''ve done nothing but read spell books for a week, Maeve. And I did these spells without tiring."


    Maeve slumped back in her seat. She looked stunned, as she glanced around the room again. Finally she leaned forward and reached for her drink, then grimaced as she realized it was still frozen solid.


    "Sorry," I apologized, then dispelled the magic on it. The glass and its contents immediately thawed.


    My fae-mother drank it in one gulp, then set the glass back down. She shook her head slowly and in a quiet voice asked, "You can truly learn a spell by reading it once?"


    "Nah," I shook my head. "It takes me a few goes, I have to read it a couple times to get my head around it. Maybe fifteen or twenty minutes? It''s not instant. I''m sure I''m not really as powerful as Taralynn, but maybe I''ve got a bit of that gift."


    Maeve frowned, "Tegan you are three months shy of your twenty-third birthday, and you''ve just demonstrated magical prowess that most fae mages wouldn''t achieve after two centuries. Even Taralynn herself didn''t truly come into her talents until well into her second century."


    We were all quiet for a few moments after that.


    Finally she looked at me and asked, "What are your intentions? What do you want of me?"


    "Kelly and I want to meet the prisoner," I replied. "We want to have a conversation with Liam, and see what information we can get out of him."


    Maeve frowned, "You still hope to confront Eileen and somehow resolve things with her? Or do you mean to destroy her?"


    I glanced at my girlfriend. I wasn''t actually sure about that part.


    Kelly answered, "We won''t know how we''ll deal with her, until after we''ve got as much as we can from Liam. There must be more to her plan. She had Tegan hidden on Earth for a reason, maybe Liam knows what that reason is."


    Maeve poured herself another drink. She had a deep sip, then sighed "Obviously you knew I was reluctant to let you confront the prisoner, I was worried for your safety. I assume this demonstration was to prove to me that you believe you''re able to look after yourself?"


    I nodded, "That''s what I was hoping, yes."


    Maeve looked thoughtful as she sipped her drink. She stayed quiet for a few minutes, then finally drained her glass again. She looked at Kelly and me and said, "Very well. I will speak with captain Siobhan and make arrangements. You will have your time with Liam tomorrow morning, with the captain present." She added, "You were wise to ensure we had this discussion in private. Keep your gift secret for now, Tegan. I trust Siobhan with this, but no-one else."


    "I understand. Thank you." I turned to where the entrance was and dispelled the magic there. The stones shifted and retracted into the wall and floor, revealing the doorway and the door again.


    With both the demonstration and the conversation over, Maeve stood and exited. I think she was still a bit stunned after all of that.


    After she was gone, I looked to Kelly and asked "So, that went ok I guess?"


    "Yeah," she sounded a little uneasy. "I hope so. She was definitely impressed. I just hope she doesn''t decide you''re a threat or something."


    I sighed, "Me too. I''m pretty sure we can trust her though."


    PurpleCatGirl

 34. Crushed

    In the morning, Kelly and I had breakfast in our room again. Then we got dressed and waited for captain Siobhan.


    We both did some more reading while we waited. I was reading a book about curses, how to cast them and how to break them. Kelly started reading the book on combat magic. She didn''t want to hurt people any more than I did, but we both figured it was a good idea for her to pick up some of those spells just in case.


    It was about mid-morning when the captain finally came knocking at our door.


    "We have the prisoner ready for you," she said, as she led us both down to a lower level of the castle. "He''s been placed in an interrogation cell. He is partially restrained, it will be safe for you both as long as you don''t stray too close to him."


    She led us down into an area of the castle neither of us had been allowed into before. It looked more like a cellar than a dungeon, and I suspected there were more levels below this one that were increasingly uncomfortable.


    Siobhan brought us to a sturdy wood door. She paused there and advised, "Lady Maeve has ordered that I remain with you both, for your safety."


    "Thanks," I said. "Before we go in, what can you tell us about Liam? He used to be your lieutenant right? He worked with you?"


    She scowled slightly. She wasn''t unhappy with me, but it was the memory of the betrayal that upset her. "He was originally Lord Connor''s bodyguard. When Lady Maeve married Connor, Liam was installed as my second. I wasn''t given the option of declining, he was granted that rank as a nodd to his years of service with Lord Connor."


    She continued, "He was an adequate soldier, but was unhappy taking orders from me. I also found he was disrespectful to Lady Maeve, but he was careful not to let either her or Connor witness him speaking out against her. Nonetheless, none of us had any sense he''d betray either of them. I believed he was an honourable man, and still loyal to Lord Connor."


    "Thank you captain." I looked at the door then sighed, "Ok. Let''s get this over with."


    Siobhan nodded and led us into the cell.


    It was about four meters long, three meters wide. Liam was standing at the far end, in about the same condition he was when Kelly and I first saw him. He was clothed in old, well-worn trousers and a tunic, shackles and chains on his ankles and wrists, and a metal ring around his neck.


    Now there was a chain from his neck back to another ring bolted to the wall behind him, like a short leash. It was long enough that he could move around, but it kept him to that half of the room. As long as me and Kelly stayed on this side, he couldn''t touch us.


    Once the three of us were in the room, Siobhan closed the door then stood there quietly. She kept her eyes on the prisoner, but otherwise I figured she''d keep quiet and out of the way.


    When we first saw Liam, he acted cocky. Now he seemed angry. He sneered at us and said, "Well well. If it isn''t little Tegan, come to talk with her uncle Liam."


    Except he didn''t say ''Tegan'', or ''her''. He used my deadname, and said ''his''.


    My blood ran cold and I just stood there staring at him, stunned. Kelly''s eyes went wide and she glanced at me, a concerned look on her face.


    My mind was reeling, and not just because he''d called me by a name I''d hoped to never hear again. I was shocked that he even knew it at all. It wasn''t the name I''d been given at birth. It was the name my parents gave me when they adopted me, and that didn''t happen till about six months after I was born.


    It meant Liam had been following me and keeping track of me for months after he made the swap. It meant he knew who my adoptive parents were. He probably even knew where my parents lived, they were still in the same house now that I grew up in. If Maeve''s people hadn''t captured him when he returned to Otherworld, Liam probably would have given all that information to Eileen once he was back.


    Liam was watching me with a little smirk on his face, and no doubt he saw the mix of emotions go over my face as I stood there reeling.


    The silence was broken by captain Siobhan, as she strode forward and drove her knee deep into his gut. She shoved him backwards and left him on the floor, gasping for air as she growled, "Show some respect. You address her as Lady Tegan."


    The soldier then returned to her place standing behind and to the side of Kelly and I.


    We were both shaken by the display of physical violence, but it also jolted me out of my shock. Once Liam had caught his breath, I said "Liam, we know you''re holding on to some secrets. Now''s your chance to talk."


    Kelly added, "Tell us what hold Eileen has over you. Why did you betray Maeve and Connor?"


    Liam struggled to his feet and scoffed, "I''ve nothing to say to a human-fae halfbreed and a changeling child. Fuck off the both of you, and send me back to my cell."


    I sighed, "The only reason your head''s still attached to your neck is I asked Maeve to stay your execution."


    "So what?" he scowled at me. "You think that means I owe you something? You think I should be grateful, because you bought me another week, or month, or year in your momma''s dungeon?"


    He spat on the floor at my feet, "You think you''re something special now that you''ve emerged from your human shell, but you''re nothing. You''ll always be tainted by what I did to you. Call yourself Tegan, call yourself a girl, but you''ll never forget who and what you really are, boy!"


    He used my deadname again, but it didn''t shock me as much this time. It annoyed me though, and I''m sure he knew it. I''m sure that''s why he kept using it, why he kept misgendering me.


    Once again Siobhan strode forward. This time she planted her knee deep into his groin, then shoved him back against the wall. His head struck the stone with a thud that made me wince, then he slumped down to lay curled up on the floor for the next five or six minutes.


    While we waited for him to recover I turned to Siobhan and said softly, "I appreciate your help, but please leave him to me from now on."


    The captain didn''t look happy, but she nodded slightly "Yes m''lady."


    Eventually Liam climbed to his feet again.


    Before he could talk I asked, "Why are you so determined to act like an irredeemable ass? Why do you hate me so much? I''ve never done anything to you, I don''t even know you."


    He scowled, "I hate you because of who and what you are, boy. You''re hers. That''s reason enough." He used my deadname again, and I''m sure Siobhan would have put him down once more if I hadn''t already asked her not to.


    I had my teeth clenched as I glared back at him. The way he insisted on using my deadname and kept misgendering me reminded me of everything that I''d missed out on. The childhood I should have had, the experiences of growing up as a girl. Only it wasn''t random chance that cost me those things. It was him.


    He did that to me, he trapped me in a guy''s body, and now he was rubbing it in my face. It reminded me of schoolyard bullies, who''d knock down smaller kids then make fun of them for falling. I hated bullies back then, and I still hated them now. The difference was now I had ways of dealing with them.


    Kelly was watching me quietly. I knew she was worried about what I was feeling, how I was dealing with Liam''s taunts and goading. She was probably worried about what I was going to do. We''d already agreed not to mess with mind-magic, it was too dark, too-slippery a slope.


    I''d originally planned something else, but Liam''s transmisia had me angry enough I decided to go in a different direction. I knew it was something he definitely wouldn''t see coming.


    I glared at him, "You seem to delight in reminding me of the twenty-two years I spent as a human man, thanks to you. Since two decades in the dungeon has done nothing to reform you, perhaps we should give you a taste of your own medicine. Two decades growing up as a human girl might teach you something."


    Liam flashed us a cocky smile, "You''re bluffing, boy. Even if you found someone capable of working that spell, I know you''d never sacrifice an innocent human child just for the satisfaction of stranding me on Earth as a changeling."


    "I never said anything about making you a changeling," I stated. "There''s magic that can just straight-up transform you."


    Liam laughed, though there was no joy in it. Just a bitter, mocking sound.


    "You''ve been dazzled by the legends boy, if you think your momma can work that sort of spell. Maeve might have the Br¨¢daigh name, but she''s no Taralynn. I''ve known her over a century, I know her magic''s nothing special. Assuming she''s even capable of casting a transformation spell, the best she could manage would bring me a few days of temporary inconvenience. Try again, boy."


    Kelly grew more tense as she stood next to me. I''m sure she realized what going to happen, but I also figured she knew how angry he''d made me.


    I fixed my glare on him and stated, "I know Maeve''s magic skills are no match for those of Taralynn. But you''re forgetting something, Liam. Maeve isn''t the only Br¨¢daigh here."


    "You?!" he scoffed, holding back another laugh. "You''re barely out of diapers, little boy."


    I just scowled at him as I raised hand toward him and cast the spell.


    Liam laughed outright, "You can''t work magic. You -"


    His voice cut out as I''m sure he saw the flash in my eyes. I saw it reflected in his own eyes as the spell struck him, right before he vanished in a swirl of shimmering light.


    When it faded a few seconds later, Liam had indeed been transformed.


    Before us now stood a small skinny waif of a girl. She looked about fifteen years old. Her long messy black hair hung down past her shoulders and her dark eyes were wide with shock. The shackles had fallen away, her small hands easily slipped through the cuffs. The iron collar remained around her neck though, keeping her tethered to that side of the room. The trousers had also slipped off of her, they were pooled on the floor around her feet. Her tunic now hung like a short dress on her little body.


    Liam trembled as he looked down at himself, his mouth hung open in shock as he took in his small girlish features. After a few seconds, I saw his lips moving as he tried to recite a spell. I knew he was trying to dispell the magic I''d just used on him, but it didn''t work. He was human now, he had no way to access fae magic.


    I glanced to either side, and saw both Kelly and Siobhan staring wide-eyed at the prisoner. Kelly looked uncomfortable and tense, the captain appeared stunned.


    I looked back at Liam as he looked up at me. That actually felt a little weird for me, to be honest. It was probably the first time in almost three months someone had to look up at me, usually it was the other way around.


    Liam gulped and asked, "How -"


    He gasped at the sound of his voice. It was small, timid, and high-pitched.


    He gulped again, "How did you do this? How long before it wears off?"


    I replied calmly, "I''m Tegan Br¨¢daigh, great-granddaughter of Taralynn. That''s how I did it, Liam."


    After a second I added, "And this won''t wear off. I could reverse it... But otherwise? This is you, for the rest of your short human life."


    Liam''s eyes widened further and his face went even more pale. He trembled again as he looked down at himself once more.


    I watched him for another half minute, then stated "I''ve only dialled your age back about halfway, so we can still talk. If you don''t want to talk though, I can turn you all the way back to an infant. Then we''ll ship you off to Earth and let the humans deal with you. Maybe in a decade or two I''ll check up on you, and see if you''re ready to answer some questions."


    He trembled once more, then finally looked up at me again. He sounded scared as he half-whispered, "What do you want to know?"


    PurpleCatGirl

 35. Conspired

    Liam pretty much answered every question Kelly and I had for him after his transformation. I think he was in shock for most of it, and once my anger faded I felt kind of bad about what I''d done. Still, even though he seemed willing to tell us everything, we knew there was a possibility he was still holding something back, or he could have been mixing some lies in with the truth.


    That was almost two hours ago, now Siobhan and Kelly and me were back in the study with Maeve. Me and Kelly were telling my fae-mom what we''d learned from the prisoner, while Siobhan just stood there quietly next to the table. The guard captain still looked a little uneasy, and she hadn''t said much since we''d left Liam in the cell.


    Refreshments had been left on the table for us, and the study door was closed once again. No servants were present, so we could speak freely.


    "If you hadn''t left people guarding that meadow, Liam would have gone to Eileen and given her all the details," I told Maeve quietly. "Then when I was sixteen, she''d have had some people dressed up like your soldiers turn up and kill my human parents, while Liam ''rescued'' me and brought me to Otherworld, to deliver me to her."


    Kelly took over, "Liam said the plan was to tell Tegan that it was you and Connor who''d abandoned her on Earth as a human. Then Eileen would have trained Tegan in magic and swordplay, and Tegan would have been taught to hate you. Eileen wanted to turn her against you, and she''d have used mind-control magic on Tegan to ensure she loathed you. Then when Tegan was skilled enough to pose a threat, Eileen would have sent her here to challenge you."


    I sighed, "Basically Eileen wanted to arrange it so you''d be forced to either kill me, or let me kill you. Same as the situation with Connor, she hoped you''d be forced to destroy him yourself."


    Maeve was clenching and unclenching her jaw as she listened to Kelly and I. Finally she took a deep breath and sighed, "Thank the Gods my soldiers were there when he returned. I still regret not finding you sooner Tegan, but I''m grateful that Kelly and her family found you and helped you."


    After a few moments she frowned again and asked, "Did you learn how Liam was able to work those spells? He''s no more skilled at magic than I am."


    I replied, "It was mostly Eileen''s doing. She supplied him with an enchanted ring that allowed him to cross worlds, and an enchanted knife that he used to perform the changeling spell once he had me on Earth. And a cursed gemstone was used to deliver the hex to Connor. Liam said it was crushed and hidden in Connor''s food at the Imbolc feast."


    Kelly added, "Liam said he was stuck on Earth for two years because there''s less magic there, so it took the ring that long to recharge before he could work the spell again and come back to Otherworld.


    Maeve had a gulp of wine and sighed, "I knew Eileen was skilled with magic, but I didn''t realize she was that talented. Although, I suppose she had a century to prepare."


    She had a thoughtful frown on her face, then asked "Did you find out why Liam betrayed us? What hold Eileen has on him, that led him to conspire with her to destroy us?"


    Kelly replied, "He did it for love." She sighed then explained, "Eileen knew Connor had no feelings for her. She tried to win him over, as you said they met several times over the years. Her efforts had no effect on Connor, but she wound up impressing his bodyguard instead. As she and Connor continued meeting regularly, she became less enamoured with him and more involved with his bodyguard, Liam."


    I continued the tale, "They began to make plans. When Eileen and Connor were wed, like you said it''d be more like a business partnership. They''d be married in name only. But it would also allow Liam and Eileen to be together. Connor''s and Eileen''s families would be pleased with the union, Liam and Eileen would be happy together. It seemed like everything would be perfect."


    Kelly sighed, "But then you and Connor fell in love, he broke his family''s agreement and wed you instead. And suddenly Eileen was faced with the betrayal of her husband, and the loss of her lover. Their perfect plans were dashed. To Eileen it felt like a double-betrayal. Not only was her marriage cancelled, but her lover was taken from her as well. Liam was bound to Connor and forced to work here as one of your soldiers."


    Maeve sighed deeply, "I see." She had another sip of wine, then glanced at the captain. "Where is the prisoner now?"


    Siobhan replied "He...she...he is still in the interrogation cell. At Lady Tegan''s request, I''ve had a cot placed in the room, and the prisoner has been provided bread and water. I have two guards posted outside the door, but they are under strict orders not to open it unless I am present."


    My fae-mom looked back towards me and asked, "What you said about the magic you used on Liam, was that true?"


    I sighed, "You mean, is it really permanent? Did I really make him a human girl?"


    She nodded, and I answered "Sort of. It''s not exactly what I told Liam, although the effect is the same. It won''t reverse on its own, but I can undo it. And I will, I''m not going to leave him like that forever."


    "I honestly didn''t know such magic existed," Maeve said softly.


    I grimaced slightly. "Like I said, I lied a little about how I made it work. I played on Taralynn''s legend and let him believe I was as powerful as her. As for how I did it..."


    I was about to mention something from computer scripting, like getting a function caught in an endless loop so it never returned. But I realized Maeve wouldn''t understand any part of that reference, so instead I used something she would know.


    "It''s basically a curse where the revocation trigger is impossible. The spell becomes forever because the exit condition can never exist. I kind of intentionally broke magic slightly to make the spell effectively permanent."


    Kelly added, "Speaking of curses... There''s one other thing Liam told us. About Connor''s condition."


    I nodded, "He told us how to break the curse."


    Maeve''s eyes went wide and she gasped. She took a few deep breaths as a bunch of emotions flashed across her expression. Her voice sounded urgent, eager as she asked "What is it? How do we lift the curse?!"


    Siobhan sighed and shook her head slightly as I replied softly, "It''s me. That was Eileen''s back-up plan. If Connor tastes my blood, his curse will be broken and he''ll be freed."


    Kelly added in a sad tone, "According to Liam, Eileen figured if all else failed that might drive Connor mad, when he realized he''d killed his own child."


    Maeve looked stunned, her face pale again. I''m sure she was feeling some emotional whiplash, one moment thinking she could have her husband back, the next moment realizing what that reunion would cost her. Then her eyes flashed with anger and she growled, "That''s beyond evil!"


    She was grinding her teeth again, and from the angry look in her eyes I began to worry she was ready to start a war after all.


    I said to her, "Try not to get too upset, ok? We can find a way to fix this."


    "How?!" Maeve demanded, the outrage in her eyes was reflected by the tone of her voice.


    I tried to sound calm as I replied, "From the sound of it, breaking the curse doesn''t actually require me to die. Liam said he just needs to taste my blood, not that he has to have it all. We just have to figure out a way to get him to ''taste it'' without letting him actually kill me."


    All three of them were frowning at me know, Kelly and Maeve both looked worried.


    I added, "I don''t know yet how we''ll do it, I''m just saying there''s got to be a way. We''ll figure it out."


    Maeve was quiet again for a few minutes as she let all this sink in. She sipped her wine as she stared thoughtfully at the fire.


    Finally she looked to me and asked, "What course of action would you recommend, for the architects of our family''s misery? What would fate would you choose for Liam, and for Eileen? You could leave Liam in his current state, that seems like a just reward for everything he''s done to you. As for Eileen... Right now I''d like to see her head on a pike for what she had planned for us all. But perhaps you have a more devious end in mind for her?"


    I sighed. I had a feeling she wouldn''t like what I was about to suggest.


    After a brief hesitation, I took a deep breath and said "Before passing judgement on Liam or Eileen, I want to try and restore Connor. Once he''s back and you two are reunited, then I''ll reverse my magic on Liam and restore him to normal. I would release Liam, and send him to Eileen. I''d also send a letter to Eileen, either before or after freeing Liam. I''d tell Eileen that we''re prepared to forgive and forget, if she agrees to do the same."


    The next few moments, all four of us were completely silent. Maeve stared at me, looking stunned. Kelly looked nervous but proud. And Siobhan''s expression was slightly pensive.


    Finally Maeve shook her head, she sounded incredulous as she asked "After everything they''ve done to us? After all the suffering and pain Liam caused you? You''d release him? You''d forgive Eileen?"


    "Yes," I nodded. "They''ve suffered as well. They''ve been kept from each other for over a hundred years. And Liam''s spent the last twenty years in chains, and worse. I''m not taking one side over another, but from how you explained it, the rift was originally caused because Connor broke his family''s agreement. If we can get Connor back for you, then I think we need to send Liam to Eileen."


    Maeve sat back in her chair and stared at the table. She appeared to be lost in thought again, as she considered my words.


    Finally, in a quiet voice she commented "I never met my grandmother. Taralynn died before I was born. All I have of her are the stories my mother told me, and the tales I''ve heard from others who spoke of her."


    She looked at me and stated softly, "I think she''d have liked you, Tegan. I''ve already told you she was a powerful mage and an expert swordswoman. She was also kind and just, and fair. She''s the reason our family has power and wealth, but she''s also the reason we''re popular and well-liked."


    She sighed once more, then finally stated "I need to think about everything you two have told me. I need a few days to process all of this, before I can make any decisions."


    "Ok," I nodded. I didn''t now what else to say.


    Kelly added, "Thank you for listening, and for considering what Tegan''s suggested."


    Maeve drank the last of her wine then set the empty glass on the table. She stood and moved to the door, but paused there. Looking toward the guard captain, she said "Siobhan, please see that the prisoner is well-treated. If we are ultimately to release him, let''s ensure that his remaining time here is not so unpleasant."


    "Yes m''lady," the captain bowed slightly.


    I watched as Maeve opened the door then quietly left the study. Siobhan followed, I assumed she was going to pass on the orders about looking after Liam.


    For the next few minutes, Kelly and I sat quietly together. I was still thinking about the possibility of saving Connor, reversing his curse so he and my fae-mom could be reunited.


    I wasn''t sure what was on Kelly''s mind. I hoped she hadn''t been too freaked out by any of this stuff. I knew it was a lot, between confronting Liam then using magic on him, to the answers he gave us, and finally our discussion about what to do next.


    Eventually she broke the silence as she quietly asked "Hey, babe?"


    "Yeah Kelly?" I looked up at her. She didn''t sound upset or shocked, just quiet.


    She was watching me closely as she said, "When we were with Liam, just after you put that spell on him? You called yourself Tegan Br¨¢daigh. Not Tegan Vale. And you said you were Taralynn''s grand-daughter. You sounded really... I don''t know, you sounded almost proud about it."


    She paused, still watching me. "Does that mean you''re starting to embrace your fae heritage, or accept your fae family?"


    I frowned as I thought it through. "When I said that, I was making the point to Liam that I wasn''t just some changeling brat. And I wanted him to believe I had Taralynn''s gift, to play up the legend."


    After a second or two I added, "I''m not turning my back on my folks back home. And I''m not planning on staying here. This isn''t my home, Maeve and Connor aren''t my parents. But I suppose they are family... Maybe I''ll start calling myself Tegan Vale Br¨¢daigh? Or Tegan Vale of the Clann Br¨¢daigh? I don''t really know."


    Kelly smiled and said, "I think ''Lady Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh'' has a nice ring to it."


    PurpleCatGirl

 36. Consulted

    Three days had passed since we interrogated Liam then spoke with Maeve. I''m sure my fae-mom had a lot to think about, but it was a little disconcerting that we''d heard nothing at all since then. So we passed the time with our now-familiar routine. We took daily walks around the castle, and spent most of our time reading. We took our meals in our room, or in the study.


    Me and Kelly were in our little suite just finishing lunch, when there was a knock at our door. Having someone knock during our meal was unusual, the servants typically left plenty of time after dropping off food, before they came back to collect the dishes.


    Kelly and I looked at each other then I called towards the door, "Yes? Come in?"


    Captain Siobhan entered, then frowned "My apologies Lady Tegan, miss Kelly. I did not realize I was interrupting your meal."


    "It''s ok," I replied. "We were just about done. What''s up?"


    The captain replied, "The prisoner has requested an audience with you, Lady Tegan. Lady Maeve has approved the request, but it is entirely your choice if you wish to see...him or not."


    Siobhan was still having trouble with Liam''s pronouns. I wondered if there weren''t that many trans fae, or if it just wasn''t that well understood here. Whatever the answer, it did seem like Siobhan had trouble remembering Liam was a man, regardless what his body currently looked like.


    It made me wonder what the fae thought about other LGBTQ stuff, and what they thought of Kelly and I being in a relationship. I hoped it wasn''t a problem, but either way neither of us planned on staying here any longer than necessary.


    I put all that aside for now and asked Kelly, "I don''t mind seeing him. Do you want to come?"


    "Yeah," she nodded. "I''m curious to see what he wants."


    With that, the three of us left our room and the captain led the way. Rather than heading down to the cellar, we went upwards into a tower.


    Siobhan explained, "Lady Maeve had the prisoner moved. For now, Liam is being considered a dangerous and untrustworthy guest rather than an imprisoned traitor." She added after a moment, "She...He is still kept under lock and key, and guarded at all times, but the difference is Liam is now in a furnished room rather than a dungeon cell."


    "Ok, that sounds good." I didn''t know what else to say, but I assumed it meant Maeve was still seriously considering my suggestion.


    We went up several levels into a tower, till we arrived at a landing with one sturdy door and two armed guards. The guards bowed, then one of them unlocked the door and Siobhan led me and Kelly inside. The captain took up position just inside the door, as our guard I suppose. Not that I expected Liam to attack us, and not that he''d be able to do much damage if he did.


    The room was similar to the room we''d first woken up in, but smaller and the furnishings weren''t as fancy. It was still better than most hotel rooms I''d seen back home, and it was infinitely better than a dungeon cell.


    There was a queen-sized poster bed against one wall, a fireplace on the opposite wall. A tall narrow window on the wall across from the door, and beneath the window was a table and chair. A small wardrobe stood in the corner. There weren''t any tapestries on the walls, but the floors were covered in rugs. Bars across the window and the fact that the door locked on the outside were the main indications that it was still a cell and not a guest room.


    Liam was sitting at the table when we entered. There were no shackles, no chains. The iron ring was still around his neck, that was the only indication of his status as a prisoner. He looked like he''d had the opportunity to bathe, and he now wore clean new clothes, which were sized to fit his temporarily-smaller body. The clothes were in a men''s style, or perhaps they were meant for boys. He wore a pair of black trousers and a white shirt, and had black shoes on his feet.


    Despite the clothes being a masculine cut, they still revealed what few curves his skinny figure currently had. His hair was still long, but had been pulled back and tied into a simple ponytail, probably to keep it out of the way.


    He stood up and bowed slightly, then said "Lady Tegan, miss Kelly, thank you for agreeing to speak with me."


    Kelly and I exchanged a glance. He no longer sounded shocked or stunned, but he was certainly acting polite and formal.


    "Captain Siobhan said you wanted to talk. What did you want?" I asked him.


    Liam sighed, "The guards won''t tell me anything, I was hoping you''d explain what was going on. I''ve been moved into this room, they''ve supplied me with clothes..." He blushed as he gestured to the wardrobe "They stocked it with both boys and girls styles, and allowed me to pick whichever I wanted to wear. And they''ve been feeding me proper meals rather than the scraps I was getting in the dungeon."


    He sighed again and asked, "Will you tell me why they''re treating me differently? What''s going to happen to me? Is it because I..." He frowned and blushed again, "Because I look like a delicate fragile girl now, instead of my normal self?"


    I stepped back to Siobhan and whispered, "Is it ok if I tell him the truth?"


    The captain nodded slightly and whispered back, "Lady Maeve hasn''t given any instructions to keep things from the prisoner. Of course, nothing has been decided yet, as far as I am aware."


    I thanked her then told Liam, "I''ve asked Maeve to consider releasing you. It''s my hope that we''ll be able to restore Connor, to break the curse on him. After Connor is back, then I''ll lift my magic from you, and if all goes well, you''ll be free to go and be with Eileen. Until then, it seemed suitable to show you better treatment for the time being."


    Liam blinked, then stared at me and Kelly. "Why would Lady Maeve agree to that?"


    Kelly replied, "Tegan and I will do our best to convince her. If she can restore Connor, I think Maeve will owe her a debt. I think she might agree to it."


    I added, "Everyone involved has suffered enough already. You and Eileen have been kept apart over a hundred years. You''ve spent two decades a prisoner. Connor and Maeve and I have all had to deal with what''s happened to us over the past twenty-two years. I think that''s enough pain all around."


    "We hope nobody wants to start a war over this," Kelly said. "If everyone can agree to just let things go, wouldn''t that be best for all?"


    Liam frowned as he thought it over, then finally asked "It''s all contingent on you restoring Connor?"


    "Yes," I nodded. "Once his curse is broken and he''s back here, then I''ll lift my spell on you, and we''ll start working towards a truce with Eileen."


    After a few quiet moments, Liam said nervously "And if you can''t restore Connor, or worse, if he kills you, then I''m stuck like this forever."


    "Pretty much," I replied. "So if there''s anything else you want to tell us, anything you''ve withheld or any corrections you''d like to make, now''s the time to speak up."


    He slowly shook his head "I''ve told you everything I know about the curse. Everything Eileen told me about it."


    None of us had much more to say after that. Either the information he''d given us was correct, or it wasn''t.


    The guards outside locked the door again after the three of us left.


    As we were heading back down the tower, I asked Siobhan "What can you tell us about Connor''s condition? All we know is he''s been changed into an ''untameable beast'' and that he''s violent."


    The captain replied, "We''ll speak in your chambers." She apparently didn''t want to discuss it while we were out in the open.


    Once back in our room, Kelly and I sat at the table and Siobhan stood before us.


    First she told us, "The creature that stalks the western forest is referred to as ''the beast''. We do not call it Lord Connor."


    Then she explained, "The beast is a vargur. I don''t believe they exist on Earth. Perhaps in the past but no longer. A vargur is similar to a wolf, but much larger, more vicious, and more dangerous. They are thought to be semi-intelligent, as they are usually very good at avoiding and escaping traps. They prey on any large warm-blooded mammal, but their favourite meal is fae. They''ll also take horses, deer, and similar large animals."


    She continued, "Imagine a wolf the size of a small horse. Their teeth can pierce armour, they can bite clean through a man''s arm or leg. They''re strong enough to smash through most anything made of wood. On uneven ground such as in a forest, they can outrun a horse. They can leap a few times their own height. When the curse happened, we could not contain him. He smashed through every door, bit through every rope, and broke every chain we tried to use. In the end, all we could do was clear a path and chase him out of the castle with fire and bows."


    Kelly and I listened quietly to all this, it was impressive and more than a little scary.


    After a few moments I asked, "Did anyone try to enspell him? Like a sleep spell or something maybe?"


    "Perhaps with your talent, you might be able to do that Lady Tegan," Siobhan replied. "None of us were able to enspell him the night of the curse. We did try, several of us. Including myself, your mother, and a half dozen others. All for naught, none of us were able to affect him with magic."


    I sighed, "Ok. Thank you captain."


    She bowed slightly then exited.


    "So what do we do now?" Kelly asked.


    I shrugged, "Back to the study. With any luck there''ll be a book or two that will have information about vargurs."


    It took some searching, but after an hour or so we managed to find a book that contained some information about vargurs, along with a few other unpleasant beasts.


    While I settled down to start reading that, Kelly found herself a couple books on healing magic. We''d already learned there was a healer among the castle staff, she was skilled in healing magic as well as mundane healing methods. Still, Kelly decided it would be an important thing to learn.


    The book I''d found turned out not to contain a great deal of information, but what it did have sounded useful, maybe even helpful.


    I learned that vargurs were naturally resistant to magic, which made them very difficult to enspell. The book didn''t say it was impossible though. Still, it sounded like magic wouldn''t be our best choice.


    I also learned that vargurs hunted at night because their eyes were sensitive to sunlight, and other bright light sources. They had good night-vision, but overall their eyesight was quite poor. They were all but blind in the daytime, and bright light dazzled them. It explained why Siobhan and the other soldiers were able to chase the beast out of the castle with torches.


    Finally, I read that their sense of smell was at least as good as that of dogs, perhaps even better. That was how vargurs stalked and hunted their prey, by scent. Their hearing was said to be pretty good too, and probably helped them hunt.


    It was nearly dinner-time when I finally set down the book, as I sighed deeply.


    "Bad news?" Kelly asked, looking at me with a worried expression.


    I shrugged, "Not awful news... I knew this wasn''t going to be easy. And I''m definitely not going to be able to do this on my own. I''m sure it can be done, it''s just a matter of figuring out how."


    She asked, "Even if you can somehow catch him, or just get him where you want him, how will you reverse the curse? I mean, without letting him just take a big bite out of you."


    I replied, "I was thinking of using an animal as bait, like a pig or deer or something? Maybe use some of my clothes so its got my scent on it, since vargurs like to hunt fae. Then I''d have to have some of my blood there so he''d taste that when attacking the animal. That shouldn''t be too hard, I could just cut my arm and bleed into a cup or something, and dump it on the animal."


    "Sounds easy?" Kelly said, in a hopeful tone.


    I sighed, "Probably not. I''m sure there''s a lot that could go wrong. I''ll have to talk with captain Siobhan again, and my fae-mom too I guess. Like, maybe there''s someone around here who''s actually got some experience with vargurs and knows how to deal with them? Or at least, someone who knows the woods and how to hunt and track and stuff like that."


    Kelly smiled slightly, "A huntsman. Maybe Maeve has a huntsman on staff."


    I raised an eyebrow, "Isn''t that a fairy-tale thing?"


    "Some fairy-tales are true," she replied.


    PurpleCatGirl

 37. Cautioned

    It turned out that Maeve did indeed have a huntsman on her staff. She arranged for Kelly and I to meet him the following day around noon.


    We were in the study once again, Kelly and Maeve and me, seated at one of the small tables near the fire. Servants brought us refreshments, there were drinks and snacks laid out, and the three of us enjoyed a light lunch as we waited.


    Eventually Siobhan brought the man in, then closed the door so that the five of us could speak in confidence.


    Maeve''s huntsman looked almost exactly like I''d imagined he would, based on various fairy-tale movies. It was hard not to smile, to be honest.


    He appeared to be in his mid-forties, in human terms. He had long ragged black hair that was streaked with grey, and unlike every other fae man I''d seen, this one had stubble on his face. Like his hair it was dark but greying. He wore tall soft black leather boots, dark brown trousers, and a brown shirt. Overtop of that was a long black woollen coat, and finally a wide-brimmed black hat finished off the outfit.


    In addition to the stubble, his face had a slightly rough look to it, like he was a guy who did not believe in skin care, especially not moisturizing. He looked around with his eyes sort of narrowed, like he was suspicious of everything and everyone. His eyes were bright blue, and despite his slightly odd appearance he looked sharp and smart. I was certain nothing escaped his notice.


    Siobhan handled the introductions, "Lady Tegan, miss Kelly, this is Feichin, huntsman for Lady Maeve."


    Feichin lifted his hat and bowed slightly, then set the hat back on his head. His voice sounded kind of low and grizzled, as he greeted all three of us, "M''ladies. To what do I owe this honour?"


    Maeve stated, "We wish to discuss the matter of the beast which stalks the great western forest."


    The huntsman just nodded slightly as he listened. He stood in a relaxed pose, he didn''t have the posture of a soldier. His arms hung by his sides and his legs were apart slightly. His expression seemed almost bored, like he had better things to do than stand about in a posh castle listening to a bunch of aristocratic women. Not that I got the impression he was hostile towards us or that he disliked us, just that he didn''t find us that interesting.


    My fae-mom continued, "My daughter Tegan has an idea on how to resolve that problem, and she will require your assistance."


    Feichin''s eyes flicked to me and he nodded slightly, that he was listening.


    I took a deep breath and stated, "I''m told that if the beast tastes my blood, the curse will be lifted. I thought if we could maybe use an animal as bait, spread some of my blood on it, and set a sort of trap... The beast would attack the animal, taste my blood, and that might break the curse."


    The huntsman showed no reaction as he watched and listened. After a few moments he asked, "And you''d want to be there, present in the woods, to witness this?"


    "Yes," I nodded. "I was thinking there''d be a few of us there, so when the curse was broken we''d be able to help Lord Connor."


    Feichin watched me for another moment, then he took a deep breath and stated "Girl, you''re insane and that would be a quick path to an early grave for all involved." Then on his second breath he told Maeve, "I''ll do it. I''ll take the girl and two soldiers. Give me two days to make the preparations."


    Kelly and I were both surprised by his reaction. His bluntness with me was the first surprise, I think apart from Liam he''s the first person here who wasn''t all polite and deferential to me. And his apparent eagerness to accept my idea caught me off-guard, I was sure he was going to flat-out refuse after he said it would be suicide.


    Maeve seemed less surprised by the man''s behaviour, perhaps she was used to his eccentricities.


    She looked to Siobhan, but before she could ask the guard captain stated "I volunteer, m''lady. I''ll speak with my soldiers and find a second volunteer."


    "What about me?" Kelly asked nervously.


    "Sorry child," Feichin replied. "The fewer heads on the block the better, so unless you''re a trained soldier or have some other critical survival skills, best you stay safe within the castle walls."


    He added with a glance at me, "We''ll face enough of a challenge keeping this one alive, we don''t need a second lamb following us to the slaughter."


    Maeve then looked at me and asked, "Must you be involved in this, Tegan? Would it not be better for you to remain safe with Kelly and I? You will already be providing the blood, I see no reason to risk your neck as well."


    I sighed, but said "I think I need to be there. I know the beast is resistant to magic, but perhaps it won''t be resistant to me."


    I didn''t want to tell them my real reasoning. I didn''t think they''d understand. And I suspected Maeve would refuse if I told her the truth. The bottom line was these people would be out risking their lives because of my idea. I felt I had to be there, I had to put myself on the line if I was expecting other people to do that for me.


    Maeve watched me for a few moments as she thought it through, then finally nodded "Very well." She looked to Siobhan and Feichin and stated, "I''m trusting my child''s life to you both. Make your preparations, anything you need you will have. Keep Tegan safe."


    The captain bowed slightly, the huntsman just shrugged, "We''ll keep the child alive as best we can, m''lady. You know as well as the captain and me what it is we''re up against."


    Then he turned and left, without waiting to be dismissed.


    "Thank you Siobhan," Maeve said quietly. "That will be all for now."


    With another bow, the captain turned and exited as well, following Feichin out of the study.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The next two days passed relatively slowly for me and Kelly. There weren''t many preparations for me to make, though Feichin had a few instructions for me. I was told not to change my clothes for two days, and not to bathe during that time either. The idea being, my clothes would end up smelling very strongly of me by the time we set out.


    After lunch on the day of our hunt, I was given a small backpack and a whole new outfit. I was told to put my dirty clothes in the pack, wash thoroughly, then dress in the clothing that had been provided.


    After I''d washed but before I got dressed, Siobhan came to our room with a young woman. She was carrying a little bag and I was told she was here to perform the bloodletting.


    She sat me down in one of the chairs by the window, and Kelly sat on the bed where she could watch without seeing it too closely.


    The procedure was quick, the girl seemed to know what she was doing. Happily there was very little pain, and afterwards she healed my arm with a spell. When she was all done, she left me with both a small fist-sized bladder full of blood, and a glass vial containing more of my blood.


    Siobhan told me to put both in my little pack, along with my dirty clothes. Then I was free to dress, while the captain left to make her own preparations.


    My new outfit was unlike anything I''d seen worn in the castle so far, with the exception of Feichin''s get-up. It wasn''t the same, but similar to how he''d been dressed when Kelly and I met him.


    Ontop of a set of standard silk undergarments, I had a pair of brown trousers that felt like thick suede. They were soft, but felt thick and protective. A dark green blouse made of silk tucked into the trousers, and on my feet were a pair of black leather boots. They were knee-high, and sturdy but flexible. The finish on the boots was matte, so they wouldn''t give off any reflections.


    Next I put on a heavy leather jacket. Like the pants it was made of some kind of thick suede, and was a darker shade of brown. It also had panels of harder, thicker leather stitched and riveted in various strategic locations, to offer additional protection.


    A belt went overtop of that, and from it hung a sheath containing a long, sharp dagger. Though I suspected if the beast got close enough for me to stick it with a knife, I''d probably already be dead. On my back I had my little backpack full of smelly clothes and blood.


    Finally a wide-brimmed dark brown hat completed the outfit.


    Kelly and I were both nervous as I got dressed and ready. She was pacing a little, I forced myself to stay calm.


    "You be careful out there!" she said for the tenth time. "I mean it! Don''t do anything stupid, don''t take risks. Do what the others tell you, they''re the experts."


    I smiled, "I know Kelly. I''ll be safe, I promise."


    Siobhan returned to collect me before dinner. She was now dressed very much like I was. Though in addition to a knife, she also had a sword hanging from her belt, and a bow and quiver of arrows were slung across her back.


    Kelly and I both followed the captain, and we wound up down in the courtyard near the castle gate. Feichin was there waiting, along with another man. Maeve was there too, to see us off.


    Feichin looked like he had when we met the other day, though today he had a bow with him. I didn''t see a sword, but he probably had a knife under his long coat.


    Siobhan introduced the other man as Ruadhan. He was young, he looked about my age. He had short red hair, dark blue eyes, and some freckles across his cheeks. He was nearly as tall as Siobhan, and had broad shoulders, he looked sturdy and brave. And apparently he was a good soldier. The captain at least felt he was up to the task we faced. Like Siobhan, Ruadhan was armed with dagger, sword, and bow.


    Looking at the four of us, we were all wearing similar outfits, all in muted earth-tone colours. I felt like we were a party of all rogues. Though I figured, in truth we were one rogue, one mage, and two damage-dealers.


    I stayed quiet for now, and did my best to look brave. Or at least calm.


    Both Kelly and Maeve appeared nervous. Kelly was showing it more, while my fae-mom was trying to look brave and calm, same as me.


    Maeve addressed the four of us, "Be careful, all of you. Don''t take any unnecessary risks. Siobhan, Feichin, bring my daughter back alive. Above all else, that is paramount."


    The huntsman nodded and said in a gruff voice, "Aye m''lady. We''ll keep the girl breathing."


    Siobhan of course was more formal about it. She bowed slightly "Yes m''lady. I understand."


    Feichin then looked at me and Ruadhan. Mostly at me. "Last chance to opt out. Nobody will think less of either of you if you want to stay behind."


    The young soldier shook his head slightly and stated "I volunteered and I stand by that. I know the risks, captain Siobhan explained."


    He sounded brave and determined. I wondered if he was doing this for glory, for fun, or if he was just that loyal to Lord Connor. Or maybe he was doing it to impress me, or my fae-mom. I didn''t know how ''young'' fae behaved, but if he were a nineteen or twenty-year old human, I''d assume he was doing this for the excitement and glory. Basically for fun.


    Siobhan seemed to actually understand the risks, and I was sure she''d volunteered out of loyalty to both my fae parents, and perhaps to me as well.


    I had no idea why Feichin agreed to do this. It might have been as simple as he wanted the beast out of his forest.


    As for me, it was my idea. I had to go. I still felt strongly about that.


    I realized the other three were staring at me, and I nodded and said "I''m in. I''m ready."


    "Then let''s be off," Feichin stated.


    Kelly and I hugged and kissed, and Maeve looked like she wanted to do the same but I guess that wouldn''t be appropriate with all her staff watching.


    Instead she just said quietly, "Safe hunt. I will see you all upon your return."


    PurpleCatGirl

 38. Carved

    It was late afternoon as the four of us set out from the castle.


    It was actually my first time going beyond the castle walls. In all the time Kelly and I were here and wandering the grounds, the gates had remained shut. They opened briefly for our little group, and the four of us were soon heading west, towards the forest.


    Feichin walked a few paces ahead, while Siobhan, Ruadhan and I walked alongside each other. The two soldiers kept me in between them, I had no doubt that was intentional on their part.


    We walked in silence. I was nervous as hell, but my three companions all seemed calm and collected. I was sure there was no danger right here, the cleared land between the castle and the forest was probably quite safe. I looked back over my shoulder, and spotted Kelly and Maeve standing together atop the castle wall, watching us.


    I raised my arm and waved, and Kelly waved back. Then I turned and focused on what lay ahead.


    The forest looked closer from ontop of the castle wall, but in fact it took us more than twice as long as I''d guessed it would before we reached the edge of it. Nearer to the trees, the terrain became rough and more uneven, and there was more scrub, weeds and bushes.


    Where we''d started out walking across basically short grass, the four of us wound up on a trail. It looked unused and partially overgrown, but it was still visible.


    Right at the edge of the woods, we found someone waiting for us. He looked young, like a teen. In human-years I''d have guessed he was fifteen or sixteen. He was dressed similar to Feichin, with a long dark coat. With him was a deer, a doe.


    The animal seemed unusually calm, and I figured it must have been enspelled or otherwise made tame. There was a rope tied around its neck, and the other end of it was in the boy''s hand.


    Feichin stepped closer and exchanged a few quiet words with the teen. I got the feeling he was either the huntsman''s apprentice, or perhaps his son. Or possibly both.


    The only words I heard were at the end of their brief conversation, when Feichin said, "Run along now lad. Be safe, sunset''s coming."


    The boy handed the rope to the huntsman, then he hurried past me and the others. He gave me a very brief bow as he passed, then set off away from the woods at a quick pace.


    Feichin looked at the three of us and stated in a warning tone, "From here on, we walk single-file. No talking. Follow my steps, don''t stray from the path."


    Both Siobhan and Ruadhan slipped their bows off their shoulders and both set an arrow on the string. Feichin left his bow across his back. He then led us into the woods. The deer followed silently behind him as he led her by the rope.


    Ruadhan started into the woods behind the deer. I was next, and Siobhan took up the rear.


    I spotted a weathered piece of parchment nailed to a tree next to the path. The faded text read "Danger! No Entry by order of Lady Maeve Br¨¢daigh - Death Awaits All Who Pass!"


    The path we were following became much less distinct as soon as we were in the forest. At the same time it got a whole lot darker. I figured there was only about an hour till sunset, so the sun was fairly low in the sky. That put it behind the canopy of the forest, which meant there was basically a whole forest blocking out the direct sunlight.


    I felt even more nervous as I walked, and had to constantly fight the urge to make smalltalk. It was a bad habit I guess, but sometimes I''d get chatty when I was anxious. Not a great combination when you''re hunting a big deadly monster using medieval technology. It didn''t help that I felt like the stupid city kid out on her first adventure in the woods with the cool kids who already knew about surviving in the wilderness.


    We wound up going quite a ways into the forest. I think it was actually sunset when Feichin finally brought us to a halt. We were in a very slight clearing, the kind of place I figured you might set up camp if you weren''t in the most dangerous forest in the realm.


    Feichin tied the deer''s rope to the trunk of a tree, then quietly told the three of us "Stay here, stay quiet. Eyes and ears open."


    The two soldiers moved without speaking, they took positions on either side of me, bows ready. Their backs were to me as they faced outwards, monitoring the woods around us.


    Meanwhile the huntsman moved silently around the area, gathering up wood. Some ten minutes later he had a very small fire burning in the middle of the little clearing.


    Finally he moved to me and held out his hand, "Give me the pack, girl."


    I slipped it off my shoulder and handed it to him. He moved to the deer as he opened it up. I kept my mouth shut as I watched him, while Siobhan and Ruadhan kept their eyes on the forest.


    Feichin took out the dress and hose I''d been wearing for two days, and loosely tied them around the deer. Next he carefully pulled out the bladder full of blood, and with a length of twine he tied it about the animal''s neck so it hung at her throat. And finally he took the flask and poured the remaining blood over the deer''s back and let it soak into the clothes. The empty flask went back in the pack, and that was left at the base of the tree next to the deer.


    Moving quickly he returned to the three of us. His hand came up as his lips moved, and I saw the flicker of light in his eyes as he worked a spell.


    "Magic, to mask your scents." he explained quietly. "If it hasn''t already, the beast will pick up our trail and follow it here. When it gets here, the only source of fae scent will be on the doe."


    Without waiting for any of us to comment or acknowledge what he''d said, Feichin gestured to a tree to the left of the clearing. "Tegan, Ruadhan, you two are up that tree. Eyes on the doe, stay silent, not a word." Then he pointed to a tree in the opposite direction, "Siobhan, you''re up there. Now go, we''re out of time."


    Siobhan nodded to me and Ruadhan and whispered, "You two up first, I''ll cover."


    I hadn''t climbed trees since I was ten or twelve, and I was very much out of practice. It didn''t help that I was so small, I was probably bigger at age twelve than I was now. Ruadhan tucked his bow over his shoulder and gave me a boost so I could get to the lowest branch. I managed to get myself up a little further after that, but the best I could do was about three meters off the ground. I wound up sitting on a thick sturdy branch and leaning my right shoulder against the trunk of the tree.


    Once I was secure there, Ruadhan followed me up. He went about a meter higher and settled on the other side of the tree. He was straddling a branch with his back to the trunk, his left side facing towards the clearing. He slipped his bow off his back and into his left hand and prepared an arrow again, to watch over the clearing.


    Siobhan went next, quickly and efficiently hauling herself about four meters up into her tree. Like Ruadhan, she straddled a branch and readied her bow.


    The huntsman was already in his perch. He was in the tree directly above the doe. He still didn''t bother getting his bow out. I had a feeling he knew arrows wouldn''t be much use against the beast.


    With all four of us in position, there was nothing to do now but wait. The sun was already set now, and what remained of its light quickly faded from the sky. There were some stars, briefly, before clouds rolled in and left us in almost total darkness. The only light was from the small campfire Feichin had set, and that was gradually diminishing as I knew it would burn itself out before long.


    I had no way to track time, but it felt like it took about an hour for the little fire to die out. Only some faintly-glowing embers remained. The woods were quiet, and I kind of felt it was unnaturally quiet. I had no idea what woods were supposed to sound like, but I was certain there should be more noise. I couldn''t ask of course, Feichin had made it clear we needed to remain silent.


    So I sat there leaning against the trunk of the tree while my butt fell asleep, thinking up a hundred different questions I should have asked when I had the chance. My brain was in nervous chatter mode but I had to keep my mouth shut, and it was kind of a frustrating mix.


    Again I had no way to tell how long we waited, but I''d guess it was another hour after the fire had gone out. The clouds started to break up somewhat and there was some starlight coming through, as well as the occasional bit of moonlight when it found a gap in the clouds.


    My butt was asleep, my left foot was itchy, and I was thirsty. I was definitely starting to question why I''d insisted on being here at all. I was right in the intersection between bored, uncomfortable, and incredibly nervous. And that''s when it happened.


    There was no warning, there were no sounds to tell us it was coming. Just, one moment the night was absolutely silent and still, and the next all hell broke loose.


    It crossed the little clearing in a heartbeat, a big blurry shadow. Huge claws shone in the moonlight then the deer was on its side, its belly ripped open while the beast''s enormous jaws clamped down and tore out the hapless animal''s throat.


    I couldn''t help myself, I jumped slightly and let out a yelp of fear. It wasn''t even all that loud, more like an "Eep!" but it was enough.


    The beast raised its head to the air. There was just enough starlight for me to see its nose and ears twitching, as it sought the source of that noise.


    I held my breath, but I was trembling slightly. The thing was the size of a horse, but built like a bear, with broad muscular shoulders and a huge wolf-like head. Its fur was shaggy and black, its ears were the colour of blood. The doe''s blood was dripping from the beast''s massive fangs.


    With a lurch I realized it had to have torn the bladder when it ripped out the dear''s throat. It had to have my blood in its mouth, yet the curse wasn''t broken. If I wasn''t so scared I''d have made a mental note to have some words with Liam later, assuming I survived this. Fear had pretty much left my mind empty. I forgot about magic, forgot everything I''d read about vargurs, I just sat there trembling and staring.


    The beast was still sniffing the air, and now it was slowly turning, moving in a circle as it searched. Then it stopped, and my heart stopped too. It was facing the tree Ruadhan and I were in. Its ears were pointing our way, and its nose was still twitching, sniffing the air.


    When it lunged, it moved so fast I barely saw it coming. Its leap covered the four or five meters, as well as lifting it a good three meters into the air. It crashed into the branches right in front of me, and I fell backwards out of the tree.


    I hit the ground hard, and the air was knocked from my lungs. I lay there stunned and gasping for breath, barely able to move. There was a heavy thud as the beast dropped from the tree to land a meter to my right. It''s right arm raised, claws shining in the moonlight, and I knew it was going to tear me in half.


    I barely heard the slap of a bowstring, but I saw the arrow bury itself in the beast''s side. It was a perfect shot, right into the ribs under the right arm. The beast barely flinched, though it did turn its attention away from me as it looked back towards Siobhan who''d loosed the arrow.


    There was another light thud next to me, as Ruadhan dropped from the tree. He landed on his feet and had his sword in hand. He swung at the beast but his blade seemed to have little effect. The beast''s fur was too coarse, its hide too thick. It roared, a deafening blood-curdling sound, and batted him aside with a swipe of its huge claws. It stepped forward, ignoring me as it meant to chase Ruadhan down and finish the job.


    When it stepped, that brought it right ontop of me and one of its clawed feet came down on my right leg. Its claws sliced through my thigh and I let out a piercing scream. The pain was indescribable.


    I was vaguely aware of Siobhan and Feichin as both dropped from their perches, both had bows ready, arrows drawn.


    The beast was distracted by my scream and looked down at me, its head above mine. The deer''s blood was smeared and dripping from its massive jaw, its eyes were white like the moon. I was in agony, it still had its claws in my right leg. My vision blurred from tears of pain and fear, but the beast didn''t finish me.


    Instead, it stumbled back. I screamed again in renewed torment as its claws pulled free from my leg. It faltered, and its form shimmered.


    For a moment, I saw a man standing there. He was naked, there was blood on his face and hands. An arrow protruded from the right side of his chest. Then he collapsed, and everything went black.


    PurpleCatGirl

 39. Convalesced

    I slowly drifted awake and took a deep breath. I could smell bread, jam, and juice.


    I opened my eyes and saw I was back in our huge bed in our suite in the castle. From what I could see of the sky out the windows, I figured it was about noon. I started to sit up but felt a strong ache from my right leg.


    With a groan I let my head slump back onto the pillow. Before I could make another move, Kelly was by my side next to the bed. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around me, giving me a tight hug.


    She half-sobbed, "You nearly died!"


    I sighed as I reached up to hug her back. "Sorry Kelly. What happened? Is everyone else ok?"


    She finally let go of me and helped me to sit up, then stuffed some more pillows behind me. She brought me a glass of juice, then sat on the edge of the bed while I had a few gulps.


    After all that, she answered "Feichin''s ok. Siobhan''s fine." She hesitated, then in a soft voice said "Ruadhan didn''t make it."


    "Damn," I sighed, and my emotions churned. My memories of last night were fuzzy but I could remember seeing the young soldier tossed aside like a rag-doll after he tried to save me. Finding out that he died, realizing that he literally gave his life for mine, left me shaken and a bit nauseous.


    I was quiet for a few minutes, and had to wipe my eyes once or twice. Kelly moved closer and put an arm around me, she obviously knew how I was feeling. We were both basically modern Earth kids. This sort of thing just wasn''t something that happened in our world. Strangers weren''t supposed to sacrifice their lives for me just because my great-grandmother was somebody special.


    It took several minutes before I was ready to talk again.


    I finally looked up at Kelly and asked, "What about Connor? Is he... Did we save him?"


    "He was unconscious when you were all brought in," she replied. "I don''t know how he is now, he was taken to Maeve''s private chambers. I haven''t heard anything more since then." She added, "Though I''ve mostly been here watching over you."


    "I hope he''s ok," I sighed. The unspoken half of that statement was, I hoped it was all worth it. I hoped Ruadhan''s sacrifice wasn''t for nothing.


    After a few more quiet seconds I took a breath then asked, "And how am I? How bad''s the damage?"


    I was afraid to look, but I was half convinced I''d lost my leg. Or at least, that I''d be crippled. The memories were fuzzy but I was sure the beast''s claws had sliced clear through my right thigh.


    Kelly replied "You''re going to be ok, thank the Gods. The healer says you''ll have some impressive scars though."


    I sighed in relief when I heard that, then finally worked up the courage and looked. Kelly gave me a hand pulling the blankets aside. I was wearing a sort of night-shirt kind of thing, but it only went down as far as my hips.


    Both legs were still there, all ten toes present and accounted for. I could even wiggle them. There was a wide white bandage wound around my right thigh, it stretched from my groin down to just above my knee. Apart from that though, everything looked like it should.


    I let out a quiet sigh of relief. "How long do I have to keep the bandage on? How long do I have to stay in bed? How long will it hurt?"


    Kelly replied, "A day, a day, and a day. Is what the healer said."


    She moved over to the table then returned with breakfast for me. She''d brought me a pastry, a thick piece of bread, some jam and honey, and I already had my juice.


    "Thanks Kelly." I ate quietly, my hunger was dampened by the experiences from last night.


    Kelly sat nearby and kept an eye on me, and when I''d finished eating she took the plate away and refilled my juice.


    We spent the next hour or two just sitting quietly with each other. I may have dozed on and off, I''m not sure.


    Around mid-afternoon, we had our first guests of the day. Maeve and Siobhan came to talk.


    My fae-mom looked like she was a bundle of emotions, and she was fighting to keep them suppressed while she tried to act quiet and dignified. Siobhan was her usual calm quiet self.


    "Hello Tegan," Maeve said, speaking in a soft calm tone. "How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"


    I shook my head, "It aches if I try to move it, but if I keep still it''s fine."


    "Try not to move it at all," Siobhan said. "The healing magic is still at work, knitting the muscle back together."


    That sounded like she was speaking from experience, and knowing she was no healer I had a feeling her experience was more on the receiving-end of this sort of treatment.


    I nodded, "Ok, thank you. I''ll keep that in mind."


    My attention returned to my fae-mom again as I asked, "How is Connor? Is he going to be ok?"


    She took a deep, shuddering breath then nodded. "He is resting in our chambers. The healer was able to tend his wounds, though like you Connor needs his rest while the magic does its work."


    I asked Maeve "He''ll be ok though right? I mean, he''s Connor again, it''s just a matter of healing and recovering?"


    "Yes," she nodded. "Perhaps in a day or two, you''ll both be well enough that you can meet."


    "Good." I tried to sound positive but I''m sure they could all tell I was still shaken.


    Siobhan spoke up, and once again I knew she had past experience with this sort of situation. She obviously knew what was troubling me so much. "Lady Tegan, it may please you to know that Ruadhan will be honoured for his bravery, and his parents will be rewarded for his sacrifice."


    "Yes," Maeve nodded. "I will see to it."


    It helped, but also made me feel worse knowing his folks would be grieving his loss.


    Finally Maeve said, "Siobhan and Feichin have both briefed me on the events of last night. If you''re up to discussing it, I''m curious why you think it took so long for the curse to lift. Do you think Liam lied to you about it?"


    I sighed as I thought back through it. "I''m not sure he lied. And the curse did lift, eventually. It took a few minutes though..." I considered, "Liam may not have had the full story from Eileen. Or maybe there''s some other element that we''re missing?"


    Siobhan spoke up, "From my observation, the curse did not begin to unravel until the beast injured you. Perhaps that had something to do with it."


    I frowned as I thought about that, then nodded. "Maybe. Maybe it wasn''t enough to taste my blood, maybe it had to spill my blood." I added, "I don''t think it matters now. The curse is lifted, Connor''s been restored, and I''m still alive."


    Maeve asked, "Do you still intend to lift your spell from Liam? Even after nearly losing your life?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. "And I still think we should let him go, send him to Eileen, and try and find a peaceful resolution to the whole situation."


    She looked thoughtful, then nodded "I haven''t made a decision yet, but I am still considering your suggestion."


    "Thank you," I settled back into the pillows. "I think I could use some more rest now."


    "Of course Tegan," Maeve said. "Rest and recover. I''ll see you again tomorrow."


    She and Siobhan left after that, then Kelly sat with me again.


    I spent the rest of the day alternating between reading and resting. Kelly stayed with me of course, she''d sit in bed reading with me, or sit by the windows when I was napping.


    I had a light dinner in bed while Kelly ate at the table, and I wound up falling asleep soon after that.


    Our morning kicked off with breakfast in bed, which was kind of nice. We were brought a rather fancy meal, something like pancakes with a raspberry syrup, and bacon on the side. It was tasty but as usual I didn''t actually eat much.


    I really missed coffee though. I figured when we finally got back home, coffee was going to be one of the first things I''d get. Then maybe we could get our favourite take-away. I missed sushi, and the other goodies we usually got with it.


    Our next visitor came around mid-morning. It was the healer, come to check on my leg.


    She was an older woman, she looked to be about fifty. She seemed kindly, like a grandmother-type, though I got the feeling she could be hard and tough when necessary. She was dressed in a fancy white gown and was accompanied by a young assistant. I recognized the girl, she was my blood-letter from the other day. She was carrying another small bag today, and I figured that was a first-aid kit or something.


    The healer introduced herself as Muireann, and her apprentice was named Aoife.


    They had me lay on the bed with the blankets aside. Aoife handed her boss some scissors, and Muireann carefully cut the bandage away from my thigh. Aoife took the bandage and scissors, while the healer inspected my injury.


    She ran her white-gloved fingers gently along my thigh while she murmured a spell. I saw the flicker of light in her eyes, but didn''t feel anything. I figured rather than more healing magic, it was probably to let her see how I was recovering or something. Like a magic x-ray or whatever.


    Finally she straightened up and appeared satisfied.


    "Lady Tegan," she announced in a formal voice. "Your leg is healing as expected. You may get out of bed and walk around, but you are not to over-do it. No running or jumping, nothing strenuous. Avoid stairs. Do take short walks to get the muscles moving, but if you feel tired or sore then stop and rest."


    I nodded, but before I could speak she kept talking.


    "Your leg will continue healing over the next two days. After that you may resume normal activity. If you experience any strong pain or weakness, send for me at once."


    I nodded, "Ok. Thank you ma''am."


    Both Muireann and Aoife looked slightly surprised and confused at me calling her ma''am. I guess as a ''Lady'' I wasn''t supposed to do that.


    Aoife packed the scissors and bandage away in her bag, and the two bowed then left.


    As soon as they were gone I sat up and had a look at my leg, now that it was free of the bandage. Kelly had stayed out of the way but she moved up along-side me to have a look as well.


    "Holy shit," she whispered as she stared.


    There were three large pink scars. They started on the top of my thigh, right in the middle, and went around the outside, and ended on the bottom of my leg. Each was nearly an inch thick at the thickest point, on the outer edge of my thigh. They were spaced about two inches apart.


    I tentatively slipped out of bed onto my feet and took a few cautious steps. There was a faint ache and my right leg felt a little weak, but I could walk about ok. I was just a little slower than usual.


    Kelly stayed at my side, I''m sure she was worried I might stumble or fall so she was there to catch me.


    I seemed to be ok though, and followed Muireann''s advice. I spent the afternoon taking little walks around our suite, with Kelly always hovering nearby looking worried.


    Maeve visited again in late afternoon. Kelly and I were sitting by the window when she dropped in.


    "The healer informed me you were up and about, Tegan. Would you and Kelly join us for a proper dinner tonight, in the dining hall? I would like to introduce you both to Connor."


    I glanced at Kelly then we both nodded, "Yes, we''ll be there!"


    My fae-mom smiled, "Excellent! Dinner will be at sunset. I''ll have someone come and fetch you both when it''s time."


    PurpleCatGirl

 40. Conferred

    When the time came, seneschal Owen arrived to collect Kelly and I. We hadn''t seen the old butler guy since our first evening here, and I''d kind of forgot about him.


    He gave us both a slightly disapproving look, then bowed stiffly and asked us to accompany him.


    I''m sure it was our outfits that he disliked. Rather than dressing up in formal gowns for the big dinner, we were both just wearing our comfortable clothes. Kelly in black trews and a tight blouse, I in hose and a short dress.


    When we agreed to meet in the dining hall I''d forgotten there were two staircases between it and our suite. Kelly put an arm around my waist and helped me navigate the stairs. I was pretty sure I could manage on my own, but I enjoyed having her fuss over me like that.


    Still, by the time we reached the dining hall my leg was aching and I really wanted to sit down.


    Owen opened the doors and guided us in, then closed the doors again behind us as he departed.


    Like before, the dining hall was mostly empty. The same solitary table was there on the left, but tonight there were four places set, together at one end. Two places on either side, so we''d be sitting across from each other rather than someone at the end.


    Maeve and Connor were already here, they were both standing together near the table waiting for us. I could tell my fae-mom was excited, she was obviously looking forward to this moment.


    I noted that the two of them had dressed up, and now I felt slightly bad for not bothering. In my defence though I was still convalescing, and anyways nobody told us this was a fancy formal dinner.


    Maeve was in a fancy lavender gown, she looked quite pretty.


    I turned my attention to Connor, and for the first time in my life I got a good look at my biological father.


    He stood about five-foot-eight, same as Kelly. His build was about average, a bit of muscle but not a lot. He had a clean-shaved face, a tanned complexion, brown eyes, and his sandy-blonde hair was trimmed in a casual-but-nice style. He was handsome, I figured. He had a kind of innocent, friendly sort of face. A sort of ''boyish-charm'' I guess.


    Age-wise Connor looked to be in his late twenties, just shy of thirty. I knew in truth he was closer to four-hundred, and I wondered idly if I''d ever get used to thinking of age in fae terms.


    He was dressed a little like Siobhan, in a military-looking outfit. He wore black boots, black pants, and a fancy light-blue jacket with purple trim. He stood tall and proud, though I noticed his right arm was held close to his side the way you do when you''re hurt. I figured he was still recovering from that arrow wound to his chest.


    Overall I figured he was handsome in an innocent boy-next-door sort of way. I wasn''t into guys, but I could see why Maeve was attracted to him at least.


    Kelly still had an arm around my waist and the two of us approached till we stood just a meter apart from my fae-parents.


    Maeve looked happy, and also somewhat nervous as she made the introductions.


    "Tegan, Kelly, I present my husband, Lord Connor." She glanced at him and said, "And my love, I present our daughter Tegan, and Kelly, her beloved."


    Connor didn''t speak yet. He just stepped forward then pulled me into an awkward hug.


    Like when Maeve hugged me at our first meeting, I didn''t reciprocate. I just stood still while Connor had his left arm around me. Unlike that first meeting, Kelly didn''t step back this time. She stayed at my side and kept an arm around my waist.


    Finally Connor stood back, and before anyone else could talk my girlfriend spoke up.


    "Sorry to interrupt but Tegan really needs to sit down, after the walk here and the two flights of stairs."


    I thought I''d been hiding how much my leg was aching, but Kelly was obviously paying close attention as usual.


    "Yes, of course!" Maeve nodded, "I''m sorry, I should have realized. Please, sit down!"


    Kelly helped me over to the table and Maeve pulled out the chair for me, and the two of them got me seated. Then Maeve did the same for her husband, and finally she and Kelly both took their seats as well.


    Me and Kelly were in the same seats as our first night here, me on the side at the end, Kelly beside me on my right. This time Maeve sat directly across from me, and Connor was seated to her left, across from Kelly.


    With everyone at the table, Maeve rang her little bell and a quartet of young servants hurried out to deliver our fancy dinner. The other three were all served wine, and I was given a large glass of my favourite juice. I realized I was probably going to miss that when we went back home. I''d have to ask someone what exactly it was, and see if we could get it on Earth.


    Of course the food was delicious as always. I''d gotten used to everything here tasting fantastic, but this meal was above and beyond. The kitchen staff had obviously made it something special to celebrate Connor''s return. We all ate quietly for a few minutes. Eventually though, Connor broke the silence.


    "Tegan," he said in a soft voice. "Your mother has spent much of the past two days describing what has transpired while I was...away. She''s told me what fate befell you, and how you''ve lived up to the Br¨¢daigh name since your return home. She also tells me you have some diplomatic inclinations... That you would seek peace with the enemy who wronged us, rather than demand justice or retribution."


    Although he spoke in a pleasant tone, some of his word choices set my nerves on edge. Either Maeve hadn''t given him the full story about my and Kelly''s intentions, or if she had then it sounded like he was ignoring it.


    I stayed quiet for another minute or so as I ate. Then I had a sip of juice, before I finally responded. I kept my tone level and calm, but I was also firm.


    "Connor, I''ll tell you the same thing I told Maeve. This is not my home. For Kelly and me home is on Earth, and it has always been our intention to return there as soon as we can. As for diplomacy, Maeve told us what she thinks the cost would be in terms of lives and time, if she were to raise an army and march on Eileen. I''m not keen on war, or death, but I''m also no great diplomat. I''m just looking for the fastest way to resolve the situation so Kelly and I can safely return home and get back to our lives there."


    I watched him closely as I spoke, hoping to get a feel for how he''d react. Certainly if he thought he was going to force me to stay here, he''d be in for an unpleasant surprise.


    Both Kelly and Maeve were silent for the moment, they were watching Connor and me. The whole thing felt a little too tense for a friendly celebratory feast, but I figured he''s the one who brought it up. It also reminded me, he''s the one who sort of started the whole mess in the first place by breaking his family''s agreement and marrying Maeve.


    After a long pause he asked, "Will you not address us as mother and father?"


    I shook my head, "No. Those titles are reserved for the people who raised me."


    He frowned slightly, though he kept his tone civil. "I would have expected you to show a little more respect for your parents, Tegan."


    Kelly was getting tense beside me, and Maeve looked uptight as well. I frowned at Connor at replied in a harder tone, "And I''d have expected some more gratitude from you, considering if it wasn''t for me you''d have spent the rest of your days on all fours, preying on hapless fae."


    Connor kept his eyes on me for another few seconds, then finally his expression shifted into a smile as he almost laughed, "There is no doubt Tegan, you are truly a Br¨¢daigh. When Maeve told me all you''d achieved in such a short time, I scarcely believed her. I thought surely you must be an impostor of some kind, seeking to take some advantage of her."


    Kelly relaxed but Maeve turned and gave him an icy glare. She stated in a low but threatening tone, "Tegan risked her life to save you. She was nearly killed, and she''s still recovering from her wounds. And now, the very first time you meet our child, you think to challenge and provoke her?! And you insult my daughter and myself by questioning her heritage and motives?!"


    My fae-mom paused for a moment and I could almost hear her teeth grinding. Her tone remained threatening as she demanded, "You apologize to Tegan right now husband, or I swear I''ll put that arrow back in your chest myself."


    At first I don''t think Connor realized how serious Maeve was, but by the time she finished even I was convinced she''d do it if he wasn''t careful.


    His face paled slightly and I think he even gulped. He looked to me and said quietly "I apologize Tegan. Challenging you like that was rude and uncalled-for. It seems my manners have yet to recover from my ordeal."


    Having Maeve stand up for me like that suddenly made me feel a lot closer to her. I wasn''t so ready to forgive Connor though, I didn''t like being played or taunted like that. For now, I just nodded to him and said "Thanks."


    I had a sip of juice, and turned my attention back to my fae-mom. It was clearer now more than ever that she was the head of the castle, and the clann, regardless of Connor''s status.


    "I''m still planning to remove my spell from Liam. It might take another day or so before I''m able to manage the stairs up the tower though. Or maybe you could have him brought down to Kelly and my rooms?"


    Maeve hesitated, "I think Siobhan might have strong objections against allowing the prisoner into your chambers. Would it bother you so much to leave him waiting another day or two? And I have yet to make any final decision regarding your suggestion for making peace with Eileen."


    I sighed, "I promised Liam I''d reverse the spell when Connor was restored. I would like to keep my promise. If we can''t bring him to me, then at least let me send him a message explaining the delay. I don''t want him to think I''ve broken my word."


    She nodded, "Siobhan will see you in the morning to attend the matter."


    Kelly asked, "How much longer do you think it will take, for you to make a decision about Tegan''s plan?"


    My fae-mom took a sip of wine and thought it over. Finally she replied, "I will discuss the matter with Connor, and will have a decision by the time we meet for dinner tomorrow evening."


    I was glad to hear that, and I''m sure Kelly was too. Of course, the answer might not be what we hoped, but at least it would be another step forward. And we still had the option of just up and leaving, if Maeve and Connor decided they wanted to go to war after all. Though I''d probably want to wait until my leg was better before making a run for it.


    Once we''d all finished dinner, the servants cleared away the dishes then a lavish dessert was served. There was a little more conversation, but nothing as serious as our earlier discussion. Connor asked some questions about life on Earth, what Kelly and I were doing there that we felt was so important.


    Kelly sounded smart and thoughtful as she explained about psychology and that her studies would give her skills to help people. She wasn''t planning on becoming a therapist, at least not for human clients, but her college program would get her started and she planned on further studies after she graduated, ultimately with the idea of doing something to help the fae and part-fae community on Earth.


    By comparison I felt kind of foolish, with my childhood dream of making video-games. I mean, people liked games and gaming was something I used to be passionate about. And I didn''t want to dis other people in the industry, especially indie folks.


    Trying to explain that career to people who didn''t even know electricity, let alone computers and game consoles, was about as hard as it sounded. The conversation also made me realize, outside of my classes I hadn''t really put much thought into gaming over the past few months. And now I realized, I didn''t even miss it.


    The whole discussion left me feeling like I needed to re-think my plans. Especially now that I knew my life was going to be a lot longer and very different than what I''d originally expected.


    In the end, the meal ended on a peaceful note. The antagonism I''d felt from and towards Connor was gone, and the conversation was quiet and friendly. Maeve and Connor were ready to retire to the study for after-dinner drinks, but I had to cut the evening short.


    My leg was starting to ache from being seated too long, I needed to lie down and rest. Kelly and I got up and we bid Maeve and Connor a good night. With her arm around my waist again, we made our way out of the dining hall and back towards our suite.


    Going up the stairs was a much greater challenge than it had been coming down, and by the time we got back to our room I was eager to get into bed and rest my leg.


    Kelly frowned as she watched me wince and grit my teeth. She helped me get out of the dress and leggings, then asked "You''re sure you''re ok?"


    "Yeah," I grumbled, "I just overdid it tonight I think. I''m sure I''ll be fine in the morning."


    "Ok," she nodded slowly. "If not though, we''re getting Muireann back here to have another look at you."


    "Agreed," I gave her a confident smile, then settled back in bed.


    PurpleCatGirl

 41. Complicated

    Kelly shook her head, a deep frown on her face. "I''m calling for Muireann."


    I couldn''t argue. I didn''t want to make a fuss, but the pain was as bad this morning as it had been when I went to bed last night. Maybe even worse, it was aching even as I lay still in bed.


    Kelly gave a few tugs on the bell cord, then quickly pulled on some clothes.


    When a maid came to the door, my girlfriend stated "Please fetch Muireann at once. Lady Tegan requires her immediately."


    I hadn''t really heard her use that tone with anyone else before. Even without her spell on me, it gave me some little flutters to hear her sounding so in-charge.


    The maid bowed, "Yes m''lady, at once!" She turned and hurried from the room.


    While we waited for the healer, I asked Kelly "Would you please bring me a night-shirt or something? I don''t want to be nude when the healer''s checking out my leg."


    She smiled, "Ok babe."


    It was about ten or twelve minutes before Muireann and Aoife arrived. They knocked then let themselves in, and the older woman moved to stand next to me.


    "What is the trouble, Lady Tegan?"


    I winced in pain as I explained how the aching had gotten worse again, that it was hurting even now just laying here keeping still.


    She did the thing with her fingers lightly running over my leg while she worked a spell, the magical x-ray vision or whatever. This time she frowned, clearly she didn''t like what she''d seen.


    "What is it? What''s wrong?" Kelly asked. She was standing on the other side of the bed, watching everything like a hawk.


    Muireann replied, "The healing spell has failed before its work was complete. I will cast it again." She looked to me and asked, "Did you do anything to strain yourself recently?"


    "Not really," I shook my head. "I mean, we did go up and down some stairs yesterday, but Kelly helped..."


    The healer frowned slightly. "To be safe, it would be best if you spent another two days resting in bed while the spell runs its course."


    Without waiting for an answer, she placed both hands on my thigh and worked her magic. I felt it this time, a deep comforting warmth settled into my leg and the pain quickly faded.


    I sighed slightly and I''m sure I looked more relaxed now that I wasn''t feeling the ache.


    "Thanks," I said as Muireann straightened up.


    She just nodded and replied, "I will return to check on you tomorrow morning."


    Kelly thanked her as well, and after that Muireann and Aoife left.


    I sighed and looked at Kelly. "Two more days in bed... I''m going to be very bored and grumpy."


    She gave me a concerned look, "Better grumpy from boredom than from pain. Or worse."


    "Good point," I grimaced.


    With the healer gone and my leg taken care of, Kelly summoned the maid again and asked her to bring us breakfast.


    I ate in bed of course, while Kelly ate at the table. Then we had an hour or so where we both just read some more, until the next visitor arrived at our door.


    It was Maeve, she''d heard from the healer about my condition and she was worried.


    "Tegan," she asked sounding concerned, "How are you feeling? Muireann told me your healing had faltered."


    "Better now," I replied. "She redid the healing spell, but I''m stuck in bed for another two days." I tried not to sound too unhappy, but I''m sure Maeve could tell I wasn''t pleased.


    My fae-mom sighed, "I know it must be frustrating, but it''s for the best. I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have asked you to attend the dining hall last night. I let my excitement for our reunion cloud my judgement. I forgot you needed more time to complete your recovery."


    I shook my head, "Don''t blame yourself. It''s fine. I''ll be fine."


    She nodded slowly, but she continued to look concerned.


    After a few moments she frowned again, her mind now on a different matter. "I owe you both an apology, for Connor''s behaviour last night. Had I known he''d planned on acting like such an arse, I''d have put a stop to it before he had a chance to insult you."


    I sighed, but didn''t respond to that. I wasn''t sure yet what to say.


    Maeve added, "I believe he thought he was protecting me. He worried that you were some sort of opportunist, attempting to deceive a distraught mother into believing you were her long-lost child. Had he spoken to me of those concerns I''d have told him immediately that there was no doubt in my mind who you are, Tegan."


    She sighed and shook her head, "At any rate, he has been thoroughly chastised and I hope his foolish mistake hasn''t soured things between the two of you."


    I took a deep breath and thought for a few moments, then just shrugged. "It''ll take time, I barely know the man." Then I added, "I really appreciated you coming to my defence last night though. Thank you for that."


    I''m sure she recognized the sincerity in my voice, and I figure she already knew I''d been gradually warming to her in the time me and Kelly had been here. I still wasn''t ready to call her ''mom'', but I might call her ''fae-mom''. I''d already been thinking of her like that for a while, anyways.


    She gave me a warm smile and nodded, "Of course, Tegan. You''re my daughter, I will always stand for you."


    She stayed with us a few more minutes, before she excused herself. "I''ll leave you to rest now. If there''s anything you need, let me know."


    I thanked her, and reminded her I wanted to speak with captain Siobhan today. After Maeve left Kelly and I just settled back to some more quiet reading.


    It was nearly noon when our next visitor came knocking at the door.


    Siobhan bowed after she''d entered, and stated "Lady Maeve informed me that you wished to speak with me?"


    I nodded, "Is it possible to have Liam brought here so I can reverse the spell on him?"


    The captain''s expression immediately told me she didn''t like that idea. "It would be a significant breach of protocol, to allow a prisoner into the residential wing of the castle. Especially a dangerous traitor who''s already done so much damage to your family."


    I hadn''t really expected her to agree, but I figured I''d ask. "In that case, would you deliver a message to him for me?"


    "Yes m''lady, that I can do." she nodded.


    Kelly brought me some parchment from the desk, and the pen and ink. I wrote a quick note to Liam, explaining I was recovering from injury and couldn''t come to dispell the magic for another few days. I promised that as soon as I was able, I''d come and fix him.


    Once the ink was dry I folded the sheet and handed it to the captain, "If you could take that to him at once, I''d appreciate it Siobhan."


    She bowed slightly, "Yes m''lady." She didn''t turn and leave though. Instead she hesitated, then asked "May I speak openly, Lady Tegan?"


    I glanced at Kelly, wondering if I was about to get a lecture about coddling the prisoner or something. So far I still had no idea if anyone in the castle would go along with my peace-plan. It was entirely possible some of them would rather just execute Liam then go after Eileen.


    Kelly''s expression showed she was curious but also a little wary. I finally looked back at Siobhan and nodded, "Very well captain. What''s on your mind?"


    To both Kelly''s and my surprise, she didn''t want to discuss Liam at all. "I understand you''ve experienced some complications with your healing. Respectfully, I suggest that miss Kelly start learning healing magic as quickly as possible, so that she may take over your treatments."


    We both sort of blinked at her in surprise.


    "You think Muireann is botching the spells?" Kelly asked, sounding nervous.


    Siobhan shook her head, "Not at all."


    She took a deep breath then explained, "When the beast attacked at Imbolc two decades ago, in addition to the dead there were seventeen wounded. Of those, fifteen healed quickly and completely thanks to Muireann''s magic. Two however, did not. One of my soldiers, and one servant. In both cases, their injuries refused to heal. Both suffered ongoing complications, and were ultimately forced to retire from their duties."


    By now Kelly''s face had gone pale. She gulped, "You think that''s what''s happening to Tegan? Is she going to be crippled?"


    I tried to keep my voice calm and level as I asked, "What became of the two fae who wouldn''t heal?"


    The tall captain replied quietly, "I cannot say if Lady Tegan''s complications are similar to those which happened twenty years ago. The two fae in question required healing spells on a regular basis for about a dozen years. In that time they suffered ongoing pain and weakness from their injuries. Eventually they healed enough that they no longer required magic to keep the pain away." She hesitated, "Neither returned to full health, I''m afraid."


    I was quiet for now, just staring down at the sheets over my legs as Siobhan''s words sank in.


    Kelly was still pale, and now she looked scared. "Why haven''t Maeve or Muireann told us about this themselves?"


    "Lady Maeve may not recall the details," Siobhan replied. "She was understandably distraught in the years following the loss of her child and husband. I''m certain Muireann remembers the complications and is likely aware of the possibility that Lady Tegan is so affected. She may be keeping that information to herself until she knows for certain."


    I could think of another reason to keep that information from us. If I required ongoing healing treatments for some mysterious reason, it would be an excuse to keep me here. Perhaps for a decade, perhaps indefinitely. I didn''t believe Maeve would do that, but I was still leery of Connor. And for that matter, I didn''t know Muireann at all, so I couldn''t begin to guess what motives she might have.


    We were all quiet for a few moments. Finally I looked up and said "Thank you Siobhan. I appreciate your sharing this with us." I gestured at the parchment in her hand and added, "I''d also appreciate if you would deliver that note to Liam now."


    She bowed "Yes m''lady, of course."


    As soon as the captain left, Kelly was at my side with her arms around me as she pulled me into a hug. I think she was more upset at the news than I was, as she looked like she was on the verge of tears.


    I hugged her back, then asked quietly "Kelly? You were reading about healing magic a few days ago. Are you still studying up on that?"


    "Yeah," she nodded. "I haven''t been trying to learn the spells though, just reading about it."


    I gave her a gentle squeeze and said "That''s ok. Though maybe you should start trying to learn some of the spells too. But in the meantime, could you do me a favour? Could you go to the study and grab me that book I found that had information about vargurs? And grab any other books on healing magic you can find?"


    "Of course!" She straightened up and nodded, "I''ll be right back!"


    I smiled, "I''ll wait here."


    She rolled her eyes and deadpanned, "Ha ha, miss comedian."


    I settled back on the bed as she hurried out the door.


    Being stuck in bed for a couple days with nothing to do can suck if you''re bored. But now I had a project, a mission. I was going to try and figure out what was up with my leg, and why some vargur injuries wouldn''t heal.


    Then with a little luck, I was going to try and figure out how to fix it.


    PurpleCatGirl

 42. Cleared

    The bad news came after two full days in bed. Muireann visited both mornings after breakfast to check on me, and that second morning she was forced to administer the healing spell again.


    She looked worried as she informed me, "I''m afraid as it stands now lady Tegan, you will probably require me to repeat this spell every second day."


    Kelly stood on the other side of the bed, once again watching the healer like a hawk.


    I frowned and looked up at her and asked, "For how long? How much longer until my leg is fully healed?"


    Muireann hesitated, "I can''t say for certain. Of course, we''ll hope for the best, but it could take a while. I don''t know why the spell keeps failing."


    I sighed and glanced at Kelly, then looked back at the healer and asked "Does this seem like the same sort of problem you had two decades ago, with the soldier and the servant who''s wounds wouldn''t heal?"


    Both Kelly and I saw it, she obviously didn''t expect us to know about that, and just as obviously she was well aware of it herself. She seemed frozen for a few moments then sighed "Yes, I''m afraid so. I was hoping it wouldn''t be the case, and I didn''t want to alarm or upset you with that sort of news."


    I kept my eyes on her and said "I''m not spending the next decade in bed. So tell me the truth. What''s my condition, what are my limitations, what can I expect?"


    Muireann sighed, "It''s best if you wait thirty minutes after the spell is applied before getting up. Then you can expect a day or so of relatively pain-free mobility. After that, the pain will gradually return until the spell is cast again. If the spell is cast too often it will loose its effectiveness, which is why it''s best to wait two full days rather than using it daily."


    She added, "When I say mobility, I do not mean your leg is fully restored. It will remain weak, and the more you push it the sooner the pain will return. Running, hiking, climbing stairs, walking over rough terrain, will all take a toll. Worse if you are carrying anything heavy."


    Kelly looked more and more upset as the healer went on, but for now I just accepted it for what it was. "So every other day I need a blast of healing magic, and I can expect to be stiff and sore on the off-days?"


    "Yes m''lady," she nodded slightly. "I''m sorry."


    I just nodded slightly "Thank you Muireann. I appreciate the honesty." I added, "I''d have appreciated it more two days ago."


    She bowed as she apologized again, then I dismissed her. Once again Kelly was there hugging me as soon as we were alone.


    "I''m so sorry Tegan," she sighed. "I''m working to learn that spell as fast as I can."


    I hugged her back, "I know Kelly. It''s ok. Don''t stress about it."


    Of course the easy answer would have been for me to just learn the spell myself, then I could take care of my leg any time I wanted. Except one of the first things we learned about healing magic was it''s ineffective when you cast it on yourself. According to the books it was because of how healing magic interacted with your aura or something. You couldn''t heal and be healed simultaneously, which made it impossible to work healing spells on yourself.


    I learned the spell anyways, just in case. I mean, if Kelly ever got hurt then at least I could help her. But until she could cast it, I was stuck relying on Muireann or another fae healer to keep me from becoming bedridden.


    We waited a while like the healer suggested, then I got up and pulled on some hose and a short dress, then put on a pair of sandals. Even though I''d just been told to avoid stairs, I was about to go and tackle several flights of them.


    "It''s too bad you couldn''t just levitate or fly," Kelly commented as we started up into the tower.


    There were some levitation spells, I''d read about them back in our first week here. Unfortunately it was similar to the problem with healing magic. You could levitate other things, but attempting to levitate yourself could have unpredictable and dangerous results.


    So I climbed the stairs the old-fashioned way, and just accepted that I''d be paying the price for it tomorrow in terms of aches and pains. Captain Siobhan must have heard we were en route as she caught up to us just as we reached Liam''s room.


    I took a minute or two to let my leg recover from the climb, then Siobhan nodded to the guards and one unlocked the door. The captain led Kelly and I in.


    Liam was laying on the bed looking bored, but sat up as we all entered. He was dressed similar to last time, in black trousers and a white shirt, with his hair in a ponytail.


    He looked surprised by the unexpected visit. Then he stared at me and Kelly, and obviously noticed how I was leaning on my girlfriend. He frowned and asked, "Lady Tegan, you were truly injured? And you''re still recovering?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. "I nearly lost my leg, and it''s going to be a long time before I''m fully healed by the sound of it."


    He seemed shocked, "I''m sorry. When I was given your letter, I assumed you were stalling. I thought it was a ploy, that you were going to avoid lifting your curse from me."


    I just shrugged, I didn''t blame him for doubting me. I looked from Liam to Siobhan and asked, "I don''t suppose anyone thought to supply Liam with clothes that will fit once I remove my magic?"


    The captain grimaced slightly, "No m''lady. I''ll make arrangements as soon as we''re done here."


    I looked back at Liam and asked, "If you''re ready, it''d be best if you got out of the small clothes. Uh, maybe just get under the sheets in bed or something."


    "Right," he blushed, and seemed to hesitate. After a moment he finally asked, "I don''t suppose I could have some privacy?"


    Kelly and I both turned around, but captain Siobhan didn''t. I wasn''t surprised of course, there''s no way she''d turn her back on a prisoner, especially with me and Kelly present.


    After a few moments Liam said, "Ok."


    We turned back to find him sitting on the bed, with a sheet wrapped around himself. The clothes he''d been wearing were laying on the bottom of the bed.


    He was watching me closely and asked, "You''re really going to reverse your spell? You''re really going to restore me to my normal self?"


    I nodded "Yes. I gave you my word and I mean to keep it." I paused a moment then asked, half-joking "Unless you''ve gotten used to this of course. You do want me to restore you, right?"


    He blushed brightly but insisted "Yes! I very much do not wish to remain human or female."


    Kelly gave me a light swat on the arm and said, "Don''t tease."


    I just nodded, "I had to check. Ok Liam, here we go."


    I raised my hand towards him and worked the magic to release my spell. It was much easier than I''d let on of course, I just modified the conditions of the curse so its revocation trigger was something ridiculously common. In this case, exposure to magic. As soon as I made the change, the curse was lifted and swirling light surrounded Liam''s small figure. This time when the light faded, Liam was back to his original self. He was once again fae, male, and an adult. Even his big messy beard was back.


    He blinked in surprise and looked down at himself. He kept the sheet wrapped around, but he looked at his hands then ran a hand over his face. Finally he looked up at me, wide-eyed. He confessed, "I honestly didn''t believe you''d do it. Not after everything I did to you, everything I said to you."


    I just shrugged then said "There''s still no news yet on your ultimate fate. I''ve kept my word, that''s the best I can do."


    Liam stood and bowed, though he kept the sheet around him. He stated, "Lady Tegan, you are an honourable young woman. I swear whatever happens in the future, I will never raise a hand or act against yourself or miss Kelly. You have my word on that."


    I wasn''t sure what to make of that so I just nodded, "Thank you Liam."


    Siobhan escorted me and Kelly out and the guards locked the door again behind us. As the three of us started back down the stairs, the captain said quietly "I rather liked him better the other way."


    I was pretty sure that was because Liam was utterly harmless in the other form. Or perhaps because his normal self reminded her of his betrayal.


    Either way, I just shrugged "I always intended to restore him, captain. And I only transformed him like that in the first place because he pushed me too far." I added, "Please see that he''s supplied some new clothes. And I hope the change in his appearance won''t lead to him being treated any differently."


    "Yes m''lady," Siobhan replied.


    Once me and Kelly were back in our room, I lay down on the bed again to rest my leg. The two of us got back to our reading. I still hadn''t solved the puzzle of the vargur''s unhealable wounds, and Kelly was working to learn that healing spell.


    We were both absorbed in our reading when Maeve came to visit an hour or two later.


    She greeted us, and said "Muireann spoke with me this morning. How are you managing? Are you ok?"


    "I''m fine," I replied. "Or as good as can be, considering. She told me what to expect, what limitations to be aware of, and how to manage things. So I''m managing."


    My fae-mom nodded slowly.


    I commented, "Of course she didn''t volunteer that information, I had to ask. And I only knew to ask because I already knew about my condition."


    Maeve nodded again, and I added in a slightly annoyed tone, "I would have appreciated learning the truth from the healer, rather than...other means."


    I didn''t know if Siobhan might get in trouble for telling me, but I didn''t want to take the chance so I figured it best to keep her out of it.


    My fae-mom sighed, "I''m sorry Tegan. I asked Muireann not to tell you until we knew for sure. I didn''t want to scare or upset you, if it turned out to be nothing."


    "I understand," I sighed. "Thank you for owning-up to it now."


    Maeve nodded slowly, then changed the subject. "Captain Siobhan informs me that you''ve restored Liam to his original self."


    "I hope that''s not a problem?"


    "Not at all," she replied. "Siobhan was impressed by your commitment to keep your word. And she tells me the prisoner was moved as well."


    She took a deep breath then said "I promised you an answer a few days ago, but have been too distracted to tell you. That answer was, we will proceed with your suggestion and seek peace."


    Maeve continued, "Two days ago I dispatched our best rider on our fastest horse. He carries a letter for Eileen. I''ve invited her here to meet and discuss a peaceful settlement. I''ve given her my personal guarantee of safety, so she need not fear us while she''s here to talk. My letter did not mention that both you and Connor were back, but I did tell her I was considering releasing Liam to her, as a gesture of goodwill."


    I was surprised, but smiled. "That''s great! How long will it take to get an answer?"


    "If his journey is without incident, the rider should reach her stronghold in another two days. He''ll require at least a day to rest, then four more days to return. Assuming Eileen provides him with an answer right away, we can expect to hear back in another week, at the earliest."


    She added sadly, "It may take longer if she doesn''t answer immediately. Or it may be never, if she decides to simply execute our courier."


    "Crap," I sighed. "Well, let''s hope for a quick and positive reply."


    As the days passed and we waited, I continued my research, Kelly kept studying healing magic, and I continued to receive magical treatments from Muireann every other day.


    By the end of the week, there was good news and there was bad. Both related to my healing, or lack thereof.


    My research led me to believe the problem had to do with vargurs'' magical resistance, and the fact that my injury wasn''t a quick swipe or slash. The thing had its claws in my leg for several seconds. I''d learned the two fae with similar complications after the original attack had similar experiences, the vargur''s claws were in them for several seconds too. Those who healed quickly had only suffered brief contact with the beast.


    Nothing I''d read made any mention of poison or venom, but I was positive something had ''rubbed off'' while the vargur''s claws were buried in my leg. And whatever that was, it still carried the magical resistance, and that had to be what was interfering with the healing magic.


    For now it seemed like I was stuck just living with the problem and hoping in a decade or so I''d be ok. I wasn''t ready to give up on finding a permanent fix, but I''d run out of ideas so I had to let that go for now.


    On the other hand, by the end of the week the good news was Kelly had learned the healing spell well enough to take over my every-other-day treatments. That made both of us happy, since it meant I wasn''t stuck at the castle indefinitely.


    PurpleCatGirl

 43. Conveyed

    More good news arrived in the form of Maeve''s courier, who returned to the castle safe and sound, and right on schedule. He carried with him a sealed letter from Eileen.


    When Kelly and I heard the rider was back, we made our way down to the study to join Maeve, Connor, and Siobhan.


    Maeve checked the letter for spells and curses prior to breaking the seal. We were all hoping it would be ok, but considering how things played out a couple decades ago it made sense to be cautious.


    The letter was safe though, and the news it contained was even better. Eileen was open to the idea of finding a peaceful resolution to the two families differences. However, she was unwilling to come to castle Br¨¢daigh. Instead, she suggested meeting at a neutral location called Duma D¨¦. Apparently it was some ancient hilltop, but neither side owned or controlled it, so neither side would hold an advantage.


    Of course I wanted to be there, and Kelly wouldn''t let me go without her. Siobhan would be present. And I insisted that we had to bring Liam along, so we could hand him over to Eileen. It all sounded like a good idea, until Maeve pointed out that while a good rider on a fast horse could cover those distances in a few days, a larger group including two inexperienced riders would take much longer.


    In fact, she estimated it would take us eight days to reach the meeting place. We''d be camped there however long it took to come to an agreement with Eileen, then we''d be on the road a further eight days before we were back at the castle.


    Kelly actually had something of an idea where we were going, thanks to studying up on the local geography a while back. "Eileen''s stronghold is over seventy-five leagues away, but this meeting place she suggested is only about forty leagues from here."


    When she saw my blank stare, she clarified "A league is about three miles. So this Duma D¨¦ place is about a hundred and twenty miles away."


    I converted that to kilometers in my head, and realized if we had a car and a highway, we could be there in about two hours, instead of eight days. I sighed, "I suddenly miss cars..."


    Still, it was my idea. I had to go.


    Realizing that we were going to be in Otherworld for a few more weeks at least, Kelly and I both wrote up new letters for our families. We didn''t mention any details and we didn''t say anything about me getting hurt, we just kept it simple and said we were both safe and we were ok, but the situation was complicated and we were stuck here for a while longer yet. Maeve took the completed letters and made arrangements to have them taken over to Earth for us.


    As the sun rose the following morning, Kelly and I found ourselves sitting nervously atop our horses, ready to set out on a trip that would take nearly three weeks.


    Our group contained two dozen horses in total, though not all had riders. Maeve and Siobhan led the way, with Kelly and I close behind. In addition to the captain, we had eight more soldiers with us. All were armed with knife, sword, and bow. Maeve herself was similarly equipped, with a sword at her side and a bow and quiver of arrows on the sides of her saddle. Notably missing was Connor, but Maeve explained that she was leaving him in charge of the Castle.


    Liam was with us as well, though he wore shackles on his wrists and his horse''s reins were controlled by one of the soldiers. I was glad to see he was in good shape, he''d even shaved so he looked somewhat presentable. Finally there were five servants, then the remaining horses were laden with gear and supplies.


    I was back in my ''rogue'' outfit that I''d worn into the western woods, though I''d been given a new pair of trousers. Kelly had a similar outfit, and we each had daggers on our belts. Kelly was also given a bow. Apparently she''d learned how to use one in high-school. Of course I''d be relying on magic if we got into any serious trouble.


    The rest of our party was similarly dressed. No more fancy blue-and-purple livery, everyone was wearing dark muted browns and blacks, and looked ready for the journey ahead. The only exception was one of the soldiers carried a Clann Br¨¢daigh pennant, which he held high on a pike as we rode. And of course, both Maeve and I stood out with our bright violet hair.


    Our party set out slowly at first, the others knew that Kelly and I were both basically learning how to ride en route. Maeve and Siobhan stayed close and gave the two of us lots of guidance. And we were told the horses we''d been given were quite calm and friendly, which was reassuring.


    My leg was still a concern, but now that Kelly could work the healing spell I was confident I''d be ok. We''d brought along a few of the books on healing magic, with the idea of reading them when there was some off time. Though from the looks we got from some of the soldiers, I realized there might not actually be any off time.


    Apart from the riding instructions, there wasn''t much talk for the first few hours. Almost everyone else kept quiet as our group headed north and east. Just before noon we passed through one of Maeve''s villages, the one that was north of the castle. It was a collection of two or three dozen small homes and buildings, surrounded by farmland and another twenty or so farmhouses. As our group rode through, several of the locals waved. They seemed happy to see their Lady, though several looked confused as to which of us actually was their Lady, between Maeve and myself.


    Beyond the village we passed more of the farmland, then it was rolling hills and grassland for as far ahead as I could see.


    We kept going till the sun was about an hour or so above the horizon, then finally our caravan came to a halt at the base of one of the low hills. We all dismounted, though some of us had more trouble than others with that manoeuvre. Some meaning me. I wound up on my arse on the ground, but luckily nothing was harmed apart from my dignity.


    The fall was actually the least of my worries. My backside was killing me from spending all day in the saddle. Kelly seemed to be just as sore. We both kept quiet though, I didn''t want to be seen whining and complaining. It was already bad enough that Maeve and Kelly and me just sort of stood there and watched while everyone else was working.


    The only other two who weren''t busy were Liam and one soldier who was guarding him. Siobhan walked around giving orders, and the five servants and seven other soldiers all rushed about putting our camp together.


    Three servants were doing nothing but looking after all the horses. There was a little stream that ran past our camp and I realized that''s probably why we stopped here. The horses had water and they could munch on the tall grasses.


    The other two servants and a few of the soldiers set up our tents. There was a large fancy tent for Lady Maeve, a slightly smaller fancy tent for Kelly and I, a smaller tent for Siobhan, and it looked like everybody else was sleeping under the stars.


    A few soldiers got a fire started, and when the tents were up some of the servants got to work making dinner, while others got the insides of the tents outfitted. Folding chairs were set up for those of us who were too important to work, so we could watch in comfort while everyone else toiled. I honestly felt pretty bad at this point, and I really wanted to help somehow. But I had no idea what to do and I knew I''d just get in the way.


    I''d never been interested in camping as a kid, I was never a boy-scout or anything like that. My only knowledge of this stuff was from movies or TV shows, and I was pretty sure what they did in the movies wasn''t anything like what I was seeing here in real life.


    So I sat in my little folding chair between Maeve and Kelly and I sighed. I said softly, "I feel bad doing nothing. I want to help, but I don''t know anything about this stuff."


    I expected Maeve to laugh, or tell me it was fine and I didn''t need to worry about it. Instead she said softly, "For now you two need to learn to ride, so you aren''t so stiff at the end of the day. And Tegan, I am concerned about your leg. Once I''m satisfied with your riding, if you want, I will see you both learn how to set up and break camp."


    Kelly and me were both surprised, but I thanked her for that.


    My fae-mom shrugged slightly, "It''s a good skill to have. My mother, and Taralynn before her, both believed if you''re to order someone to do a thing, you best know how to do it yourself. Partially so you know they''re doing it right, but also because it''s important to be self-sufficient when necessary."


    That made sense to me, and sounded kind of wise. Kelly asked quietly, "So you know how to do all this stuff?"


    Maeve nodded. "When I was young my mother took me on expeditions and hunting trips. She had me work with the soldiers and servants, so I''d learn."


    Before long camp was all set and dinner was ready. Siobhan sat and ate with Maeve and Kelly and me. The food was pretty good considering the conditions, though by now I knew food in Otherworld always tasted good.


    After dinner, Kelly and I got into our tent. There were primitive sleeping-bags for us, and after we stripped off our clothes we climbed into them and lay down. They weren''t great but it beat sleeping on the ground. Despite not doing any work, I was asleep pretty quick.


    Morning was a reverse of the night before. Breakfast was prepared and served, then everyone got busy breaking camp and packing things away. Everyone except Maeve and Kelly and me. We sat around and watched, until our chairs were folded up and packed. Then we stood, until everything was ready to go.


    I needed help getting up into the saddle again, and my behind immediately started aching. The thought of a full week of this did not bring me any joy. From the look on Kelly''s face as she settled into place on her horse I knew she felt the same.


    Soon enough the lot of us were on the move again. Today two soldiers took the lead, including the one carrying Maeve''s pennant. My fae-mom and I rode side-by-side behind them, and Siobhan rode next to Kelly behind us. As we rode, Maeve gave me more tips and pointers, and I could hear Siobhan doing the same for Kelly.


    I was still uncomfortable, but it actually helped. And I found myself enjoying spending this time with Maeve. I guess it was a kind of bonding experience or something, her teaching me to ride like I''m sure she learned from her own mom.


    We kept this up day after day and it honestly got kind of monotonous after the second day. We eventually left the rolling hills behind and passed into thick forest. I was a little anxious travelling through the woods, considering how my last forest adventure turned out. Maeve and Siobhan both assured me it was safe though. And being surrounded by armed soldiers helped too of course.


    On the seventh day we emerged from the forest into a landscape that was similar to the earlier rolling hills, except the terrain was more rocky and the grass was shorter and scruffier. The weather had been pretty good so far, but now it was overcast and grey. There was a cool wind coming from the north now, and it felt like there was a constant threat of rain.


    That night everyone was quieter and more subdued when they set up camp. The only positive thing was by now both Kelly and I had gotten good enough at riding that we weren''t dealing with constantly-aching backsides.


    As we had dinner with Maeve and Siobhan, my fae-mom said "Tomorrow we''ll reach Duma D¨¦. Eileen may already be there when we arrive, so we''ll have to be cautious as we approach." She looked at me, "Tegan I''ll be depending on you to watch for any magical hazards. Can you do that?"


    I nodded, "Yes, I think so."


    "Good." She continued, "I hope Eileen will be there to talk and not fight, but until we are certain, listen to me and Siobhan, do exactly as we say. Lives may depend on it."


    Both Kelly and I nodded, and I felt some dread settle in my stomach. This meeting was my idea. If anyone got hurt, it would be on me. I hadn''t forgotten that I''d already cost Ruadhan his life, I hoped there wouldn''t be any more.


    PurpleCatGirl

 44. Camped

    The weather remained grey and dull when we woke the following morning, and there was a chill in the air. Kelly worked the healing spell on my leg then we got dressed and emerged from our tent.


    Everyone stayed quiet as we all had breakfast, then camp was quickly broken up and before long we were on our way again.


    Siobhan and two other soldiers took the lead, followed by Maeve and Kelly and me. The soldiers up front would be watching for mundane trouble, while the three of us in the second row were all wary for any magical threats. At least, I was pretty sure both Kelly and my fae-mom were using their magical awareness, but both of them seemed to think I was more talented at it than either of them despite being so new to the whole thing.


    The sky remained overcast and dull, and without being able to track the sun we weren''t really able to tell time so well. Still, it seemed like about mid-afternoon when Siobhan stated "There it is. Duma D¨¦."


    Our little group was just coming over another low hill, and we saw it in the distance. It was a hill, but it was very different from the sort of hills we''d been travelling up and down. Duma D¨¦ was clearly not a natural feature.


    It was a wide, low, circular hill with a flat top. It was probably close to a hundred meters across at the base, and thirty or forty meters in diameter at the top. It rose about fifteen or twenty meters up above the surrounding landscape, which was flat and relatively clear for at least a kilometer all around.


    Both the hill and the surrounding terrain was more of the same rocky ground and short scrub grass, with occasional tufts of weeds here and there.


    "What is it?" Kelly asked quietly. "It looks sort of like a burial mound."


    Siobhan replied, "It might be. No-one knows for sure. There''s at least a half dozen of them, maybe a dozen, scattered around Otherworld. Always in this sort of landscape though, always remote. Nobody knows who made them, they''re ancient. Some say they pre-date even the fae."


    That sounded pretty incredible, considering how long fae lived. I asked, "Hasn''t anyone tried to dig into one and see what''s inside?" It sounded like the sort of thing archaeologists would be all over.


    "No-one would dare." Siobhan answered.


    Maeve explained, "Duma can mean burial mound, or it could mean sacred mound. And D¨¦ usually means ''of the Gods''. So, Duma D¨¦ could literally mean the ''burial mound of the Gods''. With a name like that, nobody wants to risk damaging one of them."


    The captain added, "The Duma D¨¦ were also said to be meeting-places of the Gods, where they held their court. Some legends say these places are where the Gods came to Otherworld to meet with kings and queens, or other important fae, to help or hinder them, and to pass judgement."


    It all sounded very impressive, and after everything I''d learned and experienced in the past few months I wasn''t about to doubt or question any of this stuff. Gods or not, it sounded like Maeve and Siobhan were respectful of this place, so I would be as well.


    As we got closer, I spotted some tiny sparks of light flitting about at the top of the mound. They were too small and we were still too far away to know what I was seeing. They were too big to be fireflies, and it was too light out to see fireflies anyways, but that''s what they reminded me of.


    I asked, "Can anyone else see those lights up there? What are they?"


    Maeve replied quietly, "Those are pixies. It''s said they protect places like this."


    "They might be keeping an eye on us," Siobhan added, "And it''s possible they''ll report our approach to Eileen if she''s already here and made contact with them."


    My fae-mom added, "Don''t stare at them, don''t laugh at them, be respectful. It''s probably best to just ignore them."


    "What are pixies?" I asked.


    "Like fairies, but meaner." Maeve replied.


    I wasn''t sure how to take that, my expression probably showed I wasn''t sure what she meant.


    Kelly elaborated quietly, "Imagine Tinkerbell, except she''ll stab you in the eyes if you look at her wrong. And slit your throat while you sleep if you dis her."


    I stared at my girlfriend and for a moment, I thought she was kidding. Then realized she was deadly serious. "O-ok. I''ll just try and ignore them then."


    We were all quiet for another few minutes, then Siobhan pointed out "There''s smoke coming up from the far side of the Duma. Eileen''s probably already camped there."


    "Then we''ll set up on this side," Maeve announced.


    Not long after, our caravan came to a halt about fifty meters away from the base of the mound. Everyone was quiet again as we dismounted, and the others started setting up camp.


    It was a little slower this time, Siobhan had four soldiers take up positions as lookouts around the area that would be our camp. Kelly and I found some work this time, we were put in charge of guarding Liam since that freed up another soldier.


    I felt kind of silly as I realized we could have done this the whole trip, rather than sit around doing nothing while everyone else worked. Kelly and me might not be soldiers, but I was pretty confident Liam wouldn''t dare try anything if I was there keeping an eye on him.


    And he didn''t, he stayed put and was quiet and respectful.


    As the others were just finishing getting things set up, Siobhan called everyone to attention. A soldier came to take over watching Liam, while me and Kelly were called to go stand with Maeve and the captain.


    Our adversaries were approaching from around the side of the Duma. They came on horseback, while we were all on foot right now and we didn''t have time to mount up. So we had to hope this would just be a friendly hello.


    Eileen sat in the middle atop her horse. She was dressed for travel, but her travel clothes looked a lot finer than ours. She wore dark pants and boots, and a deep red jacket that looked like silk. The cuffs and collar were rich royal blue. Her long hair was golden blonde, it was currently drawn back into a long pony-tail that hung partway down her back. Her eyes were a sparkling blue, and her skin looked fair and perfect. Her lips were red, but were currently pulled tight in a slight scowl. She was quite an attractive woman, or at least she would be if she wasn''t shooting daggers at us with her eyes.


    She had six men with her, three to either side, all clad in metal armour. It looked like steel plates overtop of chainmail. All six were holding crossbows, the weapons were loaded and held ready. They also had swords at their hips.


    On our side, everyone was tense and ready for trouble as we watched. The seven of them stopped several meters away, observing us all.


    Eileen spoke first, her eyes on me and my fae-mom. "Well this is unexpected. Two Maeves? I thought perhaps the pixies were seeing double, when they reported two fae women with purple hair."


    Maeve replied calmly, "Hello Eileen. Allow me to introduce my daughter, Tegan."


    The blonde raised an eyebrow as she stared at me, "Is that so? I thought your child was barely into her twenties, Maeve. This young woman looks at least past her first century..." She pretended to remember, "Oh that''s right, your girl spent time on Earth as a changeling, didn''t she? So nice to see you have her back now, all grown up and looking like a proper young woman."


    I could tell my fae-mom was aggravated by Eileen''s words and tone. She stated, "We''ve come to talk, Eileen. Not trade barbs."


    "Of course Maeve," the woman smiled slightly. "I see you''re all just about settled in. Let us meet atop Duma D¨¦ at sunset this evening. Then we may negotiate an end to our little disagreement."


    Maeve nodded, "Sunset it is."


    Eileen signalled, and she and her men turned and rode back the way they came, out of sight around the far side of the mound.


    I think we all let out a sigh of relief when they''d left.


    Everyone was quiet again after that, and it felt like the tension had been turned up just a little higher.


    Siobhan disappeared for a while, but returned to join us for dinner. She sat with Maeve and Kelly and I, and reported "Eileen''s camp is on the far side of the Duma. Her numbers match ours. I saw only the six men in armour, but she has another four soldiers to guard her camp. All were carrying crossbows, I saw no longbows. The rest of her group are servants and bearers."


    After a pause the captain added, "The fact that she brought men in full armour at all is cause for concern I think, m''lady?"


    "Yes," Maeve nodded. "Outfitting six men in plate and chain would have been a significant expense, and Eileen has nowhere near the resources I do."


    Siobhan suggested, "If she''s planning or expecting treachery, she may have opted to bring a smaller, stronger force, rather than a larger contingent of more-poorly equipped troops. Easier to move and control a half dozen knights, than a few dozen infantry."


    "Indeed," Maeve nodded thoughtfully. "Our wildcards will be Tegan and Kelly. They will not know Tegan is capable of magic, they''ll believe her to be a helpless liability. Eileen no doubt saw the bow Kelly''s carrying, she''ll assume that means Kelly is trained for combat." She addressed my girlfriend and added, "She won''t know who you are, but will likely suspect you''re a minor noble or visiting aristocrat. She''ll assume you''re trained in magic as well as the bow."


    Kelly blushed, "I know a little magic but I''m not going to be anywhere near what you people can do."


    Siobhan smiled, "Don''t worry miss Kelly. We''re just comparing forces and numbers. Like a game of strategy."


    While I understood what the captain meant, I also knew this was definitely no game. Maeve knew it too, as she said to Kelly "We hope none of us need to resort to bow or sword or magic, but should they force it, at least we know you''re capable."


    The captain nodded and looked at me and my girlfriend as she explained, "With crossbows, they''ll get the first shot away faster. After that, crossbows are useless in close quarters. They''ll either drop them and draw swords, or they may pull back to reload. If they do attack, we''ll have the advantage after the first volley."


    Maeve looked at me and added, "Tegan for the most part I expect you to stay quiet and observe. Use your magical awareness, keep watchful for any magical traps or dangers, and for anyone attempting to use a spell."


    "If Eileen does attack, you two do what you can," Siobhan stated. "My advice to you Lady Tegan and miss Kelly would be to retreat to safety. But in the heat of the moment, do as you must, do what you can."


    I sighed, "I hope this doesn''t actually turn into a battle. We''re here for peace. We''re here to end the conflict, not make things worse."


    My fae-mom nodded, "I agree. There may be a show of force, Eileen may threaten or even challenge." She frowned, then decided "If Eileen wants a fight, then let her make the first strike. We will not attack."


    Siobhan cautioned, "That could be risky, m''lady."


    "I know," Maeve replied. "But my daughter is right. We came to make peace, not war."


    The captain bowed slightly "Very well m''lady."


    The four of us finished our meal in silence. Though to be honest, I had even less of an appetite than usual. I already had butterflies in my stomach and my heart was racing slightly.


    I finally excused myself and went for a little walk around the camp. I knew not to stray far of course, I just needed to pace, to move. It was either that or start with the nervous chatter, and I was trying to break that habit.


    After a minute or so I noticed Kelly had joined me. She slipped an arm around my waist and I did the same, as the two of us walked together. We walked quietly, just slowly circling our camp''s perimeter. I could feel the tension in her body, and I knew she could feel how anxious I was too.


    "It''s going to be ok," she whispered.


    I replied softly, "I hope you''re right."


    We didn''t say anything else, there wasn''t much more to be said. As sunset neared, we finally rejoined Maeve and Siobhan and tried to focus on what to come.


    PurpleCatGirl

 45. Confronted

    As the sun settled on the horizon, we made our final preparations. Three soldiers would stay here to guard the camp and keep an eye on Liam, but the other five would be with us. Maeve, Siobhan, Kelly, and the soldiers all had their bows, but for now they were kept over their shoulders. Two of our soldiers carried torches, since it would soon be dark.


    The nine of us ascended the hill together in silence as the light was fading from the sky. Fortunately the slope wasn''t all that steep so my leg didn''t slow me down too much. And Kelly administered my latest treatment this morning, which helped. It wasn''t any worse than a couple flights of stairs, so the ascent was tiring but not painful.


    When we reached the top we saw Eileen and her soldiers were already there. As before she stood in the middle, with three men to either side of her. Her men still wore their metal armour and had their crossbows ready in hand as they watched us take our place across from them. They had torches with them too but rather than holding them, they''d set them in the ground to either side.


    I didn''t see any of the pixies about now, it seemed they were all hiding. It reminded me of western movies, where the townsfolk all disappeared before the big shootout.


    We stopped with about ten meters separating the two groups. I was nervous as heck, my heart pounding. I used my magical sense like Maeve asked, and carefully looked over the hilltop and the other fae standing across from us. I couldn''t see anything amiss, there were no magical traps, no glamours or other magical disguises or masks.


    Still, I couldn''t help feeling like we were at a disadvantage. Even though we outnumbered them, Eileen''s troops were all in armour and all held their weapons ready. Like Siobhan said earlier, they''d all get the first shot before our side even had their bows off their shoulders.


    It was hard to keep my hands from shaking, and I didn''t want Eileen and her people to see how anxious I was. To distract myself, I started running through the various spells I''d learned. I decided to focus on defence, and busied myself by focusing on two spells in particular. One that should protect our group from Eileen''s crossbows, and another that I hoped would block any magic our opponents threw our way.


    The blonde fae spoke first, her voice loud and clear, with a hard edge in her tone. "Your letter spoke of a truce Maeve Br¨¢daigh, of peace between us. And you wrote that you would release Liam ¨® Cath¨¢in to me?"


    My fae-mom nodded, "That is so. He waits in my camp."


    "What do you ask in return?" Eileen asked, though it almost sounded like a demand.


    Maeve replied calmly, "I ask that you call off any hostilities, that you cease any ongoing machinations, and end your quarrel with me and my family. I''m not asking for your surrender, or your friendship. I ask only that we leave each other, and each other''s families, in peace."


    Eileen seemed to consider this for a few moments. Then she asked, "Why? Why seek peace now, after all I''ve done to your husband and child?"


    Maeve glanced at me then answered "It was Tegan who suggested we seek a peaceful end to our dispute. She''s been returned to me, that is enough."


    That seemed to amuse our adversary. She smiled, or maybe it was a sneer. "So the whelp hasn''t the stomach for war, and you''re giddy enough she''s back that you''re willing to listen to her?"


    Eileen''s voice became harsher now, "You really are an embarrassment to the Br¨¢daigh name, Maeve. You''re a shadow of the woman your mother was, and you''re not fit to call yourself grandchild of Taralynn."


    I glanced nervously at my fae-mom, but she didn''t seem to be too offended.


    "Are you here to talk peace Eileen? Or did you make this trip just to insult me?"


    "Neither," the woman replied with a cold smile. "I came here to end you."


    She gestured, and all six of her men at once raised their crossbows and fired.


    As Eileen''s men raised their weapons, everyone on our side reacted. Maeve, Siobhan, the five men all pulled back into a defensive posture, swung their bows off their shoulders and set arrows on the strings and loosed their volley of arrows back at the enemy. Kelly fell back with the others but didn''t grab her bow, and I didn''t move at all.


    I''m not even sure now how it happened. I guess I was on edge and I was already thinking about defensive magic. Somehow the words leapt from my tongue as I brought my right hand up the moment Eileen''s men were raising their crossbows. The magic surged through me and all six bolts shattered in mid-air, as if they''d struck a solid wall standing between our two groups.


    A moment later seven arrows shattered when they reached that same point, joining the splintered bolts littering the hilltop. I still had my right arm raised, I''d kept my barrier in place.


    Eileen''s men were now scrambling to reload their crossbows as our side swiftly set fresh arrows on their strings.


    Maeve and Siobhan both glanced at me, perhaps expecting me to drop the shield so they could strike this time.


    Eileen turned her attention to me as well, as she raised both hands as her eyes flared with light. I saw the dark ripples surge through the air towards me, her magic passed through my barrier without hindrance.


    My left hand was already coming up and I met her magic with another defensive spell. Eileen''s attack was reflected, the darkness leapt back across our two lines and struck a man to her left. The noise reminded me of a car crash, except without the sound of breaking glass. The man was simply gone, replaced by a spray of blood, bone, and twisted armour. His two fellows nearest both stumbled back a few paces in shock.


    I tried not to let my expression reveal my horror. I meant to deflect that spell harmlessly upwards into the sky, yet somehow it had found a target and destroyed him.


    Eileen didn''t hesitate, she flung a second spell at me, as her remaining men loosed another volley with their crossbows. Our side shot back, and bolts and arrows alike shattered at the same point midway between our two groups.


    As with her first spell, I deflected Eileen''s magic. And once again despite my attempt to direct her curse safely away, it sought out and struck a person. Her magic hit the man to Eileen''s right, and he was roasted alive inside his armour. Mercifully it was over in a second, his body lay smoking by her feet. I could taste bile now but I fought to keep myself calm.


    Her remaining men were scrambling again with their crossbows, and our side were preparing another volley of arrows, but I knew I had to put a stop to this before anyone else got hurt.


    I yelled out "ENOUGH!" and everyone atop the Duma froze.


    Soldiers and leaders on both sides stared at me as I shouted again, "Everybody stop!"


    I looked back and forth at them all. "We came here to make peace, what the heck is wrong with you people?!"


    My right hand was still raised, I was still holding that barrier up incase anyone got the idea to try something while I was talking. But right now I had all eyes and ears on me.


    I looked around at them. Eileen''s men had fear in their eyes. Not surprising, two of them had just died horribly, while our side was untouched. I couldn''t decipher Eileen''s expression. It looked like a mix of anger, frustration, and perhaps confusion.


    Maeve and Siobhan were watching me warily, while Kelly looked somewhere between anxious and shocked. Our soldiers stood uneasily, fresh arrows on their strings, but bows lowered. I turned my attention back to Eileen again.


    I took a deep breath then stated, "Eileen Ceallaigh, I''m sorry Connor broke his family''s word. I''m sorry you were betrayed, and I''m sorry Liam and you were kept apart. I''m sorry for all the ways Connor hurt you. On behalf of my father, I apologize."


    I took a breath then added in a softer tone, "Please don''t make us kill you. There''s already been enough death here, and enough suffering over the past hundred years. I just want all this to be over."


    Eileen continued staring at me, her expression had lost some of its anger and frustration. She looked confused more than anything else now.


    She demanded, "Who are you?! Tell me the truth, girl. You can''t be Maeve''s child. No fae so young could block my magic, or hold that shield so long! Let alone do both at once!"


    I glanced at Kelly. She was still watching me but instead of looking worried or uneasy, now I saw pride in her eyes.


    My gaze returned to Eileen. In as confident a voice as I could muster I stated, "I am Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh, great-granddaughter of Taralynn. And I''m asking you Eileen Ceallaigh, please stand down."


    She stared back at me for a few long tense seconds. Then I heard her speak softly to her remaining men, "Lay down arms. We surrender."


    Her men bent over and set their crossbows on the ground, then drew their swords and lay them down as well, before they straightened back up.


    Eileen raised her voice slightly as she addressed me again, "Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh, great-granddaughter of Taralynn, I submit myself to your mercy."


    I looked to Siobhan and stated, "Do what you need to do captain, but don''t harm them."


    "Yes m''lady," the captain replied, with a slight bow.


    Finally I brought my right hand down, and my magical barrier was gone. Our soldiers moved forward to take Eileen and her men into custody.


    Maeve had been silent through all of this, but now she stepped closer and whispered "I''m proud of you Tegan."


    I nodded quietly, but I kept my mouth closed now. I watched quietly as the others moved about then cleared the hilltop.


    Siobhan and the soldiers led their five captives down the hill towards our camp, then Maeve followed. Kelly moved to my side, and we were alone together ontop of Duma D¨¦. The sky was black now, the only light came from the four torches that had been left up here.


    "Are you ok?" Kelly whispered.


    I shook my head and whispered back, "No."


    With that, I stumbled off to the side of the hilltop, away from both camps. I fell to my knees and doubled over as I was sick. Most of my supper wound up on the ground before me, while Kelly moved to comfort me. After a few minutes I finally sat up and wiped my mouth clean.


    "Two more people just died because of me," I whispered to Kelly.


    She shook her head, "That''s not true. It was Eileen''s magic that killed them, and if not them it would have been you and Maeve."


    I sighed, "I brought us all here for this meeting. It''s my fault."


    "Stop blaming yourself, Tegan." Kelly scolded me softly. "You wanted peace, Eileen wanted to fight. You could have let Maeve''s soldiers cut them all down but you didn''t. You stopped the fighting, you saved lives on both sides."


    After a few moments of silence she asked, "Are you ok to go join the others now?"


    I sighed, "I guess."


    We made our way back down the hill to our camp. Nobody said anything, but a few of the soldiers looked at me with respect, and some with awe or fear.


    I didn''t feel like talking to anyone, and just found myself something to drink before I went into our tent and got ready for bed.


    I woke at sunrise with Kelly cuddled up against me in our tent. I hadn''t slept well, it felt like I''d had bad dreams. Mercifully I couldn''t remember any of them. I heard voices and movement in the camp, it sounded like everyone else was up and things were getting underway.


    Kelly and I pulled on our clothes then emerged from our tent, and found breakfast waiting for us both. Maeve and Eileen were seated across from each other a little distance away, with some sheets of parchment between them. I could see pens and an ink-jar too, so I figured they were writing up some sort of treaty.


    My girlfriend and I ate quietly, but as we were finishing up Maeve gestured us to come join herself and Eileen.


    I felt anxious again as I approached, but Kelly had an arm around my waist and gave me a reassuring squeeze.


    "I surrendered to Lady Tegan," Eileen stated. Her voice was quiet and calm, there was no ire in it now. "Her name should be on this document."


    Maeve nodded and said to me, "Tegan please sign your name at the bottom, alongside mine and Eileen''s."


    There were two copies, and I quickly read through them. The treaty was straightforward, it basically stated that both parties agreed to cease hostilities in every way. I took the pen and signed both sheets at the bottom.


    Eileen and her men were released, and Liam was brought forward. His shackles were removed, and the iron ring was taken from his neck.


    Before he joined Eileen he paused in front of Kelly and me.


    He bowed, "Lady Tegan, I wish you a long and happy life. You do Taralynn proud." He looked at Kelly and added, "And miss Kelly, please give my regards to Keenan ¨® Conghaile when next you meet."


    With that, he joined Eileen, and their group left to walk around the base of Duma D¨¦ to rejoin their own camp.


    Behind us, Maeve''s people were already breaking up our camp and getting ready to begin the journey home.


    I looked at Kelly and asked, "Keenan who?"


    Kelly appeared uneasy as she replied softly "That''s my grandfather. I wonder how Liam knows him?"


    "Maybe they met while Liam was stuck on Earth?" I suggested.


    "Yeah," she nodded slowly, "Maybe."


    PurpleCatGirl

 46. Cheered

    With Eileen and Liam gone and our camp all packed up, our little caravan set out on the long trip back home to castle Br¨¢daigh. Two soldiers took the lead, including the one carrying Maeve''s pennant.


    Then Maeve, Siobhan, Kelly and I were sort of loosely grouped together, followed by more soldiers, then the servants and pack horses.


    I took another look back at Duma D¨¦ as we set out.


    I could see the little points of light flitting around where our camp had been, and more of them dancing about at the top of the hill where the events unfolded last night.


    "Some fae still believe the legends and myths, about places like that." Siobhan said quietly. She was looking back at the hill, same as me. "If the stories are true, then the Gods themselves witnessed the events last night."


    Something in her tone made me realize, Siobhan was probably one of the fae she was referring to. She didn''t outright say it, but I was certain she was among those who held on to the old beliefs about the legends, the myths, and the Gods.


    The captain turned towards me and with respect in her voice she said, "Lady Tegan, you stood last night before the Gods and between two commanders and their troops, and you demanded peace. You ordered friend and foe alike to stand down and cease their fighting, and through your command of magic, you brought an end to the battle."


    She paused a moment, then stated "I have no doubt tales will be told on both sides for years to come, that the spirit of Taralynn Br¨¢daigh lives on within you."


    I felt my cheeks going red and I didn''t really know how to respond to that.


    Eventually I sort of mumbled to her, "I''m no hero Siobhan. I just couldn''t stand seeing anyone else get hurt." I blushed a little brighter and admitted quietly "I was so nervous, when the whole thing was over I collapsed and threw up..."


    Siobhan gave me a knowing smile and replied quietly, "I know you did, m''lady. But you waited until the field was clear, so neither ally nor enemy saw you do it. That''s more than I can say for my first taste of combat."


    That caught me off-guard, I didn''t know what to say or how to respond.


    Kelly spoke up, saving me from the awkward silence. "So if the Gods were watching, does that mean they heard Tegan declare herself ''Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh''?"


    The captain nodded, "Yes, and that is how Eileen addressed Lady Tegan. It''s probably how she''ll be described as people tell the stories. I don''t dare speak for Lady Maeve, but I would not be surprised if that was made Lady Tegan''s official name here among the fae."


    Of course Maeve was right there next to us all, listening to the conversation. She was silent for a few moments then spoke quietly, as if talking to herself "As the head of Clann Br¨¢daigh, I think I could see myself adding the surname Vale to the clann register."


    Then she looked to me and said "Captain Siobhan is right, Tegan. You''ve done well, and word will spread of your bravery, your honour, and your mastery of magic."


    I was still blushing, but I sighed quietly as that sank in. I knew it was a mixed blessing. Some would be impressed, others would probably want to challenge me or something.


    We all wound up riding quietly after that, each of us absorbed in our own thoughts.


    Both Kelly and I were pretty good at riding by now, or at least we could handle our horses just fine at the pace our group was moving. I doubted either of us could cope with charging or galloping or whatever.


    That evening when we stopped to make camp, Maeve had Siobhan take charge of the pair of us, so we could start learning the ins and outs of camping. Our first lesson involved taking care of the horses.


    It wasn''t the least bit glamorous, but the two servants we wound up assisting were patient and taught us what to do. By the end of it we both had a better appreciation of the work involved, and also for the animals themselves. In the morning we had a very quick breakfast before we were sent back to work, once again helping to get the horses ready for the day''s journey.


    It was hard work, but I honestly appreciated it. It helped me forget about the confrontation with Eileen, and I think it helped the others to see I was just a normal person. I brushed and watered horses just like them, I got sweaty and struggled to carry saddles and had no clue how to hook up a bridle. It let me put aside all the ''legend of Taralynn'' stuff and just be me for a while.


    That pretty much set the pattern for the week. Every evening Kelly and I were assigned a new task to help in setting camp, and in the morning we had the same job to learn how to break camp. Our route was the reverse of our voyage out, as we retraced our path back to the south and west towards Maeve''s estate and castle. After the rocky hilly terrain we were back into the dense forest, and after a few days of that the woods gave way to the rolling grassy hills.


    In addition to the lessons we received in mornings and evenings, both Maeve and Siobhan continued teaching me and Kelly things throughout the day.


    They''d point out various things of interest as we rode past, like what plants were safe to forage, what wasn''t, or what had other uses. Or they''d tell us about certain dangers to avoid, what things to look for. What made a place safe to set up camp, what sorts of areas to steer clear of.


    It helped pass the time, and it was kind of fascinating in a way. It was the sort of life that neither of us city kids from Earth had any knowledge of before. And of course it also strengthened the bond between myself and Maeve.


    I realized I''d lost count of the days when we found ourselves riding into the village north of the castle. I hadn''t expected that for another day or two. As before, the people came out to wave and greet their Lady. Maeve smiled and waved back, and Kelly and me did the same.


    Not long after that, the castle spires came into view, then the rest of it as we came over a small hill.


    Even though I had no intention of staying there, seeing it made me very happy. The thought of a bath and some clean, comfortable clothes was very exciting. I glanced at my girlfriend and saw Kelly was grinning too. I was sure she was thinking the same thing as me.


    As we got closer, I realized there were people atop the castle wall waving and cheering.


    I frowned as I asked Siobhan, "How do they know to cheer? They have no idea how things went."


    The captain smiled, "The lookouts atop the towers will have seen how many of us are returning. Our number is down by one, but they knew Liam wasn''t meant to come back, so they know we haven''t lost anyone."


    She gestured to the soldier carrying Maeve''s pennant, "Our standard bearer is holding Lady Maeve''s pennant high and proud, that suggests things went well. And now that we''re close enough, they can see the smiles on our faces, they know we bring good news."


    I smiled, "Thank you Siobhan. That makes perfect sense."


    The gates opened wide as our group rode into the courtyard, and there were dozens of soldiers and servants there to welcome us back and take care of the horses and things. Connor was there too of course, to officially welcome us all home.


    As we dismounted, he and Maeve exchanged a long affectionate hug. Then he asked, "Shall I instruct the staff to arrange a feast tonight?"


    Siobhan was already taking charge of the troops, while servants were moving to tend the horses and everything. Kelly and I stood together and tried to keep out of the way.


    Maeve glanced at us and looked around at the activity in the courtyard.


    It was late afternoon, and to be honest the last thing I wanted right now was a big fancy party. I could feel our room calling me, with its bath and its big comfy bed.


    "Not tonight, Connor." Maeve decided. "Tonight let us all rest. Tomorrow, we''ll celebrate." She raised her voice slightly so everyone around could hear, "Tomorrow, all will join us in a feast, to celebrate the truce!"


    There was a bit of a cheer, then everyone got back to work.


    Me and Kelly had an arm around each other, as we made our way into the castle and up to our little suite. We peeled off our travel clothes, then squeezed into the funny little bath together.


    It had been a surprise when we first moved in to our rooms here several weeks ago, but there was actual plumbing in the castle. At least important guests like us had plumbing, I suspected it was a rare luxury.


    Rather than hot and cold water there was just one tap and it was always kind of luke-warm, but it beat washing yourself with a bowl full of ice-cold water and a rag. And after nearly three weeks on the road, even this primitive tub felt a little bit like heaven.


    We took our time getting clean, and maybe fooled around a little while we helped wash three weeks of dirt and sweat and horse smell off each other. We were both too tired for anything serious though. It was like we had several weeks of accumulated weariness that we''d been ignoring while we travelled, and now that we were home and able to relax it all caught up.


    I don''t even remember if we had dinner, the rest of the afternoon was a bit of a soft quiet blur of comfort and relaxation. I know the two of us were in bed even before the sun set, and I don''t think I''ve ever slept so soundly as I did that night.


    We stayed in bed late into mid-morning, then had servants bring us a nice breakfast. By now Kelly was an expert at using that healing spell, she''d been doing it every other day for weeks on the road. The whole thing had simply become routine for us. She had a sip of juice, then ran her hands over my leg and worked the spell, then had a bite of pastry, all without batting an eye.


    Around mid-afternoon we had an unexpected visit from a couple servants. They brought us some new clothes and informed us that Lady Maeve had requested we wear these outfits to dinner tonight. And they told us dinner would commence at sunset, in the dining hall. So we were to be there ahead of time.


    Kelly thanked them and shooed them out, then we inspected our outfits. They were a pair of fancy gowns. Kelly''s was emerald green with dark blue trim and accents. Mine was in the Br¨¢daigh colours, light blue with purple trim and accents.


    "I guess we shouldn''t complain too much," I sighed. "I mean, it''s supposed to be a big celebration, it makes sense they want us all fancied up."


    She slipped an arm around me and smiled "I''m sure we can manage it for one night. If not, you can pretend your leg''s acting up and we''ll excuse ourselves and sneak back here."


    I giggled, "Good idea!"


    We relaxed some more through the rest of the afternoon, but eventually we had to get ourselves dressed and ready for the big dinner. Both Kelly and me were pleasantly surprised to find these new gowns weren''t as tight and uncomfortable as the other fancy clothes we''d worn here. It seemed like the dressmaker had been told to cut us some slack, literally.


    Not only were our new gowns quite comfortable, they both looked stunning. I even tried to do something with my hair, despite the lack of modern hair-care products. Instead of my usual chaotic bob, I brushed it into something I thought was vaguely stylish. Of course Kelly looked gorgeous as always.


    And finally with about twenty minutes to go before sunset, we made our way down to the dining hall together.


    PurpleCatGirl

 47. Celebrated

    The doors to the dining hall were wide open, and both Kelly and I stopped there for a moment and just stared.


    Rather than one lonely table and a couple chairs, the hall was full. The table on the left was set up as the head table, with about two dozen places set along the back side of the table so they''d be facing out across the rest of the hall where everyone else would be sitting. The remaining space was filled with three long tables that ran lengthwise along the hall. There were chairs and benches and more places set than I could count.


    The room was already starting to fill up, with numerous soldiers and servants milling about. Maeve and Connor stood before the head table, both were dressed up in fancy outfits. I also spotted Siobhan standing near my fae-parents, in what I assumed was her military dress-uniform.


    Kelly and me made our way over to my fae-folks, and Maeve greeted each of us with a brief hug. She was all smiles, and indeed it seemed like everyone here was in a festive mood. Connor didn''t try and hug me, but he put a hand on my shoulder and greeted me in a warm, friendly tone. I think he was still sore from whatever Maeve said to him after he made such a mess of our first meeting.


    When the time came, we all took our places at the head table. Maeve sat in the middle, with Connor to her left. I was at Maeve''s right, and Kelly was beside me on my right. Siobhan sat on the other side of Kelly, then there was a seat left empty, then a few more officer-types took the remaining seats in that direction. On the other side of Connor were a few more soldiers, then seneschal Owen, and some other high-ranking servant types.


    I looked around but didn''t see Feichin among the crowd, which surprised me. I sort of expected he''d be here, if not at the head table. After all, he played an important role in saving Connor.


    More soldiers and servants took their seats in the three tables before us, and finally a few dozen maids and other kitchen staff emerged carrying huge platters of food. There were at least four different kinds of roasted meat, bowls of vegetables and stews, baskets of bread, casseroles, meat pies, everything you could ask for. Jugs of wine and ale were already spread about the tables, including a jug of my favourite juice near me. Once all the food was distributed among the tables, even the kitchen staff took their seats on the benches at the far end of the long tables.


    Nobody dug in yet, they were waiting and watching for Maeve to start the ceremony.


    My fae-mom stood up and welcomed everyone to the feast. Even though me and Kelly had been here for what felt like months, she had the two of us stand so she could formally introduce us to the entire castle.


    She did Kelly first, making it sound very formal and official as she called her "Miss Kelly Connolly, esteemed guest from Earth, and beloved friend and partner to my daughter." Then she introduced me, "And I present to you all my daughter, the Lady Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh, great-granddaughter of Taralynn, and first of the Vale sept within the Br¨¢daigh clann."


    There was some applause and cheering, and my face went beet-red. I realized what that all meant, Maeve had indeed just made my name and title official. I didn''t know what a sept was, but I understood enough to know that the Vale name was now part of the clann.


    After Kelly and me sat back down, Connor stood up and had a brief speech of his own. He thanked Kelly for finding me and looking after me on Earth, then thanked me for breaking his curse and saving his life. Then he indicated that empty seat next to Siobhan, and told everyone it was reserved for Ruadhan, the soldier who gave his life for mine. That caught me off guard with a bunch of mixed feelings again. I''m sure it was a big deal, for a ''lowly'' young soldier to be given a place at the head table, but the fact that it was posthumous left me sad.


    Fortunately the speech ended on a happy note, then Maeve stood once more and announced "Now let the celebrations begin!"


    There was a cheer, and suddenly the dining hall was full of talking, noise, the sounds of merriment.


    Unlike all the other meals here, this time we had to help ourselves. There were no servants to wait on us, it seemed as though everyone in the castle was here as guests for the banquet.


    At one point Kelly asked Siobhan, "Does this mean there''s no-one defending the castle?"


    "No," the captain replied, then took a swig of ale. "There''s some two-dozen soldiers who''ve volunteered to miss the feast and stand guard. In return, they''ll receive twice their normal pay this month, and double-rations for a week. A few servants as well will have volunteered to skip the celebration in return for similar arrangements. There''s always things that need attending."


    That made sense, and I was glad to hear the people who were missing the party had volunteered to do so, and that they''d be rewarded in other ways. Then I asked the captain if the huntsman had been invited, and she replied "He was, Lady Tegan. However, he opted to take a shift on guard. Feichin isn''t one for socializing, and he''s not keen on crowds."


    That also made sense, from what I''d seen of the man. It was hard to picture him partying it up here with the others.


    I spoke with Maeve a few times of course as the celebration continued, and one of my first questions was to find out what a sept was.


    "It''s a subset within the Clann," she explained. "In simple terms, it means you are still and will always be a Br¨¢daigh, but your official name is Tegan Vale. And when you become a mother yourself, your children may take the name Vale if they wish, or they may use the Br¨¢daigh name."


    That left me quiet as my head spun a little. Not the talk of names and clans, but the idea that someday I might be a mother. I was just barely used to the idea of being a girl, it was only about four months since that happened. The concept of motherhood literally hadn''t even entered my head until that moment.


    A little later as the party wore on, Maeve and Kelly and I found a quiet moment to talk.


    "I don''t mean to spoil the mood," I said softly, "But now that the threat is over and things have wrapped up, Kelly and I need to start thinking about returning to Earth."


    My fae-mom sighed but nodded, "Of course Tegan. I knew this would be coming. I''ll be sad to see you go, and I do hope you will return to us for regular visits." She added to my girlfriend, "And you too of course, Kelly. You will always be welcome here."


    "Thank you ma''am," Kelly replied.


    Maeve looked back to me and said "If you wish, I''ll make preparations so you can go tomorrow morning. We''ll escort you to the meadow in the south forest where passage is easiest, and see you off at dawn."


    Even with all the noise and merriment going on around us, I could hear the sadness in her voice. She could have suggested we stay another few days, or a week, or whatever. I was impressed she was prepared to let me go as early as tomorrow.


    I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you Maeve. I will stay in touch, and I promise I''ll return to visit before too long."


    She seemed surprised at the hug, but I could tell she was grateful for it. She put her arms around me and held me for a minute or so, before we finally pulled away from each other.


    After that, the party took on a slightly bittersweet tone for both me and Maeve. I think Kelly felt it too, though she and I were both still eager to get back to Earth, to our families there.


    While the festivities looked set to continue late into the night, Kelly and I wound up retiring before it got too late. If we were going home tomorrow we''d have to be up early, to catch the sunrise.


    We made our way up to our room, then undressed together. We slipped into bed and cuddled.


    "I can''t wait to get home," she whispered. "But I think I''m also gonna miss this place. Maeve, Siobhan, and a few other folks here have been nice to us."


    I nodded and whispered back, "Yeah. I''m sure it''ll be an adjustment too, getting used to Earth life after all this. Though I have to admit, I''m looking forward to having coffee in the mornings again."


    Kelly giggled softly, and the two of us soon drifted off to sleep together.


    Servants woke Kelly and me up about an hour and a half before sunrise. Our travel-clothes had been thoroughly cleaned and were waiting for us, and the two of us dressed for another expedition. We''d be going on a much shorter, yet also infinitely longer voyage this time.


    Along with the clothes, a light breakfast was brought and the two of us ate quickly as we dressed.


    Down in the courtyard we found Maeve, Connor, Siobhan, and a half dozen other soldiers waiting. The soldiers were dressed for the ride. My fae-parents and Siobhan were in somewhat more formal attire, wearing their light blue and purple uniforms.


    Maeve had some parting gifts for us, servants handed heavy packs to both Kelly and I. "I haven''t forgotten your love of our books, so I''ve loaded up these packs for you Tegan. Perhaps once you''ve read them all, you''ll return to exchange them for new ones. You''ll also find some money in there. I don''t know what our coins are worth on Earth, but I hope it''s enough that you and Kelly will be comfortable."


    I took the offered backpack and immediately groaned slightly at the weight of it. It felt like it was around thirty pounds. I opened it and had a look inside, and my eyes almost bulged out of my head. Underneath a dozen or so books was a literal fortune in gold coins.


    "Uh... Wow. Thank you!"


    Kelly and I struggled to get the backpacks on, then I struggled to get up onto my horse. The others mounted up as well. Maeve and Connor, Siobhan, and the group of soldiers would all be accompanying us.


    One of them was carrying our family pennant, and she led us out as the gates were opened. The soldier next to her held a torch in his hand to light our way. Maeve and I followed the two of them, then Siobhan and Kelly, then Connor and the other soldiers, with one of the men at the back carrying another torch.


    The sky was still dark as our group set out, riding south towards the forest there. We soon passed into the woods, following a trail.


    It was only about a forty-five minute ride before we arrived in a large clearing. There was an abandoned building that had been overtaken by trees and weeds, which I realized had been Maeve''s garrison. This is where her soldiers had been left to await Liam''s return.


    We all dismounted and Siobhan, Maeve, and Connor gathered around Kelly and me. From this point it was all up to me, nobody else here could help Kelly and I get home. I knew the spell of course, I''d re-read it countless times during our stay here. Needless to say, this would be my first time actually using it.


    The others all watched as I opened my magical awareness and let my senses out, searching for the point where the veil that separated this world from others was thinnest. There was pre-dawn light in the sky above us now, and I knew it was nearly time.


    I walked around slowly, till I finally found the spot. I stopped and looked to Kelly, "It''s here. Hold on tight, I have no idea what this''ll be like."


    Before I worked the spell, Maeve and Connor moved in close. Maeve and I hugged again, then we all bid each other farewell. Siobhan and the soldiers bowed, and the captain wished us a safe voyage.


    Kelly was by my side now, and we wrapped our arms around each other. I looked back at my fae-mom again and promised, "I''ll be in touch. And I''ll visit again before long."


    Then I concentrated, and just as the sun peeked above the horizon I cast the spell. I felt the veil part and I pushed out between our worlds, and pulled Kelly through with me.


    PurpleCatGirl

 48. Comforted

    Travelling between worlds turned out to be a bit like the special effects in science fiction shows, when the space-ship goes faster-than-light. Except we did it without the ship. The meadow and woods seemed to distort around us, colours shifted and reality melted away. We were surrounded by dazzling light, but nothing recognizable. Just blurry flashes and flickers.


    Then suddenly it was over and reality snapped back into place around us. Kelly and I were still together, and still on our feet, barely. We were both shaken by the experience, both of us were breathing hard. It took a few moments to settle down and start to take stock of our surroundings.


    "Aw crap," I sighed. We were still in the woods somewhere. "Where the heck did we wind up?"


    My initial thought was I''d flubbed the spell. It was my first time trying to cross worlds, and instead of bringing us home I''d either just landed us somewhere else in Otherworld, or maybe somewhere else entirely.


    Kelly was still holding me close as she glanced around, eyes wide.


    We were in a forest, but it was definitely not the same woods. It was winter here. The trees had lost their leaves, the air was cold, and there was some snow scattered about. The sky was overcast, dull and grey. It was dawn though, I was sure of that despite the cloud cover.


    As we looked around I noticed something else, something less tangible. It was like the air here felt a little less vibrant, a little less alive. I couldn''t quite put my finger on it, but something about this place made me feel slightly anxious, a little on-edge.


    We could both hear a noise in the distance to what I suspected was the south. It was a sort of constant faint roaring droning sound. It was both familiar and unsettling at the same time.


    Kelly looked like she was about to say something, when we heard the sound of a car horn somewhere not too far to the east.


    We both sighed in relief. There was no mistaking that noise, this had to be home. Then I recognized the roaring noise. It was the highway. Morning rush-hour traffic, throngs of people making their way into the city to start their workday.


    Then it hit me, this was probably the point where we''d left Earth. I don''t know all the places on Earth where the veil was thin, and I wasn''t focusing on any specific location. So we''d have returned to the same point where we''d left, wherever that was.


    And finally I realized what that intangible difference was. There was less magic here.


    I''d noticed it when we first woke up in Otherworld, how I felt more alert, more alive there. It was the opposite here, and I sighed slightly as I recognized that loss. It actually left me wondering why fae came here, and how long I''d stay before I went back to Otherworld for a visit.


    "We''re in High Park!" Kelly suddenly exclaimed with a smile. "Come on!"


    She picked a direction and led the way. Within a few minutes we emerged from the woods onto a road that wound through the park. From there she led us out and onto a residential city street.


    I didn''t know this part of the city, but Kelly obviously knew her way around.


    She looked at me and said, "It''s about a six or seven kilometer walk to get home from here. What do you think, do you want to try and teleport us home?"


    She was smiling, but her smile faded as she saw my expression.


    "I don''t think so," I sighed. "There''s less magic here, and I don''t want to risk messing up something like that. Plus I''m a little drained from getting us here."


    Kelly nodded, "Ok babe. I hope you don''t mind the walk then?"


    "I suddenly miss my phone," I pouted. "We could just call a ride-share."


    She grimaced, "I know. Or if we had some cash we could take a bus."


    I sighed, but I knew it wasn''t that big a deal. It did make me regret the full packs we were carrying though. Between the books and the fae money, I knew I''d be feeling it by the time we got to the condo.


    The two of us set off, with Kelly leading the way.


    As we walked, she sighed "I just realized, when we get there how will we get in? We don''t have our keys or anything."


    "The management office will be open by the time we arrive," I said. "We can just buzz them, tell them we''re back from vacation and lost our keys."


    Kelly pointed out, "We don''t have any ID with us either. What if whoever''s there today doesn''t recognize us?"


    "Charm spell," I replied.


    The pair of us attracted a fair number of stares as we hiked along the sidewalk. We were dressed like you''d expect for a couple people who''d basically just stepped straight out of the middle ages, so I wasn''t surprised to have people gawking at us.


    Kelly took us south till we reached the lakeshore, then we headed east past the little beaches and skinny parkettes that separated the cold dark water from the streets and the highway.


    By the time we finally reached our building, my leg was killing me and I was limping again. It felt like we''d been walking at least an hour and a half, and I was definitely regretting my heavy backpack.


    When we got into the lobby I immediately collapsed onto the sofa in the waiting area and rubbed my leg. I groaned, "I need a long soak in a hot bath."


    "Sorry babe," Kelly gave me a sympathetic look, as she went to the board and punched in the code for the manager''s office.


    A couple minutes later someone came out to see us. I didn''t recognize him, he was a tall slim guy in his forties, with short dark hair.


    I didn''t bother trying to convince him who we were, I was too impatient to get home. As soon as he opened the door I hit him with a charm spell and told him to take us up to the seventh floor and let us into our apartment.


    A minute or two later we emerged from the elevator, and he used his master key to unlock our door. Kelly thanked him and sent him on his way while I limped inside.


    I slipped my pack off my shoulders and dumped it on the floor by the coffee table, then collapsed onto the sofa.


    Kelly closed the door after the manager guy left, then sat down next to me. "What happened to that bath, babe?"


    "Have one of the servants prepare it for me please," I sighed.


    Before Kelly could respond, a voice from the guest room stated "There are no servants here, I''m afraid."


    "Mom!" Kelly exclaimed, as she dashed over to give Kelsey a hug.


    I turned to look, Kelsey had just emerged from the guest room. She must have moved in while we were gone, or at least she was house-sitting for us. She was currently wearing pyjamas and had a house-coat wrapped around herself.


    After they exchanged a hug, Kelsey said "Welcome home, the both of you. We''ve been worried."


    "Did you get our letters?" Kelly asked. "How are you? How''s Keira?"


    "Yes," her mother nodded. "I received your notes. I passed Tegan''s letters on to her mother. Mrs. Vale will be very pleased to know her daughter has returned safely."


    She added, "I''m fine, your sister''s been worried about you. I''m sure you two have some stories to tell, but I won''t press yet. I''ll let you both get settled, and I think I heard mention of a bath."


    "Yeah," I finally dragged myself upright. Once I had my boots off, I got up and limped into the bathroom.


    A little over an hour later I finally emerged from the bedroom, ready to be social again. I''d had a good long soak in the tub, my leg felt better, and now I was dressed in my comfiest Earth clothes. I was wearing a pair of leggings and my oversized pink top, and warm fuzzy slippers on my feet. There was one thing left to do, and I made a bee-line for the coffee machine which was full of beautiful caffeinated goodness.


    It wasn''t till after I had a mug of coffee in hand that I finally realized my mom had arrived at some point. She and Kelly were sitting on the sofa, Kelsey was across from them on the recliner.


    "Hi mom," I smiled. "When did you get here?"


    She hurried over and wrapped me in a hug, then replied "Kelsey called and said you were home and soaking in the bath. Of course I came straight over." She scolded, "Tegan why didn''t you call as soon as you got home?! How long were you going to make me wait before you told me you were safe?"


    "Sorry mom," I grimaced. "It was a long walk and I was exhausted."


    After my mom let me out of the hug, Kelly motioned me to come sit with her. I settled onto the sofa and cuddled up against her.


    She put an arm around me then told our moms, "We wound up in High Park, and had to walk home. We didn''t have any money or phones or anything, so we couldn''t ride-share or even take the bus."


    Mom frowned, "I knew all that take-out food was unhealthy. There''s no excuse to be exhausted after a walk like that."


    I protested, "We haven''t had take-out in like two months! We didn''t get much sleep last night. And I was carrying a backpack mom, it''s heavy!" I didn''t want to mention my bad leg, I knew mom would freak.


    "Oh?" mom asked skeptically, looking at the backpacks me and Kelly left on the floor. "What''s in them?"


    I sighed, "Both packs have each got about ten pounds of Fae books." I paused a beat, then added "And maybe twenty pounds of Fae gold."


    Mom just stared at me, like she wasn''t sure how to process that. Kelsey stared too, eyebrows raised.


    "Gold? Like, real gold?" mom finally asked.


    "Yeah," I suppressed a smirk. "Maeve insisted. I think she''d have sent more but the packs were heavy enough already."


    Kelly smirked and said to her mom, "My girlfriend''s a rich and powerful fae noble."


    "What?" mom asked, looking between Kelly and me.


    I blushed, "Maeve''s kind of a big deal over there. She''s a Countess."


    "As in, she owns her own County," Kelly added.


    "No," I corrected her. "She just rules the county, she doesn''t own it."


    Kelly rolled her eyes, "Right. She only owns the Br¨¢daigh estate. It''s a mere forty-thousand acres, including that huge castle, and two whole towns."


    I grinned as I corrected her again, "Forty-two thousand acres, in fact. And don''t forget she owns all those forests, and the lake as well."


    My mom was speechless now as she just stared at the both of us. Kelsey seemed impressed as well, though she was slightly less dazzled by all this talk of wealth.


    "So what have we missed over here?" I asked.


    My mom exchanged a glance with Ms. Connolly, then she replied "Kelsey helped me tell your father the whole truth about you. After you vanished I was distraught, then we got your letter and I had to try and explain to him what was really going on."


    She took a breath and said, "So he''s seen pictures of you, he knows you''re a ''fae'' and a changeling... It took a little while for him to get over all those shocks. He''d like to meet you though. He''s at work right now but I''m sure he''ll want to see you as soon as he can."


    "Oh... Wow." I hadn''t expected that, and it took a few moments to get my head around it.


    While I was processing that, Kelsey told Kelly, "Your sister will also be eager to see you. You can probably expect a visit from her in the next few days."


    Kelly grinned, "Good! I''ve missed her."


    The four of us talked some more, Kelly and I recounted some of the story. I had a feeling we''d be telling it over and over, so for now we just hit some of the highlights.


    Around lunch-time, Kelly got on the phone with her twin and they had a long chat. My mom got a call from dad, then mom and Kelsey made some plans, and before I knew it me and Kelly were roped into going out for a fancy dinner.


    "Then it''s settled," Ms. Connolly said with a smile. "We''ll head over to the restaurant at six and meet your father there."


    She''d booked us reservations at some posh exclusive restaurant right downtown. It was walking distance from the condo, and Kelsey said we''d have a private room so we could all talk openly there.


    It was exciting and of course I was really looking forward to seeing my dad, but I was also a little nervous. And I wasn''t keen on doing more walking.


    Kelly groaned, "I appreciate the effort mom, but we just had a big fancy banquet last night. Me and Tegan were hoping for a quiet night in tonight."


    Ms. Connolly replied, "You can have a lazy day and quiet evening tomorrow. Tonight your parents want to celebrate your safe return."


    PurpleCatGirl

 49. Cherished

    Happily neither of our moms insisted on Kelly and me getting dressed up too fancy. Mom wouldn''t let me go out in my comfy outfit though, so I wound up in a pair of black jeans and a light-pink blouse, and some sneakers. Kelly dressed the same, but blue jeans and a green top. I hadn''t had the chance to get myself a winter coat yet, so I wore a hoodie under my autumn jacket.


    After nearly two months in Otherworld it actually took a bit to get used to modern clothes again. I forgot to put on lipstick, and completely blanked about bringing my purse and stuff. After a pointed reminder from my mom, I found my purse and had a look inside. Money, plastic cards, phone, keys, it was all still there. It was familiar but strange.


    At about six o''clock the four of us set out together, with Kelsey leading the way. Kelly stayed close and kept an arm around me. I knew she''d discretely help if I needed it. And I knew I''d probably need another dose of healing magic by the end of the evening.


    It was only about a twenty minute walk which wasn''t too bad, though after the long march this morning my leg was still feeling a little tender.


    When we arrived, the four of us were led to a small private dining-room. There was a place in the corner for our coats and things, then we all got seated and ordered drinks while we waited for my dad. My heart began to race, and a hundred different scenarios went through my mind as I wondered how this would play out.


    It was only about ten more minutes before one of the restaurant staff led him into our little room.


    He stopped there just inside the door and stared, as I stared back at him.


    It was kind of ironic actually, he already knew everyone else at the table. I was the only ''stranger'' to him, the only one here he hadn''t met before. Mom stood up and motioned me to get up too, and the two of us moved to stand with him.


    "Erik," mom said quietly to him, "This is our daughter, Tegan."


    I looked up at him, of course he was a lot taller than I remembered. He was around the same height I used to be before, which put him a good eight inches above me now.


    I gave him a nervous smile and said, "Hi dad."


    Mom stayed close, she looked a little anxious as she watched dad and me. Behind us, Kelly and Kelsey watched quietly too. I''m sure Kelly was as nervous as I was.


    He stared down at me as his eyes flicked up and down, taking in the new me. Finally he pulled me into a tentative hug and whispered, "I can barely believe it, but your mother and Ms. Connolly both swear to me it''s true. Is it really you? Are you happy like this? Is this really what you want?"


    I was still nervous, but I hugged him back. I nodded slightly and whispered "Yes dad. This is the real me. This is what I want, and I''m happier like this than I ever was before."


    He kept his arms around me for a few more moments, then he finally let go. He looked down at me again then he smiled. He said in a soft voice, "All right Tegan. I''m glad you''re happy. And I''m glad you''re back home again."


    Mom looked relieved and she stepped closer and pulled both dad and me into another hug, this time with all three of us.


    I felt a surge of emotions as I realized everything was going to be ok, both my folks still loved and accepted me.


    Finally we all let go, then the three of us moved to sit down.


    As I took my seat next to Kelly, she put a hand on my knee under the table and gave me an encouraging smile.


    Dad was sat next to mom of course, and Kelsey was between Kelly and my mom. Soon enough we''d all placed our orders, then the questions started coming.


    We talked and we ate. The food here was ok but it was nowhere near as good as the stuff we''d been eating in Otherworld. I had a feeling it would take a while to get used to Earth food again. It''d probably take a while to get used to a lot of things, being back home again.


    Kelly and I took turns telling them all about our adventures over there. I was still trying to keep my injury secret but that didn''t last long. At one point Ms. Connolly mentioned she''d seen me limping in the morning, and she noticed on the walk to the restaurant that her daughter was ready to help me if I needed it.


    I tried to down-play it and just casually mentioned I''d hurt my leg, but of course my mom wanted all the details and kept insisting I go to a doctor or something. So I changed tactics and just dove in.


    "Last month I was attacked by a huge monster called a vargur, and it halfway ripped my leg off. It''s ok now but we have to use healing magic on it every other day, and I''m not going to be running any marathons or whatever. There''s nothing human doctors can do. We don''t know how long it''ll take, but as long as we keep up the magic it''ll eventually get better."


    Both my folks went pale, while Kelsey had a thoughtful frown on her face. "I''m not familiar with vargurs, but I''ve never heard of any sort of injury that required ongoing healing spells."


    Dad recovered from the shock before mom did, and asked "What''s a vargur? And how did you get attacked, what were you doing?"


    I sighed, I didn''t want to tell them all the details about Connor''s curse. Or at least, I didn''t want them to think my biological-father had attacked me. I wound up telling them a half-truth, that Connor was under a curse and to break it I needed to confront the vargur. I described what a vargur was, and explained that of course I wasn''t alone, I had two soldiers and a huntsman with me. And I told them about Ruadhan and how he died saving my life.


    All three of our parents were quiet for a while after that. Kelsey I think was just staying quiet out of respect, while my mom and dad were both visibly shocked and upset.


    Finally Kelly said, "Despite her injuries, Tegan was successful and Lord Connor was saved."


    Then she went on to tell them how I was merciful to our enemies and that I wanted to find a peaceful solution rather than looking for revenge, and how I basically ended up stopping a war. And how I wound up signing the treaty between Clann Br¨¢daigh and the Ceallaigh family. For some reason she left out how I was apparently some kind of gifted mage, and didn''t mention the stuff about Taralynn''s legend, but I didn''t mind. Instead she talked about my bravery and honour and that kind of thing, which was still a little embarassing.


    Kelly concluded with a grin, "So after all her adventures, they had a big banquet and celebration in her honour and she was granted an official title." With a wide smile she gestured to me and announced, "I present, Lady Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh, heiress of the Br¨¢daigh estate, and future Countess of Cathasaigh."


    I was blushing brightly by the time she was finished. Mom, dad, and Kelsey were all staring at me again.


    "She''s making it sound a lot fancier than it really is," I mumbled. "I mean, the heiress and countess stuff, that''s probably like six or seven centuries away. Maeve''s not even four hundred yet, she''ll be around a long time."


    That just made my parents eyes even wider, and I realized maybe nobody told them how long fae live.


    Eventually that shock faded and mom asked, "Now that you two are back home, will you be going back to college?"


    Kelsey added "This semester is essentially a write-off, but you could pick it up at the next semester and only be half a year behind."


    Kelly nodded "Yeah, it''ll be weird getting back into the college routine but I''ll be there. We''ll have to come up with some kind of believable excuse for why the two of us vanished for a couple months."


    My folks were still looking at me, awaiting an answer. I had a thoughtful look on my face though, and finally shrugged "I need some time to think things over. I''m not sure I want to go back into what I was doing before. I''ll definitely go back to school, but I have to figure out if there''s something else I should be studying instead. Something a little more meaningful."


    Mom and dad seemed pleased with that answer. Not that they didn''t like my original plans, but I think they understood that with everything else about my life changing, it made sense that I''d have different goals and plans now too.


    We talked more and ate more, but eventually things kind of wound down. Everyone else had dessert, but I was stuffed. As usual I couldn''t even finish my meal.


    Kelsey paid, which was nice of her. The food here was crazy-expensive.


    We all thanked her, but it reminded me of something else. "I guess I''m no longer your family''s responsibility, Kelsey? Since I''ve been ''claimed'' or whatever by my fae folks. I figure that means no more living rent-free at the condo."


    Ms. Connolly nodded, "I wasn''t going to bring it up right away, but yes Tegan, that''s correct."


    "I don''t really want to move just yet so I was wondering. If you own the place, can I just buy it from you? Or if you''re leasing, could I take over the lease?"


    She raised an eyebrow, but said "I own it. It''s worth about two million dollars."


    Both my parents'' eyes went wide again. I just nodded and asked, "What''s that in gold coins?"


    She hesitated, then said "We''ll talk another time, Tegan. I''m in no rush, so for the time being consider it Kelly''s place and you''re staying with her."


    Kelly grinned and put an arm around my shoulders. She leaned in and kissed me and said "Don''t worry babe, I won''t kick you out."


    Once we all finished our coffee, the five of us made our way out and started walking back to the condo. I found out dad had taken a cab since mom brought the car when she came to see us this morning. He and mom would drive home together from the condo.


    I wound up leaning on Kelly during the walk. I definitely needed another dose of healing magic soon, and the cold night air wasn''t helping.


    Both my folks noticed, and they were worried when they saw me limping. I brushed aside their concerns, "It''s fine. I''m used to it. It''s not forever, it''s just going to take time."


    When we got home, everyone came up to the condo. Dad had never seen it before and he was suitably impressed. Then he and mom finally had to go. There were hugs and kisses as we bid each other goodnight, and promised to get together again soon. Then the two of them made their way back out to the lift.


    Kelsey retired to the guest room, and Kelly and I finally got some alone-time in our bedroom. We got undressed and into bed, and she worked the healing spell on my leg before we cuddled up together.


    She wrapped her arms around me and I settled in against her with a contented sigh.


    She whispered softly, "Hey Tegan?"


    "Yeah Kelly?" I whispered back.


    "Did you notice the package ontop of the dresser?" I didn''t even have to look at her, I could hear the grin in her voice.


    I nodded slightly, "Yeah I saw it. What is it?"


    She gave me a gentle squeeze and replied, "It''s your maid uniform! Did you forget, you still owe me a dozen weekends! You''ve already got a backlog to work off, babe."


    I didn''t know whether to smile, laugh, or groan. Instead I just sighed, "Not till your mom''s gone back home."


    Kelly grinned, "After she leaves, maybe we can have you work off the backlog all at once... How do you like the idea of spending six full days in a row as my sexy little maid?"


    I tried to suppress my own smile, and instead just cuddled closer to her and mumbled, "Ask me again when I''m awake, and your mom''s not around."


    PurpleCatGirl

 50. Chilled

    Kelsey was up early, so by the time Kelly and I got out of bed the coffee was waiting and breakfast was nearly ready. Me and Kelly pulled on our nightshirts then emerged from our room, following the delicious smells.


    "Thanks Kelsey!" I grinned as I poured myself a mug of coffee.


    Kelly added, "You shouldn''t spoil us mom, we need to get used to doing things for ourselves again."


    Ms. Connolly replied "You''ll be fending for yourselves soon enough. I''ve already packed my things, I''ll be heading out after breakfast. Now that you two are back, I''m sure you''re eager to have the place to yourselves again."


    Kelly grinned and gave her mom a hug, "Thanks mom!"


    "Will you need a drive to the airport?" I asked. As I thought about how far it was, I realized it would take two days there and two days back if we had to do it by horse.


    She shook her head, "Not this time. I''ve already booked a ride-share for later."


    Both Kelly and me appreciated that. We''d have driven her of course, but it was nice not to have to worry about it.


    Breakfast was bacon, eggs, and toast. And more coffee of course. Then Kelly and I did the dishes while Kelsey got the last of her things packed away and set her suitcase by the door.


    We had a little more time together, the three of us enjoyed some more coffee, but eventually Kelsey''s ride came and she had to go. Kelly and her mom hugged and kissed, we both wished her a safe trip, then she was gone and the two of us were alone again.


    As we sat cuddling together on the sofa, Kelly commented "You know, I don''t even know what day it is?"


    I thought for a few moments, then shrugged "Me neither. I mean, I know it''s December..." I thought to look at the calendar on my phone, then realized not only was my phone not turned on, the battery would be completely dead. I''d forgot all about that yesterday, I just left it in my purse without looking.


    Kelly shuddered, "I bet there''s a thousand messages waiting for me, between email, texts, and social media..."


    "Ugh," I groaned. "Me too..."


    After a moment I frowned, "Didn''t you check any of that stuff yesterday? You were on the phone with Keira for a while."


    "That was my mom''s phone," she replied. "I''m not even sure where mine is."


    We both sat quietly, looking out the window at the lake as we cuddled some more.


    Eventually I pointed out, "And neither of us are digging around for phones and charger cables, or turning on computers, or even the TV."


    Kelly grinned and kissed me on the cheek, "Yeah. I guess I don''t really care what day it is. And I don''t want to deal with a deluge of messages."


    I held her tighter and smiled, "If people wish to communicate with us, they can dispatch a courier with a note."


    She giggled softly, "Indeed."


    Neither of us bothered to get dressed, we just stayed in our nightshirts. And instead of doing anything productive, we spent the day alternating between reading some of our fae books we''d brought home, and cuddling on the sofa.


    There wasn''t much in the fridge to eat. Kelsey more or less used the last of the food to make the three of us breakfast this morning, but we didn''t mind. I think we were both looking forward to getting take-away for dinner. I know I was excited at the prospect of sushi and General Tsao chicken. The only drawback was it meant one of us would have to deal with technology to place the order.


    We were still procrastinating on that as the sun set and we eventually started to feel hungry.


    Before either Kelly or me could come to a decision about whether to deal with our phones or our computers, we were a little startled by a few loud knocks at our door. We hadn''t buzzed anyone up, though without our phones we wouldn''t even have got a text or anything.


    We exchanged a glance, then I got up and walked to the door. I was more than a little cautious, considering last time I answered it I got hit by a fae spell. Suffice to say, this time I had my defences up and was ready to blast someone straight into the lake if they so much as tried anything.


    There was another round of banging at the door, whoever was out there was obviously impatient.


    Kelly held back and watched from a safe distance as I unlocked then opened the door.


    "Bitches we''ve been calling you all afternoon!" Keira complained as she marched in past me, carrying a case of hard lemonade in each hand. "Answer your damn phones!"


    Amy followed her girlfriend in, she was lugging two of those four-litre boxes of cheap white wine.


    Me and Kelly just stared for a few seconds as Keira and Amy went over to the fridge and started loading it up with drinks.


    I finally closed the door after them as Kelly said "Uh, hi sis. Hi Amy. What''s going on? How''d you two get past the lobby?"


    Amy started looking through the cupboards till she found the glasses, and pulled out two wine glasses and two regular glasses.


    "I charmed some old lady to let us in," Keira replied as she continued loading up the fridge. "And we''re here to welcome you home from Otherworld. We need to hear all the stories!"


    Both me and Kelly glanced at Amy then back at Keira. Kelly asked "Uh, sis? What did you just say?"


    Amy grinned, "Relax you two. Keira''s told me all about your fae stuff. Not that I believed a word of it at first."


    "Keira?" Kelly asked, sounding uneasy. "Is that true? Does mom know?"


    "I''m assuming you two want hard lemonade right? The wine''s for me and Amy." Keira said as she finished filling our fridge with booze. She pulled out two bottles of lemonade and handed them to Amy, then started filling the two wine-glasses with box-wine.


    Meanwhile Amy opened the lemonades and poured them into glasses for me and Kelly.


    Finally Keira answered, "Yeah mom knows. I had to tell Amy, she was freaking out when we realized you two''d been kidnapped. Like, we had to explain to her why we weren''t going to the cops and stuff."


    Amy handed me and Kelly our drinks, then she took a glass of wine from Keira, and all four of us sat down in the living-room. I was still a bit overwhelmed by the way the two of them had barged in and taken over, so for now I just cuddled up against Kelly and let her deal with it while I sipped my drink.


    "Ok," Kelly sighed. She thanked them for the drinks, then asked "And why are you two here again? I take it you''re staying the night?"


    "Yeah," Keira nodded. "We heard mom cleared out so the guest room was available."


    I had another sip of my drink then said, "All right. If I can borrow someone''s phone, then I''ll order in dinner for us. Are you two ok with sushi and stuff?"


    They both nodded, and Amy fished her phone out of her jacket pocket and handed it over.


    "What''s wrong with your phones?" Keira asked, frowning. "You lose them or something? Or did you leave them in Otherworld?"


    Kelly grinned, "Nah. We just didn''t want to face a thousand messages and Goddess-knows how many voicemails. Tegan hasn''t charged hers up, and I don''t even remember where mine is."


    I grinned at my girlfriend and held up Amy''s phone as I said "Hey! It''s December twenty-first. Today''s Thursday."


    "Ooh!" Kelly smiled. "Happy winter solstice, everyone!"


    "You didn''t even know what day it is?" Amy asked, sounding incredulous.


    I just giggled as I opened up the browser and punched in the restaurant''s website. At least I still remembered that much. I even remembered my account info so I could log in.


    Meanwhile Kelly shrugged, "We haven''t looked at a phone, or a computer, or even a calendar since what, Samhain? We knew it was almost two months we''d been gone, we were pretty sure it was December here, but... Life over there moves at a different pace I guess."


    Amy was fascinated, "They don''t have phones? How do you talk to people?"


    "In person," Kelly replied. "Or you send letters. Like, we had to contact someone who was what, I think her stronghold was over seventy-five leagues away? That''s uh," she frowned as she thought it through. "It''s just under four hundred kilometers. It took eight or nine days to send her a letter and get a reply back."


    "What?!" Amy stared. "Why so long?"


    "The only way to send a letter was to hand it to a guy who had a fast horse." I stated, smiling. "It''s like, medieval over there."


    I handed the phone back to Amy and let them all know, "Dinner''s on the way, forty-five minutes or so."


    Amy turned around and plugged her phone into our home entertainment system and put on some of her ''trance'' music in the background, and we all settled in for the evening.


    Over the next couple hours Kelly and I went through our story again. I got to show off my scars this time which was fun. Amy and Keira were both freaked out about that, along with my description of what the vargur looked like.


    When the food arrived we sent Keira to answer the door since neither Kelly or me were dressed, then we continued the stories as we all ate. The sushi was as tasty as I remembered it, and of course I ordered lots of extras since we had two guests. I probably got too much but that was fine, we''d have leftovers for breakfast.


    As we talked, Kelly told them about how I stopped a war and all that stuff. This time she included the bit about me being a gifted mage and told them about the Taralynn stuff. Our guests were curious and skeptical about my magical talents, so I wound up demonstrating a few spells.


    I didn''t do anything dangerous, but I did a glamour, a light spell, froze Amy''s wine then thawed it, and even levitated a few of the empty lemonade bottles on the coffee table. Amy was amazed, and even Keira seemed impressed that I could do all that after only a few months.


    We all got into the drinks as the evening went on. I was already on my second hard lemonade and had a pretty good buzz going by the time we finished eating. And me and Amy learned the answer to the question of how long it would take the twins before they fell into their bad habits.


    It was only about two and a half hours before Kelly and Keira were daring each other to see who could eat the most wasabi without flinching. Me and Amy actually let them do it because honestly, it was the funniest thing I''d seen in ages.


    We put a stop to things fifteen minutes later when they wanted to compare who could chug a vodka-lemonade the fastest. I perched on Kelly''s lap while Amy restrained Keira in a bear-hug, and the two redheads gave up on their latest contest. For now.


    After that things got a little more fun and a little less responsible. Some time after my third drink I started getting flirty, and the fact that I wasn''t wearing anything but a nightshirt meant there wasn''t a lot stopping me from doing things that I''d regret in the morning.


    Kelly finally excused the pair of us and dragged me into our bedroom and closed the door. I''m not sure she was trying to save me from future embarrassment so much as she wanted to keep me all to herself.


    When I finally woke the next morning I was both grateful for whatever aspect of fae metabolism prevented hangovers, and chagrined at my behaviour the night before. Even though I was pretty sure Keira and Amy hadn''t minded. And anyways, they were the ones who brought all the booze and encouraged us to party.


    Everyone was up by around ten, and our guests left just after noon. Before they went we all had coffee, and last night''s leftovers served as breakfast. When they left Amy and Keira took the remaining wine with them but left us a fridge full of vodka-lemonade, as a welcome-home gift.


    After they were gone, me and Kelly finally got dressed and got ourselves settled back into normal Earth life. Our phones were charged up, computers turned on, and in the afternoon we even went out and bought groceries.


    In the evening my mom called, and we made plans for Kelly and me to go spend xmas at my parents place. It was normal, routine, mundane, and above all, safe. We were back on Earth, doing regular human stuff.


    I was Tegan, me and Kelly were girlfriends, and we were home.


    End of Book One


    PurpleCatGirl


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 51. Depressed

    I slowly drifted awake and took a deep breath, then sighed. My leg was already aching and I wasn''t due for another dose of healing magic till tonight. Today was going to suck.


    I pulled myself upright and glanced around. I was alone in bed, but that was to be expected. I''d slept in again and it was a weekday. According to the clock it was half past nine, Wednesday morning.


    I pulled the duvet aside and rubbed my thigh to try and soothe the unhappy muscle. The scars were still bright and pink, they looked as fresh as they did the day after it happened. Most of the time I was used to it. It was just a routine part of my life. Most days it didn''t really bother me too much.


    Some days though, I hated it.


    It was supposed to get better. I knew it would be a slow process, but nearly three years had passed since the vargur almost took my leg. Three years of magical healing every other day. Three years of being wary of stairs, of not being able to run, of having to limit my physical activity. Three years of pain.


    It took a few minutes of gentle massage, but eventually the aching subsided enough that I felt like getting up. I slipped out of bed and wandered naked over to the window. It was a nice view, we had a huge backyard with about a dozen mature trees. And the yard backed onto a heavily-wooded ravine, with a creek at the bottom.


    The place was about an hour''s drive north of the city, the building was a renovated farm house. We had three bedrooms upstairs, including a nice master-bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. And downstairs there was a spacious country kitchen, a nice dining room, and a warm cosy living-room with a wood stove and some bay windows that gave us a view of the front lawn and one side of our property. And of course there was a laundry/utility room, and a room we used for storage and as office space. Outside we had about six acres in total, but only one acre was cleared as front- and back-yards with the house in the middle. The other five were woods, including part of that ravine out the back.


    We moved here just over two years ago, about a month before my first anniversary of being me.


    It was a big change from life in the city, but there were a few things I just loved about the place. First and formost, it was mine. I wasn''t living under Kelsey''s roof, or anyone else''s. It was quiet, the nearest neighbours were a quarter-kilometer away. And we had nature at the end of our backyard.


    Another huge bonus was a little glade in the ravine where the veil was thin enough that we could cross over. So we practically had all of Otherworld less than a fifteen-minute walk out our back door.


    I continued staring out the window for a few more minutes, at the pretty little gazebo at the end of the yard. In the summer it was a nice romantic place to sit and cuddle and watch the sun set. It was too cool for that now though. The leaves were all orange and gold and red, and half of them were already on the ground.


    Eventually I found my nightshirt on the floor and slipped it on, along with some fuzzy slippers. I leaned against the wall as I carefully made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen.


    I was pleasantly surprised to find the coffee machine was on and there was about three-quarters of a pot of fresh coffee already waiting for me. I fixed myself a mug of glorious caffeinated brew, and limped into the living room. It was nice and cosy in there, there was a fire going in the wood stove in the corner.


    I was on my way to the sofa when I realized it was occupied, so I changed course and limped over to the recliner instead. I gently lowered myself down into the comfortable seat and tilted it back to lift my legs up. Then I looked over at the tall, beautiful redhead laying on the sofa in her emerald-green satin pyjamas.


    She had a mug on the coffee table next to her, but she was just staring at the wood stove for now. She hadn''t acknowledged me yet, but she knew I was there. I could tell from her expression she was having one of those days too.


    I had a sip of coffee then finally asked, "Hey Keira, what''s up? I thought you had classes today?"


    She shrugged, "Didn''t feel like it."


    I couldn''t argue with that. And honestly I was the last person to talk to anyone about cutting class. After another sip of coffee I asked, "Kelly went though, right?"


    "Yeah," Keira rolled her eyes. "You know she wouldn''t miss class. She''s serious about that stuff."


    I nodded quietly. They''d both graduated their college courses a little over two years ago. Kelly worked night and day to make up for the two months she''d missed, but she managed to graduate on schedule. After that their mom gave them the choice of either getting jobs, or continuing their education. Both twins opted for more school, but this time they picked university.


    Now Kelly was working towards getting her doctorate in psychology, she had plans of someday working with fae and part-fae people here on Earth. She figured there were barely any therapists that fae here could talk to about their unique issues. It all sounded really clever and ambitious, and she seemed to truly believe in it, that she was going to help people and make a difference.


    And Keira had gone into history, she was interested in learning about the past. At one point she''d talked about getting a job in a museum, as a curator or something. I had no idea if she was still interested in that. She kind of lost interest in a lot of things last year, when... Crap.


    Suddenly I realized why she was home today, why she was having one of those days. Today was the anniversary. I wanted to say something, to be supportive or whatever. I had no idea what to say though. Safest just to stay quiet unless she mentioned it first.


    I wound up just sipping my coffee in silence. Eventually I got up and limped back to the kitchen to pour another.


    "What''s with the limp?" Keira asked as I shuffled past her. "Did you miss a treatment or something?"


    I sighed, "Nah, it''s not due till tonight. I don''t know, maybe it''s the weather? It''s getting colder out."


    She sat up and watched as I made my way into the kitchen. "Do you want me to do it now?"


    I smiled, "Thanks for the offer Keira, but I should wait till tonight. If we do them too early it just makes things worse in the long run."


    She nodded, then followed me into the kitchen. After we both refilled our mugs, she led me back into the living room then said "C''mere. Sit down." She motioned towards the sofa.


    She sat next to me, then pulled up the hem of my nightshirt and started massaging my thigh.


    I probably should have asked her to stop, but honestly it felt like it was helping. And I realized it might be helping her too. It was always easier to help other people with their crap, than it was to deal with your own crap. I figured if this was helping get her mind off Amy then I was willing to go along with it.


    "Thanks Keira," I sighed a little. "That feels pretty good."


    She continued massaging the muscle as she asked, "It''s coming up on three years, right?"


    I nodded. "Yeah, in about two months. It was some time around the middle of November."


    She gave me a sympathetic smile as she gently teased, "Must be annoying being the Great and Powerful Tegan Vale, hot-shit fae mage of legend, but you still can''t fix your own sore leg."


    There wasn''t any ire in her voice and I knew she wasn''t trying to be cruel. She''d changed a lot in the last couple years, especially since she moved in with me and Kelly. I guess her words could have come across as hurtful but I knew she was being more of a brat right now rather than actually trying to be mean.


    I rolled my eyes and teased back, "Hey I might not be able to fix my leg, but you be nice or the great and powerful me will mess you up, kid."


    She just grinned as she continued kneading and rubbing my leg.


    That was a little in-joke me and Keira had going. She''d call me the G. and P.T.V. or sometimes she''d call me ma''am, and I''d call her kid. It was ironic because I looked like the kid compared to her and Kelly.


    All three of us were twenty-five, but the two of them looked it. They were right on the verge of going from ''young women'' to ''women''. They were aging and maturing at normal human speed, despite being one-quarter fae. Meanwhile I was full-fae and in the three years since my changeling egg hatched, I hadn''t aged a day.


    I looked nineteen, but I could pass for as young as seventeen thanks to my size. Or I could look a little older if I tried. But for the most part, I looked nineteen. And I was going to keep looking like this for a long time. Kelsey told me once I''d probably get carded in bars till I was a hundred.


    I''d figured out the comparative aging between humans and fae. We aged way slower, but it wasn''t a consistent thing. The first hundred years we grew to look twenty-ish, then we hit our prime and just sort of stayed there for a long time. It was going to take me about three centuries till I looked like a human would at thirty. Or put it another way, I was going to look nineteen for another two decades or so. By my hundredth birthday I might look twenty-two.


    After a few more minutes I said, "Ok Keira, that''s good thanks. Coffee''s getting cold though, right?"


    "Ok Tegan," she picked up her mug and sat back on the sofa.


    I did the same, and had a sip of coffee as I relaxed next to her.


    After a few minutes she asked, "Seriously though, are you still trying to solve the problem with your leg?"


    "Yeah," I replied with another sigh. "I had a theory, but the only way to know for sure is to try it. It''s pretty high-risk though. If I''m right, it''s cured and I''m fine. If I''m wrong, then I probably wind up permanently disabled. So I''ve shelved that idea and I''m starting over, trying to find a different angle."


    Keira sighed, "I''m sorry. It seems like a really shitty thing to have to deal with. I mean, everything else sort of worked out really good for you right? It''s like fate couldn''t let you have a perfect happy end, so it had to twist the knife somewhere."


    I grimaced, "It''s annoying. But I mean, it''s not the only let-down. It''s just the only one that''s not my own dumb fault."


    She reached over and gave me a little smack on the upper arm. "No self-pity today, ma''am. Today''s my day for self-pity."


    I hesitated, but figured she brought it up so maybe it''d be ok to ask. "How''re you doing with that? Are you ok?"


    Her face fell, her expression shifted to a dark frown. She was quiet for a few moments, then shrugged. "It still hurts, you know? I mean, I never got the chance to apologize. Or even really say goodbye."


    Keira''s voice trailed off and she shook her head slowly. The look of pain in her eyes was strong enough I could feel it myself. I leaned closer and gave her a friendly hug.


    "I''m sorry Keira," I said softly. "I didn''t mean to dredge up old hurt."


    "Not your fault, Tegan. I was already wallowing in it before you got out of bed."


    We both sighed, and sipped our coffee in silence for a while.


    It started just over a year ago. Keira and Amy had a huge fight, broke up, it was over. Keira packed up her stuff and came over here to stay with me and Kelly. She moped about for a week, then decided to go back and try to patch things up with Amy. She was going to apologize, admit she''d been wrong, and she hoped Amy would forgive her.


    One year ago today the three of us drove over there together. Me and Kelly were going to drop Keira off then hang out at the nearest cafe and wait for her to call or text so we''d know whether to head home or to come get her. We stopped in town on the way, Keira wanted to buy a bouquet of flowers and some wine. Then we ran into Amy at the liquor store.


    We thought it was going to be awkward, we thought Keira would try and apologize right there while me and Kelly quietly snuck away. What actually happened was much worse.


    Amy didn''t remember us. Any of us. At all.


    Her mind had been tampered with, memories erased. Someone must have known Amy knew the Connolly twins were part-fae, and that I was fae nobility. She''d been safe as long as she was with Keira, but once they broke up someone scrubbed the three of us from her mind. It left her with huge gaps in her memory though, and she was just sort of getting by.


    The only mercy was at least Amy was still alive and functional. But the relationship between her and Keira was erased, gone forever. And with it had gone any hope Keira had of getting back together with her.


    Keira was completely devastated. Me and Kelly brought her back home with us, and let her stay as long as she wanted. Basically let her move in.


    What really bothered me, apart from seeing my girlfriend''s sister absolutely crushed and a friend''s mind messed with, was we never found out who did it.


    Kelly talked with their mother, but Kelsey said her father couldn''t find any answers. I made some enquiries through my own fae family, I knew Maeve had some contacts over here, but they didn''t turn up anything either. I had some suspicions of my own, but without proof I couldn''t say anything about it. Not to Kelly and Keira, anyways.


    Eventually I got up and offered, "Have you eaten? I''ll make us some breakfast. How''s pancakes sound?"


    Keira gave me a weak smile, "Sounds good. Thanks Tegan."


    I smiled back at her then shuffled into the kitchen to get started.


    PurpleCatGirl


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 52. Disillusioned

    "Thanks for breakfast babe," Kelly said as she pulled me into a hug. "See you tonight."


    As she held me, she whispered "Please don''t waste another day moping about the house ok? Promise me you''ll get dressed and go do something? Even just go for a walk or something?"


    I hugged her back but protested quietly, "My leg was killing me yesterday. I didn''t want to watch TV all day, but it hurt to do anything else."


    She sighed, "It only gets like that because you don''t exercise it, Tegan. And anyways we took care of it last night, so you''re good for today. So promise me you''ll go do something?"


    I nodded "Ok Kelly. I promise."


    "Yo!" Keira called from outside, "You coming or staying sis? We''re going to be late!"


    "Bye babe!" Kelly kissed me then let go and hurried out the door.


    I stood there and waved, and watched as they pulled out then set off. This place was nice and all three of us loved living here, but it was an hour-long commute for the twins to get to university.


    We''d actually looked into whether or not they could get away with teleporting to and from the campus, but Earth''s lower magic level combined with Kelly and Keira only being part-fae meant they just couldn''t muster the strength to do it, even after they learned the spell.


    We also had some concerns about the distance, and whether or not the teleport spell was even safe over that range. Teleporting tended to get less accurate the further you were going. Across the room was accurate to the millimeter, but at ten kilometers it was more like accurate to the nearest meter. Their campus was something like sixty kilometers away, and that felt a little too risky even for me.


    I figured there might be a solution to that problem, but since the twins couldn''t teleport anyways it wasn''t something that really needed solving at the moment.


    Once their little hybrid was out of sight I swung the door closed then sighed. I really didn''t feel like doing anything today, but I promised Kelly. And I absolutely hated to disappoint her. I mean, I''d disappointed enough people already, I couldn''t add her to the list.


    So I carefully climbed up the stairs to our bedroom and pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt, then back downstairs and got my hiking shoes on, then a warm jacket. A few minutes later I was out walking along our quiet country road, alone with my thoughts.


    And of course I started thinking about all my other failures, and everyone I''d let down.


    I knew I was a disappointment to my parents. Both sets of parents, actually. It was harder on my human parents though, because I lived on the same world as them. So they had a better view, a closer look at how much of a failure I turned out to be.


    If I was being generous, I''d say my fae parents were patient rather than disappointed. They probably saw this as a phase or something, that I had to get through on my own. Maybe it was a thing other changelings went through too, for all I knew.


    The real problem was, I didn''t know how to fit in here and I didn''t know what to do with myself.


    I''d completely lost interest in my childhood dream of being a game dev. I never went back to that course after me and Kelly got home from our first trip to Otherworld. I didn''t own a console anymore, I hadn''t even looked at a game since we moved here.


    After I dropped out of that program I tried doing something useful. A lot of people told me I was kind and caring and empathic and all that stuff, so I started over in college with the idea of becoming a social worker. But I didn''t even finish my first year, I dropped out halfway through the second semester. It just wasn''t me.


    After that, I had no ideas. I didn''t know what to do, what to try. There were things I wanted to learn, but they were things I couldn''t really learn here. And even if I could, they were things that wouldn''t help me here.


    I wanted to learn to use a sword, and to shoot a bow. I wanted to learn to ride a horse better, how to travel and camp. I wanted to learn how to be a Br¨¢daigh. About the only thing I could do here was learn more magic, and learn more about how magic worked.


    I could do that on my own from home though, so that''s what I did with my time. I also learned how to cook and clean and look after the house. So I hung out at home, messed around with magic, and basically acted like a stay-at-home housewife for Kelly and Keira.


    To be brutally honest, I was a disappointment to myself. That''s what hurt the most. What hurt almost as bad was knowing I could probably turn my whole life around, if I was willing to make one little move.


    In Otherworld I was brave, wise, just, powerful, and well-liked. I had a future there, and the things I wanted to learn and do were things that mattered there. On Earth I was just an unemployed two-time college drop-out. I could afford to do nothing with my life here because I was living off the generosity of my rich family over there.


    Basically what I thought would fix things was to move back to Otherworld and be who I was meant to be. The reason I couldn''t do it was my girlfriend wanted to stay here.


    Kelly was mostly human, she was born here. Her sister and her mom were here. On Earth her one-quarter-fae heritage put her slightly above the average. It gave her an advantage, made her special. On Otherworld, her three-quarters-human heritage was a massive liability. Nobody would hold that against her, if they did they''d have to face me and that wouldn''t end well for them. But it was something I''m sure she was acutely aware of.


    So Kelly wanted to live here, and I wanted to live with Kelly. At least, for as long as she''d have me.


    That was the other thing gnawing at me. She hadn''t said anything yet, and maybe she wouldn''t. Maybe we''d have another three or four years before it became an issue. But I could already see it, and I dreaded the day when it finally did come up.


    I knew it would, the only question was when. In two more years Kelly would be done university. She''d be Doctor Kelly Connolly, she''d be ready to open her own clinic or something, ready to start helping people. She''d be a professional. And she''d be twenty-seven years old. So would I, except I''d still look like a teen.


    And that''s the thing that was eating at me. How much longer would she be willing to date someone who''s stuck looking like a college freshman for the next thirty or forty years? How much longer before people started to talk, or ask questions? And how much longer before she started to resent me?


    Those were the things that kept dragging me down. On Earth I was a loser, a misfit, a screw-up. I had no job, no ambition, no education, and the only thing really keeping me here was my love for Kelly. But every day I worried that was going to end. Meanwhile I had a life, a future, and another family waiting for me in Otherworld.


    And I realized they might just be patiently waiting for that other stuff to happen. I didn''t like to think about it, but Maeve and Connor knew as well as I did that my family and friends here were all going to grow old and die before I even reached my mid-twenties, in terms of how I looked. When you''ve been around nearly four hundred years and have another seven or eight hundred ahead of you, waiting fifty years for your foolish wayward daughter to sort herself out probably wasn''t such a big deal.


    The last thing on my mind was the fact that all this stuff kept dragging my mood down just made me feel like even more of a loser. I mean, when I thought about all the stuff I had to be thankful for? It made me feel like a jerk for complaining at all.


    I went from being a dense trans egg to getting an instant magical transition into the body of my dreams. I kept my girlfriend, heck we actually got even closer after it happened. And my adoptive parents both accepted me for who I was. On top of all that I learned magic, and I got actual ''fairy-god-parents'' in Otherworld who lived in a huge castle and sent me a sack of gold now and then.


    But if that whole thing three years ago was a fairy-tale, the bottom line was I felt like I never got to the happily-ever-after part. Instead I got stuck with the bad leg, the existential angst, and the knowledge that the girl I loved was either going to dump me because I was too young for her, or she''d tough it out and I''d watch her grow old and die.


    I suddenly pulled myself up to a halt and looked around as I realized I was in town. I''d been so caught up in my pity-parade, I hadn''t even realized how far I''d walked.


    First thing to cross my mind was my leg would be screaming again tomorrow. Then that smaller voice that I rarely listened to pointed out if I did this on a regular basis my leg would get used to it and maybe even start to get better.


    I just stood there on the sidewalk in front of the pharmacy for probably ten minutes, trying to figure out what to do with myself. Eventually I realized since I was there I may as well do something useful.


    The grocery store was just across the street, and I made my way over there to pick up a few things. I decided to make a fancy dinner for the three of us, to prove I''d done something with my day. I just had to figure out if I was going to try and walk home, or if I''d find someplace to hide and teleport. The twins weren''t strong enough to do that, but I was.


    In the end I split the difference. I bought more groceries than I should have, struggled to carry it all for the fifteen minutes it took to get out of town and back onto our lonely country road. Then I teleported the groceries home. It would all be waiting for me on the kitchen floor when I got in, and I could hopefully walk the rest of the way without too much difficulty since I wasn''t struggling under the weight of the food.


    It took me a little longer to get home than it did to get to town, but I actually felt kind of proud by the end of it. That was about eleven kilometers in total. It was the furthest I''d walked in one day since before I got hurt.


    The groceries were waiting on the kitchen floor when I got in, and I set about putting them away. After that I relaxed for a while, but when it got closer to evening I got to work.


    I made up a nice pork roast and a bunch of roasted vegetables. I also made gravy, and had some fresh rolls to go with it. It was kind of funny in a way. It was exactly the sort of meal both my moms enjoyed, but my human mom would be proud to know I''d cooked it myself. My fae mom had servants who did that sort of thing for her. Though when I thought about it, she might actually know how to do it too. She just didn''t have to.


    Everything was ready to go as soon as the twins arrived. I welcomed them home and poured some wine for the two of them, then brought out the food.


    "Wow, dinner smells great babe!" Kelly grinned.


    Keira watched as I brought out the platter of meat and smirked, "Only thing missing is the maid uniform."


    My cheeks went pink but I just smiled back, "Maybe for Sunday dinner, if you two are nice to me."


    "Nice try," Keira laughed. "But I know you didn''t get that outfit so Kelly could be nice to you. You like being bossed around."


    I blushed a little brighter as I hurried back into the kitchen to hide. Or get the vegetables, one or the other.


    They were both smiling at me when I emerged with the last of the food. I knew it was all in fun, though I did wonder if Keira was in need of some companionship. Maybe it was time me and Kelly started encouraging her to try dating again.


    For now I put the thought aside as I joined the two redheads at the table, and the three of us got started on the food.


    PurpleCatGirl

 53. Deferred

    "You enjoyed that a little too much," Kelly said with an amused smirk on her face.


    I suppressed a giggle as I finished getting out of my maid outfit. I hadn''t actually done anything naughty, I just dressed up and wore it around the house for the afternoon to tease Kelly and Keira.


    "Whatever do you mean?" I asked, in my best innocent voice. "You two were nice to me on Friday, and I''m well-known for keeping my promises."


    As soon as it was put away I hurried to join her in bed. She stifled a squeak as I cuddled up against her under the big thick duvet. "Hey! Your toes are freezing!"


    "I know," I grinned. "That''s why I needed to warm them up against your legs!"


    After a few minutes of cuddling, I decided to risk talking with her about her sister. "You know, it''s been over a year now. I was wondering if maybe we should help Keira get out there again, see if she can maybe meet someone -"


    "No." Kelly stated, cutting me off.


    "You seem pretty sure about that," I asked softly. "Have you spoken with her?"


    She sighed, "Babe for one thing we''re twins. We have a pretty good handle on each other''s feelings. But yeah, we''ve talked. We spend like two hours in the car together every day, remember? We talk a lot."


    "Right," I nodded. "So she''s not ready."


    Kelly shook her head, "It''s more than that. What happened to Amy... She''s terrified it could happen again. She says she''ll never date another human. She doesn''t want to risk it. Even if she kept our nature hidden, it''s probably dangerous for humans to be too close to us."


    After a pause she added, "Unfortunately part-fae like us aren''t very common, and full fae like you are even rarer. So she''s resigned herself to just staying alone. The odds of finding a fae or part-fae who''s available, compatible, looking for a relationship, and also a lesbian... It''s remote."


    I sighed quietly. I didn''t know what to say, but I understood what Keira was afraid of. And what it probably felt like for her, to have to face those odds and make that kind of decision.


    It reminded me of my own fears, about Kelly and me. Obviously it was a different situation, but the bottom line was similar. There were significant physiological differences between the two of us, and someday those differences would become an issue.


    The two of us cuddled quietly for a few more minutes as I thought about my fears again. And this time, I worked up the courage to broach the subject with her.


    "Hey Kelly?" I asked softly. "Do you ever think about where we''ll be in fifty years?"


    She stifled a laugh, "Fifty years... Hopefully I''ll be retired after a long and successful career. That''s a little too far away for me to focus on, babe."


    I sighed slightly, "OK then, twenty years. Where do you think we''ll be in twenty years?"


    "I don''t know," she shrugged. Her voice sounded thoughtful as she said "I guess I''ll be helping fae, part-fae, people in the community here on Earth? I''ll have a clinic somewhere, doing therapy and stuff."


    She shrugged again and added, "I''m not really that sure yet to be honest Tegan. I just know I enjoy studying psychology, and I want to help people. And I think there''s people who need help but can''t get it from humans because of their circumstances."


    I stifled another sigh, and decided it was best to just let it go at that.


    We both lay quietly for a few minutes, then she asked softly "What''s wrong Tegan? I can tell something''s bothering you."


    "It''s nothing," I lied. I didn''t want to get into fight or get her upset or anything. I guess I didn''t want to have that discussion after all, and realized I never should have asked about the future in the first place.


    She sighed "I know it''s not nothing. Tell me the truth babe, what''s troubling you?"


    I was quiet for a few more seconds, before I finally told her. "I asked where you thought we''d be. You told me where you wanted to be. There was no me in your plans."


    Kelly pulled me close up against her and kissed me. "I''m sorry Tegan, I didn''t mean it like that at all. I was thinking career stuff, you were asking about personal stuff. I misunderstood."


    After another minute or so of silence I asked again, "So where will we be, you and me, in twenty years?"


    "I honestly don''t know babe," she replied. She gave me another kiss. "Still together, I hope! Maybe we''ll be back in the city in some fancy condo or something. Or in some big place out in the suburbs, with my practice in a posh upscale building."


    She kissed me again then asked, "What''s brought all this on? I mean, a few years ago you had trouble thinking about next week, let alone the next fifty years."


    "A few years ago I was twenty-two, and thought eighty was a long life," I sighed. My voice dropped to barely a whisper as I added, "Now I look nineteen, and maybe in another two decades I''ll look twenty... It might be eighty years before I look twenty-two again..."


    We were both silent again for a few more minutes.


    Finally Kelly shifted so she could look me in the eyes and asked "Tegan, what is it you''re saying?"


    Her tone was a mix of worry, caution, and wariness. At the same time I could feel how her body had tensed slightly. She was feeling defensive now, I''d upset her.


    I hesitated, then decided to just say it.


    "I guess I''m just worried, about how much longer you''re going to be happy hanging out with someone who''s still a teenager. I mean, the age difference is already noticeable. You and Keira are both mature young women. You''ve both got serious career ambitions, you take your studies seriously. I''m just a dumb kid who keeps dropping out of college and can''t figure herself out. In five or ten years you''ll be doing serious work, helping people, having a career and stuff. You''re not gonna want some dumb teen hanging around. People will start talking, asking questions."


    Kelly sighed as she realized what I was worried about. "And in twenty years, people will think you''re my daughter. In fifty, you''ll pass as my grand-child."


    I nodded quietly as I looked up at the ceiling. I couldn''t look her in the eyes at this point.


    She gave me another squeeze, "These are the sorts of things I want to learn to help people with, Tegan. Mixed relationships, between fae, part-fae, and even humans. These sorts of things happen, people have to learn to deal with it."


    Now it was my turn to feel defensive and wary.


    I frowned "So is this just a learning exercise for you? Getting some first-hand experience, before you start giving people advice about it?"


    "What?!" Kelly frowned at me. "Oh my Gods no, Tegan! Why would you even ask that?"


    I sighed but couldn''t face her, I kept my eyes down. "Sorry, I shouldn''t have said that. I just... I''m worried you''ll want to move on. I''m worried about being an embarrassment to you. Either that you''ll be embarrassed of me, or embarrassed to be seen with me because of what people will think."


    Kelly slumped back a little and sighed as well. "You''re not an embarrassment, Tegan. You''re brave, smart, honourable, and just. You''re kind and generous and loving."


    "Maybe in Otherworld. On Earth I''m just a loser and a college drop-out." I didn''t really mean to say it, but I guess I was still feeling down and sorry for myself.


    She took a deep breath then let it out in a deep sigh, and the two of us lay there in silence again.


    After a few minutes she asked, "What do you want to do? Don''t tell me you don''t know, there has to be something you want. Even if you think it''s silly or impossible, tell me what it is? Please?"


    I bit my lip and held it for another few seconds. Then I finally answered, "I want to go back to Otherworld, and spend some time there. I want to learn all the stuff Maeve''s been bugging me about. Learn how to use a sword, shoot a bow. How to ride horses better. Even stuff like fae politics and history." I gulped, then summed it up, "I want to learn to be a Br¨¢daigh."


    Kelly was silent for a long time after that. She was still awake, but she just lay there staring at the ceiling.


    Finally she asked, "You want to live there? Like, go and live there full time?"


    I shook my head, "I want to be with you. That''s what I want more than anything else. But I also want to learn all that other stuff too."


    We were both quiet again for a while. Eventually she said, "I don''t know what to say or how to deal with this stuff right now Tegan. But I want you to know, I don''t want to get rid of you and you''re not an embarrassment to me. I''ve got two more years at Uni, then I guess we''ll have to think about this stuff again."


    I just nodded slowly. I don''t think she meant it like that, but it felt like she was telling me to just wait another two years till she was ready to talk about it. I figured that was ok though. I mean, between the two of us, I was the one who had the time. And I didn''t want to argue any more.


    After another long pause, Kelly suggested "All three of us are still going over there for Samhain. You should talk with Maeve and Connor. Like, let them know you''re interested in learning that stuff. Even if you can''t stay and do it right away, they''ll be happy to know you''re thinking about it. And maybe they''ll have some suggestions."


    Kelly and I had been visiting Otherworld a few times a year since our first trip there. We''d go over for Beltane and Samhain, and sometimes Imbolc or Lughnasadh too. And since Keira moved in with us, we''d started bringing her over there for the festivals as well.


    "Yeah," I nodded. "Good idea."


    I was looking forward to it, even though it was still over a month away. Me and Kelly and Keira were going to take a two-week vacation. Or at least, for the two of them it would be a vacation, they''d take the time off from their studies. We planned to go hang out at castle Br¨¢daigh, celebrate Samhain with the fae, and maybe tour around the estate for a bit before we had to come back to Earth.


    I''d already planned on having some very private discussions with Maeve while we were there. There was something else I needed to talk to her about. Something I was anxious about but also really hopeful. It was about an idea I had, to solve the aging issue. I wasn''t going to say anything to Kelly yet, or Keira either for that matter. Because it would have to be both of them, they''re twins and I couldn''t offer it to one and not the other.


    The thing I needed to discuss with Maeve, was the fact that I could make Kelly and Keira fully fae. I knew it was possible. I did the reverse three years ago when I transformed Liam ¨® Cath¨¢in from a fae man in his fourth century into a fifteen-year-old human girl. It was a bit of a crude magical hack and fairly easy to reverse, but that was three years ago. I''d done a lot of studying and research since then, and learned several much more elegant ways of breaking magic.


    In the case of Kelly and Keira, they''d sort of wind up like me. They''d still be twenty-five years old, but with fae bodies that appeared to be just past their first century. Essentially they''d be like changelings, except no humans would be harmed in the process.


    The thing I needed to talk to Maeve about was I had no idea how other fae would react to them. If the twins wound up being ostracized and seen as freaks or abominations then there''d be no point doing it. I had to know that they''d be accepted by the fae before making the offer to Kelly and Keira.


    And even then I had no idea how the twins would take it. Would they be happy? Or would they be offended? Would it seem like I was telling them their human half needed to be purged? I knew it would be a difficult conversation regardless, but I hoped they''d understand I meant well. I''d be offering them the same slow aging and long life I had, and they''d get an instant boost to their magical abilities too.


    If everything worked out, it would be my Samhain gift to them. If not, maybe it''d be what drove us apart. But I felt I had to try.


    PurpleCatGirl


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 54. Disappointed

    "Tegan you''re limping again," she said with a disapproving frown.


    I sighed as I slipped into the booth across from her, "Hi mom. Nice to see you too."


    She ignored the sarcastic tone in my voice and said "Tell me the truth, is it getting worse?"


    "No mom," I sighed again. "Its no worse, and it''s no better. It''s just sore again today."


    It was the first of October. Me and mom still met for lunch on a regular basis, but lately it started to feel like a chore. She was always disappointed, always had something to complain about or some unkind observations to make.


    I knew it was my own fault. If I was still in college, or literally doing anything worthwhile with my life she''d probably be a lot nicer. Instead it was like that sense of disappointment permeated everything, and tainted all our conversations, all our time together.


    "You didn''t used to limp so much," she stated. "I think it''s getting worse. And you still won''t consider seeing a doctor?"


    "Mom we''ve talked about this a dozen times," I said quietly. "I can''t go to human doctors. And I went to a fae doctor once, it cost me five thousand dollars for a thirty minute consult. And all he did was tell me to keep doing what I was already doing."


    The whole shadow-economy thing was crazy expensive. I guess I understood, like there weren''t that many people in the fae community so you didn''t have a lot of options. So they could pretty much name their price and you were stuck with it. Though if you had a source of fae currency it wasn''t quite as bad as it sounded.


    The gold coins Maeve sent me were worth about twenty-five-hundred dollars apiece here. And the shadow-economy took fae coin just as readily as they did human cash. So any time I needed to deal with them, I just paid in gold coins. Seeing that stupid doctor cost me two coins. I got my name and ID all changed ''legally'', or at least I had the government database records updated so the old me was completely deleted and the new me was officially and legally recognized. That cost me five coins.


    Actually changing fae gold to human currency was expensive though. You had to go through shadow-economy money-changers, and if you thought human banks had outrageous fees... Let''s just say they''ve got nothing on fae bankers. I did it once, I converted a huge load of Maeve''s gold into human money. I actually wound up with a few million dollars after that.


    Half of it went into long-term investments, so in fifty or a hundred years I''d have some serious lucre saved up. A chunk of it went into buying my house and property. And the rest I kept in cash and in a bank account, so I had money to use when dealing with the humans. And of course I kept a cache of gold coins for dealing with the fae.


    Mom was still frowning at me, "Something should be done about that. We have free health-care in this country. It''s not right that some charlatan can go around charging exorbitant fees just because you''re different."


    I rolled my eyes and said softly "Mom I don''t think the government is going to recognize fae as part of the population any time soon. And it''s fine, don''t worry about it. I get healing treatments from Kelly, and Keira''s learned to do it too. And if I really needed it, I can go visit Maeve. She has the best healer in Otherworld working for her, I get my free healthcare over there."


    "What if Kelly and Keira aren''t around? You still need regular treatments, don''t you?"


    I replied quietly, "I can do it myself if I have to."


    Technically you can''t heal yourself. It''s because of how healing magic interacts with your aura, when you''re casting a healing spell your body can''t receive healing magic. One of the first things I did with my free time was figure out a way around that limitation. The solution was easy, just arrange it so there was a delay in between casting the spell and receiving the magic.


    Everyone knew crystals could store raw magical energy. It was less well known that they could also hold finished spells. Normally you needed rare and expensive gems if you wanted to store a spell for any length of time, but in this case my requirements weren''t long-term so quartz was good enough.


    It cost me three gold coins but I had a chunk of rose quartz cut and polished to some very exacting specifications and mounted in a pretty silver setting. There was a length of black nylon cord attached, and most of the time I wore it around my neck where it was just a simple but pretty piece of jewelry.


    But if both Kelly and Keira were away and I needed healing, I could cast the spell into my custom-made crystal necklace. Then press the crystal against my leg and a couple seconds later the magic would come back out. Presto, I was good for another forty-eight hours.


    I still liked it better when Kelly did it though. It was something we shared together, a kind of private and personal ritual for the two of us. Though we both trusted Keira enough that she''d done it a few times too.


    The waitress finally came by to get our orders, and I hoped mom would let the subject drop after that. Mom ordered a burger and a salad. I got a pasta dish off the kid''s menu.


    As soon as the waitress was gone though, mom was back on it. "So why are you limping today? If it''s not getting any worse?"


    "It''s cold out, the weather makes it hurt more." I sighed. "And I''ve been trying to exercise. Kelly says if I use it more, it''ll help the healing. So I''ve started going on walks."


    Mom looked conflicted about that. Like she wasn''t sure whether to be annoyed or supportive.


    After a few moments she asked, "Is it helping? It can''t be helping if it''s making you hurt more."


    I shrugged, "It''s only been a couple weeks mom. I figure, give it a month or two." In a half-whisper I reminded her "Everything''s going to be slower with me, mom. It just takes longer to find out what works and what doesn''t."


    She continued to frown for a while longer, before finally letting the subject go. For now.


    Instead she had another way to get under my skin. "Are you still planning to come home for thanksgiving? And you''re still bringing your two girlfriends?"


    I closed my eyes and took a deep slow breath. "Mom, how many times have I asked you not to say that? Kelly is my girlfriend. Keira and I are just friends. She''s Kelly''s sister, she''s not my girlfriend."


    "Uh-huh," she stated. "You''re all still living together. How do you even know which one''s which? For all you know they''re taking turns with you."


    I took another deep calming breath. "Mom, just because they look the same doesn''t mean they''re interchangeable. They''re different people, and I can tell them apart." I sighed, "I know you know that. And yes, the three of us are planning to come for thanksgiving. But if you call them both my girlfriends, or you try to imply Keira and I are sleeping together, it''ll probably be the last time we visit."


    She gave me a hard stare. I knew my threat wouldn''t go over well, but I had to be firm. I was already feeling anxious about my relationship with Kelly, the last thing I needed was my mom hinting that I was cheating on my girlfriend with her sister.


    Mom hadn''t always been like this. She used to be a lot more understanding, a lot more caring. A lot nicer. I don''t even think she realized how much of a bitch she could be nowadays, but I knew what it was. All she saw when she looked at me was the failure. The drop-out. The girl who''d got all sorts of wonderful gifts then squandered them all.


    I sometimes wondered if she might even be jealous. I knew my seemingly-endless youth was something she probably envied. Either way though, I was sure she was angry with me for wasting all the good-fortune I''d received.


    We were both quiet again as the waitress delivered our lunches. Then happily we stayed quiet for a while longer as we both started eating. The food was just ok. I was used to human food of course, but this wasn''t even that good for Earth fare.


    It was a trade-off. The kids menu was always limited and the options weren''t great, but I still sort of resented having to pay full price for a meal I could never finish. Even though I could easily afford it, it was just the principle of the thing. Mom seemed to be enjoying her burger, so at least there was that.


    Eventually as we both started to fill up, the conversation resumed.


    She had a sip of her coffee and asked, "Any thoughts on going back to college? Or finding a job? Or finding anything to do with yourself?"


    I nodded, "Yeah, actually. When me and Kelly and Keira are over there at the end of the month for Samhain, I''m going to talk with Maeve. I''ve decided I want to learn some skills that''ll be useful over there. She''s been on me for a few years about it, so I''m going to see about taking her up on it."


    That caught her off-guard, and she frowned. "What sorts of skills?"


    "Sword fighting, using a longbow, horseback riding. And I want to learn more about politics, and history too."


    I probably shouldn''t have told her that stuff, but honestly I just wanted to see how she''d react. After bugging me for ages to get off my arse and try doing something with my life, I was curious to see how she''d respond if I told her I''d decided to do something, but that something didn''t involve Earth.


    Sure enough it seemed to trip her up. She just stared at me for a minute or so, looking like she didn''t know how to respond.


    Finally she found her voice, "Does that mean you''re going to move away? You''re going to live there?"


    "No mom," I shook my head. "Not yet at least. Kelly''s got two more years of University and I''m not going anywhere without her. But I''m going to discuss it with Maeve and see what she says. I mean, stuff like history and maybe politics, I could probably learn from books? Maybe I''ll start doing like a distance-learning thing, bring books back home to study. Honestly I have no idea. But you asked if there was anything I wanted to do. That''s what I want to do."


    "But... Eventually you''ll be moving there?" she asked. Now she sounded sad.


    I suppressed a sigh, "Eventually, yes. But don''t worry mom. Remember, ''eventually'' for me could be like, fifty or a hundred years away. It''s not likely to happen soon enough to affect you or dad in any way."


    And just like that, the sadness was replaced with more attitude.


    "I don''t know how you can treat that subject so lightly, Tegan." She gave me another disapproving frown. "It''s not the sort of thing you should be joking about. Especially not with your parents."


    This time I didn''t bother trying to suppress the sigh. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then asked in a whisper "Mom, be honest with me. Are you jealous? Envious? What if you had the option for a do-over, the chance to be young again. Would you take it?"


    She scowled as she replied in a low voice, "That''s an awful thing to tease people about."


    "I''m not teasing," I replied quietly.


    My eyes were on hers and I watched her expression closely as I stated quietly, "I could do it. I have the magic, I know the spells. I could make you young, any age you wanted. I could change anything else you wanted too for that matter. And I could get you new legal ID, I know who to talk to. It''d cost me ten or fifteen thousand but I could get you a new birth certificate, drivers license, health card, the works. I''d probably get a discount if I did both you and dad together. But I''m not teasing. You''d have to start over. New name, new life, move somewhere else. It''s doable though."


    As I spoke her expression shifted. Her eyes widened and her face paled slightly, her scowl faded into a look of surprise, and perhaps even a little fear.


    After a few seconds I added, "Think it over. Or if you''re seriously considering it, talk it over with dad. Maybe we can discuss it more when I''m there for thanksgiving."


    At a normal volume I said, "Anyways I''d better get going. Nice to see you again mom. I''ll call over the weekend, and if we don''t meet up next week I''ll see you the following Monday for thanksgiving."


    I left a fifty-dollar bill on the table to cover our meals, then slipped out of the booth and limped away as I pulled on my jacket.


    PurpleCatGirl

 55. Disquieted

    "I think I''d like another glass of wine please, Tegan." Kelly stated in a slightly haughty tone.


    I stood up and curtsied, "Yes mistress."


    There was a little extra sway in my hips as I took her glass out to the kitchen. I refilled it with white wine, nice and cold from the fridge then I checked that my maid uniform was straight and my cleavage was on full display. Finally I returned to the dining room.


    I stood across the table opposite Kelly and made a show of bending at the waist as I leaned over to place her glass down on the table before her, and made sure to jiggle slightly as I gave her a good look down my dress. Then I sat down again to continue my dinner.


    "Thank you Tegan," Kelly stated with a slight smile.


    "You''re welcome, mistress." I was fighting to suppress a grin now.


    Keira finally let out a loud snort-laugh. "You two are completely ridiculous, you know?"


    I couldn''t hold back and I giggled as well, "Hey, it''s all in good fun."


    Kelly managed to stay in character, she kept a mostly-dignified look on her face as she quietly sipped her wine.


    It started out a couple weeks ago as a one-off tease, but somehow it became a weekly thing. Sunday nights I''d dress up in my maid outfit and make a nice dinner for the three of us, then try to stay in character as Kelly''s meek submissive little servant-girl.


    Once upon a time I''d have been mortified at the thought of Keira seeing me prance around in my maid costume acting subby for her sister. Now it was all just part of the fun.


    I guess in a way it was like acting, or role-play. For a few hours each Sunday I got to stop being Lady Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh, and I wasn''t Tegan Vale the unemployed two-time college dropout either. I was just Tegan, Kelly''s cute subby maid. I didn''t have any big responsibilities, the only way I could disappoint anyone was if I spilled the wine or burnt the food. And it was fun. So why not?


    When we were all done with the main course I cleared the table and put away the leftovers, then brought out dessert. We had pumpkin pie and whipped cream. I cheated though, the pie was from the Farmers Market and the whipped-cream was in a can. It was still tasty, and I had fun serving it up for my mistress and her sister.


    After the three of us finished eating I cleaned up and did the dishes while Kelly and Keira sat in the living-room and watched TV.


    I didn''t even mind doing the washing up. Partially it was just me staying in-character, but it also made me feel useful. Less of a failure. Like, I could cook and clean and I did all those domestic things around the house. Whether I pretended to be a maid or a house-wife, it was one of the few things I hadn''t given up on, one of the few things I actually accomplished that made a difference. Even if it only mattered to the three of us who lived here.


    When everything was cleaned and put away and the kitchen was tidied up I turned out the light then went and joined the twins on the sofa. I cuddled up close against my girlfriend and relaxed while the two of them watched some movie or whatever.


    Eventually it got late, we were all tired, and the twins had classes in the morning. The TV was turned off, the lights out, and we all went upstairs together. Keira disappeared into her bedroom while Kelly and I retreated into ours.


    Soon enough we were both undressed and cuddled up together other under the big duvet. With our fun out of the way I wound up lost in thought again. My mind drifted back to lunch on Thursday with mom.


    "Hey babe," Kelly asked softly. "What''s on your mind?"


    I cuddled up a little closer against her and shrugged. "Oh... I was just thinking about something. About my mom."


    "Which one?"


    "Human mom," I replied. "You know she''s been getting under my skin lately, right?"


    "Yeah, I know." Kelly sighed. "What was it this time?"


    "Uh," I hesitated. "Ok, so when I had lunch with her the other day? I got a little tired of her attitude, and I straight-up asked if she was jealous or envious of me. Like, in particular about how I look younger, and I''m going to keep looking younger."


    That led to another sigh from my girlfriend. "How''d that go?"


    "Not great," I admitted. "And I uh, kind of mentioned that if she wanted, I could use magic to make her young again. Or change anything else she wanted about herself."


    "You what?!" Kelly sat up and stared at me, eyes wide.


    I cringed slightly, "I didn''t think that would be a big deal. Why is that a big deal?"


    She slowly lay back down again, "You know she''d have to move? Change her name, start over somewhere else?"


    "Yeah I know," I nodded. "I told her that too. I also told her to talk to dad, like if she was serious I told her to talk it over with him."


    Kelly was quiet for a minute or two, then frowned. "You know that sort of spell has a really bad reputation right? You know the sort of stuff it''s usually used for, and the kind of fae who tend to use it. Not exactly the kind of thing you should be suggesting to your mother, Tegan."


    "I know Kelly, I remember all that stuff you told me." I shrugged again. "It''s just a spell, it''s a tool. Whether it''s good or evil depends on what you do with it."


    After a few seconds I added, "And the sort of stuff you''re talking about, they usually combined it with some pretty nasty mind-magic. There''s no way in heck I''d even mention that stuff to my parents, let alone use it."


    She grimaced, "Yeah I''d hope not! Anyways you don''t even know those sorts of spells."


    We both lay quietly, and after a few seconds she frowned at me. "Tegan you don''t know any mind magic, do you?"


    I sighed. "After what happened to Amy, I read a few books on the subject. I thought, maybe if her memories were just hidden, we could restore them? And I also thought it would be a good idea to know what those sorts of spells looked like, incase we ever come up against people who''re using them."


    Kelly sighed as well. "I take it you didn''t find anything that would help Amy?"


    "No," I shook my head slowly. "Her memories weren''t hidden, they were gone."


    She shook her head, "I understand you wanted to try and help, but I''m not happy you learned that stuff. I''ve told you, mind control is dark. And it''s a slippery slope."


    "I know Kelly and I swear I''d never use it. I promise, I only read up on it to see if I could help Amy, and so I''d know how to defend against that stuff."


    We were both quiet again for a minute or two.


    "I wish we could find whoever did that to Amy," Kelly whispered.


    "Me too Kelly," I whispered back.


    That seemed to be the end of our talk, and the two of us just quietly cuddled up together.


    Kelly drifted off fairly soon after that, but I couldn''t sleep yet. I was still thinking, and wound up laying awake while my mind stayed active.


    Our conversation reminded me of the suspicions I had about Amy, and I decided to add that to the list of things I''d discuss with Maeve when I saw her at the end of the month.


    There was only one person I could think of who knew that Amy was aware of the twins'' part-fae heritage, who knew Keira and Amy had broken up, that Keira had moved in with Kelly and me, and who was highly motivated to ensure the twins'' secret wasn''t revealed.


    And while I wasn''t entirely sure if Kelsey could work that kind of magic herself, I knew her father Keenan certainly could.


    I''d had questions about the twins'' grandfather for three years now. I still hadn''t met the man, he''d made himself scarce and seemed to go out of his way to avoid me. But I knew he spent most of his time on Earth, he''d been living here for over a century now. And I knew that most fae who willingly chose to live here tended not to be the nicest sorts of people.


    If the fae thought in human terms, specifically white European colonialist human terms, Earth''s a world full of violent primitive backward natives. Everything here was slightly tainted, slightly worse than it was in Otherworld. And there wasn''t enough of anything here the fae valued, so we never bothered to invade and take over. And granted the humans had guns and rockets and all that sort of stuff, but the fae had magic, a highly organized society, and the ability to make long-term plans. If we ever decided we wanted the Earth, we could pretty much stroll in and take it.


    So why would some fae choose to live here?


    The number one reason was so they could feel superior. Fae lived ten times longer and a lot of us had magic. Someone who was a nobody in Otherworld could come to Earth and set themselves up like a little mini-baron or something. They could come to Earth and go slumming with the natives, they could treat humans as disposable, and use magic to get out of any trouble they might find themselves in.


    The other main reason for fae to stay here was exile, usually self-exile. For fae who were on the run, hiding out from the law, trying to escape their past, whatever, Earth was a good place to hide. There was no fae law here, and fae usually considered themselves above human laws. And again, they used magic and ruthlessness to get themselves out of any human trouble they might find themselves in.


    Of course not every fae could work magic. Of those who could, some were stronger, some were weaker. Most exiles here tended to have weak magic. Enough that they could mess with humans, but not enough to keep themselves safe on Otherworld. That''s why they exiled themselves here.


    Being able to cross worlds was a rare skill even among the stronger fae mages, and I knew Keenan had that talent. He sometimes worked as a courier, transporting packages, letters, and even people back and forth between Earth and Otherworld. That meant he was a fairly strong mage. And the fact that he travelled back and forth to Otherworld meant he wasn''t an exile, he wasn''t hiding here. Which meant he lived here by choice.


    Kelly told me once, all Keenan really had going for him was his skill with magic. He''d come from a peasant-class background and the best he could hope for in Otherworld was to work as a mage for some other rich fae. On Earth he could be someone special and important, he could profit from his talent without having to serve anyone but himself.


    Of course to be fair, I lived on Earth by choice too. I was here because the woman I loved lived here. Maybe that was true for Keenan too, but there was a reason I wasn''t prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. That reason''s name was Liam ¨® Cath¨¢in.


    Liam was the man who betrayed my fae parents, delivered a curse to my father, kidnapped me from my mother, messed up my life and left me hidden on Earth as a changeling. And somehow he knew Kelly''s grandfather.


    It was all circumstantial of course, I had no proof of anything. But as long as Keenan kept avoiding me, and kept avoiding his grand-daughters while they were living with me, I was going to be suspicious of the man.


    And if I ever had the chance to speak with Liam again, I''d have some very specific questions for him, about the nature of his relationship with my girlfriend''s grandfather.


    PurpleCatGirl

 56. Discussed

    "Hello sweetheart," dad smiled as he pulled me into a hug. "Great to see you again. Happy thanksgiving!"


    I smiled as I hugged him back, "Hi dad. It''s great to see you too!"


    After a few seconds we let go and I stepped back.


    Dad grinned at my two companions, "Hello Kelly, nice to see you." He gave her a quick hug, then did the same for her sister, "You too Keira."


    I honestly had no idea how he could tell them apart. It was one thing for me, I lived with them. I knew all their little quirks and all the little tells. But since they started wearing their hair the same style and length, there was really no way for most people to know which was which. Somehow though, dad always knew.


    "Happy thanksgiving Mr. Vale," Kelly smiled as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.


    Keira nodded, "Hello again sir."


    "Hey," he said to them both in a relaxed voice. "Call me Erik. None of that sir or mister Vale business."


    Both redheads smiled and thanked him, and I was already feeling pretty relaxed now too. The difference in my parents'' attitudes was almost alarming. Dad was relaxed, he put people at ease. He didn''t treat me any different now than he did three years ago.


    I mean, I knew he was disappointed in me but only because he told me that. He didn''t let it colour how he treated me though, he didn''t act like a dick around me or my friends. Mom was the opposite. She was rarely direct and up-front with you, everything was guesswork and trying to decipher what her different attitudes might mean.


    And I hated thinking about her like that. I hated that she''d made interacting with her such hard work. I felt like talking with your folks wasn''t supposed to be a labour-intensive activity.


    Dad took all our coats and hung them up in the hall closet as the four of us stood around in the front hall. Mom had put up some festive autumnal decorations as usual, and the whole place had the smell of roasting turkey.


    "Hey dad, where''s mom?" I realized she hadn''t come to greet us when we arrived.


    "In the kitchen, where else?" dad rolled his eyes. "You three young ladies are welcome to join me in the den. I''ll turn off the TV and we can catch up over some drinks." He added after a moment, "But I''ll understand if you all want to congregate in the kitchen again like you did last Easter."


    Kelly suggested, "Me and Keira will go see how Mrs. Vale is doing, see if she needs a hand with anything. Tegan why don''t you relax for now and visit with your dad?"


    "Ok," I smiled. "Thanks Kelly."


    The twins headed off together for the kitchen, and dad led me into the den.


    While I sat down on the sofa he went over to the little bar and mini-fridge and asked, "Have you finally grown up enough to start drinking yet? Or are you sticking with soda and juice?"


    I rolled my eyes, "Cola for me please dad."


    He was teasing of course. Those sorts of comments always felt like friendly, fatherly jokes when they came from him. There was never any undertone of anger or jealousy in his voice.


    Dad opened a can of cola and poured it into a glass for me, and got himself a glass of white wine. Then he sat down next to me on his beat-up old recliner. As he got settled in he grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.


    We sat together in silence for a few moments, just sipping our drinks. When he finally spoke, he kept his voice soft and quiet. "So Tegan. Your mother told me you made her quite a remarkable offer when the two of you met for lunch recently. Was that serious? You could do that, and you were offering?"


    I shrugged, "I can do it, for real. Same with arranging new ID and stuff, that''s all real. Was I seriously offering?" I shrugged again, "I don''t know. I''d do it if you two asked. I wouldn''t mention it then refuse, that''d be a dick move."


    He had a sip of his wine, then asked "If you weren''t serious, then why would you bring that up with her?"


    This time I sighed. "I was getting tired of her attitude. I''m sorry dad, I know that sounds terrible. It just feels like over the past year or two she''s gotten kind of resentful or something? I don''t know. My leg was killing me again that day, and she didn''t even bother saying hello, she just started picking on me about it. I mean, I''m already sensitive about it and it''s bad enough I was in pain, but she had to go digging and poking and probing to make it worse."


    I sighed again and added, "Sorry. I got a bit carried away there again."


    Dad shook his head "It''s ok Tegan. I understand what you''re saying."


    We were both quiet again for a minute or so, just sipping our drinks. Then he commented, "I assume your girlfriend meant to give the two of us some time to talk in private."


    I smiled slightly. Dad was a lot more observant that we sometimes gave him credit for.


    "Yeah. She and Keira are going to keep mom busy till we let them know we''re done talking."


    He gave me a brief smile back, then became serious again. "So tell me about this magic that you mentioned to your mom." He quickly added, "I''m not saying either of us are going to take you up on it. I''m curious though, I want to hear what sort of amazing powers my daughter''s actually got."


    I knew he was trying to make light of it, but I had a feeling he was maybe a little scared. Or at least, he was wary. I took a deep breath then explained. "Most transformation spells are temporary. They only last as long as there''s magic actively holding them in place. There''s a few spells though that are permanent. I''ve learned them, and I''m strong enough to cast them."


    After another sip of my cola I continued, "The magic basically rebuilds a person''s body into whatever I want. The spell can change as much or as little as I like. It could be as simple as rolling the clock back a few decades but everything else remains the same. Could be as much as, well, everything. Height, hair colour, eye colour, build, literally any physical attribute at all. When the spell''s over, it''s over and however the person winds up is forever. Or like, I could do another spell to change things again. But I mean, forever as in it won''t wear off."


    I sipped my drink again and added quietly, "If that sounds terrifying, it''s because it is. Most fae with that kind of power use it badly. Especially the ones who hang out on Earth. But the spell itself is just a tool."


    Dad was silent for a few moments, and drained the last of his wine.


    Finally he asked in a soft voice, "If your mother wanted you to use it, so she could be like you, have a long life-"


    "I can''t do that," I interrupted. "The spell I''m talking about can''t change a person''s species or whatever you call it. A human''s always going to be a human. There''s other magic that can change people into...other things. But that''s not permanent, it''ll always wear off."


    I wasn''t going to tell my parents that I knew how to break those other spells and make them permanent, and that I was hoping to make that offer to the twins. My justification was Kelly and Keira were already part fae. I wouldn''t be changing their nature, I wouldn''t be making them fae. I''d be enhancing and expanding the fae that was already part of them. I knew it was probably a big blurry grey area, and maybe the whole thing was a bad idea all around. But I''d already told mom, and my mind was made up to talk with Maeve about the twins. I just hoped this wasn''t going to wind up costing me every relationship I had.


    "You mentioned there''s some temporary magic too. So for the sake of argument, if your mother wanted to try it out first on a short term, you could do that? Without any consequences or long-term side-effects?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. The temporary stuff is just that. It wears off on its own, or I can dispell it any time. No consequences, no side-effects."


    "Hmm," he nodded thoughtfully.


    We were both quiet for a few more minutes. This time I broke the silence, "Do you think mom''s actually considering it?"


    He shrugged, "I can''t say, hon. I suppose she might be, since she told me about it."


    I narrowed my eyes at him, "What about you dad?"


    Honestly, I thought he was going to laugh and tell me I was crazy to even ask that. Instead he got a slightly wistful look in his eyes. He shrugged slightly, "There''s some things I wouldn''t mind changing about my life. Getting to do some things over again, but differently... There''s a certain appeal to that."


    That actually caught me off-guard. I wasn''t sure how to respond, but I was suddenly intensely curious to know what my dad would want to change about his life.


    I didn''t get the chance to ask though, as he gave me a friendly smile and suggested "How about we go see what your mom and the twins are up to? Before your mother accuses us of being lazy while the three of them do all the work."


    "Ok dad," I smiled back.


    He poured himself another glass of wine first, I still had half my cola to go. Then the two of us wandered into the kitchen. There we found the other three sitting at the kitchen table with a bottle of wine between them, half-empty glasses in hand.


    "Aha," dad laughed. "I see we caught you three hard at work!"


    "Quiet you," mom scolded him. "You waited till we took a two-minute break."


    Dad motioned for me to take the last seat, while he stood leaning against the counter. I sat down next to mom, Kelly and Keira were on the other side of the table.


    He looked towards the oven and asked, "How much longer till the food''s ready?"


    Mom rolled her eyes, "Typical. He spends all afternoon watching TV, then wanders in here and wants to know where his supper''s at."


    I honestly couldn''t tell if mom was joking or not. She never put enough humour in her voice to make it clear, and her tone almost always had that slight bite to it that made it possible she was actually complaining.


    Dad just chuckled though and had a sip of his wine. His tone was calm and joking as he replied, "Now now Laura. Let''s keep friendly, we''ve got guests over."


    That was pretty much the tone for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Dad was friendly, laid-back, and when he teased you always knew he was joking. Mom was uptight, and you could never be quite sure if she was teasing or actually being hurtful. Still, we managed to get through thanksgiving dinner without any raised voices or arguments.


    There wasn''t any more talk on the subject of magic, or anything else fae-related really. Dad talked about his plan to take early retirement in December, Kelly and Keira talked about their studies. I didn''t have much to say, other than that I was doing daily exercises for my leg and was thinking of getting a treadmill so I could walk indoors over the winter. And mom didn''t have much to say at all really, apart from commenting on what everyone else was up to.


    Eventually me and Kelly and Keira helped clean up and do the dishes, then we escaped.


    "I like your dad," Keira commented from the back seat as the three of us drove home. "He seems pretty cool."


    I was driving since both Kelly and Keira had a few drinks over dinner. I nodded, "Yeah he''s been really good about everything, to be honest. Once he got over the shock and stuff, he''s been really accepting and laid-back about all the craziness in my life."


    Kelly commented, "Your mom used to be like that too."


    "Yeah," I sighed. "I know she''s disappointed in me for dropping out of school and stuff. And I''m starting to think she might be jealous, too."


    Kelly gave me a slightly worried look. "Do you think she''ll take you up on...?"


    "No idea," I shrugged. "Though I think my dad''s actually interested too. I really wasn''t expecting that."


    "Huh," she said, with a slight frown.


    Which pretty much summed up how I felt about it as well.


    PurpleCatGirl

 57. Deduced

    "So what brings you here on a Friday morning?" I asked as I got the coffee machine started. "Not that I''m unhappy to see you of course, just surprised."


    Dad pulled out a chair and sat down at the kitchen table. "I wanted to talk with you, Tegan. Without your mother around. Just you and me, in private."


    I raised an eyebrow, "That doesn''t sound good. Is something wrong?"


    I hadn''t heard from either of them since thanksgiving, but that was just under two weeks ago. I figured if something was up they''d have called, or at least sent me an email or something.


    Dad shook his head "Not at all, hon."


    It was still kind of weird having him show up out of the blue at half past eleven on a weekday. I started making lunch for the two of us, and asked "You took the day off work to come see me?"


    "I cashed in a sick-day," he smiled. "I have a bunch of them saved up, I figured I may as well use them."


    "Ok," I was still curious and a little uneasy about the whole thing. It was unusual, to say the least. "So what did you want to talk about?"


    He took a deep breath then replied, "Your mother''s been talking again about accepting your offer. When we spoke at thanksgiving, you told me some of the details about the uh, magic. I guess what I need to find out now are the logistics, the practical considerations."


    "Dang," I sighed. "You two are really serious about it?"


    Dad nodded, "I think so hon. It''s a rare and amazing gift you''ve offered the both of us. Your mother seems to have her mind made up. And the more I think about it, the more I feel the same."


    I sighed again and turned around to face him, "Dad is this something you really want to do? Or is this just mom pressuring you into something that she wants?"


    He shook his head, "I admit I was wary at first, but since we talked I''ve put some more thought into it. If I do this, it''s not just going to be because your mother wants to. I''m going to get something out of it as well."


    That brought a frown to my face and once again I wondered what sort of changes he wanted to make to his life. For now I let it go, and turned back to the counter to finish making our sandwiches.


    By the time I had the food ready, the coffee machine was done too. I poured us a couple mugs, then served everything up for us at the table.


    As I sat down across from him I asked, "So what sort of logistics stuff do you want to know about?"


    Dad thanked me and had a bite of his sandwich, then replied "Well, you''ve been through all this right? Three years ago, you had to basically reinvent yourself. Granted it wasn''t an age thing for you, but uh, pretty much everything else changed."


    I nodded, "Yeah. So I had Kelsey Connolly to help me through it that first time. And I can help you two the same way. I can take care of the ID, paperwork, stuff like that."


    "Figuring out how we transfer the money is a concern," dad said. "I''m taking early retirement, in just under two months I''ll be done with work. Your mother and I have our RRSPs, and equity in the house. We were thinking, we''d start dropping hints with friends and neighbours that as soon as I''m retired we''ll pack up and move. We''ll be vague about where, just that we''re moving to a retirement community."


    He paused for some coffee and another bite of food, then continued "We''d sell the house and cash out our investments. The question I have is, how do we get that money out of our current names and transferred to our new identities? I mean, without actually taking it all out in cash, because I know that would look suspicious as hell."


    I sighed, "I know some uh, people who can help with that. We''d have to set up an account for you with them, then you transfer everything there. You two ''disappear'' and I get the account info changed to your new identities, then you transfer it all back out to a normal bank somewhere else. It''s not cheap, they''ll probably hit you for five or ten percent in fees, but when it''s done the money''s clear in your new names."


    Dad frowned, "Ten percent''s outrageous."


    "Sorry dad," I shrugged. "The only other way I can think of doing it is we stage your deaths, you leave everything to me, then after the dust''s settled I transfer it back to you."


    "Hmm," he was still frowning. "Estate tax would be just as bad, and probably slower than going through your friends."


    We were both quiet as we finished the rest of our lunch. I topped up his coffee then washed the dishes while he sat at the table and looked thoughtful. Once I had the kitchen cleaned up the two of us went into the living-room since it was more comfortable in there. I sat on the sofa, dad was across from me in the recliner.


    He looked at me, almost like he was studying me, or like he was seeing me again for the first time. Finally he asked, "What was it like for you, Tegan? I mean, having to change your name, having to re-invent who you were, having to get used to the uh, physical changes? Having to become a whole new person?"


    I shrugged, "Some things weren''t that hard. I was trans, or a trans egg anyways. I always wanted to be a girl, I even had my name in mind already. I just thought it was impossible, up until it happened. So from that point of view it was a relief I guess? The stuff that was hard was dealing with you and mom, like trying to figure out how to convince you two who I was, then hoping you''d both accept me for who I''d become."


    I added, "Dealing with college was rough too, and getting my head around the fact that I couldn''t just be the same person I was before with a new name. Having to move, start a lot of stuff over from scratch. Having to pretend to be someone completely different. Like with you and mom I had to hope you''d believe me about who I was. Everywhere else I had to hope nobody figured out who I was."


    He nodded slowly. "Three years ago, after your mother told me you were trans and you''d changed your name, but before I found out about the magic and all that? You sent us some emails, links to information, websites that explained things. I did a lot of reading. I had a lot of misconceptions, there was a lot of stuff I didn''t really understand before then. A lot of things I was dead wrong about."


    "I remember," I smiled. "Mom told me. We were both proud of you for making an effort to educate yourself."


    Dad just nodded, then said "Obviously you didn''t need to go through all the medical stuff. And I know other trans folks today, they still don''t have it easy, but it''s a hell of a lot better nowadays than things were when I was young. If you were trans, and grew up in a rural farming community like I did, there really wasn''t any good information or advice. Maybe in the city, or if you had a modern educated doctor it was different. Out in the sticks though, the sort of thing they''d tell you back then was to just marry some girl and have kids, then you''d forget all about those crazy ideas."


    "Crap," I scowled. "That''s like, really bad advice."


    "Yeah. And that''s what you''d get from the doctors. Never mind the sorts of things you''d hear from other folks."


    I shook my head slightly and sighed "Well, at least things are better now. I hope, anyways."


    The two of us were silent again for a few minutes as we sipped our coffee.


    I was still curious to know what my parents'' plans were, what they were thinking about. I asked, "So where do you think you and mom would move to? What would you two do with yourselves afterwards?"


    Dad shrugged and got a sort of distant look on his face. "I don''t really know, Tegan. Your mother keeps finding excuses not to discuss the details with me. I know she wants to ah, have you roll the clock back, I think that''s how you put it? I don''t know how far though, and I don''t know what she thinks we''ll do."


    "What about you?" I asked, watching him. "You''ve already hinted you''d like to change some things about your life. So ok we don''t know what mom wants. What do you want?"


    He grimaced slightly and looked like he was embarrassed to discuss it, but after a few moments he replied. "If I was going to do it, I''d make the most of it. Go back to your age." He clarified, "How you look I mean, nineteen. Old enough to be independent, young enough to enjoy it. I wouldn''t want to move anywhere too far away. I''d still want to be a part of your life. I thought maybe we could be cousins, since I wouldn''t be a parent anymore."


    He finished his coffee then said, "I know I''d need to find a job, but I don''t know what sort of work I could get. Obviously I wouldn''t be able to use any of my existing credentials. And I don''t really want to go into the same line of work again anyways. I''ve done that and I''m about to retire from it. I''d have to think about what else I''d want to try, I suppose. I''d actually like to go back to school. College, or university maybe, assuming there''s money for it. Obviously there''d be money to help start over, but that wouldn''t be enough to just live off. Not for someone young with a whole lifetime ahead."


    Finally he took a deep breath and dropped the bomb on me, "I''m not sure your mother and I would stay together. So there''s a good chance all the money would have to be split in half, and we''d each be starting over separately."


    "What?" I stared at him in shock. "Why wouldn''t you and mom stay together?"


    "It''s complicated," he sighed. "I''m sorry Tegan, I shouldn''t have mentioned that. Especially considering I don''t actually know for sure how things will play out. I guess I just see it as a strong possibility."


    I slumped back on the sofa and rubbed my forehead, "I never should have mentioned this to mom. I can''t be the reason you two split up."


    Dad gave me a sympathetic look, "Now Tegan whatever happens, it won''t be your fault. I certainly wouldn''t blame you."


    I just sat there stunned for another minute or two, then finally stood up and asked, "Want some more coffee?"


    "No thanks hon," dad shook his head. "Two''s enough for me."


    I grabbed the two mugs and went back to the kitchen and rinsed them both out, then left them in the sink for now. I just stood there for a few minutes and stared out the window at the back yard. I sighed as I realized how much I regretted ever having mentioned this stuff to my mom.


    It was a dumb idea from the start, I let my emotions get the better of me. I blamed it on my leg being sore that day, and mom''s insistence on poking and prodding and trying to make everything worse. Except she only acted like that because I was such a disappointment. So it was still my fault.


    And now ontop of all my other screw-ups and failures, I could add my parents'' marriage to the list of things I''d messed up.


    I was still there, leaning against the counter and staring out the window a minute or two later when my brain finally kicked out something I''d missed a few minutes ago, something my dad had said. And I also noticed something he didn''t say. He still hadn''t told me what he wanted to change about his life, apart from starting over as a nineteen-year-old.


    I frowned, then turned around and walked back into the living room. I sat down again on the sofa and stared at him.


    "Hey dad?" I asked. I was still frowning, but I was anxious now too. I guess I was kind of uneasy about what his answer might be. "How do you know what doctors in your home town would have told young trans people, back when you were growing up?"


    PurpleCatGirl


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 58. Distressed

    Kelly had a sip of her Irish coffee then looked over at me and said "I''m proud of you, babe."


    "Why?" I asked with a smirk. "For not giggling at you anymore when you order that?"


    She grinned back at me as I had a sip of my cafe-mocha. "No silly. For taking the whole exercise thing seriously. I know it''s too early to say for sure if it''s helping, but the fact that you''ve stuck with it over a month really makes me happy."


    I blushed slightly and shrugged, "All I''m doing is walking. It''s not that hard, I''ve been doing it since before I was two."


    Kelly rolled her eyes "I''m being serious, babe. And whether or not it helps with the long-term pain, I know it''s helping in other ways. You got all the way here today without any trouble, and you''re walking at a good pace again. That''s already an improvement."


    She had a point there. It was the last Sunday of October and I''d been walking almost every day for the past five weeks or so. The two of us walked into town today to visit the cafe then pick up some groceries, and I was able to keep up with her all the way here. Normally I''d have to ask her to slow down, or even stop so I could take a break part-way.


    Apart from being good exercise, the walk with Kelly also helped distract me from my dad''s visit the other day. That had been kind of intense, with some delicate conversations and a two-hour demonstration using a temporary transformation spell. Dad was pretty excited about it and I was happy to help, but it was also kind of weird.


    I''d agreed to keep the whole thing secret, nobody else even knew dad had visited. I was trying to just put the whole thing out of my mind for a while. I did promise though I''d do what I could to help afterwards, including help with college or whatever if dad decided to go back to school.


    However it all played out, I knew things were going to get awkward over the winter holidays when my folks would be asking me to work some magic for them.


    "Too bad it''s going to be winter soon," I commented with a little sigh as I turned my attention back to the topic at hand. "I''m actually going to miss my daily walks, but I don''t want to risk slipping on ice or something. Pretty inglorious end for the legendary Tegan Vale, to wind up dead in a snowbank because I slipped on our country road."


    Kelly gave me a little frown and said quietly "Please don''t joke about that sort of thing, Tegan. I don''t care about the legend, but you''re too important to me. I don''t even want to think about losing you."


    I just smiled, "Don''t worry about me Kelly. I''m not going anywhere."


    After a moment I added, "This time next week we''ll be able to go walking around the castle, maybe ride some horses through the south forest and visit Maeve''s lake."


    Kelly corrected me, "This time next week we''ll probably want to spend the day in bed, recovering from the Samhain feast."


    "Good point," I nodded. After another sip of my cafe-mocha I leaned forward and half-whispered, "That means this afternoon will be the last Sunday dinner with maid service for a couple weeks."


    "Hmm," Kelly frowned. "I''m sure every dinner over there will be served by maids. But I much prefer when you''re the one doing it." She smirked at me.


    I grinned and whispered, "I''m sure Maeve would have a fit if I got dressed up like that over there."


    Kelly suppressed a giggle, "Ok now I really want to see you in a castle Br¨¢daigh maid''s uniform."


    I bit my lip and smiled, but I started to wonder if there was a way I could make that happen. Maybe I could bribe the dressmaker or something. I wouldn''t want to wear it while we were at the castle, Maeve would definitely flip if she or anyone else over there caught me dressed up as one of her servants. But if I could smuggle it back here it would be a fun surprise for Kelly.


    We were both quiet for a few minutes, while I continued to plot and scheme about getting my hands on one of those outfits.


    Eventually Kelly asked, "What were you planning on making for dinner tonight?"


    I shrugged, "I don''t know yet. I figured I might find some inspiration when we visit the grocery store."


    In a quieter voice I asked, "Does my mistress have any requests, anything in particular she''d like?"


    "Hmmm," Kelly looked thoughtful. She was quiet for a little while as she seemed to be thinking it over.


    After a few minutes she finally shook her head. "I don''t have any requests. It would be nice to have something different though. I don''t want to complain but it''s been roast and vegetables every Sunday for a while now. And we''re probably going to be eating that every night we''re over there? So this week before we leave, it would be nice to have something different."


    "Ok Kelly," I gave her a smile. "We''ll see what inspiration I find at the grocery store, but I''ll avoid the roast this week."


    After the cafe, I made my way over to the store while Kelly wandered along the main street and did some window-shopping.


    It took me ten or twelve minutes before I figured out a plan for dinner. We missed our Asian take-away out here in the country, so I''d try and make something like that. I couldn''t do sushi, and I didn''t know how to make the sauces from scratch so a few things would have to come from jars. But I figured it would still taste good, and it would be a break from the usual like Kelly wanted.


    Once I had everything and the cashier was ringing it up, I texted Kelly to come help me carry it all. As usual I bought too much, but we wouldn''t need to get anything else this week.


    With both of us loaded down with bags, me and Kelly set out for home. As soon as we were outside the town and on a quiet stretch of road I stopped.


    "Let''s just teleport the groceries home, ok?" I suggested. "We can text Keira and ask her to put it away, then we don''t have to lug it all on foot."


    Kelly grinned, "Good idea, babe."


    We set the bags down on the ground, and she texted her sister while I sent it all straight into the kitchen.


    A couple minutes later Kelly looked at her phone and reported, "Keira says she''s done it. She also says she''s hungry so we should hurry up and get home."


    I grinned but protested, "I''m going as fast as I can."


    "I know babe." She teased, "It''s not your fault you''ve got such stubby little legs."


    "Hey!" I glared but she giggled and ran a few paces ahead of me.


    I made a show of pouting and grumped, "Sounds to me like someone wants to make her own dinner tonight."


    She eventually came back and we both grinned as we kissed and made up. She had her right arm around my shoulders, my left arm was around her waist, and I let my head lean against her shoulder as we walked together.


    We were about halfway back to the house when we both spotted the police cruiser as it approached. Normally we wouldn''t have paid it any mind, except it slowed to a stop seven or eight meters in front of us and the red and blue lights came on.


    Kelly and I exchanged a glance, as the two cops emerged from the car and approached. As far as I knew neither of us had done anything wrong, we certainly hadn''t done anything that''d require a couple cops to track us down while we were walking home from the cafe and grocery.


    Something about the situation had me on edge. The cop on our right, the one who''d been driving, he had a weird sort of look on his face. Almost like he wasn''t all there. The one on the left looked confused, he kept glancing at his partner like he had no idea what was going on.


    Kelly asked, "What''s up officers? Something wrong?"


    The one on the right was staring at me now. He asked, "Are you Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh?"


    If I hadn''t already been on alert that was certainly enough to do it. There were only two humans who knew that name, and they were my parents.


    I looked back and forth between the two of them and asked, "Who are you guys? What do you want with us?"


    The cop on the left, the confused one, replied "I''m constable Matsko, he''s constable Rhodes." He didn''t have an answer for why they''d stopped us though.


    The weird one, Rhodes, was still staring at me. He stated "The Ceallaigh family have a message for you, Tegan Vale."


    Now I wondered if these guys were even human. Or maybe Matsko was but I thought maybe Rhodes wasn''t. I glanced at Kelly again, then looked back at him and asked "Ok? What''s the message?"


    I was just starting to cast the identification spell, I figured I''d find out if he was fae or not while he was talking. That''s when I saw his right hand come up, and he was holding his gun.


    Then he just started shooting.


    Me and Kelly both hit the ground as I scrambled to cast my barrier spell. I''d never been shot at before, I''d never even seen a gun up close before, but everything was way louder and scarier than in the movies.


    The gun was loud, the sound of bullets smacking into my barrier was loud, and ontop of all that constable Matsko was shouting his head off.


    "What the fuck! Steve stop! What the fuck are you doing?!"


    I think I was half in shock at this point, as I just stayed crouched on my knees and focused on keeping my shield in place.


    Matsko kept shouting over and over at his partner, until Rhodes turned and put a bullet through Matsko''s forehead.


    By now I was completely stunned. I''m sure my eyes were wide and my mouth hanging open as I just stared up at the guy.


    Rhodes turned back towards me and fired twice more. I saw ripples in the shield directly in front of my face as the bullets smashed into it.


    He still had that same weird look on his face, and it finally hit me. He was in a trance or something, he was being controlled. His eyes were locked on mine and I saw fear in them as he brought the gun up to his own temple.


    I closed my eyes before I heard the shot. Then I heard him fall, and everything was finally still and silent.


    My heart was racing and my hands were shaking. I felt nauseous as the adrenaline started to leave my bloodstream, and I had no idea what to do.


    There were two cops laying dead on the ground in front of us, their car was stopped in the middle of the road with the lights flashing. It wasn''t a busy road but I knew it wouldn''t be very long before someone came along and discovered the horrific scene.


    The silence was broken by Kelly, who whispered "Tegan?"


    "I''m ok," I replied quietly. I still had my eyes closed and my shield up, I didn''t want to look yet at the grisly mess before us. "How about you Kelly, are you all right?"


    She answered softly, "No."


    The adrenaline hit a second time as my eyes snapped open and I turned to look at her. Kelly was laying on her back next to me. Her face was so pale she almost looked grey, and her lips had a bluish tone to them. There was blood on the front of her jacket, and I could see more pooled on the ground beneath her.


    "Kelly!" I shouted as I forgot about my barrier spell and twisted towards her. I gently laid my hands on her, my left hand on her shoulder and my right hand on her abdomen, and I started casting healing spells. I didn''t know where she''d been hit or how bad it was, and I didn''t care.


    I just kept hitting her with healing magic. I knew if I did it enough she''d be ok. She had to be ok.


    Time seemed to stand still and everything else faded from my awareness as I focused on my girlfriend. I had no idea how many times I cast the spell, but eventually I heard Kelly say "Tegan stop. That''s enough, you can stop."


    She still looked pale, but there was some colour in her face again, and the blue was gone from her lips.


    Kelly was still talking quietly, she still sounded weak which scared me. But she seemed to be thinking clearly, more clearly than me anyways. "We have to get home. We have to get away from here."


    I nodded, "Ok. I''m going to teleport us home. Stay still."


    She nodded slightly. I still had my hands on her and I focused, then worked the spell. A moment later she was gone. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes then cast it again.


    Kelly was laying in the middle of our bedroom floor, and I was kneeling a meter or so away from her. When I opened my eyes everything was blurry, and it took me a moment to realize I was crying.


    I moved to my girlfriend''s side as I shouted, "Keira! Help!"


    PurpleCatGirl

 59. Defended

    I felt a hand on my shoulder and my eyes snapped open as I looked up.


    Keira was there, standing next to my chair. She asked softly, "Hey. How''re you holding up?"


    "Ok," I mumbled. I was sitting on a chair beside the bed with a blanket wrapped around me.


    The tall redhead offered me a bottle of water as she said "You should drink something, Tegan. And you should get some sleep. If you don''t want to risk disturbing her, go crash in the guest room."


    It was probably around midnight now. After I got Kelly home, me and her sister carefully got her undressed and put a nightshirt on her, then we got her into bed so she could rest.


    Kelly seemed to be ok, however many blasts of healing magic I''d hit her with had patched everything up pretty good as far as me and Keira could tell. I''d seen the scars though.


    Kelly had a round dime-sized pink scar on her chest just above her right breast, and a slightly larger oblong scar on her back. And I knew from personal experience she''d need a day or two of bedrest, to ensure everything in between had properly healed up.


    I didn''t want to leave her side, but I also didn''t want to disturb her by getting into bed next to her. So I brought in a chair and a blanket, and just sat by the bed.


    "Thanks Keira," I whispered as I accepted the bottle. I opened it and had a couple gulps. I didn''t make any move to get up though, let alone go to the other room.


    Keira stayed next to me for now, watching her sister sleep. After a few minutes she said quietly "It was on the news, but they didn''t say much. Two cops killed in a shooting, no suspects, investigation ongoing, blah blah blah."


    I had another gulp of water and nodded. "One of them was controlled. Forced to do it."


    "Yeah, you said that earlier." Keira reminded me. She wasn''t annoyed about it, I''m sure she knew I''d forgotten. I was in such a panic before, I don''t know half the things I said or did.


    After another minute or so of silence I glanced at her and asked "Is your mom on her way here?"


    "Nope," she shook her head. "I haven''t contacted her, she has no idea it happened."


    That surprised me, but I couldn''t say I was unhappy about it. "Oh? Why not?"


    Keira shrugged, "There''s nothing she could do to help that you haven''t already done. It wouldn''t stop her from barging in and taking over and being a busybody about things though. Me and Kelly are twenty-five now, we''re not kids anymore. I won''t speak for my sister, but I don''t want our mom taking over our lives again. We just got free of that three months ago."


    After a moment she added, "And this is your place, not hers. I''m sure you don''t want her here any more than I do."


    Keira''s tone surprised me almost as much as her words. I wasn''t sure if she didn''t actually like her mother, but it definitely sounded like she was glad to be out from under Kelsey''s thumb. When the two of them had their twenty-fifth birthday in July it had been a big deal, but I hadn''t realized how important a milestone that must have been for Keira.


    It suddenly made me wonder if she shared some of my suspicions about their grandfather. I put those thoughts aside for now, it wasn''t the time or place to try and have that conversation. It did let me see Keira in a new light though.


    I finally just nodded, "Thanks Keira. You''re right, I wasn''t looking forward to Kelsey showing up and taking over. I wouldn''t have made a fuss though if you''d called her. I mean, I wouldn''t try and get between either of you and your family."


    She gave me a quick smile, then asked "I guess you''re going to head over to Otherworld as soon as Kelly''s ok? To let Maeve know what happened?"


    "Nah," I shook my head. "We were all planning to go over Thursday morning, I figured I''d just wait and tell her then. I mean, it''s only three days difference. Assuming you and Kelly will still want to go, of course."


    Keira frowned, "This time I will speak for my sister. Yes we''re both going with you. And frankly if you wanted to go early I''d be down with that too. Bottom line is, whatever''s going on me and Kelly are both going to be safer if we stick with you."


    I sighed and felt a little nauseous again. "I don''t think that''s true Keira. Kelly only got hurt because she was with me. They weren''t after her, she was just caught in the crossfire."


    The redhead sighed and sat on the foot of the bed facing me. "Tegan, if whoever these people are wanted you bad enough and you weren''t here, they could grab the pair of us and use us to get at you. Believe me, I''ll feel safer with you than hiding somewhere else. I''m sure that goes double for Kelly."


    I just sighed again and drank the last of the water. I made no move to get up or go to bed or move to the spare room though.


    Eventually Keira stood up and whispered, "Try and get some sleep. I''ll check on you both in the morning."


    "Thanks Keira," I mumbled. "Good night."


    "G''night," she replied as she left.


    I sat watching Kelly a while more, till I eventually nodded off again.


    When I woke, I was surprised to find myself in the guest room after all. The sun was up, it looked like it was about mid-morning. I got up out of bed and found my fuzzy slippers on the floor nearby. I was just slipping them on when Keira appeared in the doorway.


    "Oh hey, you''re finally awake. I''ve got the coffee on if you want some."


    I blinked at her, "How''d I wind up in here?"


    She rolled her eyes, "I carried you, how''d you think? It''s not like you weigh anything, short-stuff." She smirked and added, "I swear from now on I''m going to be worried you''ll blow away every time there''s a stiff breeze."


    My brain was still half asleep, I couldn''t keep up with half the stuff she was saying.


    She finally gestured, "Go see your girlfriend. I''ll get you a coffee."


    "Yeah!" I nodded and hurried past Keira and into the master bedroom. Kelly was already awake, she had some extra pillows supporting her in a half-sitting position. There was a mug of coffee on the side-table next to her.


    She smiled at me as I rushed to her side, "Good morning babe."


    I managed to restrain myself from pulling her into a big tight hug. Instead I gently hugged her with one arm on her left side, and was careful not to touch her right side at all. I gave her a kiss, then finally replied "Good morning Kelly. How are you feeling?"


    "I''m ok," she replied. "A little achey, but I''m sure I''ll be fine by tomorrow."


    As I sat down on the chair next to her she added, "Keira''s already told me she didn''t bother calling mom. And I agree with her, we''re sticking with you and going to Otherworld together. I think we should go early though. You need to tell Maeve what happened. That cop said the Ceallaigh family sent him, if they''ve broken the truce Maeve needs to know about it."


    I sighed, "I know what he said. I''m not sure I believe it."


    "What do you mean?" she frowned.


    "If Eileen or her family wanted to break the truce, or if they wanted to kill me, why would they make sure their assassin told us that? Wouldn''t it make more sense to just like, bump me off in secret?"


    Kelly continued to frown, but she had a thoughtful look on her face.


    "Your girlfriend makes a good point sis," Keira said from the doorway. She came into the room and handed me a mug of coffee, then sat on the foot of the bed.


    I smiled, "Thanks Keira."


    "You''re welcome," Keira replied, then added "So the cops had a news conference this morning. Apparently both cops'' body cameras were turned off for that whole thing yesterday, but the car''s dash-cam was running."


    I felt my face go pale as I realized what that meant. "Oh crap. I never even thought about cameras. They definitely saw me and Kelly. Did they see magic? I used a barrier spell, then healing spells, then we teleported away..."


    "Whatever they saw, they''re keeping it secret," Keira replied. "They said they won''t release the camera footage out of respect for the cops'' families. They announced at the press conference that it was a dispute between the two cops, that they argued then the one guy shot his partner then himself. And they said there was no-one else present, no witnesses."


    Kelly frowned, "Someone''s covering it up? Either to protect us, or... Or what? I don''t get it."


    Keira shrugged, "No idea. Maybe whoever messed with that one cop is covering their tracks?"


    I sighed deeply. After another gulp of coffee I decided "Ok we have to get over to Otherworld as soon as you''re healed Kelly. Tomorrow morning if you''re up for the trip, or Wednesday morning at the latest."


    "I''ve already contacted Uni and let them know both of us are off," Keira said. "I told them there was a family emergency."


    After draining my coffee I stood up, "Ok. I''m going to get dressed then take care of some security stuff around here. Reinforce the protective spells, that sort of thing."


    Kelly asked, "Could I get some breakfast first babe? Before you get busy with the other stuff?"


    "Of course!" I smiled. "I''ll make something nice and bring it up here for you."


    I wound up making french toast and cooked up the last of the bacon we had in the fridge, then me and Keira sat on the bed with Kelly and the three of us sort of had ''breakfast in bed'' together.


    It was kind of nice actually, and got me thinking we should do it again some time when Kelly wasn''t recovering from being shot. I figured it was sort of like a pyjama party, except me and Kelly were in nightshirts. Keira was the only one wearing pj''s.


    When we were all finished breakfast Keira volunteered to do the dishes while I got dressed. Then she came back upstairs to stay with her sister, while I went outside to reinforce some spells.


    First I did a complete walk around our property-line. I started where the driveway came in off the country lane, then went clockwise all the way around and back to the ravine, then through the trees to the little creek. Then I walked along back there, and finally back up past our yard and house and finished up at the driveway again.


    It was only six acres of land, and my leg wasn''t sore yet but it was always a little weak. That and the fact that eighty percent of the property was untouched woods made it slow going. Of course I wasn''t just walking for the view or for exercise, I was reinforcing some magic the whole time I was out there. This land was mine, it was my own little private domain. I owned it but I was also responsible for it, and I was reminding the earth and the grass and the plants and the trees of that relationship.


    If anyone set foot on my property, from any direction, the land would tell me. Whether it was a delivery truck pulling up the driveway or an errant hiker wandering through the woods, or a fae emerging from Otherworld into the little glade in the ravine, I''d know about it as soon as they crossed the property line.


    By the time that was finished it was early afternoon. Rather than take a break I just went straight on to my next task. I slowly made my way around the house, reinforcing the security spells and defensive wards. Nobody would be able to break in, or force their way in. Even if the door was wide open, nobody would be able to set foot in my house without permission. Of course permission could come from any of the three of us, Kelly and Keira were part of the household, part of the family.


    Originally the idea was to make sure nobody broke in and robbed the place while we were away in Otherworld. But it would also keep us safe while we were home too.


    PurpleCatGirl

 60. Disobliged

    It was mid-afternoon when I came back in after reinforcing the protective spells. I found the twins in the living-room, Kelly was relaxing on the sofa and Keira was in the recliner. I tried to scold my girlfriend for getting out of bed while she was still healing but she brushed away my concerns.


    She rolled her eyes, "My legs are fine Tegan, I can walk ok. I just can''t pick up anything heavy, and I have to be gentle moving my shoulder."


    Kelly wasn''t going to let me make a fuss over it and she was already relaxing on the sofa, so I gave up and sat down next to her.


    I only had about five minutes of peace and quiet before I felt someone come onto the property, off the country road. I sighed, "Company''s coming."


    Keira turned to look out the bay window towards the driveway. "I bet it''s a cop. I get cop-vibes from him."


    I sighed again, "Ok. Well, you two stay back away from the door. Whoever it is, I''ve just strengthened the wards so they''re not getting in here regardless. I''ll talk to them at the door and see what they want."


    I could see the vehicle out the windows as it pulled up to the front of our house. It was a small black pick-up, with just one occupant.


    Keira and I were both standing up to get a view out the window now. We weren''t up at the glass but on the far side of the room so he wouldn''t see us. We both watched as he emerged from the vehicle and looked over the house, before he started walking up to the front door.


    He was tall, probably about six feet, and well built. He looked strong, he probably worked out on a regular basis. I couldn''t pin down his age, but I figured between thirty-five and forty-five if he was human. If he was fae, he''d probably be somewhere around his fifth century. He was dressed in blue jeans and a black leather jacket, and he had black boots on his feet.


    A few moments later we all heard the knock at the door, and I motioned Keira and Kelly to stay put as I went to the door.


    I opened it up and got a closer look at our guest. He had a kind of ruggedly-handsome face. His hair was a dirty-blond, in short wavy curls. His eyes were blue-grey, and his skin looked slightly tanned. He had some stubble on his face, like he hadn''t shaved in a day or two.


    He gave me a look over at the same time, his eyes moved up and down over me, then finally he said "Good afternoon miss. Are your parents home?"


    I suppressed a laugh and replied "I wouldn''t know. They don''t live here."


    "Are you the homeowner?" he asked, looking mildly surprised. Not surprised enough to sell it though. He wasn''t a good enough actor.


    I rolled my eyes, "Just get to the point. Who are you, what do you want?"


    His expression became serious and he pulled something out of his jacket. I was ready with defensive magic if he tried anything, but all he did was flash a badge. "I''m Detective MacKenna, investigating a shooting that happened down the street yesterday afternoon. I have some questions for you and the redhead. May I come in and speak with you two?"


    "No," I replied. I acted just as serious as I watched him and asked, "Is that the shooting that was all over the news? I thought it was already solved, the news said one of the cops did it."


    His eyes flicked up and down over me again, then he replied in a lower voice "I know who did it, what I''m here to find out is why. I also want to know why you didn''t bother erasing the body-cam and dash-cam memories when you were done." His expression turned into an angry scowl, "What the hell were you thinking, leaving proof of magic on video for the humans to find?"


    I tried not to let my expression reveal my surprise. Instead I frowned back at him and stated "Sorry I was a little distracted at the time. One of your cops tried to murder me, he shot my girlfriend, killed his partner, then killed himself. I had other things on my mind than covering up after him. Who are you for real?"


    He straightened up slightly and stated, "I am sir Colm Mac Cionaoith, knight of the realm, on assignment to Earth by direct order of King Cathal himself." With that out of the way he demanded quietly "Now I want to know exactly who are you."


    I hesitated, but figured if he was going to go all official titles and namedropping and stuff, then I''d do the same. "I''m Lady Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh, daughter of Maeve Br¨¢daigh."


    For a moment I thought he didn''t believe me. He looked sort of skeptical, and it looked like he was about to make some snide comment or something. Then his eyes flicked up and down over me again, before they widened slightly.


    "Your mother is the Br¨¢daigh clann leader. She''s the countess of Cathasaigh." He wasn''t questioning me, it sounded more like he was reminding himself of her titles.


    He took a step back and bowed, then straightened up and in an incredulous tone he demanded "What the hell are you doing living on Earth?!"


    I sighed, "I was raised here, my friends and adoptive family live here, and why is that a big deal?"


    Colm shook his head, "You''re nobility. Fae nobles do not live on Earth." He sounded shocked and confused, but finally he set aside his confusion and asked, "What''s your beef with the Ceallaigh family?"


    "I don''t have one," I replied. "I''ve only met Eileen once, and I helped create a truce between the Ceallaighs and the Br¨¢daighs. And as far as I know they don''t have a beef with me either."


    He frowned, "Rhodes said he was sent by the Ceallaighs to kill you."


    I shook my head, "He was being controlled. I think it was a set-up. I think whoever was controlling him wanted me to think the Ceallaighs sent him."


    "Do you have any proof?" Colm still had that frown on his face.


    "No," I sighed. "Just a hunch. I''ll be returning to Otherworld very soon to speak with Maeve. She may know what other enemies our clann has, who else might want to mess with us or break the truce."


    The cop slowly shook his head, "I''ll get word back to King Cathal. He needs to know about this. An attempted assassination of a fae noble is bad enough. Having it happen on Earth is unheard of."


    I groaned softly, "Great. Otherworld intrigue and politics spilling over to Earth and messing up my life here. It''s exactly the last thing I needed."


    Colm just frowned at me. "Next time something like that happens? You scramble the electronics, blank the memory cards. If I hadn''t been around to catch it, you''d be dealing with a lot more trouble right now."


    "Is that your thing here?" I asked him. "Keeping fae out of trouble with the humans?"


    He shook his head "Not usually. Normally I''d just leave you to deal with the consequences of your mistakes. But when I heard a human mentioning two fae noble houses on the body-cam video, I knew there was something serious going on."


    I sighed again, "Well hopefully we''ll get this stuff sorted out in Otherworld, so it won''t spill back over to Earth again."


    The cop frowned as he stared at me for a few more moments, then he finally just gave me a slight bow and said "M''lady. I''ll be in touch."


    "Fine," I stated. "We''ll be in Otherworld for a few weeks at least."


    He just nodded, then turned and headed back to his pick-up. I closed the door and sighed once more, then sat back down on the sofa with Kelly. I knew they''d both been listening in on the whole conversation, neither asked me what happened.


    "So," Kelly said. "A knight of the realm, working for the King himself, is snooping around on Earth. And now he knows you''re here, and he knows something''s going on between the Ceallaighs and the Br¨¢daighs."


    Keira asked, "Do you think he was lying? Like, do you think he''s really who he said he is?"


    I shrugged, "I think he was telling the truth. No idea if he''s going to be helpful or just get in the way though."


    "We''ll be in Otherworld tomorrow, so it won''t really matter." Kelly pointed out. "I mean, if he''s here, he''s not going to get in our way while we''re there."


    I nodded in agreement, "Yeah. It''s still something else to tell Maeve about. If it means the king''s going to be involved too, she''ll definitely want to know that."


    The three of us tried to relax again for the remainder of the afternoon, then I finally got up and went into the kitchen.


    We''d missed out on our big Sunday dinner yesterday, but I wanted to make our last meal on Earth a nice one. No maid costume though, things felt a little too tense to get into the mood for that.


    I did my best to recreate some of the dishes me and Kelly missed. They weren''t perfect but I figured it was good enough for now. I made a stir-fried spicy pork dish with noodles, tried to make a General Tsao chicken, and I made veggie-fried rice.


    The twins had some white wine with dinner, I had a cola. I thought the food was passable, and Kelly and Keira both seemed to enjoy it.


    Afterwards I did the washing-up, and the leftovers were packaged up and stuffed in the freezer.


    Finally we all went to bed early. We''d have an early start in the morning, and it was probably going to be a long day after that.


    Come morning, all three of us were up about an hour before sunrise.


    We got dressed in clothes appropriate for travel in mixed weather, jeans and hiking shoes, hoodies and jackets. We enjoyed our last cups of coffee for a while, then me and Keira went around the house and made sure everything was turned off and all the windows were closed. Basically we just checked that the house would be ok while we were gone, whether it was for a couple weeks, or longer.


    Neither me or Keira would allow Kelly to carry a pack. She kept insisting she was ok and fine to travel, but her sister and I both refused to let her carry anything. Unfortunately I wasn''t all that strong, so it was up to Keira to carry both her stuff and Kelly''s.


    I had my own gear packed up and on my back. We were all travelling relatively light, but there were still some things we wanted. Modern toiletries, toothbrushes, that sort of thing was important. And a few changes of clothes, especially modern bras and underwear. Not that things were too primitive over there, but I figured why give up all our modern conveniences if we didn''t have to.


    With about twenty minutes to spare we all exited through the back door, then I closed and locked it up. From there it was about a fifteen minute walk into the ravine and through the woods, to reach the little glade.


    Kelly and Keira stood quietly and watched as I slowly walked around, my arms and senses outstretched, till I found the spot.


    "Why don''t you just leave a marker or something so you don''t have to search every time?" Keira suggested. "Like, we could hammer a post into the ground right?"


    I shook my head, "I''m pretty sure it moves. Not far but I''m positive it wanders around the meadow."


    "Huh," she frowned. "That''s really weird."


    I just smiled, "Come on, both of you. Remember to hold on tight."


    Kelly stood to my right and hooked her left arm through my right, while her sister took her place at my left side. All three of us kept a firm grip on each other, and as the sun started to come up I worked the spell. I pushed my way through the veil, with both twins coming through alongside me.


    PurpleCatGirl

 61. Debriefed

    You''d think after crossing worlds a dozen or so times, I''d get used to it. But no. Every time it was the same thing. Like going into hyperspace without a ship, then suddenly emerging on the other side feeling completely rattled and shaken.


    I still had Keira and Kelly on either side of me, both of them had their arms looped around mine. And all three of us were sort of gasping and taking deep breaths, trying to settle down our jumbled senses.


    Of course it was warmer here than it was at my property on Earth, my mother''s estate and the surrounding county were in the south of Otherworld. And they just generally had better weather here regardless. The sun was just clearing the trees now and started to fill the meadow with golden early-morning light.


    And that''s when I finally noticed the dozen soldiers arrayed before us, all holding bows raised and ready.


    I was scrambling to pull up my barrier spell when I heard someone shout "Stand down!"


    All twelve archers lowered their bows, as the man who''d given the order came running up from off to the right. Fortunately everyone was wearing Br¨¢daigh livery, the light-blue and purple uniforms were a welcome sight. I think I actually missed this place.


    The officer bowed deeply, "My deepest apologies Lady Tegan!"


    The three of us were still kind of shaken, first from the inter-world travel, then from the unexpectedly threatening welcome. I recognized the young man, we''d met a few times over the past couple years. He was Siobhan''s second in command, and loyal of course to my fae-mom.


    I nodded slightly, "Lieutenant Gaelen, hello. What''s going on?"


    Kelly asked, "The garrison''s been reactivated?"


    I hadn''t even noticed that but now I looked around and realized the whole meadow was cleared of weeds and brush, and the old building had been repaired and now seemed to be fully staffed.


    Gaelen nodded, "There is trouble brewing, m''lady. Lady Maeve thought it best to keep this place under guard, as it is the nearest point to the castle where the veil is thin enough for travel."


    He turned back towards the garrison and shouted, "Horses! Now! Get a move on!" Then he looked back to us, "I will escort you to the castle myself, m''lady."


    A few of the soldiers came and relieved us of our packs, they''d carry the gear for us.


    "What trouble, Gaelen? What can you tell us?" I asked him.


    Gaelen replied, "I believe Lady Maeve would rather discuss the matter with you herself, Lady Tegan."


    I accepted that, and the three of us watched as a half dozen horses were readied. Three were brought forward for me and Kelly and Keira. A fourth was for the lieutenant. And the last two already held soldiers.


    The young woman at the front carried a pike with our family pennant held high. I knew by now they always did that when a member of the family was present. To be honest I thought that was kind of a silly practice. I mean for one thing I didn''t like having people make a fuss over me. But more importantly I thought if there actually was a threat, why would you advertise a high-value target like that? It was tradition or something though, and they insisted that''s just how things were done here.


    Me and Keira gave Kelly a hand getting her onto her horse since she was still recovering from that injury, then we mounted up as well. I still needed a bit of a boost as well getting into the saddle, thanks to a combination of lack of training, lack of practice, and lack of height. There wasn''t much I could do about that last thing, but sooner or later I''d address the first two.


    Once we were all ready, the six of us set out. Our standard-bearer took the lead, then Gaelen and I followed. The twins were behind us, and finally a young man took up the rear. That last guy also had our three backpacks with him.


    Of course the real reason for having someone waving the flag was to alert the castle. So by the time our little group arrived, the gate was open, and Maeve was there with a bunch of other servants and attendants to welcome us in.


    We rode into the courtyard and were immediately surrounded by servants and soldiers, all eager to greet us, tend the horses, that sort of thing.


    Keira and I dismounted then we helped Kelly again, and finally the three of us along with Gaelen turned to greet Maeve.


    My fae-mom smiled and gave me a brief hug, "Welcome home Tegan. And Kelly, Keira, it is wonderful as always to see you both."


    Captain Siobhan was there too of course, the tall amazonian officer stood by Maeve''s side. She greeted us as well and asked, "You arrive two days ahead of schedule, Lady Tegan. Is everything all right?"


    I grimaced and looked between her and my fae-mom. "We need to talk."


    Maeve nodded, "Indeed we do."


    She turned her attention to Gaelen and the others, "Have my daughter''s and her friends'' belongings taken to their rooms. Gaelen, you and your soldiers may stay for some refreshments, then return to your post."


    There were bows and acknowledgements and everyone hurried to get to work, while Maeve and Siobhan led me and Kelly and Keira into the castle.


    The three of us wound up in the study, which had become one of our usual haunts. It served as a private meeting room, a quiet library, and a place to take meals when we wanted something cosier and more intimate than the huge dining hall.


    On our way there Maeve ordered a passing servant, "We''ll be taking breakfast in the study."


    Once we arrived, four of us all sat down together, taking seats near the fireplace. Siobhan took up a position standing to the left of my fae-mom.


    Maeve glanced at the tall blonde captain and said, "Siobhan, take a seat, join us."


    I was pleasantly surprised at that, but the captain looked even more surprised. She hesitated, "M''lady?"


    "It''s fine Siobhan," Maeve explained. This is an informal meeting, and I know my daughter and her friends will be more comfortable if you join us rather than standing to attention the whole time."


    Siobhan nodded, "Thank you m''lady." She pulled up a chair and joined our little group, settling awkwardly into her seat.


    As the five of us waited for the refreshments, I realized there was someone missing. It wasn''t unusual for Connor to be excluded from any serious discussions, but I hadn''t even seen him out in the courtyard when we arrived. Normally he''d have been there with Maeve to welcome me back.


    I looked at my fae-mom and asked, "Mother? Where''s Connor? Isn''t he here?"


    She sighed deeply and replied, "If fate is smiling upon us, he is in a cell in Ois¨ªn Ceallaigh''s dungeon. Otherwise, he is perhaps decorating a pike in front of the Ceallaigh stronghold."


    She did her best to keep her tone calm and level, but I could hear the worry, the fear in her voice.


    Kelly and Keira and I all stared at Maeve in shock. I don''t think any of us knew what to say or how to react to that news.


    Kelly recovered first, "Has the truce been broken then? What happened?!"


    Maeve sighed, "Ois¨ªn Ceallaigh, leader of the Ceallaigh family claims it was I who broke the truce. He claims that his son Aodhan was murdered four months ago, by assassins who wore Br¨¢daigh livery. Connor had gone to meet with Lord Ois¨ªn. We''ve been in talks with the Ceallaigh family leader for two years, working to forge a closer alliance between their family and our clann."


    She sighed again, "Lieutenant Gaelen was with Connor as his bodyguard. Gaelen returned three weeks ago without my husband, and bearing the news of this betrayal. He also brought with him a letter from Lord Ois¨ªn, accusing me of ordering the death of his son."


    All three of us were silent again. I slumped back in my seat in shock, my head spinning from the news.


    We remained quiet as a handful of servants arrived and set out some platters of food, and a couple pitchers of drinks. Once they were done Maeve dismissed them, and had the door closed to give us all some additional privacy.


    "I''m sure we don''t need to ask," Keira said, breaking the silence. "But I''m assuming you did not in fact have Aodhan killed?"


    Maeve shook her head, "Of course not. None of us had any quarrel with the lad. Nor had I any further score to settle with his family. And as I said, we were working with her family to forge an even stronger bond. There was no reason for either side to violate the truce."


    I poured myself a glass of my favourite juice, then said "Whatever''s going on, it''s also spilled over to Earth."


    Both my mother and Siobhan looked at me. Maeve asked "What has happened?"


    After a few gulps of juice, I told them of the attempted assassination on Sunday, that I''d escaped injury but Kelly was badly hurt. And that the would-be assassin was being controlled, but he claimed to have been sent by the Ceallaighs.


    Keira added, "Tegan doesn''t believe he was really sent by them, and I agree with her. After what you''ve just told us, I''m even more sure. Someone else is doing this. They''ve had you framed for Aodhan''s murder, and they tried to have the Ceallaighs blamed for the attempt on Tegan."


    "Someone''s trying to start a war," Kelly stated with a frown.


    Siobhan sighed, "I agree with miss Kelly. This isn''t just about breaking the truce, it''s not about a petty squabble. Arranging assassinations on both sides, each blaming the other? Someone wants clann Br¨¢daigh and the Ceallaigh family at each others throats."


    Maeve didn''t respond, apart from nodding quietly. Finally she helped herself to some food, then the rest of us slowly started eating as well. Technically I shouldn''t have even had the juice before my fae-mom started, but I had daughter-privilege, and anyways she''d already said it was informal when she had Siobhan sit with us.


    Breakfast was a quiet, slightly uncomfortable affair as we all contemplated each other''s news.


    As the five of us finished eating, Maeve commented "This past year there''s been a noticeable increase in the number of spies attempting to infiltrate my castle. There are always some, it''s a routine aspect of fae politics. I have spies in other houses, they send spies here, it''s all part of the game. Lately though, someone has been playing the game a lot harder than usual."


    Keira frowned, "How do you know?" She clarified, "I mean, how do you know who''s a spy? Like, if they''re any good wouldn''t that be kind of secret? It''s sort of in the job description."


    Maeve smiled slightly "I have an advantage there. A gift from my grandmother." Her smile faded as she added, "No-one knows this, and I ask you all to keep it to yourselves."


    All four of us agreed, then she continued. "I won''t say exactly what it is, but after my mother died it passed to me. Unfortunately I neglected it until Liam''s betrayal. Since then I''ve been diligent. That''s how I am assured my staff are trustworthy. If any turn against me, or if any new hires are in the service of another, I will know. And I will root them out."


    She paused for a drink, then looked to me. "I can identify them, and I can have them imprisoned or executed, but I have not your skill Tegan in extracting information from them. There are two in my dungeon as we speak. After what''s happened to Aodhan Ceallaigh, and with Connor taken, and now the news you bring from Earth... I need you to question them."


    I shook my head, "Mother I''m not an interrogator. And I''m sure as heck not going to torture anyone."


    Maeve stated, "Liam ¨® Cath¨¢in resisted my best efforts for two decades, Tegan. Yet one hour with you was all it took to extract all his secrets."


    I sighed, "That was... What I did to Liam wasn''t something I did lightly. And I only did it because he pushed me too far and there was history between us."


    Maeve stood and moved to one of the book cases, then returned and set a book down on the table before me. The title made it clear, this was a book of mind-magic.


    "You have the talent and the strength Tegan. You can learn those spells, and get the information we need. Without need of torture, without resorting to other unpleasant magic."


    Both Kelly and Keira tensed up slightly when they saw the book. So did I.


    I shook my head, "I won''t do that, mother. That''s a line I won''t cross."


    She watched me for a few moments then said, "Tegan, I don''t care what methods you use. Read their minds, or manipulate their bodies. But I am asking you. For my sake, and for your father''s. Find out who those spies are working for, and what their goal is." She added, "Their treachery nearly cost you Kelly''s life. Who''s life may be at risk next?"


    Siobhan added quietly, "If they have agents on Earth, they may know of your other relationships there Lady Tegan. How long will your adoptive parents remain safe?"


    I slumped back in my chair and closed my eyes as I let out a long, deep sigh.


    PurpleCatGirl

 62. Dictated

    The food and dishes had been removed and that book was back on the shelf, and Siobhan had been dismissed. Maeve and the twins and I remained in the study to continue our discussion over drinks.


    "I''m not making any promises, mother." I stated. "I''ll meet the prisoners and talk to them. Maybe my reputation will be enough. But I''m not touching the mind-magic, and I''m not doing any other nasty stuff just to get information out of some people I''ve never met before."


    Maeve sighed, "Do what you can, and we''ll talk again afterwards."


    Kelly suggested, "Before we do that, what else do we know? Or what else can we figure out? I mean, if someone''s pushing for war, there has to be a reason for that. If there was a war between you and the Ceallaighs, who benefits?"


    "No-one," Maeve frowned. "There''s no-one else around who stands to gain. It would destabilize the entire region and cost thousands of lives. That was the reason I never went to war with Eileen after she took my husband and child."


    "There''s nobody else in the region who''d come pick up the pieces?" Keira asked.


    Maeve shook her head, "None that I can think of."


    Kelly got up and went to one of the other bookcases. She returned with a large geographical tome, and set it out on the table in front of us. She opened it up and quickly found what she wanted. It was a map of the area, with three counties occupying what looked like a peninsula.


    "So we''re here," she pointed to a spot in the northern half of the middle region. "County Cathasaigh is the large county the middle. County Conchobhair is that one to the west, and County Donnghaile is the smaller one to the east."


    Keira asked, "Where are the Ceallaighs at?"


    Maeve pointed to the north west of Donnghaile, "Ois¨ªn''s stronghold is there."


    I glanced at Maeve, "Do they rule the county, like you''re in charge of Cathasaigh?"


    "No," she shook her head. "There is no count or countess of Donnghaile. There was once, but that family died out about seven centuries ago, the last count died without any heirs. Since then, County Donnghaile has been controlled and protected by a coalition of lesser noble families. The Ceallaighs are the strongest though."


    After a moment she added, "Had Connor and I not wed, his union with Eileen would have elevated both their families, and it''s possible a Ceallaigh would have eventually been granted control of the county."


    I gestured to the land on the west, "What about that? Who''s in charge of Conchobhair?"


    "Conchobhair is controlled by a Marquess, Lord Aengus ¨® Faol¨¢in." Maeve replied. "In my mother''s day he was a strong man, but he''s old now. He just passed his millennium not long ago. Rumours have it his mind is feeble."


    Keira asked, "If he''s that old, what about his family? He must have heirs or something?"


    Maeve nodded, "He has two sons." She frowned for a few moments as she thought to recall their names. "Sean ¨® Faol¨¢in is the eldest, he would be in his seventh century now I believe. And the younger one, Caleb ¨® Faol¨¢in, would be in his sixth century."


    Keira pressed, "And you don''t think they''d be a potential threat?"


    Maeve shook her head, "From what I''ve been told, they are much more interested in squabbling and sparring with each other over their potential inheritance, than worrying about politics in the rest of the region."


    We all stared at the map for a while longer, then Keira said "Ok, so to the west there''s a county with a potentially weak leader, but there''s two sons eager to secure their inheritance. To the east is a small county with no leader, just a group of nobles who''ve agreed to work together. And in the middle is you," she nodded towards Maeve. "You''ve got the biggest chunk, and from the sound of it, yours is the strongest?"


    "Correct," Maeve nodded. "The three together are referred to as the Southern Marches. The three counties form the southern-most part of the realm, and it is our duty to keep the southern border secure."


    Kelly asked, "Isn''t it all just coastline?" She gestured to the blank area at the south of the map. "I thought this was all empty ocean or something. Isn''t this a peninsula sticking out into the sea?"


    Maeve shook her head, "Not a peninsula, it is an isthmus. There is sea to the east and west, but Cathasaigh is a land-locked county. Most maps don''t bother to include it, but there is another continent to the south. We call it the wildlands. There are fae there, and there are other things. It''s not a kingdom though, there''s no organization, no leadership, no armies. Occasionally there are raiding parties, or there were before we established our defences."


    She explained, "My responsibility as Countess is to hold the southern border. I have a line of strongholds and castles to keep watch, and to resist any raids or incursions from the south. The same is true for our neighbours to either side. Together our three counties secure the southern border of the realm."


    Now things were starting to make sense to me, and I knew Kelly and Keira could see it as well.


    I stated, "So you have a county to the west that may soon face a leadership struggle, a strong county in the middle, and a coalition to the east. War between you and the Ceallaighs would distract both you and them, and they''d probably pull the rest of their coalition into the fight against you. Whether or not either side pulls troops away from the border, you''d still be distracted."


    "War between you and the Ceallaighs would leave both Cathasaigh and Donnghaile weak," Kelly agreed. "It would leave the marches vulnerable to attack from the south."


    Maeve shook her head, "As I said there is no kingdom there, no army, no organization. There is nothing there that could invade the marches, let alone the rest of the realm."


    "And yet there''s enough of a threat that these three counties have defences along the border," Keira pointed out. "Strongholds and castles, you said."


    "Yes, to stop incursions." Maeve replied. "Marauders, raiding parties. They would come into the county and attack villages and towns. They''d cause destruction, they''d steal, kill fae, then they''d leave again."


    Keira shrugged, "It''s still a credible threat, enough that you''ve invested in a line of defences to keep the border secure."


    I stated, "It doesn''t have to be a real threat. It just has to be believable. If drawing us and the Ceallaighs into war left our two counties weak, then a threat emerged, it might appear that both counties are unable to hold their borders. That might be enough for Aengus or his two sons to step in and ''save the day''. They could offer to take charge of Cathasaigh, and perhaps Donnghaile as well."


    Maeve stared at the map in silence for a few moments, then took a deep gulp of her drink. Finally she sighed, "I need more information. I need to know who those spies are working for, Tegan. I need to know if we are facing enemies to the south, or treachery from the west. If there is a true threat against the southern border, I will need to send word to the king."


    Kelly and Keira were both looking at me, and I finally remembered the other news we had.


    "Uh mother?" I looked back at Maeve. "Speaking of the king, we met one of his knights yesterday, on Earth."


    I quickly filled her in on our visit from Colm Mac Cionaoith, knight of the realm.


    Maeve sighed, then looked at me and stated, "Tegan, speak with Siobhan and have her take you to the two spies. I don''t care what you do or how you do it, but you find out what they know. I''ll expect answers when we speak at dinner." With that, she stood up and stalked out of the study, leaving the three of us alone.


    That was the first time she''d ever given me a direct order, and it was followed by an obvious dismissal. There would be no more debate, no more discussion. I was still loath to use mind magic, but I knew my fae-mom was done indulging me on the subject. She wanted answers, and she expected me to deliver them.


    "Fuck," Keira said softly after Maeve was gone. "I knew things were going to get serious after what happened on Sunday, but I never thought I''d get involved in an actual fae war."


    I looked up at her and sighed, "I''m sorry Keira. If it''s too much, I could take you back to Earth. After the Samhain festival, or whenever you want I guess." I looked at Kelly, "Same with you. You two don''t need to be involved in all this."


    "Screw that," Keira replied. "I''m staying, and I''ll help where I can. Not that I expect there''s much I can do. I can be Kelly''s moral support. I''m sure she''s going to be yours."


    My girlfriend nodded in agreement, "I''m staying too, Tegan. I stuck with you through all the intrigue and adventure we went through when we first wound up here. I''m not leaving you alone now."


    "Thanks you two," I gave them both a weak smile, before my expression became serious again. "I guess I have to go and speak with some prisoners."


    Kelly sighed, "What are you going to do? You can''t use those spells. And however you do it, if you get them to talk it''s just going to convince Maeve to keep using you to get information out of people."


    "What else can I do?" I asked, frowning. "You heard her. That wasn''t a request, Kelly. And this isn''t my human mom where I can just ignore her or avoid her."


    I could tell Kelly was going to stay uptight about this, and honestly so was I. I didn''t have a choice though.


    Keira asked, "So what are the options? What''s the least-awful way to achieve the goal?"


    "What I did three years ago was basically like magical torture," I replied, though it made me feel sick saying it. "I did something awful to Liam, and threatened to make it much worse. That scared him into talking."


    I sighed as I continued, "The mind magic Maeve was suggesting comes in two flavours. There''s control or compulsion, to force someone to talk. Or mind reading, to just extract the information from them directly."


    Kelly spoke up, "They''re both dark as fuck, Tegan. Control or compulsion is as evil as it gets, and mind reading is an absolute violation."


    "I know Kelly," I sighed again. "And I agree completely."


    After a few moments, Keira said "Ok, well let''s forget the control/compulsion stuff because it sounds like the worst option. If mind reading is painless and doesn''t cause any damage, then it sounds to me like the most humane choice. Even if it is a violation. Otherwise we''re left with the first option."


    "Sis, you can''t just reduce this to some kind of math problem!" Kelly stated angrily. "It''s not that simple!"


    Keira shrugged, "Why not? Sitting around arguing morality and ethics isn''t going to get us the answer, Kelly. If Tegan refuses then what''s Maeve going to do? She could toss all three of us in the dungeon. She could banish us back to Earth. She could have you and me tortured till Tegan does what she wants. Meanwhile there''s people being hurt and killed. A Ceallaigh''s been murdered, Connor''s either imprisoned or dead, and you got shot. If we have a chance of figuring stuff out and helping save lives, I think we need to do that. Even if it means getting our hands a bit dirty."


    I was quiet for now just watching and listening. It reminded me of cartoons where there was an angel and a devil on someone''s shoulders, debating right and wrong. Keira was being practical and pragmatic, Kelly was touting ideals and morals.


    The twins argued back and forth for a few more minutes, till I finally stood up and took off my jacket. I handed it to Kelly and asked, "Would you take that up to our room please Kelly? Keira, why don''t you head up to your room as well. Both of you just relax, take it easy for a while."


    As I was talking, I gave the bell-cord a tug. That would summon a servant, and I''d get them to summon captain Siobhan.


    "What are you going to do?" Kelly asked.


    I replied calmly, "I''m going to make some difficult decisions, then I''m going to go and speak with the prisoners."


    Before either could comment I added, "I''m going to do it alone. I appreciate your help, and your concern. But in the end it''s my responsibility, and my decision. And whatever happens, it''ll be on my conscience."


    Keira stood up, Kelly looked reluctant.


    "Come on sis," Keira said quietly as she put a hand on Kelly''s shoulder. "You heard her. She needs to go be Lady Tegan, and she doesn''t need you and me distracting her."


    PurpleCatGirl

 63. Described

    Kelly looked at me and asked again, "Are you sure you don''t want to talk about it, babe?"


    "She already said she''s fine, sis." Keira pointed out. "And you know as well as I do, she kept us out of it yesterday for our own peace of mind."


    It was mid-morning, and all three of us were still in our nightshirts as we sat around the breakfast table in Kelly and my room. It was the same large suite we''d shared every visit since our first, with the huge king-size poster bed, a desk in the corner, the table by the windows, a wardrobe, the big fireplace, and the attached bath room.


    Since Keira started coming over with us she''d been given an adjoining room. And thanks to a little magic stonework we had a connecting door between the rooms, so the three of us could get together without anyone having to go out into the hall. Keira shared our bath room, and we got a third chair so she could join us in here for meals.


    Her room wasn''t quite as large or as lavish, but it was still more than enough for one person. It was nice though having her join us for meals or just to hang out. I''m sure she''d have gotten lonely otherwise.


    I swallowed a mouthful of toast and jam then sighed, "Keira''s right Kelly. The less you know the better. And I''m fine, but thank you for worrying."


    As far as I was concerned, I just wanted to forget about yesterday afternoon completely. The whole situation had sucked and in the end it got us very little in the way of useful information.


    Three years ago when I confronted Liam, he may have been helpless but there was a lifetime of bad blood between us. And he kept rubbing it in on how he''d messed with my gender and identity. He''d goaded and pushed until I snapped. And even then, even after everything he''d done and said, I still felt guilty afterwards. I still committed myself to undoing what I''d done to him, because I didn''t want to be as bad as him. I didn''t want to be that sort of person.


    Yesterday afternoon though, at the command of my mother, I had to be worse. I had no quarrel with either of the prisoners. There was no goading, there was nothing they could do or say to taunt me. They were just two helpless people locked in cages, and I was expected to do horrible things to them because they had information Maeve wanted to know.


    I went with Keira''s suggestion. She was right, it was the least awful out of three terrible options. It was painless, harmless, and fast. It was also a complete violation, and I felt dirty and guilty when I was done.


    The first prisoner was a new hire, a guard. He''d been paid off and sent here specifically with the goal of spying on the castle. The second one was a shock. It was the young apprentice healer, Aoife. I found out she''d been magically compelled, forced to act as a spy. The compulsion on her prevented her from even explaining that. She''d been grabbed and ''recruited'' in the spring when she left the castle to go and visit her family at Beltane.


    They both had the same contact name, some guy called Captain Eamon. Both were to send information the same way, by writing notes on a piece of enchanted parchment. Both had burned their parchment when they were apprehended. And that was it. No other details, no idea who this Eamon guy was, where he was from, or who he worked for or with.


    I wound up having dinner alone with Maeve after I was done with the prisoners, and I told her what I learned from her two spies. I also asked her to go easy on Aoife since she''d been forced into it and I was able to break the geas that compelled her to betray the clann.


    Maeve thanked me, acknowledged my request for mercy on behalf of the girl, and that was that. The only other feedback was when she seemed to recognize the name I gave her. When I mentioned it, her expression darkened for a moment before she got control of her emotions.


    The only other thing that came up during dinner was I asked to have some time alone with her again today. I told her there were a few things I wanted to speak with her about, unrelated to the current crisis.


    After a few minutes of silence, Kelly finally sighed. "I''m sorry Tegan, I''ll stop asking. And I appreciate that you''re protecting me and Keira from...whatever had to be done."


    The three of us finished the rest of our breakfast in silence.


    Eventually Keira asked, "So what''s the plan for today?"


    "You two can take it easy, do whatever you like." I replied. "I have to meet with Maeve again for a while. Probably a few hours? Maybe not that long, I''m not sure. Anyways, that''s what my afternoon''s going to be like."


    Kelly looked to her sister and suggested, "We can go for a walk around the castle if you like? Or if you''re feeling energetic, we can climb up to the top of the north tower. It''s an awesome view from up there."


    After breakfast I wound up putting on one of the dresses Maeve supplied. I figured it might make her happy to see me in ''proper clothes'' rather than one of my strange Earth outfits, or one of the Earth-inspired outfits me and Kelly had made for us here.


    The twins decided to spend the rest of the morning being lazy and just hanging out in the room, but they agreed to go climb the tower in the afternoon.


    When the time came I bid them both a good afternoon, then set out to meet Maeve. Rather than the study, this time she asked me to come to the part of the castle which held her private chambers. I''d actually never been in that section before, so it was either an honour, or perhaps kind of scary that I''d been invited there now.


    On my way there I ran into seneschal Owen, who was coming to fetch me.


    He bowed and said, "Follow me please, Lady Tegan."


    Owen led me into Maeve''s private wing of the castle, and into a room which almost could have been a normal living-room in a normal house. Unlike all the other rooms I''d seen in this place, this one was small, like the size of room I''d expect in a normal house. There was still a good-sized fireplace and the walls were hidden behind tapestries, and the floor was covered in rich carpeting.


    The furniture seemed almost normal too, there was a sofa, a love-seat, and what looked like a recliner. A coffee-table was positioned in front of the sofa, and in the corner was a sideboard with a decanter full of some kind of booze, and a half dozen crystal goblets sat waiting nearby.


    "Please wait here, m''lady." Owen said with another bow. "Lady Maeve will join you presently."


    I thanked him and sat down on the sofa to wait.


    A few minutes later a maid entered, she was carrying a tray of fancy-looking foods. Like an appetizer tray for a party or something. She also had a pitcher of my favourite juice with her. The tray was left on the coffee table, and the juice was placed on the sideboard next to the decanter.


    And finally Maeve joined me. She smiled as she entered, "Tegan, I see you''ve dressed up for our talk. I appreciate the gesture, but I know you find our fashions uncomfortable."


    She was actually dressed a little more casually this time. It really felt like I''d wandered into her house, rather than being in part of the huge castle. And I realized that''s probably what this was. Her private wing was literally her own personal residence inside the larger castle.


    I smiled back at her and shrugged, "I figured I''d make the effort. Not saying I''ll make a habit of it, but..."


    "I understand, Tegan." She moved to the sideboard first and poured herself a glass of the booze, and a glass of juice for me. Then she came and sat down beside me on the sofa.


    She set the juice down in front of me, then had a sip of her drink. Finally she gestured at the food, "Please, help yourself. Now, what was it you wanted to discuss?"


    I thanked her for the juice, and picked out one of the little appetizer things from the tray. It crossed my mind that perhaps all of this was a reward, or a ''thank you'' for getting her that information yesterday. She knew how uncomfortable the whole situation had made me, maybe she was doing this to thank me for putting my feelings aside and getting the job done.


    The food was divine. I mean, food always tasted better here, but this stuff was next-level. I couldn''t believe she ate like this every day, this had to be something special she''d put together for me.


    After a few bites, I finally got to the conversation.


    "There''s three things I wanted to talk with you about, mother." I explained. "First was, I''ve decided I want to learn the sorts of things you''ve said I need to know. Swordplay, using the bow, fae history, politics, all of that. I''d also like to learn to ride horses better, and maybe even learn more about travel and camping and that sort of thing."


    I took a deep breath and summed it up, "Basically I want to learn to be a Br¨¢daigh. But I''m not in a position to move here. Not yet. Kelly and I still have a life on Earth. So, I guess I''m not sure when I can start. But I do want to learn."


    Maeve was quiet, her reaction subdued. But I could tell by the look in her eyes, she was thrilled.


    "Well Tegan... I''m very pleased to hear that, as I''m sure you can tell."


    She paused for a bite to eat, then looked thoughtful. "I could send a contingent of soldiers over to Earth. You really should have at least an honour-guard there. I''d make sure to include an experienced trainer. Then you''d have someone on-staff who could tutor you on sword, bow, and horse riding."


    She had a sip of her drink and added, "I could also send someone to school you on history and politics."


    I grimaced slightly, "I appreciate the thought mother, but I''ve only got six acres. And my house is the right size for me and the twins. There''s nowhere to house a tutor, let alone a contingent of soldiers."


    Maeve looked at me with a disapproving frown, "Please don''t repeat that where anyone else will hear, Tegan. Six acres is an embarrassment. There are peasants with more land."


    "I know mother," I sighed. "Things are very different on Earth. Land''s very expensive and large estates are hard to come by, particularly in the area where I live."


    "Hmm," she looked thoughtful. "When you''re ready to return to Earth, I will send you off with more resources. Make your neighbouring landholders an offer, see if you can acquire their properties peacefully. If they refuse, then take it by force."


    Before I could comment, Maeve asked, "What else did you want to discuss, Tegan?"


    "Ok, this is maybe an odd request," I sighed. "I know you have contacts, spies on Earth. I need to know all you can find out about a fae named Keenan ¨® Conghaile. He''s Kelly and Keira''s grandfather. I have some suspicions about him, but I don''t want Kelly and her sister to know. Not until I have some proof."


    Maeve nodded, "Very well. I''ll pass on your request. It may take time of course, Tegan. Months perhaps."


    "I understand," I nodded. "Thank you mother."


    She ate a bit more then asked, "May I ask what you suspect this man of doing?"


    I sighed. I wasn''t sure if I wanted to tell her. "Before I answer that, will you promise that whatever we might learn about Keenan, you won''t hold it against Kelly or Keira?"


    Maeve nodded "Of course Tegan. You have my word."


    "Thank you." I took a breath then explained, "I think he worked for Eileen. I think when Liam kidnapped me and escaped to Earth, Keenan was there waiting for him. Liam would have needed a contact, a guide. Perhaps an assistant."


    I hesitated, then added, "It''s even possible Keenan was the main participant on Earth. Liam may have just delivered me to Keenan and left it up to him to perform the changeling ritual."


    My fae-mom''s expression grew darker as she listened to me. Finally she nodded, "I will set my people on the task Tegan, and I will ask them to make it a priority."


    We were both just about done with the food, so the two of us just relaxed with our drinks.


    After a few minutes Maeve asked, "You indicated there were three subjects you wished to discuss. We''ve covered two of them, I think? What was the third topic you wanted to talk with me about?"


    I took a deep breath. "This is actually the most important of the three, but also the most delicate. It concerns Kelly and Keira. There''s something I want to do for them, a gift I want to offer them. Before I do that though, I need to verify that what I''m planning is going to be acceptable. That I won''t be breaking any major taboos or putting any of the three of us in jeopardy."


    Maeve stood up and took our glasses over to the sideboard to refill them, then returned to the sofa. She handed me my juice and sat back down next to me.


    "Well, that does sound like you have something significant in mind, Tegan." She paused for a sip of her drink, then asked, "So why don''t you tell me what it is you have planned for your friends?"


    "Right," I nodded. I braced myself then began explaining my idea, my Samhain gift for the twins.


    PurpleCatGirl

 64. Discombobulated

    By the time I was done talking with Maeve it was almost dinner time. I returned to our suite and found the twins there, and the three of us had supper brought to our room.


    I was quiet as we ate, I was pretty much exhausted again. All I''d done with myself was talk, but some of the topics were delicate, and the last part of our conversation was fairly intense.


    Plus I was still uptight about other things. There was the unpleasant business yesterday afternoon, what I''d had to do to get answers for Maeve. And I was still on edge after nearly losing Kelly on Sunday. Then there was the stuff with my dad on Friday.


    Really it just felt like the past few days had been one thing after another after another.


    When we''d all finished eating, Keira excused herself and retired to her room for the night.


    Kelly looked to me and commented, "Babe you seem really uptight. How about a soak in a nice hot bath before bed? That might relax you."


    I considered, then nodded "Yeah ok, that''s not a bad idea."


    We went into the adjoining bath room and started filling the tub. The water from the tap was still just luke-warm but when it was nearly full I used a little magic to get it nice and hot.


    As we waited for the tub to finish filling up, Kelly asked "Do you want to soak alone, or would you like company?"


    "Ooh," I smiled. "You''re always welcome to join me."


    She didn''t need any additional encouragement, and the two of us quickly got undressed then climbed into the funny little tub together. The water was nice, but my attention was drawn to the scar on Kelly''s chest.


    "How are you feeling Kelly? Any aches or pains from that?"


    She shook her head, "I''m fine now. Before we climbed up the north tower, Keira made me go see Muireann. According to the best healer in the realm, I''m fully healed."


    "Still got the scar, though." I frowned.


    Kelly slipped an arm around me and pulled me up close against her as she shrugged, "Yeah. It''ll fade in time, it won''t always be so noticeable. It''s ok Tegan, it doesn''t bother me."


    I nodded slightly, but it still upset me. It was a blatant reminder of the fact that she''d been hurt just for being near me.


    We were both quiet for a bit, then she asked "How did your conversation go with Maeve?"


    "Oh," I shrugged. "She was thrilled that I finally wanted to start learning all that stuff. Not sure yet how we''ll do it, since I''m still going to be living with you on Earth. She started talking about sending a contingent of soldiers over, so we''d have an ''honour guard'' or something. Along with a tutor... I''m not sure how serious she was or if she was kidding around."


    I added, "She did suggest we acquire some more land. Still not sure if she was serious or not, but she said she''d send us back to Earth with more ''resources''. By which I think she means, gold. She says six acres is an embarrassment, that I should have more."


    "Hmm," Kelly frowned. "I guess we could ask around, find out who owns the neighbouring fields."


    "Yeah. I''m not cutting down any of our trees or clearing our woods. But there''s a pretty big farm next door to the west of us. I don''t know how much gold Maeve was talking about, but if we had enough we could make the owner a compelling offer."


    Kelly grinned, "There''s probably going to be some other concerns babe. I mean, if we start quartering an actual military force, someone''s going to notice, and start asking questions."


    I sighed, "I know. If we actually get to that point, I''ll try and explain to Maeve we need like one tutor. Or two at most, one for the military stuff and one for the academic stuff. We can put them in a house or cottage. No troops, no contingent, no garrison."


    After that we both just relaxed for a while more, till Kelly asked, "Did you two talk about anything else?"


    I didn''t like to lie but I wasn''t ready to tell her about the other things I''d discussed with my fae-mom. "Mostly politics and some strategy. Or tactics? I always get those two confused. Anyways, yeah we rambled a bit, it wasn''t all about education. We also caught up on some things."


    I added, "I know three years ago I was positive that my human parents were my only parents. But I do feel closer to Maeve now. Like, she''s basically become a second mom to me."


    "I get that," Kelly replied. She added softly "I hope this doesn''t sound rude but I''m sure the way your human mom''s been stressing you out lately is contributing to that too. Like, intentionally or not Laura''s sort of been pushing you away, while Maeve''s welcoming you in."


    "Yeah," I frowned.


    Despite the slightly stressful turn our conversation had taken, the soak still seemed to help. Eventually some of the stress and tension dissolved away in the warm water. After fifteen or twenty minutes of relaxing and talking, the two of us did some washing up before the water got too cold. We finally got out and dried off, then climbed into our huge bed.


    "Hey babe?" Kelly asked quietly as we cuddled up together.


    I was ready to sleep now, and didn''t really want to talk more. Especially not about anything stressful. I pushed that aside and asked, "Yeah Kelly?"


    She was quiet for a few moments, then asked "Have you ever thought about sleeping with Keira?"


    And just like that, I could feel the stress start creeping back in. For a few seconds I didn''t know how to respond. I''d never made any kind of hint or suggestion about that. I''d never even joked about it. I thought Kelly understood that Keira and I were just friends, that I had no romantic interest in her sister at all.


    Then it hit me. My human mom must have made some of her comments back at thanksgiving, when Kelly and Keira were alone with her. I had no idea why Kelly waited till we were in Otherworld to bring it up, unless talking about Maeve and Laura reminded her. Either way I was sure as heck going to have words with my mom when we got back to Earth.


    "No Kelly," I sighed. "I''ve never thought about sleeping with your sister. I''m in love with you. Nothing against Keira, but she''s not you, no matter how much you two look the same."


    I hoped that would set her mind at ease or whatever. I sure didn''t want to get in any kind of argument about the whole situation. Not here, not now. There were too many other things to be stressed out about, the last thing I needed was my girlfriend worrying that I was cheating on her with her twin sister.


    Kelly was quiet for a half minute or so, then finally asked "But would you consider it? You''re pretty good friends with each other, you two like each other, you trust each other. It wouldn''t have to be a romantic thing."


    I was silent again but this time I was waiting for my brain to reboot, because it obviously just crashed or something. That was the only logical explanation for what I thought she said.


    Finally I propped myself up on one elbow so I could look her in the eyes as I blinked in confusion. "What? Kelly what are you saying?"


    She pulled me back down into a cuddle again and sighed, "Remember last month, you asked if we should try and get her out dating again or something?"


    "Yeah," I frowned. "And you said she decided to stay single because she didn''t want to put another human partner in danger."


    Kelly nodded, "Right. I know she''s got both of us for emotional support, but she still gets lonely now and then. I was just thinking, since you''re fae there wouldn''t be any worries about putting anyone at risk. And you two are already pretty close. You''ve let her do the healing spell on your leg a few times. You''re even comfortable wearing your maid uniform around her."


    I still couldn''t believe what I was hearing. "Kelly, are you telling me you want me to sleep with Keira?"


    "Not all the time," she replied quietly. "I mean, it wouldn''t have to be a regular thing. Just, once in a while maybe?"


    She added "I won''t be upset if you say no. I''m just asking, because I think it would be good for her. But I don''t want you to feel obligated, especially if it''s something that would upset you."


    I took a deep breath then sighed. "Ok... You''re going to have to explain this clearly for me because honestly Kelly, I can think of a hundred different ways I can mess up just asking the wrong questions. I feel like I''m in the middle of a minefield here. So can you please spell it out? How do you see something like this working?"


    Kelly shrugged slightly, "It doesn''t have to be anything elaborate or complicated. She''s got her own room next door. Or back on Earth she''s got her own bedroom at the end of the hall. Just go spend a night with her now and then. Or not even the whole night, just till whenever."


    I hesitated. "Ok... So don''t get mad because I''m still trying to get my head around the whole concept. So this isn''t like, a kink thing for you is it? Like you''re not saying you want to be there watching or anything, right?"


    She suppressed a giggle, "No Tegan, I''m not asking to watch. And I''m definitely not thinking about joining in, so you don''t have to ask about that."


    She gave me a gentle squeeze and said "I just thought it would be good for her. Even stuff like this? Just cuddling and talking. She hasn''t had any of this stuff for over a year now."


    I was quiet for another few moments as I thought it through again, and came up with another question. "Have you already discussed this with Keira? Or is it just your twin-senses tingling, telling you she needs some companionship?"


    Kelly stifled another giggle, "Twin sense tingling..." With that out of her system she replied "Yes, I''ve spoken with her about it. She''d never dare ask, but I guess my ''twin sense'' told me she needs some intimacy, and that she''d be happy getting it from you."


    I sighed again, then finally said "I have to think about this. I''m going to need a day, or a couple days. Ok?"


    "Ok babe," she gave me another gentle squeeze. "I''ll leave it with you for now."


    "Thanks Kelly," I replied quietly.


    She leaned in closer and gave me a kiss, then whispered "Thanks for taking it seriously Tegan. Thanks for considering it."


    I kissed her back and continued cuddling with her for now. But after a few moments I had another question, "Why did you wait till we were in Otherworld to ask me this?"


    Kelly sighed, "I was actually planning to mention it last week, on Friday? But you seemed really distracted and I didn''t want to bother you. Then I was going to try and talk about it on Sunday night. The whole getting-shot thing kind of got in the way."


    "Ah," I kissed her again. "Sorry. Yeah... The past few days feels like it''s been one thing after another."


    "What happened Friday?" she asked. "Do you want to talk about it?"


    I sighed, "Not yet. Sorry Kelly. It''s uh, some stuff with my human parents. We can talk about that when we get back to Earth."


    "Ok babe," she whispered.


    We were both quiet for a few minutes, but now I couldn''t get to sleep. I was caught up thinking about this, running back and forth through everything we''d just discussed.


    Eventually I whispered, "Hey Kelly?"


    "Yeah babe?" she asked.


    "So please don''t get mad because I''m still getting over the shock of all this... But for stuff like, just cuddling and talking like this? Would it be too weird to just invite Keira in here with us? Like, with no-naughtiness rules if we have to spell that out. But like, a pyjama party, sleepover, whatever we want to call it, for the three of us."


    Now it was her turn to be silent for a few moments, as she thought that over. I had no idea if she was going to be mad at me for suggesting it, if she''d think it was too weird or whatever. I tried not to cringe too much as I waited.


    Kelly finally replied, "I think that might be ok. It''s been a long time since me and her had to share a bedroom or anything like that. It might feel a little too weird, but I''m willing to give it a try."


    She added, "I don''t know though, that''s something we''d obviously have to talk with Keira about. But I guess I''m not opposed to it. You''d be in the middle though."


    I tried not to sound too upset as I said "Oh no, trapped between two tall beautiful redheads. Whatever have I done to deserve such a terrible fate?"


    "Hush you," Kelly scolded softly, but I could hear the smile in her voice.


    PurpleCatGirl

 65. Dispirited

    "This isn''t so bad actually," Keira commented as she looked at herself in the mirror.


    She''d just slipped on her fancy new gown, and of course it looked stunning on her. Needless to say Kelly looked gorgeous in hers too.


    They were both emerald green, but Kelly''s had dark blue trim and accents while on Keira''s gown the accents and trim were in dark purple.


    Mine was in the Br¨¢daigh colours of course, light blue with purple trim.


    It was Samhain eve and all three of us were getting ready for the dinner. Unfortunately it wasn''t going to be a full-on feast, nor would there be much of a festival or celebration. The overall mood of the castle was too low for anyone to get into any serious merriment. With Connor missing and his fate unknown, Maeve was stressed and she set the tone for the whole castle.


    Still, it was Samhain and even though her husband was absent the clann leader''s daughter was here and that was something. So there would be a big dinner, which was better than nothing.


    Kelly and Keira and I had been trying to make the most of our vacation, despite the sombre mood that hung over the castle. We''d put aside thoughts of assassination and intrigue, and instead spent the past three days following our original plans. We took walks around the castle, we relaxed and enjoyed the idle luxury of just being here, and the day before the Samhain feast the three of us went on a little excursion.


    Keira and Kelly and I borrowed some horses, the twins borrowed a pair of bows, and we convinced Maeve and Siobhan to let us go for a day-trip without any guards or escorts. We packed some food and rode south to visit the lake.


    It was about a ninety minute ride through the southern woods to get there. The lake was beautiful, and it was no mere pond either. I had no idea how big it was in terms of numbers, but it was big enough to support a small fishing community towards the south-west end. Big enough that it would probably take a full day to go all the way around on horseback.


    The three of us found a picturesque little meadow overlooking the water and spent a few hours there. We relaxed, had lunch, and just generally had a really nice peaceful day. After the craziness of my last few days on Earth then the bad news when we got here, then Kelly''s surprise request a few nights ago, it was really nice to just relax and unwind in a quiet idyllic spot like that. I think all three of us appreciated the peace and quiet, and the view.


    We got back to the castle just before dusk, which earned us a bit of a lecture from both Maeve and Siobhan. It was kind of amusing, but they thought it was very serious.


    We''d been lazy most of the day of the feast and spent our time lounging around our room, but nightfall was approaching and we needed to be in the dining hall before sunset.


    I double-checked my hair in the mirror then did my lipstick. It was a bit of a cheat bringing a few things from Earth, but nobody seemed to have a problem with it. And I knew my mother appreciated me putting the effort in for the special occasion.


    When we were ready, the three of us all made our way together down to the dining hall.


    As usual for big feasts and grand dinners, all the tables were set up along with chairs and benches, hundreds of place settings were laid out.


    The three of us made our way over to the head table and joined Maeve. She was standing in front of the table, there to act as hostess, to greet everyone, smile, that sort of thing. Though it was evident in her expression and the tone of her voice that she was missing her husband tonight. Normally he''d be at her side for this.


    As sunset approached we all took our places. Maeve was in the centre of course, and I was to her right. Kelly sat to my right and Keira was on Kelly''s right. There was an empty seat at mother''s left for Connor, then Siobhan was seated to the left of that spot. The rest of the head table was filled with other high-ranking soldiers or senior servants.


    The three long tables were crowded with most of the remaining staff. By now it was all somewhat familiar to me. I watched as a couple dozen more staff emerged from the kitchens and distributed trays of food to all the tables, then they took their seats as well.


    Maeve didn''t have much of a speech this time. She just welcomed everyone, bid everyone a happy Samhain, and that was it. She sat down and everyone started eating.


    There was a quiet murmur of conversation and the sound of a couple hundred people eating, but it was nothing like last year. Last Samhain the hall had been alive with noise and energy. It had been a fun, loud, raucous affair. Compared to last year, this almost felt more like a funeral.


    As always the food was wonderful, and of course there was a lot of it. Like other feasts and celebrations it was all serve-yourself, with the food available on the tables in platters, bowls, and baskets. There were pitchers of ale and jugs of wine, and of course some juice was available for me. Kelly managed to talk me into trying a glass of wine, but it was ok but it wasn''t really my thing. I liked my drinks a little sweeter. Hence the juice here, or the cola and hard lemonade back on Earth.


    Maeve didn''t appear to be eating much, and after a few minutes she seemed to stop altogether. For a while she just sat quietly and watched her people enjoying the meal.


    Eventually though, she leaned a little closer to speak with me. Not that she thought I''d have trouble hearing her, but she kept her voice low as the topic was apparently for my ears alone.


    "That name you learned from the spies, Captain Eamon?" she whispered.


    I nodded slightly, and kept my voice down as I replied. "You recognized it. You know who he is?"


    Maeve sighed, "If it is indeed the same man, then we are dealing with another traitor. Eamon is captain of one of my strongholds along the southern border."


    That caught me by surprise. "Why would one of your own captains be sending spies here?"


    "It would not be for his own benefit, Tegan." She sighed slightly, "Captain Eamon''s post is castle Griofa. That is the western-most stronghold along my southern border."


    "Ah," my eyes widened slightly. "So he has access to county Conchobhair. And people in Conchobhair have access to him. He could be working for Lord Aengus."


    She nodded, "If it is the same man, then yes. That is my concern."


    I was quiet for a few moments, then asked, "Is your captain Eamon trustworthy? Or treacherous? Ambitious?"


    Maeve sighed, "I do not know Tegan. I don''t believe I''ve ever met the man. I receive reports twice a year from him, as I do from all my strongholds along the southern border."


    That kind of shocked me, but also reminded me again of the scale of things. Not only was Maeve a big important rich and powerful woman, but she was in charge of so much, that there were people working for her that she''d never even met. I realized there were probably even people in this castle that she''d never met or even spoken to. The place was huge, with hundreds of staff. And to think she owned or controlled even more castles, with even more staff. Places I''d never heard of, spread across the entire county.


    My fae-mom hesitated, then admitted "If Eamon is indeed in the service of Lord Aengus, it would mean I''ve lost control of part of my county. It would mean my border is breached, to the west or to the south, or possibly both."


    I wasn''t sure how to respond to that. After a few minutes of silence, I finally leaned closer and asked softly "What will you do? Go and see this guy? Or summon him here?"


    She sighed, "I have dispatched riders, to castle Griofa and its two nearest neighbours. I''ve requested updated reports from the three commanders. I''m hopeful that I will gain some insight by their responses, whether Eamon and the two others in charge in those castles remain loyal and trustworthy."


    "Oh," I frowned. It didn''t sound like much of a plan to me, but I had to trust her judgement. "When do you expect to hear back?"


    Maeve replied, "Within the week. Once I have their responses, I will have to determine how to proceed from there."


    "Have you sent word to the king yet?" I asked.


    She shook her head, "Not yet. I don''t dare tell him I may have lost control of one of my castles, and my border. I need to get my county in order before I do anything else."


    With a sigh she added, "If needs be, I will have to attend castle Griofa myself and ensure Eamon is loyal, or see him removed and replaced."


    "And while you''re focusing on that, the business with the Ceallaighs has to wait." I sighed. "Which means we can''t do anything to help Connor until this other matter is addressed."


    "Correct," Maeve nodded slightly.


    I sighed again, then offered "If there''s anything I can do to help mother, just say so. I''m sure Kelly and Keira would agree with me."


    "Thank you Tegan," she smiled slightly, though it didn''t reach her eyes. "I may well take you up on that.


    My fae-mom poured herself some more wine. That seemed to be the end of the conversation for her, for now she just sipped her drink and watched as everyone else continued enjoying the food and drink.


    Eventually she quietly excused herself and left early.


    I felt bad for her, but there wasn''t really anything more I could do. Me and the twins stayed a while longer, we talked with Siobhan and a few other familiar faces, but eventually we all made a quiet exit as well.


    When we reached our rooms Keira gave Kelly and me each a quick hug. She mumbled "Happy Samhain. I''ll see you two in the morning." Then she disappeared into her room.


    "Goodnight Keira," Kelly replied, but her sister had already closed the door behind her.


    Kelly sighed, and the two of us went into our room together. As we got undressed she looked at me and asked softly, "Babe? Have you been thinking about...?"


    "Yeah Kelly," I nodded. "I was actually planning to talk to Keira about it tomorrow."


    Kelly bit her lower lip as she thought for a moment. Then she said, "I appreciate that Tegan. If you''re going to talk with her tomorrow though, would it be too much to ask, that you talk with her tonight instead?"


    I glanced at the door that connected Keira''s room to ours, then looked back at Kelly. "And if that conversation goes well? I don''t want to leave you alone on Samhain eve."


    She moved to me and kisssed me as she pulled me into a hug. She replied quietly, "I''ll survive babe, it''s just one night for me. For her, it''s been over a year now. And her second Samhain in a row she''s alone."


    There was some anxiety building deep inside me, but I nodded "Ok Kelly. I''ll talk with her, and I guess we''ll see what happens."


    "Thank you Tegan." She gave me another kiss. "I really appreciate you doing this. For me, and for Keira."


    I kissed her back, then finished getting undressed. I slipped on my nightshirt, then moved to the adjoining door and knocked lightly.


    After a minute or so the door opened. Keira was there in her pyjamas, and she looked confused as to why I was knocking after she''d already said goodnight. "Hey Tegan, what''s up? I was just getting into bed."


    "Keira?" I asked, a little nervously. "Can I come in? I''d like to talk with you about something. Just you and me?"


    She looked a little more confused, but shrugged, "Yeah, ok."


    I slipped in past her, and she quietly closed the door behind me.


    PurpleCatGirl

 66. Disclosed

    "Hey Tegan?" she asked softly, as she hugged me close against her.


    I tried to keep the uneasiness out of my voice as I replied, "Yes?" It still came out sounding awkward though.


    "Thank you for doing this," Keira whispered. "We don''t need to actually do anything tonight. I can tell you''re anxious, and right now this is fine. Just cuddling is good."


    That actually did make me feel a little better, and I was sure she could feel the tension unwind as I relaxed slightly.


    "Thanks Keira," I whispered back. "If you''re good with just cuddling though, why didn''t you want to join me and Kelly in our bed? Why''d you want me in here?"


    She grinned, "Kelly would have made you keep the nightshirt on, and made me keep my pyjamas on. This way I get naked cuddles."


    After a moment she added in a more serious tone, "And I wanted to have some time alone with you. To talk about stuff."


    I started to blush, then frowned as some of my anxiety returned. "Oh... What do you want to talk about?"


    Keira sighed softly. "It''s some mood-killing stuff. I know you''ve got issues with our granddad. And some issues with our mom too. You''ve been really good about not saying anything, but it''s pretty obvious whenever either of them are mentioned."


    I sighed, "I''m sorry Keira. I''ve tried to keep that to myself, I didn''t want to upset you or Kelly."


    "Shh," she quieted me, and gave me a gentle squeeze. "Have you ever talked with Kelly about this stuff?"


    "No," I shook my head. "Like I said, I don''t want to upset either of you."


    Keira nodded slightly, then said "You can talk about it with me. I don''t think Kelly knows all of this. Or maybe she does, but tries not to think about it. She''s a little pollyanna sometimes, I''m more pragmatic I think."


    I frowned as I looked at her. "What is it you''re saying, Keira?"


    She sighed, "I know my granddad is the one who wiped Amy''s memories. And my mom''s the one who got him to do it."


    I was still watching her as my eyes widened. "You know that? For sure?"


    She sighed again, a longer, deeper sigh. "Mom''s the only one outside of us three who knew that Amy knew our secrets. And mom knew when me and Amy broke up. And I know my granddad knows those kind of spells, I know he''s willing to use them."


    I wasn''t sure what to say, but she''d just confirmed my own suspicions and my reasoning. I kept looking at her for now, and kept my arms around her.


    Keira shook her head slightly as she looked back at me. "My granddad is not a good man, Tegan. I don''t know all the stuff he gets up to, but what I do know... He''s pretty awful."


    She added, "And I know my mom''s closer to him than she is to me and Kelly. We''re too human, not fae enough or whatever for the two of them."


    After another little pause she confessed, "Forget about the intrigue and the assassination attempt and all that stuff. Even without that I don''t think Kelly and I are safe alone on Earth. I think if we weren''t with you, we''d be stuck with our family. And I don''t think that would be a good place for us. There''s a reason I wanted to stay with you and Kelly rather than on my own. Or with my mom."


    By now it felt like my blood had gone cold and my stomach heavy. I had my suspicions about Keenan and I had mixed feelings about Kelsey, but I had no idea they might be a danger to the twins.


    It took me a few moments to find my voice, then I asked softly "What sort of things do you figure Keenan gets up to? What''s he done that''s so bad?"


    Keira sighed again, "Kelly told me that she told you about the summer we both stayed with him? And that spell book we found. Kelly said she gave you a copy of it."


    I nodded quietly.


    "Didn''t you ever stop and wonder why our granddad had a book on sex magic? Kelly probably didn''t tell you about the other books we found, the ones on mind-magic. That''s how I know he knows those spells."


    Keira hesitated once more, then finally admitted "He supplies human slaves to whoever can afford his prices. He uses transformation spells, control spells. He turns people into whatever his customers want, then hands them over for a price. His customers are fae on Earth, sometimes even other humans. And he ships some people back here to Otherworld to supply fae here."


    For a few minutes I was completely silent. I felt nauseous, realizing where Kelsey got all that money from. But I was also angry. It made me angry to think that Keenan and Kelsey would be like that. And worse, that they''d put Kelly and Keira in any kind of danger, that Keira would actually be afraid of them.


    Eventually I asked, "Do you know why Kelsey was so nice to me at first? Why she put me up in that condo and was supporting me and stuff?"


    Keira shook her head, "I don''t know for sure, but I have some ideas. Could be mom or granddad were planning to ransom you off? Like once they knew you were Maeve''s, maybe they were trying to cut a deal with her to reveal your location. Or if they knew who else might have wanted you, maybe they meant to start a bidding war, hand you over to whoever paid the most. Or the other possibility, is maybe they planned on grooming you to be like them. Like if they got you to treat our mom like a surrogate mother to you, maybe they''d have started trying to get you on board with granddad''s business."


    I felt sick again as I remembered, Kelsey kept wanting to use mind magic on my parents. Or for me to disappear from them. She basically tried to convince me to disappear from my entire life. If I''d followed all her advice I might have wound up deeper in her and Keenan''s clutches.


    Keira added, "In the meantime mom had you in a gilded cage so she could keep tabs on you, keep you under control. She made sure to fix you up with Kelly, as her informant. Not that Kelly would have known she was doing that. But every time they talked, Kelly would have been telling mom how you were doing, what you were up to."


    We were both quiet again for a while. We were still cuddled together, our arms around each other. Any thoughts of sex were long gone, now it was more that we were just mutually comforting each other.


    Finally I asked, "Why didn''t you tell me any of this sooner?"


    She hesitated, then admitted "At first, like right after Kelly figured out you were a changeling, and the next couple months when mom had the two of you set up in the condo and stuff? I didn''t trust you."


    "You thought I might be like them?" I asked softly. That made a lot of sense, thinking back. Keira was cold and distant towards me, and she wasn''t happy that Amy and I were friends.


    She sighed, "Yeah. You were the first full fae I''d met other than our granddad. And the way mom was getting all friendly and generous with you? I thought you were like them. I thought all fae were like them. I thought you''d be cruel and dangerous and you''d treat humans as disposable."


    With another sigh she confessed, "Even me and Kelly were a little like them at first. Like, we didn''t think anything of messing with you and Amy for that bet. It was the first time we''d done anything like that. But it was also the last. We both got freaked out, and realized we couldn''t do that. Couldn''t treat people like that."


    She continued, "When you two got back from Otherworld, talking with Kelly on the phone that day? That''s when I realized you weren''t like them. I realized you were a good person."


    She sighed once more. "The reason I still didn''t say anything till now, was I had to wait until we were twenty-five. I had to wait until we were free. Then I guess I needed some time alone with you, when I felt comfortable enough to talk about this stuff. And honestly? Being a whole world away from my family feels safe. Mom''s on Earth, granddad''s on Earth. And we''re in an enormous castle defended by hundreds of soldiers and guards and under your mother''s protection. This is the safest place in the universe."


    I held her a little tighter and whispered, "I''m sorry Keira. For what happened to Amy. For your family being such nasty people. And for the fact that you''ve been living in fear of them. I don''t know right now if there''s anything I can do about Keenan and Kelsey, but I''m going to make sure you and Kelly stay safe."


    "Thanks Tegan," she whispered back. She gave me a little squeeze then asked, "So before I told you all this, you were already kind of suspicious of my granddad. What did you know about him that had you wary?"


    I sighed, "I already suspected he had something to do with Amy. But ontop of that? The man who betrayed my mother, kidnapped me and brought me to Earth, who made me a changeling? He knows Keenan. I don''t know how he knows him, but I''ve done a lot of thinking and I have some suspicions."


    I took a deep breath then explained, "Liam isn''t strong enough to cross over on his own. He was given an enchanted ring that let him do it. As far as I know he''s only been to Earth the one time, when he kidnapped me and escaped Maeve''s castle. So he appeared on a strange planet where he didn''t speak the language, wearing strange clothes and carrying a newborn baby. And somehow he managed to find an Earth couple with a newborn child and perform the changeling ritual. Then he stayed close and kept tabs on me for at least six months, maybe as long as two full years, before he finally came back here."


    I shook my head, "Liam had to have help. I think Eileen maybe contacted Keenan, or outright hired him. He''d have been set up as their contact there, so when Liam showed up with me, Keenan was probably waiting. Maybe he just acted as a guide and helped Liam get established or get him into hiding. Maybe Keenan played a more active part in the whole thing. I don''t know. I have no proof of any of this, I just know somehow Liam achieved all that on his first and only trip to Earth."


    Keira was quiet for a few moments as she thought that through. Finally she nodded, "It''s the sort of thing my granddad would do, if the money was right. He wouldn''t have cared who was hurt or who got in the way, as long as he got his gold."


    She added, "Maybe that''s how he knew so fast who your parents were? It was just a few days right, before that information turned up? Maybe he realized as soon as mom contacted him. If he helped Liam in the first place, he probably knew who Liam worked for, even if he didn''t know for sure who you were."


    "Yeah," I sighed. "That makes sense. And you''re right. Kelsey said it could take months or years to figure out who my family were, then it was like two or three days later she had all the details."


    After a few moments I suggested, "We need to talk with Kelly. The three of us have to discuss this, so we''re all on the same page. And..." I hesitated a moment. "There''s something else I wanted to talk to you both about. It might be good to bring that up at the same time."


    Keira gave me another gentle squeeze and asked, "Maybe we can arrange a three-way cuddle tomorrow night?"


    I groaned slightly as I felt my cheeks going red, "Please don''t call it a ''three-way'' anything. My life''s already complicated enough as it is."


    She just smiled, then leaned closer and kissed me on the cheek. "You''re a good friend, Tegan. And you''re a good person. I''m glad Kelly''s got you."


    "Thanks Keira," I was still blushing, but I gave her a slight smile as well. "I''m glad Kelly and I both have you too."


    We were quiet again after that. We continued to cuddle, till eventually the two of us drifted to sleep. I don''t think either of us slept well though.


    I was plagued by disturbing thoughts and dreams, and I woke several times through the night. Each time I did, I found Keira was still holding me close.


    It almost felt like she was clinging to me, as if for protection or security. It made me feel bad for all the nights she''d had to spend alone, without anyone there for her.


    And it made me even more certain, the three of us definitely needed to talk.


    PurpleCatGirl


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 67. Discomforted

    We all sat quietly as an uncomfortable silence settled over the room.


    Me and Keira were still at the table, our half-eaten breakfasts in front of us. I was in my nightshirt, Keira had her pyjamas on.


    Kelly was sitting crosslegged on the bed in her nightshirt. There was a dark frown on her face as she stared at her twin sister. Finally she half-demanded, "Why would you even say something like that? That''s horrible Keira. Mom''s not like that at all."


    She sounded less sure of herself as she continued, "And grandfather... Maybe he''s a bit ruthless but he''s a businessman. He''d never do anything to hurt us though, and he''s always made sure we were comfortable. He''s always looked after us, sent us money and stuff."


    "Oh come on, Kelly!" Keira frowned right back at her. "I know you don''t trust mom. You''ve never told her about Tegan''s gift for magic, the stuff about Taralynn''s legend. Why keep that from her, unless you didn''t trust her and granddad to know about it?"


    She kept going, "And sure granddad''s a ''businessman'' but you know what business he''s really in. Don''t tell me you''ve forgotten what we found in granddad''s house when we were snooping around back when we were teens. It may have been ten years ago but I still remember that like it was yesterday."


    I watched as Kelly lowered her eyes and shook her head. She looked ashamed or embarrassed, like she was trying to forget. She whispered, "I don''t know what that stuff was. I don''t know what it was for. Neither do you."


    "You and I both know what it was," Keira retorted. "And what about the magic books? Why''d dear old granddad have books on mind control, memory manipulation, and a whole book on sex magic and transformations?"


    When Kelly didn''t answer, Keira stated "You know I''m right sis. Sorry to burst your bubble, I know you never wanted to think of our family like that. But you know it''s true. And the stuff with Amy... Mom had granddad fuck with Amy''s head! I''m sure the only reason he left her alive was because they both knew I''d freak! They probably think they did Amy a favour or something, sparing her life but fucking up her head like that! And if I confronted them, they''d probably expect me to fucking thank them for it!"


    "Keira," I said softly. "Just breath. Take a minute and breath."


    I reached across the table and put my hand on hers, and gave it a gentle squeeze. She''d started shouting, and her voice was breaking with emotion. I could see she was caught between grief and anger, and she probably hadn''t realized her sister was feeling it now too.


    Kelly was still silent, still staring down at the floor, but she had tears pooling in her eyes.


    After a moment I let go of Keira''s hand, then I got up and moved to sit down on the edge of the bed next to my girlfriend.


    I put an arm around her and held her as I said, "I''m sorry Kelly. I''ve had suspicions about Keenan ever since Liam revealed they knew each other. And I was pretty sure him and Kelsey were responsible for what happened to Amy. I didn''t want to upset you though, and I never had any proof."


    Kelly sighed and leaned against me.


    She finally whispered, "I hate to think about it Tegan. Because if they''re as bad as Keira says, then it means we''re both that bad too. They raised us. They taught us all this stuff. Like, what me and Keira did to you and Amy? Screwing around with your body and mind, for a stupid bet..."


    I held her a little tighter and said, "You did it once, Kelly. And you realized it was wrong. You''ve never done anything like that again. Maybe you and Keira were raised to think that kind of thing was acceptable, but as soon as you tried it for yourselves you knew it was wrong. That''s the difference."


    Keira sighed and spoke up again, "You know why mom was mad at us sis? Not because we did that stuff. She was mad because we did it unsupervised."


    I could feel my girlfriend''s muscles tense slightly, but she nodded. "I know. She wanted to be with us when we used that sort of magic on people. She probably would have made sure the people conveniently went away as soon as it was done, before either of us could feel guilty about it."


    "Yep," Keira stated.


    We were all quiet again for a few minutes, until Kelly spoke up again.


    She kissed me on the cheek, then said softly "Tegan I''m sorry."


    "What for?" I asked.


    "I''m sure I put you in danger by getting mom involved from the start. Maybe even put your parents in danger too."


    I gave her another little squeeze and said "Everything worked out Kelly. No point worrying over what might have been or what could have happened."


    After a moment I added, "Thank you though. I forgive you."


    "So," Keira asked, "What do we all do now?"


    I took a deep breath then said "I don''t know yet if there''s anything we can do about Keenan. I''d sure love to put a stop to his ''business activities'' but first we need to make sure you two are safe. From him, and from Kelsey. There''s a couple things I can do about that."


    Kelly frowned slightly, "Like what? I mean, I know they can''t get at us here, and we''re pretty safe at your home on Earth too, but..."


    "You could join clann Br¨¢daigh," I stated. "If you were part of the clann, you''d be protected that way. Neither Keenan or Kelsey would have any claim or right to either of you, and you''d have my mother''s clann backing you both up."


    Keira asked, "How do we join a clann though? Do we have to marry someone?"


    I smiled, "As clann leader, Maeve can simply declare you''re part of the clann. I''m pretty sure if I asked her to do that, she would."


    My smile grew wider as I stated "Better still, I happen to be leader of the Vale sept of Clann Br¨¢daigh, which means I can declare you part of my branch of the clann. I could do it right here and now. You''d both be part of my sept, and part of the Br¨¢daigh clann. You''d have all the rights and protections of any other clann member."


    That brought a smile to Keira''s face. "So what''s the catch? Does that mean me and Kelly are both your wives or something? Or your mistresses? There''s gotta be a catch, Tegan."


    Kelly stated in a dull voice, "Yeah there''s a catch sis. Only fae can become members of the clanns. We''re not eligible."


    She looked at me, "You should know this Tegan. I mean, folks here have been really nice and treated us well because we''re you''re guests. But we''re three-quarters human. Our mom wouldn''t even qualify. They only let true fae join clanns, families, or noble houses."


    Keira''s smile fell into a frown, "Well fuck. I guess it was a good idea Tegan, but..."


    I bit my lip and braced myself. "I know about that requirement. That brings me to the other thing I can do to help you both. There''s something I''ve been thinking about for a while. Something I can do for you both, something I wanted to offer you as a Samhain gift. I''m not sure how you''ll take it though so I''m a little nervous about this."


    After a moment I added, "First off, what I''m thinking about will give you both an instant boost to your magic strength. I don''t know if you''ll be strong enough to stand up to Keenan, but you''ll definitely be stronger than Kelsey."


    "That''s impossible," Kelly stated, shaking her head. "Me and Keira are only a quarter fae. We''ll never be stronger than our mom."


    I nodded, "I know Kelly. But if you were full fae, you''d have that kind of strength. You''d also have the longer lifespan and slower aging."


    "Wait," Keira said, staring at me. "What exactly are you saying, Tegan?"


    I took another deep breath and stated, "I can make you both fully fae. I can do it right now, I''ve figured out how. I know magic''s not supposed to work that way, but I know how to do it. It would be permanent. It would never wear off and nobody could ever undo it. And as full fae, you''d be eligible to join the clann."


    They were both staring at me now with wide eyes. I couldn''t decipher their expressions, but I knew they were shocked. I just couldn''t tell if it was happy-shock, horrified-shock, or excited-shock. So I kept going.


    "You''d kind of end up like me. You''d still be twenty-five of course, but your bodies would be fully fae. You''d look like fae just past your first century or so. Sort of like me, in fae-terms I look like I''m about a hundred even though I''m just twenty-five. Anyways, you''d still look the same, you''d still be twins and everything. Uh, you might wind up looking a little younger, like how I did when my changeling egg hatched. But apart from that you''d look the same as you do now."


    The two of them continued staring at me, still speechless.


    "You don''t have to decide right now," I added. "I can do this whenever. I have to do it here though, I need the higher magic level in Otherworld for this."


    I finally went quiet and watched them both.


    Kelly spoke first, "Wow... I don''t know what to say or think, Tegan. I just... I don''t know?"


    "I''m in," Keira stated. "One hundred percent. It''ll mean mom can''t control me, I won''t have to be scared of her. And I''ll have a fighting chance against granddad if he ever comes after us. And with the clann membership too? That''ll give him second thoughts about messing with us, if he knows he''ll have the whole of Clann Br¨¢daigh on his ass afterwards."


    There was a nervous, uncertain look on Kelly''s face. She asked, "Have you told Maeve about any of this? What if... I don''t know, what if she thinks we''re freaks or something? Banishes us or exiles you?"


    I nodded, "I''ve already spoken with Maeve. If you were human, then no, she wouldn''t accept it. But she agrees, this wouldn''t be changing your nature to make you fae, just enhancing the fae already in you. You''d both be fully accepted. That includes joining the clann, if you wish."


    "Sis?" Keira''s voice was serious and firm. "I think you should accept too. Your girlfriend is amazingly smart and talented, and she''s giving us the opportunity of a lifetime."


    Kelly frowned, she looked like she was still thinking it over.


    Keira looked to me again and asked, "So what''s the difference between being in your sept or being in the clann at large?"


    "Well, if we got Maeve to welcome you into the clann, you''d be under her immediate protection. But you''d also have to do what she said." Then I smirked, "If you joined my sept, you''d be under my protection as well as hers, but I''d be the one who''d be able to give you orders. I mean, Maeve could too but they''d go through me."


    "Oh please," Keira laughed. "I know how much of a sub you can be Tegan. There''s like, zero chance of you trying to boss me and Kelly around."


    I blushed but grinned, "Yeah I can''t really see myself abusing that privilege."


    "Ok," Kelly said quietly, catching both my and Keira''s attention. "Keira''s right. It''s an amazing offer, and it''ll fix a lot of things." She was looking at me, and I knew what she was thinking about. The reason I wanted to do this in the first place of course, was to fix the aging disparity between the two of us.


    "Yes!" Keira smiled happily. "Right now? What should we do?"


    I stood up and moved a couple paces away, "Keira, take a seat on the bed next to your sister. If you''re both ready I''ll do it now, and I want to do you both together."


    Keira moved to the bed and sat down right beside Kelly. Kelly looked a little anxious, Keira was excited.


    "Ok," I said, "Just relax. It''s going to take a minute or two, so don''t go anywhere."


    I raised both hands towards them as I started working the spell. It was complex, but I knew exactly what I was doing. It was maybe a little more complicated trying to do them both at once, but I was worried if I did them separately they might wind up not being identical anymore.


    It took about a minute just to form the magical patterns in my mind. Then I released it out to them and I felt the magic start to flow through me. Keira and Kelly were both bathed in glowing light, and it almost looked like there were little sparks flickering around my fingertips.


    I wasn''t sure how long it took to finish, but I burned through a significant amount of power. It might have been seconds or it could have been minutes, but finally the spell was complete and the glowing light faded.


    Before me on the bed sat two beautiful identical redheaded fae.


    PurpleCatGirl

 68. Dittoed

    "Hey Kelly, what''s that you''re reading?" I asked as I sat down next to her in the study.


    She rolled her eyes, "I''m Keira. And it''s a book on combat magic."


    "Sorry Keira," I sighed. I looked over at the other redhead seated on the opposite side of the study, "And sorry Kelly."


    My spell worked as planned, the twins were now both full fae. Less than a week had passed since I did it, so we couldn''t really gauge how their aging had slowed but I knew they''d be aging like me now. In other words, barely at all. As for their magic, both of them had an immediate and noticeable boost to their strength.


    It was hard to say if they were able to learn spells faster than before, but they could definitely work magic that had once been beyond them. And they could cast more spells before getting tired. Magic wasn''t really something you could easily quantify or measure, but my guess was they were both as strong as Maeve now, perhaps even a bit stronger.


    Overall the whole thing had worked out almost perfectly, except for two minor details.


    They did indeed look younger now. I''d known that might happen, but I hadn''t expected the difference to be quite so noticeable. Both of them now looked just barely older than myself.


    When my changeling egg hatched I went from a twenty-two year old guy to looking like a nineteen year old girl. Kelly and Keira changed from being twenty-five year old women to looking right about twenty. In fact they both looked younger now than they had when I first met them.


    I knew there''d be some questions, and potentially some problems when we went back to Earth. Folks at university would definitely notice that the twins suddenly looked younger. We all agreed to worry about that later. And we already had some possible solutions in mind. They could both hold a glamour a lot longer now so that was one option. Or we could perhaps enchant some jewelry or something to hold a glamour on them.


    Either way it would be an issue at some point, but it wasn''t insurmountable.


    Apart from their age they both still looked like themselves. Both had shoulder-length fiery red hair, bright emerald-green eyes, fair skin, and a dusting of freckles. They were both still the same height, about five-foot-eight. Both were a little slimmer now. A bit of weight had evaporated along with the years, but it wasn''t a lot and neither was complaining about it.


    The other unexpected side-effect troubled me a lot more than their age. I could no longer tell them apart. At all. I''d gone from knowing at a glance which was which, to literally relying on guesswork and random chance. The only way to know for sure was if they undressed. Kelly still had her scar, though it had faded significantly when I cast the spell. And it continued to fade even more over the past few days.


    At first both of them were a little grumpy with me for constantly mistaking them for each other. But by the end of the first day I think they realized something subtle had changed, resulting in the two of them being much more alike than before.


    I knew for sure they''d stopped being annoyed about it the day after, when they started dressing the same. Now it felt like they were almost going out of their way to confuse everyone, looking and acting as identical as possible.


    "How about you Kelly?" I asked as I looked over at my girlfriend. "What are you reading?"


    "Defensive magic," she replied. She glanced up at me and asked, "What have you been up to?"


    That made sense too. It fit that Kelly was more about defence and protection while Keira was interested in fighting back, being more proactive.


    I replied, "Maeve had me visit her armourer. Even though we don''t know yet when I''ll be able to start training, she wanted to get me a sword. She''s going to have something custom made just for me. Apparently her own sword was custom made too? I guess it''s a tradition. Or maybe it''s because I come from a line of tiny women, I don''t know. I definitely can''t handle one of the full-sized swords."


    "Neat!" Keira smiled. "I wonder if me and Kelly could get a couple swords too."


    "Why?" Kelly asked. "We don''t know how to use them."


    Keira shrugged, "We can always learn, sis. Not like we don''t have the time anymore. We should get our own bows too, to take home with us. I''m sure Tegan''s going to get one. There''s more than enough space out back to set up a target, so we can all practice at home."


    "Hmm," Kelly frowned, but she actually looked like she was considering that. "Maybe you''re right."


    Keira finally put her book aside since we were all talking now rather than reading. She looked to me and asked, "Have you talked to Maeve about our official clann status yet?"


    I nodded, "Yes. I told her I''ve welcomed you both into my sept, you''re now both part of the clann. She''s even added your names to the register or whatever, so it''s completely official."


    I smiled as I added, "Your fae names are now Kelly Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh and Keira Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh. Of course on Earth you''re both still Connollys."


    Kelly had a thoughtful look on her face as she said "Perhaps we''ll change our names on Earth too. Kelly Vale and Keira Vale sound nice."


    "So we''re all married then after all?" Keira asked with a grin.


    I rolled my eyes, "No, we''re not married."


    She pressed, "But we all have the same last name now. And we didn''t become your sisters, so..."


    "We''re clannmates or something," I stated. "I don''t know the right word. It''s like we''re family, but not."


    She grinned wider. "Exactly. We''re family because of a ritual, and we''ve taken your last name. They call that ''marriage'' back on Earth."


    "Sis don''t tease her," Kelly said, finally coming to my rescue. Or not. "She''s my girlfriend, so if there''s any marrying going on it''s her and me. You can be her mistress."


    Keira smirked, "But I thought you liked it when she called you her ''mistress''?"


    I finally exclaimed, "Gah! You two are impossible!" There was a grin on my face though, so they knew I wasn''t really upset.


    They both giggled at once which was a teeny bit creepy. It was like synchronized stereo giggling.


    Kelly smiled at me, "This time you''re the one who''s created the monster. Now you have to deal with it, babe."


    I pouted and slumped back in my chair. "Between you two here and Elise back on Earth, I''m starting to regret using magic to help people."


    The twins exchanged a glance and Kelly asked, "Tegan? Who''s Elise?"


    "Oh crap," I sighed. "My uh, cousin? Maybe just forget I mentioned her."


    Both of them stared at me with suspicious looks on their faces.


    Keira stated, "You don''t have a cousin."


    I slumped a little deeper into the chair and rubbed my forehead as I mumbled, "Not yet, but I will by the end of next month."


    They were both still staring at me, but Kelly figured it out first. She blinked, "Seriously? When did you talk with her? Why haven''t you said anything till now?"


    Keira still hadn''t caught on yet, she looked back and forth between me and Kelly in confusion.


    "It was the Friday before we were attacked," I sighed. "That''s why I was so distracted. She dropped in unexpectedly, to speak with me in private. Told me what she wanted, the name she had in mind. We even did a temporary transformation so she could try it out."


    I added, "I wasn''t supposed to say anything, so please keep this to yourselves?"


    "Who exactly are we talking about?" Keira asked. She sounded frustrated that she hadn''t caught on yet.


    I sighed again, "My dad. Her new name is Elise."


    Both twins'' eyes bugged out as Kelly gasped "Wait what?! I thought we were talking about your mom!"


    This time I face-palmed and groaned, "I wasn''t supposed to say anything."


    Fortunately I was saved by my fae-mom, as Maeve strode into the study.


    "Ah, I might have known I''d find you three in here." She added, "Sit up straight Tegan, that''s a dreadful slouch."


    As I pulled myself upright, she continued "An important guest has arrived. Siobhan is bringing him along presently. You three are welcome to stay, but please keep in mind this is official business so I expect all three of you to be quiet and respectful."


    "Yes mother," I replied.


    Kelly moved from where she was sitting on the far side of the room to join Keira and I. There was an empty seat to my right, but instead of sitting beside me Kelly sat on the other side, next to her sister. Maeve remained standing for the moment as she awaited Siobhan and the guest.


    I assumed me and the twins were dressed well enough, since mother hadn''t commented on that. I was wearing dark purple hose and a short black dress, both Kelly and Keira were in matching black trews and identical green blouses. Maeve of course was wearing a proper dress, made of what looked like pale lilac-coloured silk.


    After a minute or so we heard booted feet approaching, then Siobhan entered the study. Accompanying her was a tall, well-built man.


    He was dressed for travel, but his clothes looked somewhat finer than typical travel-wear. He wore knee-high black leather boots, black trousers, and a black leather jacket. There was a patch of royal blue on his left chest, which I figured was some sort of insignia. Like Siobhan, he had both a sword and a dagger hanging from his belt.


    The thing that caught me off-guard was the fact that I already knew him.


    Siobhan and the guest stopped before Maeve and the captain announced, "Lady Maeve, I present sir Colm Mac Cionaoith, knight of the realm."


    Maeve greeted him, "Sir Colm, I am Lady Maeve Br¨¢daigh, head of clann Br¨¢daigh, countess of Cathasaigh."


    Colm bowed deeply, "Lady Maeve, thank you for seeing me."


    As he straightened up, my fae-mom gestured towards me and the twins, "I believe you''ve already met my daughter, Lady Tegan Vale. And her associates, miss Kelly Vale and miss Keira Vale, also of Clann Br¨¢daigh."


    Colm bowed again at the three of us as he said, "Lady Tegan, a pleasure to meet you again. And miss Kelly and miss Keira, a pleasure to finally meet."


    Maeve gestured to the central table, "Please have a seat, Sir Colm. My staff will serve us lunch here, then we can get down to business."


    Colm moved to take a seat at the indicated table. Siobhan then bowed slightly towards Maeve and said, "M''lady. Your couriers arrived along with the knight. They bring you these letters."


    The tall captain handed over some folded and sealed parchments, which my fae-mom accepted. "Thank you Siobhan. That will be all for now."


    "Yes m''lady." Siobhan bowed slightly then left the room.


    By now I had about two dozen questions, but I had a feeling my fae-mom wouldn''t appreciate any distractions. Honestly it felt like me and the twins had been relegated to the kids table. We''d been allowed to stay and watch the grown-ups conduct their official business, but I figured if our input had been expected or welcome we''d have been invited to sit with them at their table.


    Maeve sat down opposite Colm and one by one she opened each of the letters and read through them. Her expression didn''t betray any emotion either way, and when she was finished she folded all three up and left them on the table next to her.


    While she was still reading the servants arrived, and food and drinks were set out for Maeve and Colm. Then they returned to set out the same for me and the twins. When they left, they closed the door after them so the five of us wouldn''t be disturbed.


    Once she finished reading, Maeve said, "Let us eat. We can get to business after our meal."


    Of course we all waited for her to start, then once she''d begun Colm and the rest of us started eating as well.


    I noticed Maeve didn''t eat too much, and it left me wondering if the news she''d received wasn''t good. Or if she was anxious about dealing with the king''s representative.


    There was no conversation during the meal, and my mother appeared lost in thought as she mostly just sipped wine and ignored the food.


    In the end it was a rather quiet, awkward meal. I''m sure Kelly and Keira were both thinking the same thing as me, wondering what Colm was doing here, and wondering what those letters had to say.


    PurpleCatGirl

 69. Disconcerted

    "I''m sure you''re wondering why I am here m''lady," Colm stated. "King Cathal has sent me as his representative. As you may imagine, he was unhappy to learn of the attempted assassination of a fae noblewoman on Earth. He was also disturbed by the news coming from counties Cathasaigh and Donnghaile."


    I watched as Maeve''s expression flicked between annoyance and unease, before she once again got control of her emotions.


    "And what is your business with me, sir Colm?" she asked him. "Do you bring word for me from the king? Or have you royal orders for me to obey?"


    Colm shook his head, "No m''lady. I do however have a letter for you to read."


    He slipped a hand into his jacket and pulled out a carefully folded sheet of parchment.


    I watched as my fae-mom accepted it. Her expression once again flickered between several emotions as she read the document. Of course I couldn''t see what was written, but I could see a large fancy seal at the bottom of the sheet.


    While Maeve was staring at the letter Colm stated, "As you can see m''lady, I am the king''s representative in this matter. I am his ears and his eyes. And to some extent, I speak for him."


    My mother finally folded the letter up and handed it back to the knight. "Very well sir Colm. I am at your disposal."


    That surprised me. As far as I could tell the guy was a glorified fae cop, but apparently Maeve was now answering to him. Which meant I had to answer to him, along with Kelly and Keira.


    Colm tucked the letter away again and asked, "What news have you, Lady Maeve? What can you tell me about the current state of affairs here in County Cathasaigh?"


    I watched my fae-mom hesitate, then she started talking. She told him what me and Kelly and Keira suspected, the stuff we talked about back when the three of us first got here. And she told him the same stuff she told me at Samhain, about captain Eamon and her fears and suspicions.


    Colm listened quietly to all of this. When Maeve was finally finished he gave her a slightly apologetic look and asked, "If I may be so bold m''lady, when was the last time you toured your castles along the southern border?"


    My mother appeared somewhat uncomfortable, maybe even embarrassed. She looked down at the table, then replied quietly "I have not yet found the time, sir Colm. Not since taking my mother''s place as countess. I do receive regular reports of course, if anything were amiss I would be informed."


    "In my defence," she added, "I have been countess of Cathasaigh less than three decades. And of that, nearly twenty-three years were spent searching for my missing child, and dealing with the loss of my husband."


    Colm nodded quietly.


    After a few moments, Maeve admitted "I''ve only visited the southern border once, in the company of my mother. I was still a child at the time, it was just after my fiftieth birthday."


    "Do you know when your mother last toured the area?" Colm asked.


    My fae-mom frowned as she thought about it. Finally she sighed, "It was before Connor and I were wed. Thirteen decades ago at least, perhaps more."


    The knight sighed slightly, then he looked at Maeve with another sympathetic expression. "Forgive the delicate question m''lady but your mother Lady Aisling, she passed away rather young did she not?"


    That caught my attention as Maeve barely spoke of her own mother, at least with me. I''d heard much more about Taralynn than my fae grand-mum.


    "Yes," she sighed. "She was barely past her ninth century. She was taken ill, and passed before any of our healers could identify the sickness."


    Colm nodded, "And you are still in your fourth century. A very young age to take control of a county as large and important as Cathasaigh."


    After a moment he observed, "It has been a tumultuous time for you, m''lady. Within a few short years you lost your mother, had a child, then lost both child and husband. And at long last you recovered both, only to have your husband once again taken from you. And now you face unrest within your county, and the possibility of war with one neighbour, while another may have designs on your land."


    Maeve frowned. "What is it you''re saying, sir Colm?" She sounded defensive, and I didn''t blame her.


    He shook his head "Do not be alarmed, Lady Maeve. The king is not unsympathetic. He knew Lady Aisling well. He also knew Lady Taralynn. King Cathal''s father was the one who granted Lady Taralynn the rank and position of Countess of Cathasaigh. Understand that the King is in no hurry to see the Br¨¢daighs deposed. He''s also troubled by the personal challenges you have endured over the past three decades."


    Colm added, "I am not here to judge you or see you replaced, Lady Maeve. I''m here to help you."


    "Thank you sir Colm," my fae-mom seemed to relax slightly. "I''m pleased to hear that."


    The knight stated, "Our first order of business must be to ensure the border is secure. We must visit castle Griofa and verify its status. If your commander there has betrayed you, he must be removed. If you would assign a representative to accompany me, I will go to Griofa myself."


    Maeve hesitated for a moment as she considered his words. Then she turned towards me and the twins.


    "Tegan, Kelly, Keira. You will accompany sir Colm to castle Griofa. I will assign lieutenant Gaelen to escort you, along with a contingent of soldiers. And servants and bearers of course."


    I felt my eyes widening and I''m sure Kelly and Keira were just as surprised. The two of them hadn''t even been part of the clann for a full week and they were already being ordered to take care of important Br¨¢daigh business.


    Before I could ask how far away it was, the knight spoke up again.


    "M''lady, I believe time is of the essence. We cannot afford the weeks it will take a large column to travel there and back by horse. We need to move faster."


    Colm glanced at me and added, "I understand that Lady Tegan is skilled with magic. I believe she could arrange for herself, her companions and I to reach Griofa much more quickly. If the four of us travel light we could be there in days."


    Now my mother looked stressed and anxious. "Sir Colm you are asking me to send my twenty-five year old child into a potential war zone, with but a single knight as her only protection."


    He nodded slightly, "I understand your concern m''lady, but this is imperative."


    Maeve took a deep breath, then let out a deep sigh. She got to her feet and stated, "I must consider your request. For now, you are my guest. I will have a servant prepare a room for you."


    With that, she picked up the letters she''d received, then turned and left the room.


    I glanced at Kelly and Keira again, then looked at Colm. "Just how far away is this castle?"


    "I believe it is some sixty or seventy leagues away," he replied.


    Kelly got up and went to one of the bookcases, and returned with that large geographical tome.


    She set it down on the table for me and Keira to see, and she flipped through the pages till finding the map she was looking for. Rather than the whole of the Southern Marches, this time we were looking at a map of Cathasaigh alone. It had much more detail on it, including castles, keeps, and other strongholds.


    "Here''s us, at castle Br¨¢daigh," Kelly indicated. The spot was roughly in the centre of the county in terms of east and west, and about two-thirds the way up from north to south.


    Colm leaned over and pointed to the south-west corner, "That is castle Griofa."


    I stared at the map for a few moments then looked up at the knight, "I''ve never been anywhere near that part of the county before, sir Colm. I certainly can''t teleport us there. How do you think I''m going to get us all the way to the south-west corner of the county?"


    He had a sip of wine then smiled, "There are other means of magical travel, m''lady. How do you think I got here from the royal palace so soon? That''s a journey that would take five weeks if I''d come by horse."


    After a moment he added, "I understand you can cross worlds Lady Tegan. If you can do that, you can get us to Griofa."


    I had a hundred more questions to ask but before I could say anything, seneschal Owen arrived at the door and bowed. "Sir Colm, I am to escort you to your chambers."


    Colm drained his wine then stood. He gave the three of us a slight bow, "Lady Tegan, miss Kelly, miss Keira." Then he turned and left, following Owen.


    I sighed and looked at my girlfriend, "You''d better keep reading that book on magical defence Kelly." Then I looked at her sister, "And keep studying the combat spells, Keira."


    "I''m Kelly, she''s Keira." Kelly replied. "And yes, we''ll both keep studying. It sounds like we might be needing this stuff sooner rather than later."


    I looked back and forth between them both, then sighed again, "Sorry Kelly, sorry Keira. I think the stress is starting to get to me."


    "It''s ok babe," Kelly replied. "We get it."


    After a moment she added, "C''mon, let''s go to our room."


    The twins picked up their books, and before we left the study I quickly found and grabbed the book on fast-travel spells. I needed to find out what sort of magic Colm was referring to.


    By the time we reached our room I''d lost track again of which twin was which. They both steered me to the bed and we all sat down on the edge of it together.


    One of them slipped her arm around my shoulders and pulled me into a hug, then the other''s arm went around my waist as she leaned closer against me as well.


    "You''re really tense babe." That came from the one on my left, who had her arm around my shoulders. I figured that was Kelly, since Keira didn''t normally call me that. I wasn''t going to make any assumptions though, I''d been wrong too many times lately.


    I sighed, "Why can''t I tell you apart anymore? I hate guessing wrong and getting you both upset. I hate not knowing who''s who."


    "Sorry Tegan," the one on my right said. "We''ve been having a lot of fun with it. It kind of feels like when we were little kids, when nobody could tell us apart, not even our mom."


    The one on the left answered my question, "There used to be some really subtle differences between us. The freckles on our cheeks were slightly different before. Probably because I got more sun or something? It was almost imperceptible but I think that''s how people could tell, once they got to know us."


    "Our mannerisms helped too of course," the one on the right added. "If we act a little more different, then its easier to tell us apart."


    I looked back and forth between them, "So those subtle differences are gone? My spell did that?"


    "Yeah," the one on the right nodded. "It took me and Kelly a day to realize it ourselves, but we''re absolutely identical now. We can''t find a single thing that''s different."


    Now I finally knew for sure which was which.


    "Believe us, we''ve checked." Kelly added.


    "Except the scar," I sighed. "You got shot, Keira didn''t."


    Kelly said quietly, "That''s not going to help, babe."


    To my surprise they both started unbuttoning their blouses, then opened them. I looked back and forth between them again. Kelly still had a mark on her right chest, visible just above her bra. It had faded enough that it didn''t even look like a scar anymore, it was more like a large pale freckle.


    And Keira had an identical large pale freckle on her chest too.


    I stared for a few seconds then frowned, "That''s not possible. Is it? How is that possible?"


    As they both buttoned up their tops again, Keira replied "We asked Muireann if there was any weird fae twin stuff we should know about?"


    Kelly continued, "She said fae don''t have twins. In all of the Br¨¢daigh clann history, there''s never been any twins. This castle has stood about fourteen centuries, and there''s never been a set of twins born here."


    "So it''s kind of uncharted territory," Keira concluded.


    By now I had a cold, heavy feeling in my gut. I''d never even thought to check or ask about fae twins. I just assumed it was a normal thing, like it was with humans. My mind reeled as this news sank in. They were only twins because of their human heritage. My spell removed their human side but kept them identical. It actually made them even more identical, and now I worried what else it may have done, since apparently fae twins didn''t happen naturally.


    "Babe, it''s ok." Kelly stated as she pulled me into a hug and gave me a kiss. I''m sure she saw how pale my face had gone. "Me and Keira are ok. Like we said, we''ve been having fun with it. We''ve been discovering new things about ourselves. It''s nothing bad."


    Keira''s arm slipped around my waist again as she leaned against me too. She gave me a kiss on the cheek and said, "Kelly''s right. We''re fine. It''s been fun. Neither of us are upset with you for not knowing which of us is which. It''s not your fault, and we''ve been going out of our way to make it harder."


    I just sighed as they both held me close in between them. "I should have asked. I should have checked. I should have known. Maybe I shouldn''t have done the spell on both of you at the same time..."


    They both gave me a gentle squeeze at the same time, and Kelly whispered "Don''t beat yourself up, there''s nothing to be upset about."


    PurpleCatGirl

 70. Dined

    I was still feeling awful about my oversight, despite Kelly and Keira''s assurances that everything was fine. The two of them were reading again, Kelly was learning defensive magic while Keira was studying combat spells. They were laying next to each other on the bed for now.


    I''d moved to sit by the windows, and was trying to re-read the book on fast travel magic but I was having a hard time focusing. My eyes kept wandering away from the book and back towards Kelly and Keira.


    Even now, the only way I could tell them apart was by the books they were holding. As I watched, they both reached up and turned their pages in unison. That just added to my disquiet. Even reading two completely different books it''s like the two of them were synchronized or something.


    I decided I should probably speak with Muireann myself, incase there was anything else she mentioned that the two of them hadn''t told me. And maybe I''d ask Maeve to introduce me to a magic expert. I knew she had someone in the castle who was a tutor or something, I figured if I explained my spell they might have some insight or be able to tell me if I''d missed some obvious pitfall.


    Eventually I forced myself to focus on my book, but it was still hard to actually absorb what I was reading.


    The three of us spent the rest of the afternoon like this. I just hoped the twins were actually benefitting from it. I was getting nowhere, just reading the same two pages over and over as I kept worrying and second-guessing about their situation.


    "Hey, we''re getting hungry." Keira announced as it got towards evening.


    Kelly nodded, "Let''s just have dinner here?"


    I got up and went to the bell-cord and gave it a tug. Then I asked, "How''s the studying coming along?"


    "Pretty good," Kelly replied. "I''m starting to grasp that barrier spell. I think in another day or two I''ll have it."


    Keira nodded, "Yeah, same. I should have that ''thousand blades'' spell figured out by tomorrow or the day after."


    I grimaced, "That''s a nasty one. I''ve only seen it used for real once."


    "I remember the story," Keira said. "It''s effective though, and if we actually wind up in combat we''ll need to be able to fight back."


    Kelly added, "And defend ourselves."


    We were interrupted by a knock at the door, then it opened a moment later. Rather than a maid, it was seneschal Owen.


    He bowed slightly, "Lady Tegan, miss Kelly, miss Keira. Lady Maeve requests that the three of you join her for dinner."


    I suppressed a sigh as I glanced at the twins. The two of them set their books aside and got up out of bed, then all three of us followed Owen.


    To my surprise, he didn''t take us to the dining hall. I''d been expecting the three of us to be subjected to another awkward meal with my mother and sir Colm. Instead Owen brought us into Maeve''s private quarters.


    He led the three of us into a dining room. Like the living-room it was small, cosy, and comfortable. It wouldn''t have been all that out of place in a fancy house back on Earth. The main difference was the lighting here was provided by candles rather than electricity.


    The table looked like it could seat six, but there were only four places set. One at either end, and one on each side.


    Owen indicated the far end, "Lady Tegan, if you please?" Then the twins were sat on either side, facing each other. That left the spot at the other end of the table for Maeve.


    Once the three of us were seated, Owen excused himself.


    "Wow," the twin on my left said quietly. "This is a pretty big honour I guess."


    I''d lost track of them again, and sighed "Yes, it is. Sorry for asking, but which of you is which?"


    "Kelly," the one on my left replied.


    The one on the right grinned, "And Keira."


    "Thank you," I whispered.


    A moment later Maeve joined us. She''d changed out of the fancy silk dress she was wearing earlier, now she was just in a simple cotton dress, not that different from what I was wearing.


    "Thank you for joining me," she said quietly. "I needed to speak with you privately, and it seemed this was the best way to handle that."


    She was acting calm and relaxed, but I could tell she was still stressed. There was still some tension in her voice, and I could see the stress in her eyes.


    All four of us were quiet for a few minutes as two maids came in, each carrying trays. They moved quickly and quietly, serving dinner and drinks for the four of us, then they exited again just as efficiently.


    Maeve began the meal then me and the twins started eating as well.


    As we ate, my fae-mom looked at me and asked "Tegan be honest with me. What is the status of your leg? Are you fit to travel on foot?"


    I replied, "I''ve been walking regularly for several weeks. I don''t know about hiking over rough terrain or climbing, but I can cover twelve to fifteen kilometers in a single day if I''m walking on a level surface. I doubt I could run very far, but I''m walking at a normal pace."


    Kelly added, "That''s about two and a half to three leagues each day."


    "And you''ve been performing the healing spells for my daughter?" Maeve asked her.


    "Yes m''lady," Kelly nodded. "Both myself and Keira are able to cast the spell. It''s usually my job but Keira has done it a few times too."


    Maeve nodded slowly, then added "You may address me as Maeve here. You need not be so formal when you are a guest in my private quarters."


    "Mother," I asked, "Will you tell us about the news your couriers brought?"


    She sipped her wine then sighed. "I wrote to the commanders of the three western-most strongholds along my southern border. My letters were the same in each case. I asked them to report on the status of the borders, and if there was any unusual activity in their area."


    After another sip of wine she went on, "Captain Eamon of castle Griofa wrote that all is well. He''s aware of no disturbances, and nothing out of the ordinary. He says the borders are quiet, both to the south, and to the west."


    She continued, "Commander Evan of Cionga stronghold reports that the border to the south is quiet, but that his scouts have observed some strange things happening to the west at castle Griofa. He has sent some requests to Captain Eamon regarding the unusual activity, but has not received a satisfactory reply."


    She paused for more wine, then finished, "Captain Garrett of castle Barra also reports the southern border is quiet. He had nothing to report in his area, but he did mention Commander Evan''s concerns about goings-on to the west of him."


    I glanced back and forth at the twins.


    Before any of us could comment, Maeve summarized, "If all three had been compromised, or if all three were loyal, I would have expected all three to submit similar reports. Instead I have Eamon telling me everything is fine, but the other two commanders telling me there is something happening in the direction of Griofa which makes them uncomfortable."


    She sighed, "I fear Eamon has betrayed us."


    "Ok," I said, after a minute or two. "I think Colm is right. Since that castle is important to the defence of the county, as well as the region, we have to know it''s secure. And if Eamon is a traitor, we have to get him into custody. And find out what he knows, who he''s working for."


    We were all quiet for a few minutes after that. Eventually Maeve said, "If I send the three of you to Griofa as sir Colm has asked, in a best-case scenario you will be travelling two to three days. When you reach the castle, sir Colm will identify himself, and you Tegan will identify yourself. If the staff there remain loyal to me despite Eamon''s treachery, your group will be welcomed in. You''ll be fed, housed, and you and Colm will ask, or demand an audience with Eamon. Find out what you can, do what you must, then return here as quickly as possible. If all goes well it should take no more than six or seven days in total."


    "I''m still not sure how I''m meant to get us there," I sighed. "It''s too far to teleport. Colm suggested it had something to do with the spell to cross worlds, but..."


    Maeve replied, "When you cross worlds, you tend to return to the place where you left. But there are other places you can go. To get from here to Griofa, you''d cross to Earth at dawn, wait a day, then return to Otherworld the following dawn. But instead of coming to the south woods, guide yourself and your companions to a place near Griofa. The journey of two weeks becomes two or three days."


    I frowned, "But I''ve never been near Griofa, I don''t know how to get us there."


    Maeve smiled, "We''ll talk more on this tomorrow, Tegan. For now, let us finish the business at hand."


    She then warned, "If things go badly at Griofa, if Eamon has turned the entire castle against us, then merely approaching could put your lives at risk. You may find yourselves pursued, you may find yourselves in combat. Beyond those threats, that area is literally the frontier. It is dangerous, that is why we have castles and strongholds there in the first place."


    "I understand, mother." I sighed, "From the sound of it, we don''t have much choice. We need to find out what''s going on, we need to get the castle and border back under your control. And you need to stay here because of the ongoing threat with the Ceallaighs. That means I have to go to Griofa."


    Kelly added, "And Tegan needs ongoing healing treatments, which means I have to go with her."


    "Which means me too. Kelly''s not going without me." Keira added.


    Maeve sighed again, "You are all brave and loyal to each other. I don''t know Colm, but if the king trusts him then he is loyal, and he will be skilled and capable in battle. But his loyalty is to the crown, not to me or our family. So I will add one more to your group."


    I was expecting her to say Siobhan, or at least Gaelen, since they were her top two soldiers. The name she actually picked caught me by surprise.


    "Feichin will accompany you," Maeve stated. "I believe this situation calls for stealth and wariness, as much as strength and bravery. Colm will be skilled with the sword and the bow, and possibly with combat magic. Feichin will be able to read the terrain, he''ll understand the land. He''ll ensure you move quietly and stay unobserved. He is also an excellent archer."


    It made sense when she explained it. I asked, "Will we be leaving at dawn tomorrow?"


    "No," Maeve shook her head. "Tomorrow the five of you will plan and prepare. Work out what supplies to bring. Listen to Feichin, he''ll have excellent guidance on that. You''ll set out the following morning."


    I glanced at the twins, they both just nodded. All three of us accepted Maeve''s decision, so there wasn''t much more to say.


    We continued our meal, then towards the end Keira spoke up. "Lady Maeve, there''s something I was curious about. It''s regarding Kelly''s and my status or relationship with Tegan, since we''ve become part of her sept in the clann."


    From the tone of her voice and the glint in her eyes, I knew she was going to ask something silly or embarrassing. I cringed slightly and my girlfriend was shaking her head slowly as she stared across the table at her twin.


    Maeve asked "Yes, what is it Keira?"


    "Are we like her wives now?" Keira asked. "Or mistresses? Or what exactly is the relationship?"


    Both Kelly and I were cringing together now, but Maeve took the question at face value.


    "You are her clannmates," my fae-mom replied in a calm, conversational tone.


    She almost sounded amused or teasing as she continued, "You may both be her mistresses as well, but that is between the two of you and my daughter."


    Finally Maeve added in a firm but slightly sad tone, "However, I''m afraid neither of you may marry her. When the time comes, my daughter will wed the son of another noble house, and she will bear clann Br¨¢daigh at least one heir. Preferably two or three."


    PurpleCatGirl


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 71. Debated

    I grumped angrily, "I''m not marrying some guy. It''s not going to happen."


    "You heard what she said babe," Kelly said quietly as she cuddled up a little closer against my left side. "You won''t be ''of age'' for another century, so there''s no point getting in a fuss about it right now."


    Dinner had ended with a rather spectacular argument between me and Maeve. I tried to stay calm at first, but that lasted like two minutes before I lost my temper. I told her I was gay, told her I was a lesbian, and told her there was zero chance of me ever marrying a man. I told her I didn''t care if it was politically advantageous or whatever.


    She said it was my duty as a Br¨¢daigh, that I had to get married and squeeze out an heir or two. That''s when I really lost it. I told her that was the kind of sexist crap women didn''t have to put up with back on Earth, at least not in the part of Earth where I lived. She pointed out that I wasn''t human and I wasn''t from Earth so their customs were irrelevant.


    After that things devolved until Kelly and Keira basically hauled me away before I could say anything to get us all in deeper trouble.


    I sighed as I cuddled closer and rested my head against Kelly''s shoulder, "I don''t care if it''s a hundred years or a thousand. I''m not marrying a guy. And anyways, she got to follow her heart. I''m going to do the same."


    "Actually I''m wondering if there''s a loophole?" Keira said as she moved in a little closer against my right side and rested her arm across my belly. "I mean, is it really about marrying a guy? Or is the goal to produce an heir? Because if it''s really all about getting an heir, then the guy is just sort of a means to an end. There''s ways you could skip that step."


    I sighed again, "Adoption isn''t good enough." I didn''t bother hiding the bitterness in my voice. As an adoptee myself it was a sore point that some people refused to see adopted kids as valid or whatever. "To be a ''true heir'' to the name and all that crap it''s got to be a biological kid."


    After a moment I added, "And I don''t think the fae would quite grasp the kind of reproductive science stuff they have back on Earth. Like sperm donors and in-vitro fertilization and all that."


    Keira shrugged slightly, "Fair enough. On the other hand, you''re the Great and Powerful Tegan Vale, hot-shit fae mage of legend. You''ve got a hundred years, I''m sure you can figure out a way to come up with an heir that doesn''t involve sleeping with some fae noble''s dopey son."


    I opened my mouth to reply, then closed it again as I thought about what she was saying. Then I grinned, "You know what Keira, you''re right."


    "You should apologize to Maeve tomorrow babe," Kelly said quietly. "Things got a bit heated tonight, and she''s already uptight about a hundred other things."


    I frowned, but I knew she was right. "Ok Kelly. I''ll ask if she''ll see me after breakfast."


    That seemed to have the matter settled, and both of them snuggled up closer on either side of me. I felt Kelly''s hand lightly caress my chest as she got herself comfortable, while one of Keira''s legs slipped in between mine. I sighed once more, but this time it was from contentment rather than stress.


    The night after I made them both fully fae, Kelly and I tentatively let her sister join us for cuddling under a strict no-naughtiness agreement. By the following evening Keira had practically moved in.


    Neither of them even really said anything, it all just sort of happened automatically without any fuss or fanfare. I was always in the middle when we went to bed, and the bed was big enough that me and Kelly could move off to the left side and be more intimate as a couple. Or Keira could pull me off to the right and have me to herself for a while. The only time there was any sort of contact between them was if they were both cuddling me and their arms touched or something.


    It all felt kind of strange to me at first, but the two of them treated the whole thing like it was perfectly normal. There was also a slight nagging question in my mind about how this seemed to happen right after they became fully fae, about the same time the weird twin stuff started. I mean, we''d originally talked about Keira maybe joining us on occasion for cuddles, then suddenly she was just here with us all the time.


    I put those thoughts aside though, and after a few nights like this I was used to it. My original awkwardness was forgotten, both of them were happy, and I couldn''t really complain when I was being cuddled in between a pair of tall gorgeous redheads.


    The only thing I was still confused about was how to describe the whole thing. Like if Kelly and I were girlfriends, what was my relationship with Keira? Or how would I describe the relationship between the three of us?


    Not that it really mattered. I just let out another happy sigh, and gradually drifted to sleep in between the two of them.


    In the morning we had breakfast brought to our room as usual. Then we all dressed, and I had a servant let Maeve know I wanted to speak with her. As we waited, the three of us got to reading again. And this time I was able to actually focus on the book rather than the twins.


    I quickly found exactly what I needed to know. The same spell that allowed me to pass back and forth between Earth and Otherworld could be used to move within the same world. I could slip between the veil here near castle Br¨¢daigh and emerge somewhere near castle Griofa. Assuming I could find out exactly where we were going there.


    Around midmorning, seneschal Owen came to fetch me, and he let the twins know that sir Colm and Feichin would meet them in the study for noon. I followed Owen, and hoped Maeve wasn''t too angry with me after last night.


    Owen led me back into my mother''s private chambers again, back to the living room this time. Maeve was already there waiting, and she dismissed Owen as soon as we reached the doorway.


    While the seneschal was heading away my fae-mom said "Come in Tegan, have a seat."


    She wasn''t yelling and she didn''t look angry, but I couldn''t get a feel for her mood. She was keeping her emotions to herself at the moment.


    The living room was like it had been the last time I was here, except there was no tray of food this time. Instead there were some sheets of parchment on the coffee table, but they''d been turned over so whatever was written on them was hidden.


    As I sat next to Maeve on the sofa, I decided the best bet was to lead off with the apology. "I''m sorry for how I acted last night, mother. I was surprised and upset and I lost my temper."


    She was quiet for a few moments, then replied "Thank you Tegan. I too am sorry, for springing that news upon you the way I did, and not taking into account how you were raised or your obvious preferences in terms of romantic partners."


    I was glad she wasn''t angry with me, and her own apology caught me a little off guard. We were both silent for a few moments after that.


    After a minute or two I asked, "I know nobody here has ever said anything about me and Kelly being together, but I haven''t really heard or noticed anything about whether that kind of relationship is accepted or whatever. I mean...what if instead of trying to marry me to some nobleman''s son, I went courting some noble daughter instead?"


    She was quiet for a few more moments as she seemed to be considering the question, or how best to answer it.


    Finally she replied, "There''s nothing wrong with unions between fae of the same sex. Nobody much cares who someone''s in love with, who they choose to share a bed with. The only time it becomes important is when there is need for an heir. And because that is almost always a priority for every noble house, the arranged marriages are typically a man and wife. There''d be no point arranging a marriage between two young women, if the goal was to produce an heir."


    That pretty much confirmed Keira''s suspicion. It was all about having little Br¨¢daighs running around to keep the lineage going.


    I nodded slowly and said "Ok. Then here''s what I''m going to ask. You told me that you got to marry for love. I''m asking for the same benefit. When it comes time, in a century or whenever, let me follow my heart. As long as whoever it is can give me children, that should be acceptable right?"


    Maeve smiled slightly, "My dear I''d never agree to anything so vague. It is something we can discuss at length, but some other time. For now, I''ll promise not to try arranging any marriages for you behind your back."


    I raised an eyebrow, "What about arranging something in front of me? How about you promise not to arrange anything at all?"


    "Very well Tegan," she replied. She still had a slight smile on her face though. "I will refrain from arranging any marriages for you. But I will continue looking, and we will return to this conversation in the future."


    That seemed about the best I could hope for at the moment, so I left it at that.


    She turned her attention to the parchment on the table before us, "Regarding your journey to Griofa, I have information which will help you. Locations where the veil is thin enough to allow passage."


    She picked up the sheets and said, "Before I turn these over to you Tegan, I need you to swear you will not allow them to fall into anyone else''s hands. This is sensitive information, and will be of value to our enemies. Destroy them if you must, but do not let anyone else have them."


    I nodded, "I understand mother. I swear it."


    She then handed me the two sheets. The first was a map of the area around castle Br¨¢daigh. There were three places indicated. The one in the southern forest was the nearest, but the other two weren''t that far off. One was in the forest to the west, where the vargur had stalked for twenty years. The other was just outside the town to the north. From the look of it, it was actually in a farmer''s field.


    Maeve explained, "I''m sharing these with you for your own knowledge. If you ever have reason to suspect it is unsafe here, there are two alternate locations you may use. No-one knows of them Tegan. The west woods is still posted as off-limits although you and I both know it is now safe. You can be assured nobody will see you come or go from there, but it is rough travel, rough terrain to get from there back to the castle. The one to the north, will be much more visible. But if you need assistance, know that the villagers will recognize you and come to your aid."


    I nodded slowly as I stared at the map.


    Eventually she revealed the other one. It was a detailed map of the area around castle Griofa. There were two locations indicated on this map. The nearest was north-west of the castle, in a small grove of trees. The other was due east, deeper in a large forest. By the scale of the map, it looked like the nearest was two leagues from the castle, the further was five or six leagues away.


    Maeve warned, "Either of these will carry risks, Tegan. The nearer location may be under guard, if they are wary of visitors. The further location is very close to the border. Though to be fair the entire area should be considered dangerous territory."


    I nodded and accepted both maps and promised, "I''ll keep them safe, and won''t allow them to fall into anyone else''s hands mother."


    "Thank you Tegan." Maeve added, "Let us join the others. They should be ready to meet now in the study."


    PurpleCatGirl

 72. Detailed

    The others were already waiting for us in the study when Maeve and I arrived. There was food and drinks set out as well. Sir Colm and Feichin were seated at the table in the middle, the twins were at the table to the right. And as usual, I couldn''t tell which was which.


    I moved to sit at the table with Kelly and Keira. Or maybe it was Keira and Kelly. Either way they were both to my left. While we all sat, my fae-mom remained standing for now.


    "I will leave the five of you to make your plans together. Before you get started though," Maeve looked at the knight. "Sir Colm, there is something we must share with you in confidence. I ask that you keep this to yourself."


    He nodded slightly, "Provided it doesn''t require me to break my vows to the king, I will keep your secret m''lady."


    "Thank you." Maeve then explained, "Three years ago Tegan faced a vargur. She nearly lost her life, and the encounter almost cost her a leg. Since then she has been cursed with an injury that will not heal. To this day she requires ongoing healing magic, every second day. Both Kelly and Keira are able to work the healing spell, which is one of the reasons they must accompany my daughter on this expedition."


    She sighed slightly, "I share this with you because you must understand, Tegan is unable to march long distances. Nor may she climb, run, or carry any great weight."


    I watched as the knight''s eyes widened slightly as he realized the implications of this. One of Feichin''s eyebrows creeped up slightly as well. I had a feeling he didn''t know I suffered ongoing complications from that injury. In fact, I realized Maeve probably made sure as few people knew about that as possible. It was after all a weakness, a potential liability.


    After a few moments Colm replied, "I see. Now I understand why you were quick to send her abroad on horseback, but reluctant to let her travel on foot. What sort of distance can we expect to cover in a day?"


    I responded, "I can walk about three leagues in a day. But that''s on level terrain. Over rough ground it will be less."


    After a moment I added, "My walking is at a normal pace, it''s not that it takes me all day to cover that distance. But I tire quickly, so after I''ve gone that far I need to stop. And uh, I''m better the day after the magic. The day before the next treatment I do get a bit slower, and can''t go quite as far."


    "I see," Colm said, looking thoughtful. "Are you still prepared to embark on this journey, Lady Tegan? Knowing the risks, and with your condition in mind?"


    I nodded, "Yes. It''s Br¨¢daigh business, and as you said it is imperative. My mother must remain here, so the duty falls on me. I have to go."


    The twin sitting furthest on the left added, "And if she''s going, then we''re going with her."


    Sir Colm nodded "Very well then."


    "And if we''re done talking about all that, let''s get on with things shall we?" Feichin sounded impatient. I had a feeling he was the kind of guy who hated being indoors. Maybe he was claustrophobic, but more likely he just preferred open sky above him and trees around him, rather than walls and ceilings.


    Maeve nodded slightly, "I will leave you all to it." With that, she turned and left the study.


    After she was gone, we all helped ourselves to some food. Then the conversation resumed, as we began discussing the plan.


    Feichin had a gulp of wine and asked "How far are we expected to travel?"


    "I will get us to a spot about six leagues from castle Griofa. From that point, it''s about five leagues through forest, the last stretch should be clear. Maybe even farmland."


    The huntsman ate a bit of meat then looked thoughtful as he chewed. Finally he said, "The woodland will likely be rough, but fairly level. There may be some rolling hills but nothing too steep. So a minimum of two days travel for Lady Tegan... To be safe we''ll allow for three days."


    He decided, "We''ll bring food for four days. It won''t be safe to have fires, so no cooking. We''ll stick to salted, smoked, preserved meats."


    The rest of us stayed quiet for now, eating a bit as we all just listened to the expert.


    Feichin continued, "We''ll divide Lady Tegan''s supplies and the knight and I will carry them, so the Lady isn''t weighed down too much. There''ll be no need for changes of clothes. We''ll travel light and rough. Just blankets for sleep, no tents."


    He looked to Colm, "Sir knight, do you know how to use a bow?"


    "Yes, of course." Colm nodded.


    Feichin looked at the twins, "And you two lasses?"


    "Yes." They both nodded and spoke in unison, doing their creepy twin thing.


    "Combat, or hunting?" The huntsman didn''t bat an eye at them talking in stereo, but Colm stared a little.


    The two redheads again answered together, "Targets."


    "And you Lady Tegan?" Feichin asked me. "I trust you''d rather rely on magic?"


    I nodded, "Yeah I don''t know how to use a bow yet. I''ll stick with my magic."


    The huntsman stated "Then you''ll need three bows, and I''ll bring my own. You''ll want two dozen arrows apiece, with bodkin points."


    Colm raised an eyebrow, "Two dozen apiece? You know we''re hoping to avoid combat, we won''t be fighting a war. We certainly won''t be taking down a castle ourselves."


    "Aye, I know." Feichin nodded. He glanced at the twins, "No offence to the young misses there, but if we do find ourselves in trouble I don''t expect them to hit anything. It''s a world of difference between shooting at a bale of hay, and shooting at a man who''s moving or hiding, maybe shooting back, and who screams when you hit him."


    He looked back at the knight, "I expect us two will do the bulk of the work, and hope the lasses will do what they can."


    The twin closest to me on my left nodded, "We understand. If we wind up fighting, we''ll do our best."


    Feichin nodded, "Good enough." He stuffed some more food into his mouth, then loaded some into his coat pockets as well and stood up. "Now you know what we need, I''ll be on my way. I''ll meet the four of you before dawn, by the garrison in the south woods."


    He drained his glass then walked out of the study without another word.


    Colm looked a bit perplexed as he watched the huntsman leave. Then he turned towards me and asked, "So we''re leaving tomorrow at dawn. We''ll be spending the day on Earth, will we be at your home?"


    "No actually," I shook my head. "I''m going to take us straight from here to the forest near castle Griofa. No point wasting a day hanging around on Earth."


    The knight looked surprised, "How do you mean to do that?"


    I shrugged, "It''s mostly the same as crossing over. We need to travel where the veil is thin, but instead of going all the way across to Earth, I''ll get us sort of halfway out then we just come back to Otherworld. But in a different spot."


    "It''s kind of like going out the front door then coming in the back door," I added.


    That brought a slight smile to the man''s face, "So the stories are true. You really are a crafty one when it comes to magic."


    I shrugged again, "Save the applause for tomorrow. I''ve never actually done this before, I''m just assuming it''ll work based on what I read in a book. Anyways I think it''s important we get there sooner rather than later. And if we have to waste a day on Earth, I''ll probably get lazy and want to just stay there a while."


    Colm frowned, then finally got to his feet. "I''ll speak with captain Siobhan about securing the weapons and supplies Feichin wanted. I suggest the three of you turn in early tonight and sleep well. We may not have another good night''s rest until we''re back here next week."


    Me and the twins just nodded. I knew he was right, and the next several days were probably going to suck. I was never into camping, the only camp experience I had so far was our first trip here three years ago. And back then we had a bunch of people doing all the work for us, and we had nice cosy tents and hot meals and stuff.


    With Colm gone, me and the twins finished eating then wound up back in our room again. They were still trying to learn those two spells that they''d been working on for the past few days.


    One of them laid on the bed, I assumed it was Keira since she had the book on combat spells. The other sat with me at the table by the windows. I assumed that was Kelly, she had the book on defensive magic.


    And I had the two maps my fae-mom gave me. I was hoping to memorize them so I wouldn''t need to bring them with us. Then I could just give them back before we left, and wouldn''t have to worry about losing them.


    I focused on the map of Griofa first, especially the location to the east of the castle, deep in the woods. I was starting to think of these spots as waypoints. It was easier at least to call them that, than ''a place where the veil is thin''.


    The map was kind of interesting in the way it described the waypoints. They were marked the way you''d expect, a fancy symbol that was basically a glorified ''X'' marking the spot. But in addition to that there was a little bit of prose, written almost like a spell. It described the location in terms of how it felt, to the magical senses. The handwriting was interesting too. It had a familiar shape to it, the letters were almost soft and rounded. It was definitely a woman''s writing.


    At one point Kelly leaned over to look at the map, asking "What''s that you''re studying babe?"


    "It''s the area around castle Griofa," I replied. "Mother loaned me a couple maps to help me get us there. I want to memorize them so I don''t have to bring them with us."


    She got up and moved around to look over my shoulder, so she could read the writing. "Have you been making notes on Maeve''s maps?"


    I rolled my eyes "Not a chance. Those are the original notes I guess, maybe from whoever made the map?"


    "It looks like your writing," Kelly pointed out.


    "Well it''s not," I stated.


    She continued staring over my shoulder for another minute or two, then leaned over and poked her finger at something in the bottom right corner of the map. "That''s kind of freaky, babe."


    On the map just above her fingertip was a set of initials, presumably whoever had drawn up the map. They were written in the same familiar soft handwriting. Just two letters, "TB"


    I stared at it while Kelly said, "I bet that stands for Taralynn Br¨¢daigh."


    "Wow," I felt my eyes widen. "These could have been drawn up by Taralynn herself... That''s pretty wild."


    Kelly sat back down again and picked up her book. She shrugged, "Yeah. I was thinking though, it''s also pretty wild that her handwriting looks like yours."


    "No it doesn''t," I frowned. "Anyways, you two really need to finish learning those spells this afternoon. And I want to memorize these maps. Then we should have an early dinner so we can all get into bed early."


    Keira had been quiet through all of this, but she finally spoke up now. "You heard the Lady, sis. She''s ordered us into her bed as quickly as possible. So less talking, more studying."


    I blushed, but decided not to respond. I knew Keira was teasing, and maybe she was hoping to get me flustered. She was right though, we all needed to study.


    PurpleCatGirl

 73. Differentiated

    All three of us were up well before dawn. We''d been supplied with new travelling clothes, and a maid brought breakfast to our room. We ate as we dressed.


    All three of us were dressed the same, with soft black leather boots, heavy dark brown trousers made of something like suede, dark green silk blouses, and heavy reinforced leather jackets, also in dark brown. Wide-brimmed hats completed the look. It was pretty much the same as Kelly and I had worn for our journey to Duma D¨¦, which was almost exactly three years ago.


    We''d also been given belts, and each of us had a dagger with a long sharp pointed blade. There were small backpacks too, mine was lightest with just a thick blanket folded up inside it. Kelly''s and Keira''s were heavier, theirs also contained a few bundles of preserved foods and several bladders of water. Or perhaps it was wine.


    They both packed the books they''d been reading, since we''d likely have time to read each day while we were resting.


    Finally the three of us made our way down to the courtyard. Maeve and Siobhan were there, and Colm was there too of course. There were horses ready, and Siobhan would be escorting our group out to the south woods.


    The knight was already set up with his sword, and a bow across his shoulder, a quiver of arrows hung at his right hip. Kelly and Keira were also given their bows and full quivers.


    Maeve moved closer to speak with me, and I handed the two maps back to her as I quietly said "I''ve memorized them, so they may remain safe here with you."


    She smiled, "Thank you Tegan. Be careful out there."


    We exchanged a brief hug, then I got a boost up into the saddle, and finally our group set out. As usual there was someone out front waving the pennant, and two soldiers carried torches to light our way.


    There was some pre-dawn light in the sky already as we reached the meadow. As expected, Feichin was already there waiting for us. He had a pack on his back, his bow over his shoulder, and arrows at his hip. Otherwise he was dressed the same as always.


    Soldiers at the garrison took care of our horses after we all dismounted, and I sort of wandered the meadow as I searched for the spot.


    "Ok folks," I said once I found it. "Let''s all gather round and hold tight."


    The twins moved to either side of me and hooked their arms through mine, then the knight and the huntsman stood to either side of them and had a hand on each twin''s shoulder.


    I focused on our destination near Griofa then worked the spell, and pulled all five of us through. It was similar to crossing worlds, but not quite. There was still that feeling of going into hyperspace without a ship, but it felt different in a way I couldn''t quite put my finger on.


    We were all just as shaky when we came out the other side. We found ourselves in a very small clearing in a different forest.


    Colm and Feichin moved first, both of them grabbed their bows and got arrows ready on the string. The two of them were looking around warily, and their behaviour reminded me that we were now in potentially hostile territory. We were near the border, and near a castle which may now belong to an enemy.


    The twins followed the mens'' lead and got their bows ready as well, though both looked a little less confident about it.


    "Which way, m''lady?" Feichin asked softly.


    "Uh," I thought a moment. "The castle should be due west, five or six leagues."


    The huntsman nodded once and whispered, "I lead. One of the redheads follow, then Lady Tegan. Another redhead, then the knight. Single file. Keep your wits about you, and watch where you step. No talking unless necessary, and keep your voices down."


    Colm didn''t look too happy about being at the back, but he didn''t argue. I''m sure he understood as well as I did, Feichin was keeping me and the twins protected in between the two of them. And the huntsman presumably had more experience moving quietly through unfamiliar woods so he was the better choice to lead.


    As usual I had no idea which twin was which. I was certain neither Feichin or Colm knew either. It still bothered me, but I was also a little angry that nobody else seemed to care. I didn''t like people treating them like they were interchangeable. I wasn''t sure if Kelly and Keira were bothered by it, and maybe they weren''t since they were still going out of their way to make sure nobody knew who was who. But I wanted to know, and I didn''t like it when people just referred to them as ''a redhead'' or ''the twin'' or whatever.


    It wasn''t the time or place to have that conversation though, so I kept my mouth shut and just tried to stay wary, watching out for danger around us along with the others.


    Before we all set out, I took a good look around the spot and let myself get a feel for it. I needed to be sure we could find this place again later, so we could get home again. Though it crossed my mind that Feichin could probably find it too, I assumed his tracking skills or whatever would let him retrace our steps back here in a few days.


    The walk wasn''t too bad at first. As promised, the terrain was mostly level. It was slow going though as we had to make our way through the woods. In places the underbrush was fairly dense, sometimes Feichin just pushed through it, other times he led us around. I trusted he had a good sense of direction because I think I''d have been hopelessly lost before long.


    Some time around mid-morning the huntsman brought our little group to a stop. We''d pushed into a rather dense clump of bushes and trees, and I thought for a moment he''d got us stuck and meant for us to back out the way we came.


    "That''ll do for today," he said softly. He looked at me, "I can tell by the sound of your walk, you''re starting to tire m''lady."


    That caught me off guard and my eyebrows inched up. I was only just starting to feel it myself. I whispered, "I could have gone a while longer. It''s not bad yet."


    "Aye," he nodded. "Then tomorrow it might be worse. Best to be safe m''lady, don''t push things further than you need. The time may come when you do have to push, so keep as much in reserve so if that moment comes, you''re not already weary starting out."


    He glanced at the others and told all four of us, "Wait here, stay quiet, don''t get too comfortable yet. I''m going to scout around, make sure we''re alone."


    With that he slipped back out of the dense bushes the way we''d come in. He moved almost silently, and I quickly lost track of him.


    We all stayed wary and ready, till he returned about fifteen minutes later. He nodded, "We''re good here."


    He slipped his pack off his shoulders, and the rest of us relaxed as well. It didn''t take long to get our blankets out and get comfortable. I wound up with the twins on either side of me and the three of us sat on our makeshift bed together.


    Colm was a couple meters away facing the three of us, and Feichin was a few meters to the right, sitting on the ground leaning up against a tree.


    "Lady Tegan," the knight asked quietly. "How can you tell the two of them apart?"


    I blushed slightly and admitted "I can''t at the moment. Though right now I''m pretty sure this is Kelly," I nodded to the redhead on my left, "And this is Keira." I gestured to the twin on my right.


    "What makes you say that?" The one on my left asked.


    I shrugged slightly, "I''ve been trying to pay attention, and it seems like any time I''m in between you two, you''re on my left and Keira''s on my right."


    "That is correct," Keira smiled.


    Kelly added, "Very observant."


    "But incomplete," Keira concluded.


    That left me wondering what I''d missed, or what they were hinting at.


    Colm''s eyes flicked back and forth between them as they spoke. "I''ve never met fae twins before. I''ve seen twins on Earth of course, but here?" He shook his head, "I''ve never even heard of twins here. Tell me, are the legends true?"


    Kelly and Keira glanced at each other, then Keira asked "What legends are those?"


    The question seemed to surprise the knight, "Oh. I''d have thought you''d both heard them a thousand times over by now."


    "Well we haven''t, so why not enlighten us?" Keira asked.


    Colm frowned, "Well the simplest one said that twins could communicate with each other entirely without speech. Although there are spells that can achieve that too of course..."


    Kelly shrugged, "That''s nothing special. I bet most human twins can do that too."


    "Wait what?" I asked, staring at her.


    "It''s not telepathy or magic," Keira explained. "It''s like, secret signals. Twin language. We did that growing up."


    Kelly nodded, "Sure. We came up with all kinds of little signs and stuff, ways to talk to each other without saying a word."


    I smiled, "Huh. That''s kind of neat."


    "So what other legends are there?" Kelly asked.


    Colm replied "One of the more fantastic ones was that twins could swap places with each other. Not physically moving their bodies from place to place, but moving their minds... Sort of like Keira suddenly becoming Kelly, and vice versa."


    I couldn''t help glance back and forth at the two of them suspiciously.


    Keira grinned, "Yeah I bet that''s just twins goofing around. We used to do that when we were younger."


    "Sure," Kelly smiled. "Pretend to be your twin, confuse the onlies. Our mom used to dress us up in different clothes so she could tell us apart."


    Keira nodded, "Then as soon as we got the chance we''d swap clothes."


    "And pretend to be each other." Kelly finished with a wide smile.


    "I think these so-called legends are just the sort of things onlies think up," Keira stated, "To try explaining ''mysterious'' twin behaviour."


    I sighed as I looked back and forth between them, "I''m never going to know for sure which of you is which, am I? Even if you tell me, you could just be messing around."


    Both of them giggled at once, doing their weird stereo thing again.


    "What are onlies?" Colm asked quietly.


    Kelly shrugged, "People who aren''t twins."


    "As in there''s only one of you," Keira added.


    Colm frowned slightly, then finally said "The most fantastic legend I can recall said that twins were actually a single entity in control of more than one body. That explained the other stories too of course. They didn''t need to communicate with each other by words because they weren''t actually separate. "


    Kelly and Keira both glanced at each other then looked back at Colm again. Both spoke in unison as they said, "That''s just silly."


    This time the knight''s eyes widened slightly and he looked a tiny bit uncomfortable.


    Then the pair of them did their stereo-giggling thing again.


    I sighed, "Ok now you two are starting to creep me out."


    Kelly pouted and put her arm around me, "We''re just having fun, babe."


    "Seriously," Keira stated. "All these legends sound like normal twin-stuff to me."


    "Colm?" I asked. "Where did you hear these legends? I mean if fae twins don''t happen, why are there legends about them?"


    He replied, "It was an old fable. A powerful and beautiful queen had two suitors, and she loved them both equally. She was unable to choose which she should take as her husband, so she made a deal with the Gods. She wanted them to craft a duplicate of herself, then she wouldn''t have to decide."


    "To bring the duplicate to life," Feichin spoke up at long last, continuing the story, "The Gods split the queen''s soul in two and placed half in the second body. Alas the two parts of herself were incomplete when separated, and neither half could find the happiness they desired so long as they each loved a different man."


    Kelly asked, "How did the story end?"


    "There are two versions that I know of," Colm replied. "One version has the two halves and their two husbands each raising an army and going to war with the other, and both halves eventually destroyed the other."


    Feichin nodded, "The other version has the two husbands sacrifice themselves to save their wives. They prayed to the Gods who combined the two men. They became the opposite of the queen, a single being with two souls. The two queens then both loved that new man, and all of them found peace together."


    I glanced back and forth at Kelly and Keira, and caught the pair of them looking at me. They were both grinning, I think they found the whole thing amusing.


    The legend left me feeling uneasy though, and I made a mental note to try and talk with Muireann when we got back home. And maybe check the books in the study, to see if this legend was written down somewhere.


    PurpleCatGirl

 74. Discerned

    "How is the leg holding up, Lady Tegan?" Colm asked softly, as the five of us quietly made our way through the woods.


    The underbrush was thinner here, in fact the forest itself seemed thinner. I was certain we''d emerge from the woods today. It felt like people had been here, picking the area over for firewood.


    It was the morning of our third day here, and happily things had been quiet and boring so far.


    I glanced back at the knight and replied quietly, "It''s good, thanks. Kelly did the healing spell last night, so today should be fine. And I think for the moment you can relax a bit with the titles and stuff? Just call me Tegan. All this ''Lady'' stuff feels kind of unnecessary when we''re all out here doing the same stuff together."


    I didn''t bother to mention that while my leg was ok, my back wasn''t. Neither was my mood. After a lifetime of cosy beds and comfy pillows, sleeping on a blanket on the ground completely exposed in the woods was not doing me any favours. And having nothing to eat but tough chewy meat and washing that down with sour watery wine wasn''t making me any happier.


    So far the highlight of the trip was yesterday when Feichin had us camp near some bushes with edible berries. Me and the twins spent an hour or so picking every last berry we could find, then the five of us enjoyed a nice sweet treat after our meal of salty meat and sour wine.


    Feichin brought my thoughts back to the present as he confirmed my suspicions. He stated "Enough talk. These woods are well travelled. Eyes and ears open, mouths shut."


    Same as the past two days, the huntsman was in the lead and Colm was at the back. I was fairly certain Keira was in front of me, following Feichin. And Kelly was behind me, ahead of the knight.


    I still hadn''t learned to tell them apart, but I''d been paying attention. Like how I noticed Kelly was always on my left if the three of us were side-by-side with me in the middle, when we were in single file Keira always seemed to take the lead.


    If I wasn''t between them though, I had no idea how to tell which was which. I was sure there was a pattern, they''d hinted as much. I just had to figure it out.


    Our progress slowed as we became more cautious, my four companions had their bows ready and I had defensive spells on the tip of my tongue.


    Our guide finally motioned us all to stop. He whispered, "Hold here, stay wary. I''ll be back."


    Feichin moved off to scout ahead. Colm and the twins spread out slightly, so instead of the four of us being in a line it was more like a triangle, with an archer at each corner and me in the middle.


    The huntsman returned after about ten minutes, and motioned us to follow. He took us a little ways to the left, which would bring us even closer to the border. Not that the border was a tangible thing, it''s not like there was going to be a fence or a line. It just meant we were a little further south, a little closer to the wildlands.


    I soon realized why he picked this route. The forest extended nearer to the castle here. Further north there was more cleared land. We might actually have crossed the ''border'', or maybe the map I''d studied was out of date. Either way we were able to stick to the cover of trees and still approach to within a couple hundred meters of the castle.


    Feichin brought us to a halt just inside the tree-line. "We can observe from here, but we must remain wary. If they have patrols we''ll run into them soon enough."


    "We didn''t come all this way just to spy on them," Colm stated. "We''re here to confront captain Eamon. Let''s go introduce ourselves."


    The huntsman gave the knight a dark look, "I understand you''re the one who insisted on a small group so we could move quickly. If you were at the head of column of soldiers then I''d say go bang on the door and do whatever you pleased sir knight. But while there''s only the five of us, including three girls of which one is my Lady''s daughter, we''ll be doing things cautiously and carefully."


    I glanced back and forth between them as the two men sort of glared at each other for a few moments. Not that I wanted to learn the answer, but I suddenly wondered which of them would win if the two ever came to blows.


    After a moment I decided Colm would win in a fair fight, but something told me Feichin wouldn''t fight fair. And as long as we were in the woods, we were in his domain. Maybe in a clearing, or indoors the knight would come out ontop. But here in the forest, surrounded by brush and trees, I was fairly certain Feichin would be the victor.


    I also knew if I ever had to pick sides, I''d be siding with the one who was sworn to protect me, and had already done so once. Colm might be honourable, but his loyalties lay elsewhere.


    Fortunately the knight backed down and he nodded, "Very well. It''s barely midday, we have plenty of daylight left with which to observe before we move ahead."


    So the five of us kind of hunkered down inside the tree-line to watch for a while. I wasn''t sure what specifically we were looking for, but I figured if anything unusual came up either Colm or Feichin would point it out.


    The castle itself looked like something out of a medieval movie. Where castle Br¨¢daigh was huge and imposing, all white stonework and towers that seemed to reach the sky, this place was sort of squat, square, and looked more like it was built to see regular action rather than being built to impress.


    The walls stood about seven or eight meters high and were made of rough dark grey stones. There were four towers, one at each corner, and they weren''t much higher than the walls. Maybe ten meters. The outer edges of the walls were all castellated. There was no moat, and the main gate was to the north so it was out of view from the south-east where we were all hiding.


    We couldn''t tell how thick the walls were, but they were thick enough for soldiers to walk along the tops. I figured they were probably three meters thick at least. And the towers were round, and appeared to be about five meters in diameter.


    We could see the area north of the castle held a small farming community, probably there to provide food for the troops. That was a little further away but we could just make out people there too, going about their daily business.


    "I don''t see anything obviously amiss here," Colm said quietly after about fifteen minutes of watching.


    We were near enough to see soldiers walking around on the tops of the castle walls, but we couldn''t make out any real details. Just that they appeared to be soldiers, they were dressed in light blue like the soldiers at my mother''s castle, and it looked like they carried crossbows rather than longbows.


    Feichin shrugged, "Those are Br¨¢daigh pennants flying on the towers, but that doesn''t mean the castle''s still loyal."


    Colm stated "We aren''t going to learn anything hiding out here. We have go to in and confront captain Eamon."


    "If everyone else there is loyal, they should obey me right?" I asked softly. I didn''t like the idea of people ''obeying'' me but it was a rank thing, I outranked them all thanks to my mom being their boss.


    "Correct," the knight nodded. "Once they know who you are."


    Feichin pointed out, "And if they''re all turned traitor, then it could be a death sentence just walking in there. Or at the very least we''d have to fight our way back out again."


    Colm frowned "Nevertheless we must go."


    Suddenly Keira exclaimed softly, "Oh fuck no!"


    I turned to the right, frowning. "What''s wrong?"


    Then Kelly gasped "What''s he doing here?!"


    Both of them pointed, and Kelly said "There, on top of the tower!"


    Two men were now visible standing atop the nearest tower. One was in the Br¨¢daigh livery, but dressed like an officer rather than one of the rank-and-file. He had dark hair, and he was the shorter of the two. The taller one had short fiery red hair, and it looked for all the world like he was wearing an Earth-style dark blue overcoat.


    The two men seemed to be engaged in relaxed, casual conversation with each other.


    Colm asked, "Which one are you referring to? Who is he?"


    Keira replied quietly "It''s our granddad! He''s bad news."


    "Who is he?" Colm asked again.


    I sighed, "Kelly and Keira''s grandfather. His name is Keenan ¨® Conghaile. He''s a fairly powerful mage. He can cross worlds. I know he works as a courier sometimes, and he spends most of his time on Earth."


    Keira stated, "He knows a lot of dark magic. Mind control, memory manipulation."


    "Tegan suspects he worked with another traitor against the clann about twenty-five years ago," Kelly added.


    Colm sighed, "Ok. So a dangerous mage who''s suspected of collaborating with traitors appears to be friends with captain Eamon, who is also suspected of treachery."


    "I assume this changes the plan?" Feichin asked quietly.


    Colm frowned, "We still need to accomplish our mission. We need to secure the castle, and the border. We need to remove the traitor."


    The huntsman pointed out "We are five against an entire castle."


    "We don''t know they''re all traitors," Colm stated. "It may be only Eamon."


    I sighed, "Ok. Colm you wanted a small light group. So the way to handle this isn''t a show of military force. Ideally we want to just go in, confirm whether or not Eamon''s a traitor, and if he is, find out about the rest of the castle. If they''re all against us we''re not going to be able to secure it. Our best bet will be to get home as fast as possible, so we can tell Maeve and she can send in an actual army."


    He frowned at me, "Then what do you propose?"


    I thought for a moment then said, "Colm and me are going to approach the castle. We''ll walk up to the front door and tell them we''re here to speak with Eamon. Feichin, Kelly, Keira, you three will stay out here where it''s safe. Me and Colm will deal with stuff in there, and if it goes badly I''ll teleport us both straight back out here and the five us will get clear as fast as we can. If it goes well, we''ll let you know and we can all go inside and get a hot meal and a good night''s sleep."


    The twins both looked like they wanted to protest, but I''m sure they could tell by the tone of my voice and the look on my face, I didn''t want them going in there until we knew it was safe.


    "So instead of five against an entire castle, it will be two against the castle?" Colm asked as he stared at me.


    I shrugged "Sure. You''re a knight of the realm. And the spirit of Taralynn Br¨¢daigh lives on in me, or something. We''ll be fine."


    He actually cracked a smile, and I wondered if my casual bravado might have impressed him. I decided not to mention how nervous I actually was.


    Keira warned, "If our granddad''s still there when you see Eamon, be extra careful. You know what he''s capable of."


    I sighed quietly, "I know Keira. I''ll be careful."


    "Feichin," I fixed my gaze on him. "I''m leaving Kelly and Keira in your protection. Your job is to keep them safe and secure. If you don''t hear from me in twenty-four hours, or if soldiers come out here looking for you? Then I want you to take them home. I trust you can get the three of you back to castle Br¨¢daigh the hard way if you must?"


    The huntsman nodded, "Aye m''lady. It''ll take a few weeks but I''ll get the young lasses there if we''ve no other choice."


    "Thank you Feichin," I stated. "I leave them in your care."


    PurpleCatGirl

 75. Dispatched

    "Why are we waiting?" Colm asked quietly. Even with his voice lowered, I could hear the impatience in his tone.


    The two of us had moved about half a kilometer north of the others, while staying concealed in the trees. The idea was when we finally emerged onto open ground we wouldn''t be anywhere near the rest of our group. Incase the castle sent scouts or something, to check where we came from.


    I glanced at the knight and replied quietly, "I was hoping to see Keenan leave. I''m not eager to confront him."


    Colm frowned slightly, "Are you scared of him, Lady Tegan?"


    "No," I sighed. "I just don''t want to have to kill my girlfriend''s grandfather. I don''t want to have to kill anyone at all, for that matter."


    "And if Eamon is a traitor?" he asked. "If the whole castle has been turned against your mother?"


    I frowned at him, "I don''t know. What if? What do we do then?"


    Colm stated quietly, "We kill as many as we can on our way out. An empty or under-manned castle is better than one fully staffed with traitors."


    I just sighed again, as I watched the castle''s main gate.


    So far I''d never actually killed anyone. People have died around me, people have died because of me, and people have died protecting me. That was bad enough. But I hadn''t taken any lives myself. I really didn''t want that to be the next line I had to cross.


    I was capable, of course. I knew at least a dozen spells that would snuff out a life before the person even knew they were in danger. Even if they did realize the threat, most would be helpless against me. I still hadn''t run into a limit on my power. With the magic I knew, I was pretty sure I could raze castle Griofa from the landscape along with everybody inside.


    And that frightened me. It was the dark side of my gift with magic.


    I wasn''t scared of men like Keenan, I was scared I might one day end up like that myself. And I was scared that if I kept crossing the lines I''d set for myself, I might not even notice when it happened.


    I tried hard not to let it all go to my head. I knew I wasn''t indestructible. The pain in my right thigh reminded me of that fact every other day. And I knew I was still young and naive, even by human standards but especially to the fae.


    Finally I took off my wide-brimmed hat and stuffed it into my backpack, then said to Colm "Ok, let''s go. We can''t wait all day. And he may have already left. He can probably travel unseen."


    The knight was happy to finally be moving again, and he led the two of us out. We emerged from the trees and started walking towards the castle gate.


    As we got to within a hundred meters or so, Colm mentioned "Lookouts have spotted us."


    "I have defensive magic ready," I replied quietly. "If they try attacking, I''ll keep us shielded."


    He nodded slightly, "I don''t see any raised weapons. They''ll have sent word down to the captain of course, but just two of us approaching on foot won''t alarm anyone."


    As we continued to approach, Colm added "They will likely recognize you by your hair, or will at least suspect you are a Br¨¢daigh. And they may realize I am in the service of the king. The blue patch on my jacket is the king''s colour."


    We continued our approach, and when we got to about twenty meters from the gate it opened slightly. A half dozen men emerged and took up a position before us. They were wearing my family''s livery, with chainmail jerkins overtop. All six had swords and daggers hanging from their belts, and all carried loaded crossbows. They held the bows downwards for now, but I knew it only took a second to raise and fire if they wished.


    A seventh man emerged from the gate, this one dressed like an officer. He too was armed with sword and dagger, but he wasn''t holding a bow, and wasn''t wearing armour.


    "Greetings travellers," the officer called to us. "I am lieutenant Desmond. Who are you, and what brings you to castle Griofa?"


    The knight spoke first, "I am Colm Mac Cionaoith, knight of the realm. I am here by order of king Cathal, and at the request of Lady Maeve Br¨¢daigh."


    I kept my eyes on the officer as I stated "And I am Lady Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh, daughter of Maeve Br¨¢daigh. We are here to meet with captain Eamon."


    The lieutenant bowed deeply, "Sir Colm, Lady Tegan, it is an honour."


    After he straightened up he gestured, "Please, follow me."


    He led us in through the gate, and the six soldiers followed us inside. Once we were all in, the gate was swung shut and sealed tight. I glanced around as we followed Desmond. Inside the castle walls, about half the space was an open courtyard. It didn''t look far off how I''d expected, based on movies set in the middle ages. There were soldiers up on the walls, and the half dozen behind us. Lots of eyes were on us but so far nobody seemed to be threatening.


    Across the courtyard the main buildings were built right into the castle walls, and we were led through a central doorway into a sort of hall. From there Desmond took us through a doorway on the right. We found ourselves in a sort of dining hall. There were three tables, arranged in a sort of C shape. The chairs were all along the outside so when everyone was seated they all faced inwards. There was nobody here at the moment, though I could imagine come evening it would be busy with the officers and soldiers in here taking their dinner. In addition to the door we''d come through, there was a door off to the left that probably led to the kitchens.


    Colm and I were standing in the middle just quietly looking around. The six guys in armour didn''t follow us in here, it was just me and the knight and Desmond.


    "Please make yourselves comfortable," the lieutenant said with a friendly smile. "I will fetch captain Eamon at once."


    "Thank you," I replied.


    Desmond bowed slightly then turned and left. He pulled the door closed behind him.


    Neither Colm or I made a move to sit down, we just stayed where we were. I could tell he was on alert. He left his weapons where they were for now. I kept ready with defensive magic, quietly preparing both my barrier spell and some anti-magic spells to keep them on the tip of my tongue.


    After a minute or two, the door we''d come through opened and a dozen soldiers filed in and took up position all along that wall. Each was wearing chainmail and carrying a loaded crossbow. They hadn''t raised their weapons towards us, but it was obviously a threatening move. They stood between us and the exit.


    Then the other door opened and an officer entered. I was positive he was the guy we''d seen on the tower, talking to Keenan. He was carrying a mug of something, probably ale. He had a self-assured smile on his face, as he sat down in one of the chairs off to our left and had a sip of his drink.


    "So," he stated, watching me and Colm. "Lady Maeve has sent her little girl and a single knight to come and talk with me? I''d suspected her resources were stretched thin, but I had no idea she was this close to breaking."


    He had another sip and added "And I''m very surprised that she''d send her own babe into what she must have known would surely be certain death."


    I sighed as I watched him. He wasn''t even trying to hide his treason. "Captain Eamon, I am Lady Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh, great-granddaughter of Taralynn. I order you to stand down your men and surrender yourself to sir Colm and I."


    Eamon laughed, "Please, child. I''m not falling for that nonsense."


    "You obviously haven''t heard the stories," Colm stated.


    "I''ve heard rumours and lies," Eamon replied. He still sounded amused, he wasn''t taking us seriously at all. "This girl might have the Br¨¢daigh name and looks, but Taralynn''s dead and gone. I happen to know this girl''s no great mage. I even know she''s lame in one leg, she needs other people to provide regular magic just to keep her upright."


    I thought about that a moment, then I realized. He was getting his information from Keenan. Keenan knew about my injury and my need for regular treatment, because Kelsey knew that. But Kelly never told her mother about my gift for magic, she never told her mother the Taralynn stuff. So all Keenan knew was I could cast a few very basic spells.


    I actually had to fight to keep a smile off my face. Keenan and Eamon both believed I was a helpless twenty-five year old fae child.


    "Captain Eamon," Colm stated in a warning tone, "You have been ordered to stand down your men. This is your final warning."


    The captain just laughed and had another swig of his drink.


    Glancing between Colm, Eamon, and the dozen guys with crossbows I realized things were probably about to get ugly. And as much as I hated to do it, I knew we needed more information before things went bad. I''d already crossed that line once at my mother''s command, so I grit my teeth and did it again.


    It was easier this time, and I hoped that was because Eamon was actively being a dick and threatening us. I really hoped it wasn''t easier because I was getting used to doing it.


    While Eamon was watching my companion, I closed my eyes and worked the spell that let me peak into his mind. I saw his collaborators, the men he worked with. And I saw what Eamon knew of their plans, his memories of their meeting a little over a year ago.


    That was all I had time for, as Eamon ordered his soldiers, "Kill the knight. Spare the girl, my associate has plans for her."


    As I ended the spell I got a brief glimpse of what he knew of Keenan''s plans for me, and it left me feeling both sickened and enraged.


    Moving as one, all twelve men raised their crossbows to their shoulders, aiming at Colm. And as one, all twelve fired.


    I gestured slightly with my right hand as I worked the spell. The dozen projectiles all shattered when they hit my barrier mid-way between the line of men and where Colm and I were standing.


    At the same time, Colm slipped his bow off his shoulder with his left hand while his right pulled an arrow from the quiver at his hip. In one smooth action he set the arrow on the string, raised and drew the bow, and released his arrow.


    Eamon was sat no more than five meters away from where we stood, and the look of shock was frozen on his face. He didn''t even make a sound as the arrow buried itself up to the feathers as it passed through his chest, through his heart, and pierced the back of the chair behind him.


    The dozen soldiers all looked shocked to varying degrees. What seemed at first to be target practice for them suddenly became something else entirely. Half of them started scrambling to reload their crossbows, the other half dropped the bows and drew swords. They charged at us, and all six of them were stopped in their tracks as they bonked into my shield.


    Colm already had another arrow on his string and he let it go, into the chest of one of the men who was trying to reload. Unlike at Duma D¨¦, the barrier I''d raised here was one-sided. It kept us safe, but did nothing to protect our enemies.


    I ordered the soldiers "Stand down! Lay down arms and surrender!"


    A couple of them looked like they weren''t sure what to do, while Colm started picking off the ones who were still trying to fight back. I felt sick again. I knew the men were helpless, I could hold the spell all day long and they had no way to get through it. Meanwhile Colm was able to just stand there and eliminate them, one after another.


    When the seventh soldier went down with an arrow through his chest, the remaining five finally got the message and dropped their weapons.


    I sighed, "Thank you. Now..."


    Something felt wrong. I was suddenly very weary, and couldn''t remember what I was going to say. It became hard to think, like my head was filling with fog. I wanted to sit down in one of the nearby chairs so I could rest, but even that seemed like an impossible chore. The floor would be cosy enough, I could just close my eyes and...


    There was a surge of adrenaline as I realized what was happening. Another presence was in my head, influencing my thoughts, draining my resolve. I mentally scrambled to work the counter-spell, and the fog immediately lifted from my mind. My heart was racing though as it struck me just how close that had been.


    I decided at this point we needed to get clear. Keenan was obviously nearby, and I had to assume he already had control of the rest of the castle. We had our answers, we knew Eamon was a traitor and I knew who he was working for. I needed to get that information back to Maeve.


    Colm was still next to me, with his bow at ready. I put my hand on his shoulder and teleported him back to where we''d left Feichin and the twins. As soon as he was gone, I teleported myself clear as well.


    PurpleCatGirl

 76. Damaged

    "Why didn''t you finish the job?!" Colm demanded angrily. "We had the advantage! We needed to press on and finish it!"


    My heart was still racing from nearly being enspelled, from the slaughter I''d witnessed, and from what I''d seen in Eamon''s mind. I looked at the knight and sighed, "Keenan was somewhere nearby. He was trying to use a mind control spell on me."


    "So you fled?!" Colm glared. "You are scared of him after all, is that it?"


    I glanced at Kelly and Keira. Both of them were to my right, along with Feichin. Colm and I had reappeared in the area where we''d left the three of them, just beyond the tree-line to the south-east of the castle.


    With another sigh I stated "No, I already told you Colm. I don''t want to kill their grandfather. I don''t want to kill anyone. I''m not going to do that."


    The knight seemed unconvinced, and he was still angry that I''d got us both out of there before he could finish his slaughter or do whatever else he meant to do.


    He shook his head, "I don''t know what to believe right now m''lady. Clearly you can work some magic, you can teleport and cross worlds, and you can work a shield spell. But I''m starting to think the rest of the stories really are just tall tales after all."


    Before I could respond he stated, "I am the king''s representative here. And by authority of King Cathal, I command you to transport all five of us back inside that castle so we can finish the job."


    I started to speak, but he cut me off again.


    "Obey my lawful orders Lady Tegan, or I will be forced to conclude you are a coward, a liar, and disrespectful to the crown."


    By now the other three were tense. They all had their bows in hand, though none were raised. Colm still had his as well of course, all four of them were ready to fight.


    I kept my eyes on the knight, as I stood my ground and looked up at him. With my voice level, I quietly and calmly stated "I will not kill. I got the information my mother needed. You executed the traitor. My priority now is to get what I''ve learned back to Lady Maeve, so she can act on it."


    Colm opened his mouth to speak, but this time I interrupted.


    "And frankly I don''t care if you believe the stories or not. I''d prefer to keep what I''m capable of secret rather than parading it for all the world to see. But right now, you''ve put me in a position where I must either convince you or fight you. So I will give you a small demonstration."


    I worked the spell in my mind as I said softly, "Sir Colm, this is what a legend can do."


    To be fair it was actually a relatively simple spell. Elemental earth magic, to manipulate the ground. Modest mages could use it to dig a well, or perhaps level a field to make it suitable for farming. More skilled mages could use it to dig foundations for a building. I poured much more power into it than that. In fact I decided to see if I''d find my limit today, and poured all I could muster into it.


    There was a very light shudder through the trees. A faint tremor which caused the leaves to whisper slightly. Birds took to the air. Not just near us but everywhere for hundreds of meters around.


    Then it started, and we all felt the rumble before we heard it.


    Men began shouting in the distance behind me, accompanied by the sound of dogs barking. I didn''t turn and look, I already knew what was happening. The ground alongside the castle was shaking and heaving. The pennants atop the walls and towers were swaying back and forth, and the stonework of the eastern wall was starting to crack and crumble.


    With an awesome roar, a fissure some twenty or thirty meters long opened up in the earth beneath the structure. Its foundation now compromised, part of the castle''s east wall collapsed, along with the south-east tower. The noise was loud out here, it must have been almost deafening to those within the castle.


    I still hadn''t found my limit, but it was enough of a demonstration so I let the power fade and brought my spell to an end. I hadn''t taken my eyes off Colm, I hadn''t even turned back to look. I could see the colour had already drained from his face, and his eyes kept flicking back and forth between me and the scene in the distance behind me.


    With my voice still low and quiet I stated, "Sir Colm Mac Cionaoith, if you wish to go and attack the castle, be my guest. I''ve just opened up a door for you. But I answer to Maeve Br¨¢daigh, and my responsibility is to her and my clann. Now Kelly and Keira and Feichin and I are going to leave, and we are going back to castle Br¨¢daigh to make our report to the countess of Cathasaigh. You may accompany us, or you may remain here."


    The knight just stared past me at the castle. He looked like he was at a loss for words.


    "M''lady," Feichin said quietly. "They have horses, and I can hear the dogs still barking. We''ll not be able to out-pace them on foot. The dogs''ll have our scent and the men''ll run us down on horseback."


    "Thank you Feichin," I kept my voice calm and level. "I''ll teleport us back to the spot where the veil is thin, and we can wait there for dawn."


    Colm frowned at me, "After all that..." He glanced at the castle then looked at me again. "After all that, you can still teleport five people?"


    I looked up at him again, then shrugged slightly. "You still haven''t seen all I''m capable of."


    The knight stared down at me, and I''m pretty sure he gulped slightly.


    I watched him for another second or two, then finally turned away. I put my hand on Feichin''s shoulder and sent him first. Then Kelly, followed by Keira. Colm just stood and watched silently. He tensed slightly, almost flinched when I put my hand on his arm and teleported him.


    Alone, I finally turned and looked back at the castle. The damage to the south-east corner was extensive. The tower was now an oblong pile of loose stones, spread out about ten or fifteen meters long and four or five meters high. There was a gap about five meters wide in the eastern wall, and through it I could see the pandemonium inside.


    A dozen or so soldiers were readying horses, more were scrambling to shore up the hole in their wall with whatever they had at hand. I couldn''t tell if anyone was injured, or worse if any had died. I realized some may have. I felt a wave of nausea as it hit me. There could have been men on the wall or the tower when it went down, and they''d be buried in the mass of rubble now.


    There was another wave of emotions for the building itself. I knew castle Griofa had been here a long time. Centuries at least, maybe even a millennium. Taralynn herself might have had a hand in building the place, or at least ordering its construction. And now I''d come along and broken it.


    I sighed as I thought about the injuries or deaths I might have inadvertently caused with my display of power. And I thought about the men Colm killed, the men I allowed him to kill as I held my shield up to protect us without protecting them. I might not have just stepped over another of my lines, but I certainly moved right up to the edge. Perhaps I even let my toes slip across.


    I wasn''t really a spiritual person, but it felt like maybe a little prayer was in order.


    I dropped down to one knee and put my hands on the ground so I could feel the cold dirt beneath my fingers, and I whispered an apology. I asked the earth for forgiveness, for using it in such a violent and destructive way. I apologized to whatever gods might be listening and to the memory of Taralynn, for using my gift to hurt people. And I asked that anyone I might have harmed with my display of power would be ok.


    Finally I stood up again. I closed my eyes and teleported myself to the waypoint to join the others.


    "There you are!"


    "What took you so long!"


    There were two sets of arms around me before I could even open my eyes. Kelly on my left, Keira on my right, both were hugging me tightly.


    "Sorry," I sighed as I opened my eyes.


    Keira asked "What happened? Were you attacked?"


    I shook my head, "No. I just got a little lost in thought."


    Kelly gave me a worried look and held me tighter.


    Feichin and Colm were both a few meters away. The huntsman said quietly, "It''s too exposed right here. We''ll be safer settling down elsewhere, then returning to this spot for sunrise."


    Keira asked, "You figure they''ll come here? Will they know where to look?"


    "Aye lass. Even though the scent will be a few days old, if their dogs find our trail they''ll be able to follow it back this way."


    "How long until they get here, Feichin?" There wasn''t any emotion in my voice. I didn''t want them to hear the weariness I felt and mistake it for exhaustion. I was tired, but not from using magic. I just didn''t want any more conflict, I didn''t want to see anyone else get hurt or killed right now.


    He replied, "If they''re willing to ride through the night, the dogs will find us before sunrise."


    After a brief pause he added, "If they already know of this place and have reason to suspect we''re here, they could reach us by nightfall."


    I nodded slowly, then came to another decision. "Then we leave at dusk. We won''t wait for dawn."


    I spread out my arms and my senses and moved around till I found the spot. Then I just sat down right there in the clearing to wait. I figured it was only a couple hours.


    Kelly and Keira looked surprised, and slightly worried, but they both at down beside me.


    "M''lady?" Feichin sounded uneasy. "As I said, it''s too exposed here to..."


    His voice trailed off when he saw the look in my eyes. I wasn''t going to budge from this spot till dusk.


    The twins seemed to sense it too, and Colm was just sort of avoiding my gaze at this point.


    Feichin and the knight took up positions on opposite sides of the small clearing, to stand guard and watch for trouble. I had Kelly and Keira both leaning up against either side of me, each with an arm around me. And there we sat, until the sun finally reached the horizon.


    As soon as I felt the veil start to weaken I was on my feet, with my arms looped through the twins'' arms.


    I stated softly, "Feichin, Colm. It''s time."


    They both moved closer and took hold of Kelly''s and Keira''s hands. When everyone was ready I cast the spell and brought all five of us through and across. It was noticeably harder crossing over at dusk rather than dawn, but I was able to force my way through.


    When it was over, the other four were all stunned and disoriented as usual, but this time I was fine. I don''t know if it was my mood, my resolve, or if I''d just hit some magic number where I was used to it. Whatever it was I didn''t dwell on it. I set off across the little glade and started climbing up out of the ravine towards my backyard, with Kelly and Keira close on my heels.


    "Why''d you bring us home?" Kelly asked, sounding confused.


    "Is everything ok Tegan?" Keira sounded worried.


    I stayed quiet as we crossed the yard. When we reached the kitchen door I looked at them both and sighed.


    "I''m done. This was supposed to be a vacation. It was supposed to be relaxing. We were supposed to be having fun, enjoying ourselves. And I thought being in Otherworld was where I was meant to be, I thought I''d be happier there. Instead we''ve gone from one crisis to another to another. People there want to use me, manipulate me. I''ve been forced to break my own rules. First for Maeve, then again today with Colm. We''ve spent the past two nights sleeping on the ground eating salted shoe leather and drinking vinegar. And this afternoon I stood by and watched mister McKnight there slaughter eight men. And I may have killed a few more myself when I brought down the castle wall."


    I shook my head and sighed once more. "I need a break. I need a vacation from our vacation."


    Kelly and Keira both gave me a sad, compassionate look. Colm and Feichin were a few meters back, they''d both heard what I said of course. The huntsman looked uneasy, the knight looked worried.


    The house was locked up tight and we''d left our keys at Maeve''s castle, but I unlocked it with a spell. The twins and I entered, then I looked at the other two.


    "Feichin, you have permission to enter my home." I fixed my eyes on the other one. "Colm, before I allow you in I want you to understand something. This is my property. You have no rank here, no authority. Neither as a knight or as a cop. You may enter if you promise to obey my rules, otherwise you can spend the night outside."


    He watched me a moment longer then nodded, "I understand Lady Tegan, and I will obey your rules."


    PurpleCatGirl

 77. Disengaged

    "You''re sure you wouldn''t like anything, Feichin?" I asked. "A hot meal, a cold drink, anything?"


    He shook his head slightly, "No m''lady. Thank you though, the offer is most generous."


    The huntsman was obviously very much out of his element. He had his blanket spread out on the living-room floor beside the wood stove. He''d parked himself there once we were inside, and quickly got a nice warm fire burning.


    Kelly and Keira and I each took a turn in the shower. Now we were all clean, warm, and comfy. All three of us were in nightshirts and fuzzy slippers. Then to the huntsman''s amazement, I''d gone into the kitchen and made dinner for everyone.


    It wasn''t anything special, I thawed out and reheated the leftovers from our last meal. To stretch it a bit further I also made up a big batch of rice.


    Now Colm was sitting on the recliner, Kelly and Keira and I were together on the sofa. The four of us had plates of hot food, me and the twins were sipping hard lemonades, and Colm had a can of cola.


    Feichin stuck with his preserved meat and watery wine. I was pretty sure it wasn''t that he actually liked that stuff. Much more likely he was just uncomfortable, or perhaps even scared of Earth food. I couldn''t really blame him, after all I''d swept him off to another planet where just about everything was different and alien to him.


    "So, we''re crossing back over at dawn?" Colm asked.


    I nodded, "Yeah. I guess. We''ll get up early, head back down to the ravine for sunrise, and I''ll take us back to castle Br¨¢daigh."


    "Feichin," Kelly asked softly. "Are you sure you''ll be comfortable on the floor there?"


    The huntsman nodded, "Aye lass, this is fine. I''ll stay here and tend the fire. It''s perhaps the only thing I understand in this place."


    Keira looked at the knight, "Then you can crash here on the sofa after we''ve gone to bed."


    Colm nodded slightly, "Thanks."


    I had less to eat than anyone else, and I finished quicker. I excused myself and went back to the kitchen. I left my plate and cutlery in the sink for now, then picked up my phone. It was just past eight o''clock.


    I had a seat at the kitchen table, then opened up my contacts app and tapped her name.


    She answered after the third ring, "Hello?"


    I smiled, "Hi dad. Or would you prefer I call you...?"


    "Tegan!" she sounded happy, but lowered her voice. "You can still call me dad. I won''t complain though if you use my name." With her voice at a normal level again she asked, "So you and the twins are back from your holiday?"


    I sighed as my smile faded, "Not really. It''s just a brief lay-over, we have to head back over again at dawn."


    Elise sounded worried, "That doesn''t sound good hon. What''s wrong, do you want to talk about it?"


    "Nah, its ok I guess. Politics, intrigue, that kind of nonsense." I sighed again. "I don''t want to trouble you with it. I wanted to call though, to let you know I might be stuck over there for a while. I don''t know how long. But I wanted you to know, so you wouldn''t get worried. I will be back, and I''ll do what I promised. I just can''t say right now when that might be."


    I heard her sigh faintly, "You stay safe Tegan. You hear? Promise me you''ll stay safe."


    "I''ll be safe Elise, don''t worry about me." I hesitated, then asked "Any progress talking with mom?"


    There was a louder sigh this time, "Not yet. Whenever I try to discuss it, she deflects, finds some way to avoid the conversation. I know she''s planning something. I think she wants to make it a surprise."


    "Crap," I sighed. "I wish I could stay to help but... Yeah. Sorry Elise. I have to deal with stuff there, but as soon as that''s done I''ll be back here to help. Both you and mom. Have you been thinking about what you''re going to do, after?"


    There was some excitement in her voice as she replied, "Actually yes! There''s a college program I''m interested in. The campus is only about fifty kilometers north of your place. It''s close enough we can keep in touch, even see each other on weekends maybe."


    I smiled "That sounds great! Email me the details, I''ll have a look at it when we get back."


    "You bet Tegan!" she replied. "And thanks for calling. If you''ve got to be up at dawn I won''t keep you any longer. Take care."


    I smiled, "You too Elise. I''ll call as soon as I''m back."


    We spent another minute or so exchanging pleasantries and wishing each other good night, then finally disconnected. I turned my phone off, and by then the twins and Colm had finished eating. I gathered up their dishes and washed everything up and put it all away again.


    Then I made my way back upstairs and into the bedroom. As I pulled off my nightshirt I could hear Kelly and Keira both coming up as well. I slipped into bed and suppressed a shiver. It was cold, I couldn''t wait till my girlfriend joined me and helped warm it up.


    A moment later the tall beautiful redhead entered the bedroom. And right behind her was her sister.


    For a moment I didn''t know what to say or how to react, as both of them pulled off their nightshirts. Kelly moved around to climb into bed on my left, then I had to shift over out of the way as Keira slipped into bed next to me on the right.


    I guess I assumed being back at home, things would go back to normal. This wasn''t the enormous poster bed with room for six people, it was our comfy little queen-size. This wasn''t Otherworld, this was Earth. This wasn''t fantasy, fairy-tale, or vacation. This was reality, this was home.


    Both twins started to cuddle up on either side of me, and I''m sure they could both feel the tension in me. They both sort of turned to look at me, to see what was wrong.


    I sighed, "Ok... I guess the three of us have to talk."


    "What''s wrong babe?" Kelly asked.


    I sat up and looked back and forth between them, before finally fixing my eyes on Kelly. "When we talked about this, you originally asked me to keep Keira company now and then. And when we talked about her joining us for cuddling, it was only on occasion. Then suddenly she was with us every night. Suddenly it felt like you two were sharing me fifty-fifty. And all that seemed to start happening right after I made you both fully fae. It also started happening right when all the weird twin stuff began."


    "So," I sighed again, "Ontop of everything else, the stress with my human folks, the stress with Maeve, the worry about Connor, all the fighting and politics and intrigue and everything else going on... Ontop of all that, I''m terrified that I''ve done something to you two that''s messed you both up somehow."


    I shook my head, "Then Colm told us about that fable and those legends. I''m scared that I''ve done something awful to you both. That my spell''s merged your souls or blurred your personalities or..."


    My voice started breaking slightly and I may have had some tears in my eyes as I trailed off. My stomach was doing flip-flops, as all the little concerns and worries I''d been suppressing or ignoring since Samhain all came back at once now that I''d put them into words.


    Both Kelly and Keira had wide eyes as they listened to me, both sat up as well while I was talking.


    Kelly shook her head, "Oh Gods Tegan no! I''m so sorry!"


    "Tegan it''s not like that," Keira said softly.


    "Ok yes we''ve been playing up the identical twins stuff," Kelly admitted quietly. "Once we realized nobody could tell us apart it was too much fun to resist."


    Keira nodded, "It reminded us of when we were young, like before we started acting different enough for people to tell us apart? We had a ton of fun back then messing with everyone. We''ve just been reliving some of that."


    Kelly sighed, "You haven''t done anything wrong Tegan. You''ve given us both a wonderful and amazing gift."


    "Sorry it''s been upsetting you Tegan," Keira apologized. "If we''d known earlier how much it bothered you we wouldn''t have kept doing it to you."


    I looked back and forth between them as they talked, then finally asked "Ok... So you''re not both blurring together to become one being with two bodies? You''re not losing your individuality or sense of self or anything like that?"


    "Not a bit Tegan," Kelly stated. "I promise. I''m still Kelly, she''s still Keira."


    Keira added, "We still have all our own likes and dislikes. She likes the hard lemonade, I prefer wine. She likes romantic comedies, I like sci-fi."


    "There are some things we have in common though..." Kelly said. She hesitated, then whispered "We both love you."


    That brought a blush to my face, and another little lurch to my stomach. "Right... And that brings me back to the other point, about our relationship." I looked to my left and asked, "Kelly? Are you and I still girlfriends?"


    "Absolutely yes," she stated.


    I looked to the right, "Keira? What''s the relationship between us?"


    She sighed. "I''d like to think we''ve been pretty good friends for a while, Tegan. Since you let me move in here, I think we''ve been close friends. And... If you''ll let me, I''d like to be your girlfriend too. I''d like you and me to be girlfriends."


    For a few moments I wasn''t sure what to say again. I glanced back and forth, then finally asked, "Kelly?" I needed to know what she thought or felt about this.


    She looked thoughtful. "I know I originally talked about you spending time with Keira as an occasional thing. It never really occurred to me that there might be anything more. But if there is more, then that''s ok with me. I don''t think I''d be comfortable sharing you with just anyone? But I don''t mind sharing you with Keira."


    After a moment she asked, "But what do you think Tegan? And what do you want? Because nothing will work if you''re uncomfortable or unhappy."


    I took a deep breath, then sighed again as I thought it over. "I love you Kelly, and I have for years. I can''t imagine anyone or anything getting in the way of that or coming between us."


    I looked to the right and said "Keira... I''ve always wanted to be friends with you. And the past year, our friendship has grown a lot. We''re close, and I definitely love you as a friend. I''d hate to lose that. I''m just... There''s stuff I guess I don''t understand, about all three of us being in some kind of relationship together."


    "Hey babe?" Kelly asked softly. "Why''d this come up now? I mean, the three of us shared a bed together almost a full week at the castle, and even out in the woods we''ve all been cuddling together every night."


    I shrugged slightly. "That was vacation. Otherworld. That was fairy-tale stuff. This is home." I hesitated. "Having you both stripping down and getting into bed with me here means that stuff wasn''t just a short-term vacation thing. This makes it part of our real lives. This is our bedroom, our bed."


    I added to Keira, "I''m not trying to push you away or make you feel uncomfortable. I''m just explaining why it feels different to me now."


    "It''s ok Tegan," Keira replied. "I get it." She hesitated a moment, then asked "Do you want me to go back to my room?"


    I took another deep breath as I thought it over. Finally I shook my head, "No, I don''t want to push you away. I guess I just need to have some boundaries defined, I need to understand the rules and stuff. Before our room and our bed also becomes your room and your bed."


    I grimaced as I added, "I know this isn''t the best time, and we''re all going to be up early and probably have another long crappy day back in Otherworld tomorrow. But I think we need to work this stuff out sooner, rather than later. Ok?"


    Keira nodded, "Ok Tegan. Thank you."


    Kelly cuddled up closer on my left and smiled "Thanks babe."


    I shifted so I had an arm around each of them, and all three of us finally lay back together as we all got comfortable. The bed was nice and warm by now too which helped a lot.


    Once all three of us were comfy I sighed. "Ok. Let''s try and figure this stuff out. Even if we can''t come up with all the answers tonight, maybe we can sort out some basics..."


    PurpleCatGirl

 78. Destressed

    "You''re sure?" I asked quietly as I had another sip of coffee. "I''m offering, because I don''t want you two to feel obligated."


    Kelly stated "Positive. We''ve both emailed our profs, we''ve explained that the ''family emergency'' isn''t over yet."


    "We''re sticking with you Tegan," Keira added. "We''d be with you regardless, but knowing our granddad''s involved also makes this our business."


    I nodded slowly, "Thanks you two. I appreciate it."


    It was about forty-five minutes till sunrise, and we were sitting around the kitchen table enjoying our first and last coffee before the return trip to Otherworld.


    We were all dressed in jeans, t-shirts and running shoes. None of us could bring ourselves to climb back into the dirty travel-wear we''d lived in for the past three days. That stuff was in a pile on the utility room floor. Next time we were home we''d wash it, or maybe burn it.


    Colm and Feichin were still in the living-room for now. Both had turned down our offer of coffee, they were just quietly waiting for the three of us to be ready to head back out.


    Except I asked Kelly and Keira if they''d rather just stay here. It was November eleventh today. If our original vacation plans hadn''t gone out the window, the three of us would have been back home in another day or two. The twins were both expected back at university on Monday.


    I knew if they came with me back to Otherworld it could be weeks before they got home again. We had business to take care of that might require more time-consuming treks back and forth across the Southern Marches. We needed to resolve our clann''s differences with the Ceallaighs in County Donnghaile to the east. And we had a score to settle with Aengus ¨® Faol¨¢in in County Conchobhair to the west.


    Then there was the matter of Keenan ¨® Conghaile. He was bad news all around. After that night Keira told me about him, he''d gone from someone I was suspicious of to someone I actively disliked. With everything I learned and experienced yesterday, he was now an enemy. He was an enemy of Clann Br¨¢daigh, but he was also a personal enemy of mine.


    Neither of my girlfriends were safe around their granddad, and from what Keira told me that night I knew they couldn''t trust their own mother either. At least they were safe from Kelsey now, they no longer had to fear their mother or her magic.


    "How about you, babe?" Kelly asked. "You sounded pretty close to calling it quits last night when you brought us here. Are you sure you''re ready to head back into it so soon?"


    Keira suggested, "We could spend another full day here then head back tomorrow at dawn, and still be ahead of schedule."


    I grimaced slightly, "When I brought us here? Yeah. I was pretty close to quitting. But last night you two helped me unwind. A lot. I know stuff''s going to suck when we get back to Otherworld, but with the three of us all together, it won''t be quite so bad I think."


    Kelly and Keira both smiled at me.


    "I''m glad we could help, babe."


    "Yeah Tegan. I''m glad we could take care of at least one thing that was stressing you."


    We still didn''t have all the answers, but the three of us had worked out the basics and set some ground rules. We were now a pair of couples. Or a ''throuple'' as Kelly called it. Me and Kelly were girlfriends. And me and Keira were girlfriends too.


    The three of us ironed out one other detail before we finally fell asleep last night. Next time we came home we''d be ordering a new king-size bed. The queen-size wasn''t quite big enough for three, and in my mind it would always be my-and-Kelly''s bed. The replacement would be for all three of us.


    For now, we were all in fairly good spirits. We finished our coffees and I quickly washed up the mugs and the machine, while Kelly let the guys know it was just about time.


    Feichin kept an eye on the fire all night, and between his skill and his magic he expertly extinguished it then closed up the wood stove. Me and the twins pulled on jackets over our t-shirts, and the five of us were ready to go.


    Kelly and Keira had their bows with them again, as did Colm and Feichin. With the house once again quiet and everything turned off, we filed out the back door then I locked it with another spell. We made our way across the backyard and down into the ravine, and soon enough we were in the little glade.


    Ten minutes after that we were back in Otherworld, near the garrison in the southern forest. Like last night I wasn''t affected by the crossing the way my companions were, and this time I immediately brought my shield up between us and the row of archers who were ready to greet any unexpected guests. Not that I didn''t trust my mother''s men, but I didn''t want to risk anyone getting hurt by accident.


    As before, Gaelen was there to order the archers to stand down, and horses were readied for us.


    "M''lady, with your permission I''ll take my leave now," the huntsman said to me. "I reckon you four can tell Lady Maeve all she needs to know, you don''t need me along for that."


    I smiled and nodded, "Of course. Thank you Feichin for all your help. I will speak highly of you to my mother."


    He tipped his hat to me and the twins, then walked off away from us and the garrison, heading north-west into the woods.


    "What an odd fellow," Colm commented as we watched him go.


    Gaelen accompanied us back to the castle, and of course one of the soldiers carried our pennant high so folks would know I was returning.


    Maeve met us in the courtyard, she looked both relieved we were back but also worried that we were back so soon. Captain Siobhan was there too of course, and there were other soldiers and servants to tend to the horses and everything. Kelly and Keira gave back the bows they''d been carrying, as did Colm.


    Maeve looked to me, "Tegan, welcome home! You''re early though. Is everything all right? Did you run into trouble?"


    I greeted her with a hug and replied, "We need to talk."


    Maeve caught the tone of my voice and the look on my face and nodded, "Of course."


    She led the four of us inside and Siobhan followed. We wound up back in our usual haunt of course. Along the way she ordered servants to have breakfast brought to us in the study.


    The five of us sat together around a table, until Maeve asked her captain to join us. Siobhan once again appeared uncomfortable but she didn''t protest as she pulled a sixth chair over and joined us at the table.


    The table was round and we''d all sort of crowded around it. There was Maeve then Keira then myself, then Kelly then Colm then Siobhan. Conversation waited until after the food and drinks were all set out and the servants retreated.


    My fae-mom looked around at all of us then said "I''d like to hear Tegan''s report first, then we''ll hear from you sir Colm."


    He just nodded slightly. The others all started to eat quietly as I began with the most important information.


    "Captain Eamon was indeed a traitor. I say ''was'', because Sir Colm executed him yesterday afternoon. Eamon and Keenan ¨® Conghaile have been working for Lord Aengus for decades, perhaps over a century."


    Maeve''s expression immediately darkened at the news of her captain''s betrayal. Then she asked, "Keenan ¨® Conghaile? Is he not your grandfather?" She looked from Kelly to Keira.


    "Yes m''lady," Kelly replied.


    Keira added, "We disavow him or whatever. We have nothing to do with the man. Or our mother. Kelly and me are both loyal to Tegan and you and Clann Br¨¢daigh."


    Maeve nodded, "Thank you Keira. I did not doubt your loyalties but I appreciate the sentiment."


    I realized Colm was staring at me again, and after a few moments figured out why. He had no idea I''d peaked into Eamon''s mind. He knew the captain was a traitor but that''s all he knew.


    "Mother, there''s more. A lot more." I sighed as I looked back at her again.


    I decided to tell them everything I''d seen, all the details of that meeting the three conspirators had last year. I knew it would upset Maeve, as well as both my girlfriends. I drank a few gulps of juice then took a deep breath and started talking.


    When I was done, my fae-mom knew her own mother had been murdered. She knew she''d been manipulated, our whole family had been played for the past hundred years. And she knew the mastermind behind it all was Lord Aengus, and that Keenan ¨® Conghaile was a very dangerous man, that he was an enemy of our clann.


    And Kelly and Keira both learned their grandfather had been the one behind the attack back on Earth. That Kelly had very nearly died at her own grandfather''s hand.


    And we all knew that Aodhan Ceallaigh had been murdered because Lord Aengus had said my marriage to Aodhan must be stopped, and he wanted an important Ceallaigh to die. So Captain Eamon put the two together and picked Ois¨ªn''s son as his target.


    I finished my report with the explanation that Keenan was present in castle Griofa and attempted to use mind control on me, but I managed to block the spell and quickly teleported Colm and myself to safety.


    I didn''t mention what happened after that, with Colm''s angry threats and demands, and I didn''t mention what I''d done to the castle. I figured I''d leave that for him.


    I finished off with, "They had dogs and horses, and Feichin warned that we''d be overrun on our walk back to the place where the veil was thin. So I teleported the five of us straight there. We crossed over to Earth last night at dusk, spent the night at my property there, then returned here at dawn."


    The others had all stopped eating during my report. Maeve and the twins looked shocked and upset, Siobhan and Colm probably stopped out of good manners.


    With my report over, the knight then took up the story. I was hungry, so manners or not I started eating while he spoke.


    He confirmed my report of Eamon''s treachery, and suggested with the captain dead the second in charge there, lieutenant Desmond probably took command of the castle.


    Colm glanced at me and added, "Since Keenan was working so closely with Eamon, and it appeared Keenan had the run of the castle, Lady Tegan concluded the entire castle was likely compromised and in the service of either mister ¨® Conghaile or Lord Aengus. She felt at that point her priority was to get this information back to you."


    Maeve sighed, "Thank you sir Colm. And thank you Tegan, Kelly, Keira."


    "I assume Feichin buggered off as soon as you were all back here?" Siobhan asked.


    I nodded, "Yeah he seemed pretty eager to get back to his own home." I added, "He did an excellent job while we were travelling. I don''t know how you handle stuff like this, but I''d like to see him rewarded, or at least thanked."


    My fae-mom nodded, "I will see to it, Tegan."


    We were all quiet for a while after that, and everyone wound up focusing on breakfast again for now.


    "Sir Colm," Maeve asked after she''d had enough of breakfast, "What will be your next move?"


    The knight was quiet a few moments as a thoughtful look settled on his face. He mostly stared at the table, but he did glance towards me, then at Maeve.


    Finally he replied "I need to send a report back to King Cathal. Then I believe you and I both need to address the situation with Lord Aengus. As you know, the king wouldn''t normally involve himself in a dispute between noble houses. But Lord Aengus''s actions have put the entire southern border at risk, gambling with the stability of the Southern Marches. That is something the king will not condone. I am confident the king will support you in action against Aengus."


    Maeve sighed, "War will weaken the region regardless who I do battle with, sir Colm. Whether with the Ceallaighs to the east, or the ¨® Faol¨¢ins to the west."


    We were all quiet again for now, till Keira spoke up.


    "Ok, Aengus is the guy who''s been pulling strings the whole time. But he''s been depending on others to actually do his dirty work. I mean, he hasn''t just marched in and attacked Cathasaigh, he''s been trying for over a century to get you and the Ceallaighs into a war with each other. So I don''t think he''s a direct threat. And now that Eamon''s dead, that just leaves our granddad."


    Keira took a deep breath, then suggested "Worry about the old mastermind guy later, after he''s been isolated and he''s run out of lackeys. First priority, in my opinion, is to find and deal with granddad."


    PurpleCatGirl

 79. Defied

    "Keira, you seemed eager to pursue your grandfather." Maeve observed. "Is there anything else going on that I should know about?"


    It was early evening now, and the four of us were seated around the table in Maeve''s private dining room. After our debriefing this morning, Colm retired to his room to write up his report while the twins and I went to our room to relax.


    We wound up spending most of the day in bed. We got some more sleep, we talked a lot more about our new relationship status, and I wound up spending some time being intimate with both of them, though not at the same time. That was one of our ground-rules.


    We''d all dressed again when seneschal Owen showed up to inform us we were invited to join my mother for dinner.


    Like the meal a few nights ago, Maeve and I were seated at opposite ends of the table, Kelly and Keira were across from each other on either side. As usual, Kelly was to my left, Keira to my right.


    "If you mean do I have a vendetta against him or something?" Keira asked, in response to Maeve''s question. "Then yeah, I suppose I do."


    She had a sip of wine then stated "Last year he used mind magic on someone very dear to me. He tampered with her mind, erased a bunch of important memories. Then last month he arranged the assassination attempt that nearly cost me both Tegan and my sister. And yesterday he tried to enspell and enslave Tegan. The man''s a monster, and I''m embarrassed to have his blood in my veins!"


    Her voice had started out sounding stern, but by the time she was done she was obviously seething with anger.


    "I understand," Maeve nodded slightly. She turned to Kelly and asked, "Does he know the two of you are here with my daughter?"


    Kelly replied, "I don''t think so, but he might suspect? Neither of us said anything to our mom about coming here for Samhain this year, but our mother knows we were both here last year. And she knows I''ve come over with Tegan for the festivals for the past couple years. Our grandfather will know everything our mom knows."


    "Mom tells him everything," Keira stated bitterly.


    Kelly sighed, "Mom used me to spy on Tegan. I didn''t even realize, until it was too late."


    I reached over and put my hand on hers as I said "Kelly didn''t tell them everything. Keenan had no idea I could work magic. He might still believe my skills are limited. He knows I can teleport, cast a shield spell, and I was able to fight off his mind-control attempt. He may not realize what else I''m capable of."


    "What about the uh, demonstration?" Keira asked.


    I sighed, "I honestly don''t know if anyone at the castle would suspect that came from me. They might think we had some mages hiding in the woods helping us."


    My fae-mom looked puzzled, "What demonstration was that?"


    I blushed as I replied, "Oh uh, Colm was angry I''d pulled him out after Keenan tried to enspell me. He was acting like a dick so I showed him what I could do. I uh, knocked a hole in the castle wall."


    Maeve''s eyebrows went up. "You breached the castle walls? By yourself?!"


    Kelly had a wide grin on her face as she elaborated proudly, "We were in the woods more than two hundred meters away. Tegan had her back to the castle, she didn''t even look at it. She actually created an earthquake or something, under the castle! The ground opened up and one of the towers and part of the wall came down!"


    By now mother''s eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging open. She looked at me, "Whatever possessed you to even try such a thing?!"


    I sighed, "I was angry and upset. I was angry at being forced to break my rules and act against my ideals. First by you mother, then by Colm. I decided I was done being used, played, manipulated. I decided to make a point. And I wanted to test my limit, to find out where my magic would run out."


    "And that was your limit?" Maeve asked incredulously. "Tegan what you and your friends describe would take a half dozen mages with a century of experience using elemental earth magic. That amount of power... That rivals Taralynn herself!"


    I looked down at the table and whispered, "That wasn''t my limit, I wasn''t even tired. I decided to end it there because I''d made my point and I didn''t want anyone else to get hurt. I realized I might have already killed people with what I''d done, knocking down the wall and tower."


    Both Kelly and Keira reached out and held my hands. I''m sure they could hear the regret in my voice, they probably both understood now why I''d been slow to join them at the waypoint.


    After a few minutes of silence, Maeve pointed out "Colm will surely mention all of this in his report. The king may start to see you as a threat, Tegan. He''ll certainly take a closer interest in you. He may even order you to attend his court."


    I shrugged, "He can ask, but I won''t go."


    "You can''t disobey a royal order, Tegan." Maeve stated with a frown.


    I sighed once more, "Actually I can. I just said I''m done being used and played. Whether it''s Aengus or Keenan or the king or you mother. My loyalties are to myself, Kelly, and Keira first. Then to you and my human parents second. And to Clann Br¨¢daigh third."


    She frowned at me, "Be careful Tegan. Statements like that might be interpreted as treason."


    That actually gave me pause, but probably not for the reason she meant. I wondered if she meant it was treasonous that I''d refuse the king''s order, or did she mean I was treasonous against her for holding Kelly and Keira above her.


    After a few moments I decided it was about the king. I didn''t think she''d accuse me of betraying her, unless I actually raised a hand against her or something.


    I finally just nodded, "I will be careful mother."


    We were all quiet again for a short time. The four of us ate some more, and the three of them enjoyed their wine while I sipped my juice. My thoughts wandered, and I decided next time we visited here we''d pack a few cases of hard lemonade.


    Eventually Maeve broke the silence, "You know, if Keenan ¨® Conghaile is as dangerous and powerful as you all say, he won''t be taken alive."


    She looked at me as she continued, "There isn''t any way to imprison mages like that. Even with magic-suppression spells on them, a strong enough mage will always find a way to free themselves."


    She sighed, "It will be hard enough and dangerous enough to simply catch him. Apprehending him and holding him will likely be impossible."


    My fae-mom looked at each of us in turn as she said that last part. I''m sure she wanted to make sure the twins knew they''d likely have to see their grandfather die, and I knew she was making sure I understood I''d be the one who had to do it.


    That led to another deep sigh from me. It was only yesterday afternoon when I''d re-affirmed my commitment to not kill anyone. How many times did I specifically say yesterday that I didn''t want to kill my girlfriends'' grandfather? Now, something like thirty hours later, my mother was all but telling me I''d have to exactly that.


    As I thought about it, I realized the worst part was she was probably right.


    Keenan was a threat to my girlfriends, my mother, my clann, and even my human parents if he wanted to be evil about it. And I already knew he was evil. As long as he was free, nobody I loved would be entirely safe. Sure enough I was already being manoeuvred up to one of my lines, and I''d be expected to cross it.


    Only this time I couldn''t really blame anyone but the man in question. It wasn''t Maeve''s fault Keenan was a dangerous evil mage. It wasn''t the twins'' fault that I was the only one with a chance of stopping their grandfather. In the end it came down to the fact that fate or luck or whatever had given me Taralynn''s gift of magic.


    Random chance left me as the only person in a position to stop Keenan ¨® Conghaile. And Keenan was the only one responsible for putting himself in the position of needing to be stopped.


    I was more or less resigned to having to hunt him down and kill him, when Keira spoke up.


    "Actually, I have an idea that might let him be taken alive."


    All three of us turned towards her. I''m sure the expression on my face mirrored that of Kelly and Maeve, as we were all curious to hear what she had in mind.


    Keira looked at me and elaborated, "Just thinking of the stories you and Kelly told, from your first trip over here. Specifically about what you did to Liam to get him to talk. If you did that to our granddad, but made it really actually permanent, that would be the end of him using magic."


    I glanced at Kelly then at my mother, and finally sat back in my seat as I thought about that.


    Keira was right. I''d turned Liam into a teenaged human girl, and as such he had no way to access fae magic. But I''d never intended it to be permanent, despite threatening Liam with exactly that. And I picked that transformation for Liam because it was a bit of poetic justice after what he''d done to me.


    Kelly had a thoughtful look on her face as she said "Babe? Considering his main line of work on Earth, that might be an appropriate fate for him."


    I sighed as I thought it over. I honestly wasn''t sure if that would be better or worse than just ending the man.


    Finally I asked, "What would we do with him after? I mean, once he was defenceless, would you stuff him in the dungeon here? A life sentence in chains, behind bars?"


    Keira had a hint of a smile on her face as she shook her head. "Nope. I would take him back to Earth, and hand him over to our mom. In person."


    She looked like she was having a hard time keeping a straight face as she continued, "I''d love to see the look on mom''s face when she realized that both Kelly and me were forever out from under her thumb. When we told her we were both part of Tegan''s sept, both part of Clann Br¨¢daigh. Then I want to see her expression when we hand her a familiar little redheaded girl and tell her it''s her dad, and he''s her responsibility."


    Kelly and Maeve and I were all silent again. All three of us were still staring at Keira.


    I finally sighed again, "If Kelsey is as bad as you''ve said Keira, then I''m not sure I''d trust her with another child. Especially a human child. I think if we were to do that, we''d need to impose some sort of rules or something, to make sure your grandfather wasn''t abused."


    Kelly suggested, "Put a geas on mom. So she has to look after the girl, has to treat her right."


    "That would do it," Keira nodded. She added with a smile, "Only Tegan would be worried about the long-term fate of one of her worst enemies."


    Maeve had been silent through all of this, but she finally gave me a proud look and said "Of course. It''s what makes my daughter special."


    After another little pause she sighed and added, "On the other hand, Keenan isn''t our only enemy. Lord Aengus is the one who''s been pulling the strings, the one who set Keenan against us in the first place. And I''m as yet undecided on which of them we should worry about first. In the meantime I also need to dispatch a column of soldiers to castle Griofa, to reclaim it from the traitors. And I have the ongoing matter of a potential war with the Ceallaighs. And my husband''s fate is still unknown."


    She sighed deeply as she reached the end of her list of woes. "I think I must sleep on the matter. We will all speak again tomorrow I''m sure."


    It was more or less a dismissal. We all bid her a good evening, and the three of us left Maeve''s private chambers. We quietly made our way back to our own suite.


    Soon enough we''d all undressed again, and slipped into bed together.


    Like my fae-mom, I still didn''t know what to do either. Kelly seemed just as uncertain. Only Keira was sure what our next course of action should be.


    PurpleCatGirl

 80. Dreamed

    I found myself standing in the darkness atop a rocky windswept hill.


    There was just the tiniest crescent of the waning moon in the sky, which didn''t offer much in the way of illumination. Most of the light came from the stars, and from the pixies that were flitting around the perimeter of the flattened hilltop.


    Despite the darkness it only took a moment for me to recognize the place.


    I was back at Duma D¨¦. I could even make out the remains of two men not far from where I stood. Men who had worked for Eileen Ceallaigh, and who had been killed by her magic after her spells failed to destroy me.


    I was fairly certain this was a dream, for a couple reasons. First off, Duma D¨¦ was some forty leagues away from castle Br¨¢daigh and I knew the teleport spell wasn''t usable over that range. And second, I''d been naked when I went to bed but now I was fully dressed.


    That and the fact that the outfit I was wearing was clothes I''d left back on Earth. It was my favourite dark grey leggings, an oversized pink top, and a pair of running shoes.


    The third clue that fit firmly in the dream category was the wind. I could hear it, and I could see it pulling at the small weeds and tufts of grass, but I couldn''t feel it. It wasn''t blowing across my skin, or tugging at my clothes or hair. I didn''t feel cold or even cool, I was comfortable.


    On the other hand, this seemed way more real and vivid than any dream I''d experienced before, and I was after all on a magical world inhabited by magical beings. So even if I was pretty sure it was a dream, I wasn''t entirely positive.


    I glanced around, but I appeared to be alone here. I tried to avoid looking at the two bodies, I hated that reminder. It also troubled me that they''d been left here, that neither Eileen or her men had bothered to come up and give them some kind of proper burial.


    The one guy was mostly still intact, though after three years there wasn''t much left but bones inside his chain and plate armour. All that was left of the other one was some bleached scraps of bone and twisted pieces of metal.


    I didn''t want to be disrespectful and just turn my back on them though, so I said a quiet prayer for their souls, apologized for the part I played in their deaths, and wished that they might find peace.


    As soon as I finished, a woman''s voice behind me said "Hello Tegan."


    I jumped and spun around.


    My eyes were wide and my heart was pounding as I found myself standing before two women, both a couple paces away from me. I''d never seen them before, not even pictures, but as soon as I laid eyes on them I knew who they were.


    On the left was an older woman. Elderly even. She looked like a grandmother. In human terms she''d have been about eighty. In fae terms she was somewhere at or beyond twelve-hundred. She would have stood tall in her youth, probably as tall as Kelly and Keira, but now her back was hunched slightly with age. Even so she stood several inches taller than myself. Her hair was thin and mostly silver though it held a faint memory of violet, faded to more of a pale lavender tone. It hung down to her shoulders, and seemed as unaffected by the wind as I was.


    Her eyes were still bright and sharp, and unmistakably aqua blue. And despite her age she was dressed in what looked like travel wear, or perhaps she was dressed for combat. Her dark leather jacket had metal bands riveted to it, placed along her arms and over the vulnerable spots on her torso. She also wore a belt, from which hung both a sword and a dagger.


    The woman on the right was younger. She looked perhaps fifty-five to human eyes, but I knew she was a little over nine hundred. She was shorter than her mother by a couple inches, and stood some two or three inches taller than myself. Her hair was cut short, and still held its violet colour, albeit slightly faded. She too had bright aqua-blue eyes.


    She was dressed in an outfit that reminded me of captain Siobhan, with black boots and trousers, and a military-style jacket in the Br¨¢daigh livery. Her jacket lacked any rank or insignia however. Like the older woman, she too wore a belt equipped with sword and dagger.


    Beyond the hair and eyes, the family resemblance was there in the two women. I could see my mother''s nose, cheeks, and chin reflected in both of them.


    As I looked back and forth between them, I figured this was probably the clincher for my ''this is a dream'' theory. After all, both my grandmother and great-grandmother died before I was born, so it seemed highly unlikely they were actually standing before me ontop of Duma D¨¦.


    Dream or not, I was still nervous. I did my best to hide it though. I braced myself then greeted them.


    "Lady Taralynn, Lady Aisling. I''m honoured. I uh, didn''t expect to ever meet you two."


    Both smiled slightly and my grandmother replied "It is nice to finally meet you as well, Tegan." Her voice was strong, but there was also a warmth to it. Despite my unease about the whole situation, I got the feeling I had nothing to fear from her.


    After that we all kind of stood there for a few moments in awkward silence. Eventually I figured they were waiting for me to initiate the conversation.


    "Why am I here? Why are you two here?"


    Taralynn replied, "It''s been nearly three years since you last stood on this spot. Before the Gods and Goddesses, before friend and foe, you declared yourself to be my great-granddaughter, Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh. In a way, this is where your journey truly began."


    Her voice was thin with age. Like Aisling though, there was still authority, still a hardness in her voice to match the sharpness in her eyes. She might have looked like a grandmother, but she was definitely the Taralynn of legend.


    I thought about her words for a moment then asked, "Is this also where my journey ends? Is that why I''m here now?"


    Aisling smiled, "No Tegan. You''re here because you are at a crossroads. You face many choices, many paths lay open to you."


    "Your mother is right that King Cathal''s interest in you will only grow," Taralynn stated. "He was already curious. Once he reads Colm Mac Cionaoith''s report, he will have plans for you."


    "King Cathal has a son, whom the king will want you to wed," Aisling added. "That would elevate Clann Br¨¢daigh well beyond anything either my mother or myself could have ever hoped to achieve."


    Taralynn fixed her eyes on mine as she said "And it would mean that one day Tegan, you would be queen of all the realm."


    I didn''t bother to hide my scowl. "I''ll say this right here atop Duma D¨¦, before the Gods and Goddesses, and to my ancestors faces."


    My voice was hard and my tone firm as I stated loudly, "I will not. Marry. A man!"


    Before either could respond I added, "Even if the king offered me his daughter instead, I''d decline. I don''t want to be a queen. Right now I''m not even sure I want to be a countess. Honestly I''d like for Maeve to live a very long, very happy life, and she can keep the job as long as she wants it."


    My eyes flicked back and forth between the two older women. I was ready for the anger, ready to be berated, ready for the condescending comments. I wasn''t prepared for the calm looks on their faces or the faint smiles on their lips.


    Instead of arguing or trying to enlighten me on the error of my ways, Aisling simply asked "What then do you want?"


    "What ambitions do you have?" Taralynn asked.


    I took a deep breath then sighed. "I want people to be happy. I want peace. I want Maeve and Connor to be reunited, and let that be the last of the strife and hardship the two of them must endure. Maybe they''ll even have another child or two, if they wish it."


    I continued, "I want my human parents to both find peace and happiness in their own endeavours. I don''t yet know what my human mom wants, but once she tells me I''ll do everything I can to help her achieve it. I already know what my dad wants, and I''ve sworn to help her get it. And I want Kelly and Keira to both be safe from their family once and for all."


    I kept going, "I don''t want anyone else to die needlessly because some rich old man has ambitions. Or because some greedy mage wants to further line his pockets."


    And finally I wrapped it up. "And I guess for myself? I want some peace and quiet. I want to be able to relax and enjoy my life, my home, my land, and my two girlfriends. I want to continue learning to be a Br¨¢daigh for when the time comes that I have to take my mother''s place, but I want to do that at my own pace and on my own terms."


    My two ancestors exchanged a glance, then Aisling observed "You''ve been given a tremendous gift Tegan. You''re barely twenty-six years old and already your command of magic rivals what my mother was capable of at her peak."


    "You could rule the world. You could rule both worlds," Taralynn stated. "If you wished Tegan, you could see Otherworld and Earth both kneel before you."


    I sighed again. "I don''t want to rule any worlds. This power is a curse as much as it''s a gift, because it means I''m continually being called upon to use it. People keep trying to use me, manipulate me, or just plain kill me. People want to control my life and shape my destiny because of it. And while I appreciate that I can use the gift to help people, I''d give it all up if doing so would guarantee peace and happiness for everyone."


    After a moment I added, "Uh, I''d give it up after I helped my human parents that is. I need the magic to deliver what I''ve promised them."


    Taralynn asked "Tegan have you ever wondered why you received my gift? Why it came to you, rather than my daughter or granddaughter?"


    I shrugged, "I thought it was just random luck."


    Taralynn shook her head. "It''s because I knew you could be trusted with it. When the gift was mine I used it to bring peace to the Southern Marches, but that peace came at a great cost. I did not wish to see that repeated. My daughter was too ambitious, and her child hasn''t the will or presence of mind. But you Tegan? You are kind, caring, and generous. You can be hard when it is necessary, when the circumstances demand it. Yet you do not take those actions lightly. And you feel remorse, and compassion for your enemies."


    "You are a child of two worlds Tegan," Aisling stated. "You''ve embraced both Earth and Otherworld. Where most changelings would turn their back on one or the other, and some even reject both, you carry both in your heart."


    Taralynn smiled at me. "Some say rather than being born with a soul, we must earn it. I would say you''ve earned two. You have a human soul, and a fae soul. You honour and respect both worlds. That is why you have my gift, and that is why you will one day outshine me."


    Aisling added, "Not long ago you asked the earth, the Gods, and my mother for forgiveness."


    "And Tegan, you are forgiven." Taralynn concluded.


    I felt a wave of emotions wash over me. I was confused, and a bit overwhelmed. I had no idea what to make of half the stuff they were saying. But some things were suddenly clear to me.


    Moving to Otherworld was never the answer. I thought that would let me be who I was meant to be but that wasn''t what I wanted at all. Not if I''d be forced into marriage with a man, or forced to play fae politics, or forced to do any of the other distasteful or immoral things I''d done here at other people''s behest.


    Now I knew I didn''t have to be a great leader or a great general or even a queen just because I could, or because other people wished and expected it. In fact it was the opposite. Taralynn gave me her gift specifically because I wouldn''t use it that way. She gave me this power because she knew I''d use it responsibly, when I used it at all.


    And I realized, having a peaceful quiet life, or even playing housewife to Kelly and Keira didn''t make me a failure if that was what I actually wanted to do.


    More importantly, I didn''t need to figure it all out right now. I probably had another thousand years ahead of me, I could afford to take a couple decades to figure things out and find my own path.


    I found myself rubbing some tears from my eyes as I looked back and forth between them again. I still had about a million questions but in the end I only asked them one.


    "What should I do now?"


    Taralynn gave me another warm, peaceful smile and replied "Follow your heart."


    Suddenly I could feel the wind. It was pulling at my oversized pink top and tugging at my hair. Both Taralynn and Aisling seemed to vanish in the strong breeze as though they''d been made of smoke or mist.


    There was another strong tug and I turned, and found myself sitting up in bed.


    The sun had just broken over the horizon and the early morning sunlight shone like gold outside the windows. Kelly and Keira were still sound asleep to either side of me, they appeared quiet and peaceful as I looked down at them.


    Ever since my spell on Samhain they were completely physically identical, but I could finally tell them apart again.


    I could see their auras.


    Kelly''s had just a touch more purple in it, while Keira''s was a slightly deeper red. And between them where their two auras were connected, the colour was gold like the light outside our windows.


    As I continued to look at them I whispered to myself, "Follow my heart..."


    And finally I knew what to do. Keira was right, Lord Aengus could wait.


    We would deal with Keenan first.


    PurpleCatGirl

 81. Determined

    "Babe? Are you sure you''re ok?" Kelly asked as the three of us ate breakfast. "You''ve been kind of quiet since we woke up this morning."


    Keira added, "And what do you keep looking at? It''s like you''re staring off into space or something."


    The three of us were still in our room, sat at our table by the windows. As usual Kelly was on my left and Keira was to my right. They were facing each other across the table, while I was looking towards the window. I wasn''t staring out the window though. I was watching the filament of gold light that stretched between them, that connected their auras together.


    It had been there since I woke up this morning, and I had a strong suspicion it''d been around for nearly two weeks now. Since about Samhain, in fact. I hadn''t been able to see their auras till this morning so I couldn''t be sure, but intuition told me this was a side-effect of my gift to them. Like their bodies being completely physically identical now, I had a feeling this link between them was a result of my spell.


    I was watching it because it routinely flickered and vibrated. At first I thought it was unstable but now I was positive they were using it to communicate. The activity usually happened before and after one or the other spoke, though it also happened at other times.


    "Babe?" Kelly asked again. "You still there?"


    I finally looked at her and smiled, "I''m here Kelly. Sorry, I was just thinking."


    Keira asked, "Everything''s ok though? Kelly''s right, you''ve seemed a little uh, off this morning."


    "Not a bad ''off'' though," Kelly quickly added. "You actually seem less tense, and a bit happier. At least when you''re not looking distracted."


    I had a bite of pastry then washed it down with my favourite juice as I thought it over. Then I decided to tell them.


    "Early this morning I went back to Duma D¨¦, and met with Aisling and Taralynn. We had an interesting conversation, and I guess I learned some things. About them, and about myself."


    The twins glanced at each other, and the gold filament between them flickered and buzzed.


    "What are you two saying?" I asked, with a slight smile on my lips. "You''re talking about me, right?"


    They both gave me a slightly shocked, slightly guilty look.


    Kelly shook her head, "We didn''t say anything, babe."


    I was still smiling as I reached out and let my fingers move through the air along their link. I couldn''t feel anything there of course, it wasn''t a solid, physical thing. As I did this I said, "I can see the link between you. Your auras are connected, and it looks like a little golden thread. When you''re talking with each other it sort of flickers and vibrates like a guitar-string."


    Both of them stared at me with wide eyes, their mouths hanging open in shock.


    Keira was the first to recover, "How long have you known?"


    I shook my head, "I''ve only been able to see it since I woke up this morning. After meeting with my ancestors. I doubt that''s a coincidence."


    After a moment I added, "I don''t think it was a dream either, though I''m sure I was asleep for it. I don''t know what it was. A vision maybe, or some kind of astral projection? Whatever. It wasn''t just a dream, I''m sure of that."


    Kelly sighed, "We didn''t mean to keep it from you, but we didn''t want to upset you. Especially after everything you said the other night back on Earth."


    "It happened when you made us fully fae," Keira explained. "Along with the physical changes and us becoming completely the same? We discovered it the morning after. We could uh, kind of hear each other''s thoughts and feel each other''s sensations and emotions."


    Kelly added, "It wasn''t instant, like once we discovered it we had to practice and figure it out. How to use it better, and how to turn it off when we wanted as well."


    I had another bite of pastry while they were talking, then finally nodded "Like Colm''s legends after all. You can communicate, share thoughts and emotions. I imagine that would let you pretend to be each other almost perfectly. And you can act in unison, since you can coordinate behind the scenes."


    They both looked uneasy, and Kelly asked "You aren''t upset? On Earth you sounded really worried that you''d done something wrong to us..."


    "I thought I''d done something bad to you both," I sighed. "But now I understand better. And you already told me it was a gift, and I guess now I can see why. You aren''t being forced together or loosing your individuality. You''ve got a new tool, a new skill and you''re experimenting, practicing, and learning how to use it."


    They were both quiet for a few moments after that, though they looked happy to know I wasn''t upset.


    Keira finally asked, "So you met with the great Taralynn herself? What did she and Aisling tell you?"


    "They told me it wasn''t luck or random chance that I wound up with Taralynn''s gift," I replied quietly. "Taralynn gave it to me herself, because she trusted me not to misuse or abuse it. And she said as a child of two worlds, Earth and Otherworld, I''d earned two souls. One human and one fae, because I honoured both worlds rather than turning my back on one or the other. And when I asked them what I should do next, she said I should follow my heart."


    The two redheads looked at each other again, and once more I could tell they were talking. I just smiled and had another drink of juice.


    "So what does your heart say we should do next?" Kelly asked.


    My smile faded and I set the empty glass down. "We''re going to do what Keira suggested. We''re going to find your grandfather, and we''re going to stop him."


    Both their auras grew darker. Keira nodded once, "Good. I think he''s the biggest threat right now. He''s the most dangerous, and unpredictable."


    Kelly asked "What if Maeve disagrees? What if she wants to go after Aengus first?"


    I shrugged, "She has soldiers, she has sir Colm. She can go after Aengus if she wants. Keenan is my priority."


    They both looked like they were about to question that, so I added "Three years ago when we were at Duma D¨¦, I didn''t declare myself ''daughter of Maeve''. I announced to the world, and the Gods and Goddesses that I was ''great-granddaughter of Taralynn''. Meeting with her this morning reaffirmed that in my mind. My mother is a good woman, but I don''t answer to her. Like I said last night, my first loyalty is to the three of us. And Taralynn confirmed that when she told me to follow my heart."


    Kelly smiled, "And we''re your heart, because you love us?"


    "I love you both, yes." I smiled back. There was more to it than that, but I decided not to give them the full answer though. Not yet at least.


    Kelly was thoughtful and compassionate, and she worried about ideals and ethics and morals. I felt like of the three of us, she was our conscience. Keira was pragmatic and practical, but she was also passionate and emotional at times. To me, she represented our heart.


    It was an oversimplification of course, analogies always were. But for now, I was ready to follow Keira''s advice on who we needed to confront next. At the same time I was confident Kelly wouldn''t let us do anything too terrible or immoral along the way.


    Finally I stood up, "So if you''re both finished eating, let''s get dressed and go tell Maeve what our plans are. Then we''ll get started."


    An hour later the three of us were in the study with my mother. And as Kelly feared, my fae-mom wasn''t ready yet to endorse my decision about going after Keenan. I wound up telling Maeve about my early-morning encounter with my ancestors, that Taralynn''s advice was to follow my heart.


    For a moment she looked uncertain, then mother seemed to dismiss the story. "Tegan I''m sure it was an interesting dream, but you can''t truly believe you somehow travelled back to Duma D¨¦ in your sleep, or that the spirits of my mother and grandmother were really there. And it does seem convenient that they told you what you wanted to hear."


    I shrugged, "It wasn''t all good news, it wasn''t all stuff I wanted to hear. Taralynn told me she gave me this gift because she knew I wouldn''t abuse it. I thought it was just random chance or luck that I wound up with it. Now I know it was yet another person making choices about my fate and using me for their own purposes. She stuck me with a lifetime of responsibility, of always having to be worried about others trying to manipulate me, use me, or just plain trying to kill me, because I''ve got her gift."


    I added, "And it can''t be coincidence that as soon as I woke up from a meeting with Aisling and Taralynn, I found I can suddenly see everyone''s auras. I''m going to need to learn how to turn this off or something because it''s distracting."


    Maeve''s aura was primarily pink, though there were streaks of red and blue in it, and some darker flecks around the edges. The maid who''d served us breakfast this morning had a yellowish aura. All the people we passed between our room and the study had different colours, different patterns. So far shades of red, blue, and yellow or gold had been the most common, though I''d also spotted some purples and oranges. The only person''s aura I hadn''t see was my own.


    My fae-mom stared at me for a few moments, once again at a loss for words.


    I decided to change the subject, "What options do you have for dealing with Lord Aengus?"


    Maeve sighed, "I would rather not confront him on the battlefield. I''m sure we''d win, especially with you at my side Tegan. But the price would be high. In terms of lives, and time, and money."


    She shook her head and continued, "The traditional and accepted course of action in this sort of situation would be to simply have him assassinated. I could hire some skilled killers to infiltrate his castle and arrange an early end to him. Either subtly or not, it would depend whether or not I wanted his family to know I''d done it."


    I''m sure she could tell by the look on my face what I thought of that. Not only was I uncomfortable with the concept for what it was, I was also shocked and upset that it was actually considered a normal and accepted political move.


    "Unfortunately as happy as it would make me to see the man who ordered my mother''s death meet a similar fate, I need him alive for now. I need him to confess to ordering the death of Aodhan Ceallaigh. With Eamon dead, Lord Aengus is the best chance I have of clearing our name with the Ceallaighs and securing the release of my husband. Assuming Connor still lives."


    I thought that over, then finally said "I can''t help you with Lord Aengus. Not right now. I suggest mother that you and sir Colm discuss that matter. Perhaps the knight has some suggestions or can propose some alternate solutions. Maybe he can convince the king to intervene on your behalf with the Ceallaighs or something."


    She frowned, "And you intend to pursue Keenan, with or without my approval?"


    "Yes," I replied. "As long as he''s free, everyone I love is in jeopardy. Both here and on Earth. Once Keenan is out of the way, I''ll turn my attention on Connor."


    I thought it over for a few moments, then decided "If Connor is alive, I''ll just go get him and bring him home."


    "Just like that?" Maeve asked, sounding skeptical. "How would you propose to do that?"


    "I don''t know the specifics yet," I shrugged. "But I''ll simply go to the Ceallaigh stronghold, teleport in and get him, teleport us both out, then bring him home. I''ll try not to hurt anyone. And we''ll still need some way to placate Ois¨ªn, so a confession from Aengus would still be desirable. But you and Connor have suffered enough. I want to see you both happy and safe."


    Maeve was quiet again for a few moments as she thought all that through.


    Finally she got to her feet and said, "So be it. As it seems I have no say in the matter, I''ll leave you three to deal with Keenan ¨® Conghaile. I will meet with sir Colm to discuss what options we may have with Lord Aengus."


    She moved for the door, but paused before she left.


    "Be careful. If your quarry is as dangerous as you''ve said, he will not be easy to kill. You may be powerful Tegan, but you are still inexperienced."


    PurpleCatGirl

 82. Detected

    "Ok," Keira said, looking at me and Kelly. "So how do we do this? We need to find him first I guess? He can cross worlds, he can teleport. How do we track him down?"


    I thought for a few moments, before I remembered something. "I saw a book..."


    I stood up and moved to the bookcases and started searching them as I said, "I''ve looked at almost all these books over the past three years, I know I saw something that can help. I just have to remember what it was called, then find it again."


    Kelly and Keira stayed where they were for now and just watched as I hunted back and forth along the shelves.


    It took about ten minutes but I finally returned to join them at the table. When I sat down, I had two books. I set one of them down between the twins.


    "You two should study that."


    Both frowned, I knew they wouldn''t be happy to see it. It was a book on mind magic.


    I stated, "If you''re going anywhere near Keenan, you need to know how to defend against that stuff. There''s a counter-spell in that book that you both need to learn."


    Keira nodded and picked up the book to have a look at it.


    Kelly sighed, "I don''t like having to learn that stuff, but you''re right. We can''t face him unprepared."


    She looked at the second book I grabbed, "Was that the tracking magic you were looking for?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. "There''s a spell we can use, that I''m pretty sure he won''t be able to hide from. It''s ''blood magic''. Since you two are related to him by blood, we can use that connection to track him. Any other kind of scrying or clairvoyance spell he could block or hide from. But not this."


    Kelly nodded slowly, "So one of us needs to donate some blood I guess?"


    "I volunteer," Keira stated. "It was my idea, I''ll offer the blood to find him."


    "Thanks sis," Kelly gave her twin a brief smile. Then she asked me, "How''s the spell work?"


    I flipped through the book till I found it, then quickly glossed through it. It was probably some time last year or the year before when I read it, and I''d never needed to use it before. "We use a few drops of blood, work the spell, and from there it''s like clairvoyance? I''ll get a vision of him and where he is. If he''s anywhere on Otherworld it should work."


    "And if he''s back on Earth?" Keira asked.


    I shrugged, "Then it won''t find him, but we''ll know to go look for him on Earth."


    Keira nodded, "Cool. Let''s do it."


    Kelly got up and gave the bell-cord a tug to summon a servant. After a minute or so a young butler arrived, and Kelly told him "Please fetch Muireann, or another healer? We need a blood-letting."


    The young man looked a little surprised but he bowed "Yes m''lady."


    After he went off to fetch us a healer, Kelly moved to the bookcases.


    She asked, "Is there another book here that I could read, to find out about defending from mind magic? So Keira and I don''t have to share?"


    "Yeah," I replied. I joined her and quickly found the other book. "This one''s a little uh, some of the other spells in it are a bit darker. I didn''t think either you or Keira would want to see it. But it does have the same counter-spell."


    Kelly sighed, then her twin offered "Here sis. You take this one, so you won''t have to look at any of the nasty stuff."


    They traded books as Kelly and I sat back down, and all three of us continued reading for now.


    About ten minutes later we were joined by Muireann. She was alone, and carried a small bag with her. I hoped Maeve was merciful with Aoife, but I was afraid to ask the healer what happened to her apprentice. I decided for now I''d rather not know, incase the answer was unhappy.


    "I understand someone needs a bloodletting?" the older healer asked.


    Keira nodded "Yeah me. We need a little vial or something of my blood."


    "Me too," I added. Both twins looked at me in surprise and I shrugged, "May as well use the same spell to find out what we can about Connor''s fate."


    I watched as Muireann worked with Keira first. She was efficient and quick. There was an incision, the vial was quickly filled, then she used healing magic to repair the wound. It was fascinating to see how the whole process worked, now that I could see everyone''s auras.


    When the incision was made there was a flicker of bright red in Keira''s aura, and a split second later it was mirrored in Kelly''s. Then when the healer worked her magic, her aura went from its normal warm orange to a bright white. Keira''s flickered with some pink, and a moment after Kelly''s aura flickered pink too.


    The process was repeated with me, but I still couldn''t see my own aura. Soon enough we had the two vials, one of Keira''s blood and one of mine.


    Muireann noticed the book I was reading, and commented "There''s a spell in there you can use to keep the two vials fresh. Incase you need to use it again the future, you won''t need to keep being bled."


    "Thank you Muireann," I replied as she packed up.


    By the time she left I''d found the spell she mentioned, and cast it on both vials.


    The tracking spell required a bit of parchment which we quickly obtained, and with both twins watching I spilled a few drops of Keira''s blood on it. I worked the spell over the blood and parchment, then used the fireplace to set the parchment alight.


    As flames consumed the enchanted paper I got a clear mental image of our target.


    "I can see Keenan," I announced. "He''s still at castle Griofa. It looks like he''s taken over the place? He may have everyone there under his control now. Or at least the officers. Either way he''s got the run of the place."


    When I first saw him atop the tower at the castle, he was too far away to really get a good look at him. About all I could tell was he was taller than Eamon, he had short red hair and was wearing an Earth-style overcoat.


    Seeing him now through the spell I had a much clearer view of him. He was a tall man, something like six feet tall. His hair was short, and it was the same fiery red colour as Kelly''s and Keira''s. His eyes were bright blue-green. He looked to be in his mid to late forties in human terms, or into his sixth or seventh century in fae terms.


    I also noted he was no longer dressed in Earth clothes. He now wore more typical fae-style clothes. He wasn''t in any sort of uniform, but his clothes were nice. They looked expensive, tailored, and he was wearing some ostentatious-looking jewelry, including a fancy necklace.


    That was all I had time to see, as the image faded when the last of the parchment was lost to the flames.


    Kelly pointed out, "We better warn Maeve not to send any more soldiers there yet. If she does, they''ll probably wind up under his control too."


    "Good point," I agreed.


    Keira frowned, "So our granddad''s got himself a castle now."


    The three of us looked at each other for a moment, then Kelly asked "So what do we do? Travel back to castle Griofa and confront him?"


    "You could get us back to that spot in the woods again," Keira said to me, "Then from there we can teleport straight back to the castle. Right?"


    I frowned, "It may not be safe. Keenan may have that waypoint guarded now. Even if he didn''t know about it before he probably does now, if he had the dogs tracking our scent."


    Kelly had an eyebrow raised, and asked in a slightly amused tone "Waypoint?"


    "Uh yeah," I blushed slightly. "I started thinking of them as waypoints? It''s easier to say than ''a place where the veil is thin''."


    Keira rolled her eyes, "Whatever. The point is, what''s our next move? We know where Keenan is, what''s the best way to go deal with him? Without spending two or three weeks on horseback."


    I sighed as I thought it over. Finally I looked back at her and asked "Keira were you serious, what you said at dinner last night? About taking him alive and transforming him?"


    "Yeah," she nodded. "I was serious about handing him over to our mom too."


    "You know that will probably mean enspelling your mother as well, right?" I pointed out. "With a geas at least, maybe more. To keep her from abusing Keenan, and to ensure she doesn''t come after us somehow."


    Keira shrugged "Yeah I get it. I mean, I don''t care so much what she does with granddad but I know you wouldn''t want him to suffer above and beyond the transformation itself."


    That led me to sigh again, "Yeah. Honestly I''m not sure I''m comfortable condemning someone to a lifetime of dysphoria, even if it is a fitting end for him."


    She frowned, "You know he''s done that and worse to who knows how many people, Tegan. When he takes humans to transform and sell, he''s not picky about who and what they were to start with."


    "Crap," I felt a little sick to my stomach at that thought. "I didn''t need to know that."


    We were quiet again for a few moments, till Keira pointed out "There''s probably magic that would take care of the dysphoria, if that really bothers you. Like, make him accept the changes."


    I shook my head, "That''s mind magic. I won''t do that. And anyways, there''s an easier solution. We can still make him human, but leave him a guy. I mean, we don''t have to change him at all really, apart from making him human so he can''t work magic."


    Kelly had been quiet while her sister and I discussed these details, but I knew she''d probably have something to say about it.


    "Kelly? What do you think of all this?"


    She already had a thoughtful look on her face, after listening to the two of us. She shook her head slowly "I''m not sure babe. I can tell you''re on the fence about it, I guess I am too?"


    After a couple seconds she continued, "I agree we need to do something about grandfather. He''s had a hand in messing with your life, he''s an enemy of the clann, and he''s just generally an evil person. And Keira''s plan would let us spare his life... No matter what we do though, there''s going to be regrets. I mean, killing him, transforming him, whatever."


    She paused again and I could see the communication between them through their connection. I couldn''t tell which of them was ''talking'' though, only that someone was.


    After it stopped Kelly sighed, "As for our mother... She''s his accomplice on Earth. And she used me to spy on you. Her crimes may not be as great as his, but I think she''s an enemy of the clann as well."


    They started ''talking'' again over their link. I almost wished I could listen in, but I knew if they wanted me to hear what was being said they''d be saying it out loud, so I just waited quietly.


    Finally Kelly nodded, "Ok. We''ll go with Keira''s original plan. Capture grandfather, transform him like she said from the start. Same thing you did to Liam, basically. Then we''ll take care of the other details later. Including our mother."


    I didn''t reply right away, but I''m sure they both saw my eyebrows creep up. I hadn''t expected Kelly to agree to Keira''s plan. Or at least, not so quickly.


    Keira looked at me and shrugged slightly, "In the end it''s your choice Tegan, you''re the only one with the power to do it. I know killing him would be the quickest and easiest way to stop him, to ensure he never hurt or threatened anyone else again. But I want more. I want him to pay for what he''s done. To Amy, and to all the other humans he''s hurt, who''s lives he''s stolen."


    "Ok Keira," I nodded slowly. "I understand."


    I gestured towards the books in their hands "We''re not going anywhere though until you''ve both learned that counter-spell."


    While the two of them got back to reading, I got a second piece of parchment and repeated the tracking spell. This time I used my own blood, and focused on Connor.


    By the time the parchment was consumed I had some relatively good news for my mother.


    Connor was alive and appeared in fairly good health. He was in a cell in the dungeon of the Ceallaigh stronghold, but as far as I could see he hadn''t been mistreated.


    PurpleCatGirl

 83. Duelled

    It was another five days before both Kelly and Keira were confident they''d learned the counter-spell.


    In the meantime, things around castle Br¨¢daigh were fairly quiet. Maeve remained worried about our various ongoing problems, but she was at least relieved to know her husband was alive.


    Colm wound up leaving, he had a courier take him back to the royal palace so he could deliver his report in person. When Colm left, mother sent with him a letter asking the king for help in convincing the Ceallaighs to release her husband.


    Mother also dispatched her own courier to the Ceallaigh stronghold, with a letter pleading for Connor''s release. It explained that Aengus was behind the assassination, and that Aengus tried to have me killed too. There was no guarantee either letter would have much success, but she had to try.


    While the twins studied and prepared to defend against Keenan''s mind magic, I reviewed Maeve''s map of castle Griofa again. I figured this time I''d take us to the nearer location. It was in a grove of trees about two leagues from the castle.


    There was a good chance it would be guarded, but I figured they wouldn''t be expecting us there. If they''d followed our trail, they''d be more worried about the further location. And anyways, since I didn''t seem to be disoriented after crossing through the veil anymore I''d be ready with a shield spell regardless.


    I also spent some time reading up on auras and how to see them. Of course I didn''t need to learn that, but figuring out how to see them also gave me what I needed to know to let me stop seeing them. Once I understood it, it only took about a day of practice and I could turn it on and off at will. I just had to focus on it and blink my eyes.


    When Kelly and Keira finally announced they''d both learned the spell to protect them from Keenan''s mind magic, the three of us faced another challenge. We had to convince Maeve to let the three of us go back to Griofa without any military escort.


    "We won''t be spending days marching through the woods this time mother," I explained. "I know my way around Griofa and the forest to the east. We can teleport directly where we want to go. The whole trip shouldn''t take us more than a day."


    Kelly nodded, "Having soldiers with us isn''t going to make any safer. They''ll just slow us down."


    Maeve took a deep breath then sighed, "Can I at least send Feichin with you? You were pleased with his help on your last outing."


    I shook my head, "He was incredibly helpful last time because we were travelling on foot through unfamiliar woods. He did a great job getting us there. He wasn''t actually much help getting us back, and we''re going to be travelling the same way this time. It''s all magic, we won''t need to wander around through the woods."


    Mother sighed and frowned, but she''d run out of arguments. She finally relented, "Very well. It seems I have very little say at all any more in how my daughter chooses to risk her life."


    "Sorry mom," I said, fighting a smirk. "Kids just grow up so fast these days."


    She gave me a very-not-amused look, but she seemed resigned to letting us go.


    Before sunrise the following morning, the three of us were back in the meadow in the south forest standing near the garrison.


    We decided to skip the traditional travelling clothes this time and just dressed up in our Earth clothes. Jeans, running shoes, t-shirts, and jackets. I had a dozen squares of parchment in my jacket pocket, along with the vial of Keira''s blood. That way I''d be able to cast the tracking spell as we got closer, and sort of home in on Keenan wherever he was in the castle.


    I moved around in the pre-dawn light till I found the spot, and Kelly and Keira took their positions on either side of me. The whole thing almost felt routine now, we''d done it so many times over the past few weeks. As the first flickers of sun came over the horizon I felt the veil grow weaker, and I worked the spell then pulled the three of us through.


    By now I figured I was either used to pushing through the veil, or it just was another aspect of Taralynn''s gift. The three of us came out the other side in the small grove of trees and I immediately brought up my shield.


    A couple seconds later a half dozen crossbow bolts shattered as they struck it.


    The six soldiers stood there looking stunned, obviously they''d been told that anyone coming through the waypoint would be disoriented for at least ten or fifteen seconds. Four of them started to reload as fast as they could, the other two pulled out their swords and charged. They bounced off my barrier, and I dropped them both with sleep spells.


    The other four slumped over asleep as well, as Kelly and Keira finally got their bearings and cast their sleep spells too.


    "Well that worked out ok?" Kelly asked quietly. Her voice was a blend of excitement and anxiety.


    "So far so good," I said as I glanced around. "How much did you put into the sleep spells, how long will these guys stay out?"


    Keira replied "Seven or eight hours for mine."


    "Me too," Kelly added.


    I''d done about the same, which meant we had all day before we''d have to worry about dealing with them again.


    Before we did anything else, I moved to the six unconscious men. I used my magical sense to check them, and sure enough they were all influenced by control spells.


    It took a few minutes as I did one after another, dispelling the magic on each man. "Ok, they were all under control spells but I''ve dispelled that. So when they wake they''ll hopefully be loyal to the clann again."


    "What''s the next step?" Keira asked.


    "I''ll teleport the three of us over to a spot in the woods where Colm and I hid for a while. There''s a pretty good view of the main gate, we can hide there and figure out our next move."


    Kelly shook her head, "You don''t have to teleport us babe. Me and Keira can do it ourselves now, remember? We learned the spell two years ago, now we''re finally strong enough to use it."


    I frowned, "You don''t know where we''re going though, and the spell''s not accurate enough at this range to just describe it to you."


    "You go first Tegan," Keira stated. "We can follow you."


    That surprised me. "Oh? How?"


    Kelly replied, "I''ll just do a simple scrying spell for you, then teleport in next to you. Assuming you don''t try and block me, it''ll work fine."


    Keira added, "And thanks to our connection, wherever one of us goes, the other can always follow."


    I smiled, "Ok that''s perfect."


    A minute later I was in the woods about two hundred and fifty meters north-east of the castle, with a view of the main gates. A minute or so after that Kelly appeared nearby, and Keira joined us a moment later.


    I said softly, "Ok. So now we get to the long boring part. We''ll be waiting here a while, and using the tracking spell now and then to keep an eye on Keenan. When it looks like we''ll have some time alone with him, we make our move."


    The twins moved to either side of me as all three of us settled in to watch the castle.


    As we got comfortable, Keira asked quietly "And when he''s alone? What''s the plan?"


    "I''ll teleport first since I''ll have the view on him from the spell. I''ll draw his attention, like a diversion? He''ll probably try to attack or enspell me, I''ll block his magic and try and get him instead. I''ll hold back though, like I won''t let him know what I can really do. It probably won''t work, I''m assuming he won''t be that easy to beat."


    I smiled, "That''s where you two come in. Give me about five or ten seconds, then you both teleport in after me, and both of you try and hit him with sleep spells? He''ll probably be able to defend against that too, but who knows we might get lucky. Probably not though, but you two are like, the secondary diversion."


    They both nodded quietly as they listened.


    I took a breath and finished, "So he''ll think my attack is the fake and you two are the cavalry. When he''s distracted defending against both of you at once, then I''ll hit him with all I have. That should do it, I think. He''ll be dealing with the two of you, he won''t be expecting a serious attack from me."


    They glanced at each other, and Keira asked "Not to be defeatist or whatever, but what do we do if things go wrong?"


    "Let''s hope that doesn''t happen," I sighed. "If it does though, if things go bad we fall back to the glade where we arrived. You can both teleport straight back there right?"


    Both nodded. Kelly said "I agree, we hope this all works. But if not, it''s good we have an escape plan."


    We remained there for a few hours. I had the stack of parchment with me and the vial of Keira''s blood. Every half hour or so I cast the tracking spell to check on Keenan.


    Most of the morning he was surrounded by soldiers, or in places too cramped for me and the twins to teleport in and attack him together. It wasn''t till around midday that we got our chance.


    I whispered to the twins, "Ok I think this is it. He''s in the dining hall and he''s alone. He''s having lunch and it looks like he doesn''t let his subordinates eat with him. It''s a big open space, plenty of room for all of us to teleport into."


    Kelly and Keira both nodded, they were ready to go.


    My heart was starting to race and I''m sure theirs were too. I realized, this might have been the first time I was actually going to attack someone. I''d been in fights before, but it had always been other people making the first move and I usually focused on defence.


    I took a few deep breaths, then focused and cast the spell.


    Suddenly I was in the dining hall. Keenan was sitting at the table with a mug of ale and a plate of food before him. He didn''t seem at all shocked by my sudden appearance.


    "Well well, the ''legendary'' Tegan Vale has finally returned," he stated with a smile. His voice was deep and strong, and full of confidence. "No knight of the realm with you this time?"


    I didn''t bother engaging him in conversation, I immediately tried casting a sleep spell at him. I didn''t put much into it, and I wasn''t surprised when it had no effect on him.


    "Tsk tsk," he shook his head. "That was a weak effort, girl. All the stories I''ve heard said you''re much stronger than that."


    Suddenly Kelly was standing a meter my left, and she launched her sleep spell at him before he could comment on her arrival. Then Keira was with us, two meters to my right. She immediately cast the same spell at her grandfather.


    Neither of their attempts got through either, and Keenan stood up. He shook his head as he sighed, "Betrayed by own flesh and blood."


    He didn''t seem surprised to see them, and he didn''t seem surprised that they could teleport. Intuition told me something was wrong, but I tried to hit him with my modified transformation spell like we''d planned. I put way more power into it than should have been necessary, just to be sure.


    The spell failed, and I realized the magic wasn''t even getting through to him. There was no tell-tale light in his eyes, either from our magic or his. He wasn''t casting defensive spells, something else was blocking our attacks.


    Keenan chuckled, "Ah, now that''s more like it. That''s the kind of strength I''d expect from a so-called legend."


    The twins glanced at each other and at me, then both tried again, flinging more magic at their grandfather.


    Rather than trying another attack, I used my magical sense and that''s when I saw it. He had a sort of ostentatious amulet hanging around his neck, and it was absolutely ablaze with magical energy. It was some kind of defensive talisman, like an anti-magic shield. Our attacks weren''t going to get through as long as he was wearing that.


    Keenan had moved around the table and was now only a few paces away. He was still talking, "You have the strength child, but not the knowledge. Using blood-magic tracking spells?" He laughed and shook his head. "So very amateur. You didn''t even stop to think that it can work both ways."


    He raised his hands and his eyes flared. I immediately blocked his spell, but I could tell he was trying to use mind control again.


    My heart was pounding even harder now. I had no idea how much he knew but if he already knew the twins were fully fae and he knew how we''d been tracking him, then he might know everything else.


    And while I might have been able to burn through his amulet''s defences if I kept pouring power into my spells, it would probably take too long if I was constantly dispelling his attacks. And the twins might not be able to stand up against him in the meantime.


    Suddenly it felt like we''d walked into a trap and I knew my plan wasn''t going to work. Before he could try again to enspell me I said to the twins "Fall back!"


    I saw them both nodd, and I cast my teleport spell to get myself clear.


    PurpleCatGirl

 84. Destroyed

    My heart was still pounding as I reappeared back at the waypoint. The half dozen guys we''d left here were still out cold on the ground, it looked like we''d be relatively safe here for now. Assuming Keenan didn''t follow us.


    A moment after I arrived Keira appeared next to me on the right. She looked at least as shaken as I was, maybe more.


    I looked to my left, but there was no Kelly. My stomach twisted as I realized she hadn''t followed us.


    "Oh fuck!" Keira gasped. "Tegan he''s got her! He''s got Kelly!"


    She sounded terrified, I''d never heard her so scared as she half-whispered "He''s going to fuck up her head!"


    I was still shaky with adrenaline from our retreat, but now instincts took over. I concentrated as I blinked, and Keira''s aura became visible along with that fine gold thread. The filament stretched off into the distance towards the castle. Even at this range the twins were still connected.


    There were little shimmers of black coming through their connection, and each time one arrived Keira''s aura flickered with darkness.


    Moving quickly but smoothly I knelt by one of the sleeping soldiers and pulled the dagger from his belt. For the first time in my life I''d drawn a weapon in anger, and I intended to use it. Then I stood and reached out with my left hand, and took hold of the thread that connected the twins. It wasn''t a tangible thing, there was nothing physical there, but this time I was able to feel it.


    I closed my fist tightly around the line of energy and suddenly I was back in the castle with Kelly. I was seeing through her eyes, hearing through her ears. And experiencing her terror.


    Our grandfather''s magic held us immobile, we couldn''t even speak. We were standing in the dining hall, and we were alone with him. Our grandfather stood directly in front of us, with that smarmy grin on his face. He had us in his clutches and he knew it. His hands were raised, he held them in the air a few inches to either side of our head as he gloated.


    Our heart was pounding and we were desperately trying to escape, but nothing worked. Our body wasn''t responding, our muscles were frozen. We couldn''t even scream or cry out. All we could do was stand there and listen to him, but inside we were begging, screaming, pleading for help.


    Grandfather sneered at us as he taunted, "Don''t be afraid, child. It''s not like you''ll miss her. In a few moments you won''t even know the name Tegan, you''ll have never even met her. For that matter you won''t remember your own name either, but don''t worry. We''ll think of something suitable to call you. What you will know is you''re mine, and you''ll do absolutely anything to make me happy."


    I pulled my awareness back into my own self, but I kept part of my mind connected to their golden thread. I positioned the dagger so I was holding it with the hilt against the base of my chest, the long sharp pointed blade was angled forward away from me.


    The strand of energy that bound the two sisters together was my guide, and my teleport spell followed it back to Kelly.


    In the blink of an eye I was once again in the castle. I was standing in the dining hall with my girlfriend behind me and her grandfather directly before me.


    I''d appeared in the narrow gap between the two of them. My back was almost touching Kelly''s chest, and a good three inches of my blade was already in Keenan''s gut. I leaned forward slightly and pushed the dagger in another inch or so, for good measure.


    He let out a sort of grunting-coughing sound as his arms dropped away from Kelly''s head and he looked down at me, then at the knife I was holding between us.


    I saw the confusion in his eyes as he struggled to comprehend what just happened, how I''d suddenly appeared exactly there with my knife already in him.


    My right hand held the dagger fast, and I turned it slightly to make sure he could feel it inside him. At the same time my left hand reached up and closed on the amulet that was hanging around his neck.


    Keenan''s eyes widened. He shuffled backwards, and I yanked the amulet off him. His movement pulled him off my blade, and blood flowed freely from his wound. It ran down his jacket and pants and splashed onto his shoes. He moved his hands to cover the injury as he opened his mouth as if to call for help, or perhaps he meant to try a spell.


    Things seemed to shift to slow motion, as I kept my eyes locked on his. I let go of the knife and the amulet, and both seemed to hang in the air. Neither had even really started to drop yet as I held my right hand out towards him and cast my spell.


    Keenan was still moving backwards away from me, clutching his wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. He stumbled and started to fall.


    The knife and amulet finally hit the floor at my feet, and Keenan was in mid-tumble when I saw the flash in his eyes as my magic struck him. His body was engulfed in swirling light at the same moment he hit the floor.


    Suddenly the world was moving at normal speed again. Keira appeared behind me on my right, and she pulled Kelly into her arms. Kelly was freed from whatever spell Keenan had on her, and both twins were frantic. They began sobbing in fear and relief as they held each other.


    I didn''t join them yet. I kept my eyes on our foe, as the shimmering light faded.


    Laying on her back on the floor was a small, slightly-built fifteen-year-old human girl. She had long messy hair that was the same fiery red colour as my two girlfriends. Her skin was fair, with a light dusting of freckles across her cheeks. There was a fairly strong family resemblance between her and the twins. She could easily be their little sister. The clothes she wore were miles too big on her now, her hands and feet were hidden inside the sleeves and pant-legs. She was unconscious, and she was still bleeding from the wound in her belly.


    I stepped forward and knelt next to Keenan, and gently placed my hand on his abdomen. I cast a few strong healing spells, enough to patch up his injury and keep him alive. Even after the healing magic he remained unconscious for now, which was fine with me.


    With our enemy dealt with, I stood up and stepped back. I turned, and finally moved to join Kelly and Keira. They both immediately pulled me into their hug.


    I put my arms around them as I looked up at Kelly. "Are you ok? Did he do any damage?"


    Both of them still had tears running down their faces, but it was mostly from relief now. Kelly shook her head "I''m ok I think... Thank you Tegan! You have no idea how terrifying that was!"


    I decided not to mention that I actually did know how. I''d have to tell her and Keira later that I peeked into their link, that I used it to guide my teleport spell with such precision.


    For now I gave them both a reassuring squeeze, "You''re ok now. Both of you are ok now. Keenan''s not going to hurt anyone after this."


    The three of us continued holding each other for another minute or two, before we heard the weak groan behind us. We all turned to watch.


    Keenan slowly pulled himself up to a sitting position. He was holding both hands over his belly again as he looked around in confusion. I figured he''d still be weak and sore for a while. The wound was healed enough that he wasn''t in any immediate danger, but it would take another day or two before the healing was finished.


    He stared up at us and was probably wondering why we all seemed so much taller right now. Finally he looked down at himself, and his eyes grew wider and wider. He slowly pulled up the sleeves of his jacket to get a better look. Then his whole body trembled slightly as he stared at his small delicate hands.


    "What -" he started to talk but stopped with a gasp. One hand moved to his throat, his slim fingers ran up from his neck to his smooth face, then over his head. He ran his fingers through his hair then pulled some of it forward to see how long it was.


    His hands moved to his chest next, and his eyes bulged wide as he realized what he could feel beneath the loose fabric of his clothes. The self-examination ended with his hands between his legs as he groped himself once, then gasped and trembled again.


    His lips moved as he tried a spell, and the look of confusion returned to his face when nothing happened.


    He finally looked up at me and asked, "What have you done? Why isn''t my magic working?" His voice was small and high-pitched, unmistakably girly, and wavered slightly with fear.


    With the crisis over and Kelly safe, my anger had evaporated and I was left feeling guilty for using Taralynn''s gift like this again.


    "You''re human," I replied quietly. "You don''t have access to magic anymore."


    Keenan trembled and gulped, "How long until this wears off?"


    I shook my head, "It doesn''t. This is permanent."


    All three of us were still watching him as he sat there stunned.


    After a few moments he shook his head and whispered, "You should have just killed me."


    None of us responded to that. Keenan sat there motionless for another minute or so, then he suddenly burst into action.


    The dagger was still laying on the floor where I''d dropped it, and Keenan dove for it. He scooped it up and I think he meant to strike at me, but Keira was already moving. She lashed out with her foot against his arm. The weapon was knocked clear, and it slid across the floor.


    Then the tall redhead leaned down and grabbed him by the hair with her left hand as she placed her right hand on her granddad''s forehead. Keira''s lips were already moving as she cast the spell.


    I realized what she was up to just a moment too late. I tried to move forward to intervene, but Kelly grabbed me from behind. Her hands tightly gripped my shoulders and she held me back until Keira was finished.


    "This is for Amy, you bastard!" Keira growled, then her eyes flared as she released the spell.


    I didn''t know which spell she used, but I had no doubt it was something from that book of mind magic. Last week in the study, Keira made a point of swapping books with her sister. She let Kelly have the milder book, while she took the one full of darker magic. I was certain she''d just used one of those spells on her granddad.


    Keenan''s body stiffened as the spell took hold, then went slack again. Keira let her granddad''s small body slump back to lay on the floor again, and she finally stepped away. At the same time Kelly released her hold on me.


    I sighed deeply, "Keira, what did you do?"


    She had a grim smile on her face as she moved back to stand next to Kelly again. "Nothing she didn''t deserve."


    I turned to look at her sister and asked, "Kelly? Why''d you stop me?"


    I could understand Keira''s desire for vengeance after what happened to Amy last year, but this seemed to go against Kelly''s principals.


    She sighed, and there was a guilty look in her eyes. "I''m sorry Tegan. Keira told me what she wanted to do right from the start. I said at the time I wouldn''t help but I wouldn''t stand in her way either. I knew how much it hurt her, what he did to Amy. But after what he was about to do to me... Nothing we could do to him would ever be enough to make up for all the suffering he''s caused."


    I couldn''t argue with that. I didn''t like it, and I was still surprised Kelly had gone along with it, but I understood why.


    In the end I just let it go for now, and turned my attention to the next order of business, "Will you two be ok with Keenan for now? And will Keenan be ok with you two? I need to try and clear the control spells on the soldiers and officers here."


    Kelly nodded, "Yeah. You be safe. We''ll be ok here."


    I looked at Keira and she shrugged, "I won''t use any more magic on granddad. I won''t hurt her, if that''s what you''re worried about."


    PurpleCatGirl

 85. Disgraced

    "You''re sure this is enough m''lady?" lieutenant Desmond asked again. "You don''t need anything else?"


    I nodded, "This is fine Desmond, thank you. We''ll be fine. We''ll be on our way in the morning before dawn."


    We were all standing in the room which used to be captain Eamon''s private chambers, and was most recently occupied by Keenan. It was the largest and most nicely decorated room in the castle. But this was a military outpost, it wasn''t intended to house nobility, so the furnishings weren''t all that lavish or special.


    Not that we were going to complain. The bed was big enough for the three of us, and that''s all we really needed.


    Keenan would actually be occupying the room for one more night as well, but as our prisoner rather than the person running the place. We''d had some extra blankets brought in, and along with the thick rugs on the floor I figured that would be comfortable enough for him. Either way it would just be for one night.


    It was early evening now, and I''d spent most of the afternoon dealing with the soldiers. First I had to knock them all out with sleep spells, then I went through them one by one and dispelled Keenan''s control magic. And finally, starting with the officers, I had to wake them all up again, and go through some very lengthy explanations and conversations.


    When it was all over and done with, castle Griofa was once again loyal to my mother and our clann. The castle was shorthanded though, and there was still the weakness in the south-east corner where I''d damaged the structure. They needed reinforcements and help with the repairs, but I''d pass that on to Maeve when we returned home in the morning.


    After all that was sorted out we had something to eat, and now we were ready to turn in for the night. Desmond bowed once more before he finally left us alone. Keira made sure the door was closed and barred after he''d left so nobody else would disturb us.


    Our prisoner was standing to the side looking awkward and uncomfortable. The only clothes in the castle that were even close to the right size belonged to a stable-boy. They were still too big, but for now Keenan was dressed in black britches and a pale beige shirt. We couldn''t find any suitable footwear so he was barefoot.


    I still hadn''t found out yet what Keira did to him, what spell she used. She was reluctant to talk about it, at least for the moment. I suspected she was worried about upsetting me. Or maybe she just didn''t want me to look down at her.


    Whatever she did I knew it was something dark, and the effect it had on her granddad was significant. Keenan was acting very quiet and compliant, like he was eager to not get in anyone''s way and to avoid getting anyone upset with him.


    After sealing the door Keira moved back to me and Kelly. She glanced at her granddad and said "You can set your blankets up there." She gestured to a spot against the wall near the fireplace, that would probably be fairly warm and comfortable. She added, "Then get some sleep."


    Keenan nodded and quietly started laying out the blankets. As soon as the makeshift bed was ready, he lay down and got comfortable.


    Kelly looked between me and her sister then asked softly, "Are we going straight back to castle Br¨¢daigh in the morning? Or will we take grandfather to Earth first, to meet with mom?"


    Keira shrugged and looked at me.


    "Keenan can wait," I replied. "I''ll ask Maeve to set him up in a room in the tower, like Liam was. He''ll be kept safe and comfortable, but he won''t be going anywhere. We need to finish our business in Otherworld before we head back to Earth."


    The twins both accepted that, and the three of us finally undressed and got into bed together.


    As we got settled in, I asked softly "Keira? Will you tell me what you did to Keenan?"


    She sighed. "If you really want to know... I''m afraid you''ll hate me though."


    "I won''t hate you," I promised. "I might be disappointed, but after what happened to Amy, and what he was going to do to Kelly, I understand."


    Keira sighed again, then whispered "It''s a spell I know she''s used on other people. It lets you make changes to someone''s personality. I knew you were uneasy about the dysphoria stuff, so I made her a girl. And I made her want to be a good girl. I made her want to stay out of trouble. And I made her want to do whatever the three of us tell her."


    I sighed as that all sank in. Of course I wasn''t happy about it, and I definitely wasn''t comfortable with it. After a couple minutes I came up with some questions. I could think of a lot of ways to interpret what she said, and I wanted to understand exactly what she''d done.


    "Ok," I said softly, "I don''t hate you Keira. I''m not happy you did it though. It''ll probably take me a while longer to process the rest of my feelings on this. In the meantime, I have some questions. I need you to elaborate more on exactly what you did, because what you just described sounds pretty vague."


    Keira continued to whisper as she replied, "The first thing was the most direct and straightforward. Like I said, I knew you didn''t want to condemn her to a life of dysphoria so I changed her gender identity to match her new body."


    She added "I didn''t force her to like her new body or make her like what had happened to her or anything like that. She still has to come to terms with that in her own time, in her own way. It just means she''s a girl, she prefers she/her pronouns, and she might even decide to change her name."


    I sighed again, but otherwise stayed quiet for now as I listened to Keira. Kelly was cuddled behind me, I knew she was listening too.


    "The other three things are all a lot more vague, like you said." Keira confirmed quietly. "None of them are compulsions or like, unbreakable commands or whatever? None of them are ''she has to'', just that ''she wants to''. She''s not a robot or a slave or anything like that, she still has her free will."


    "Which is more than we can say for most of her victims," Kelly added softly.


    Keira nodded and continued, "So she ''wants to be a good girl''... That''s going to influence her based on her own idea of what a good girl is. And I know right now granddad''s a misogynistic creep. So that''s going to shape how she thinks she should act. That''ll change over time though, like as she grows and matures? She''ll hopefully lose that misogynistic mindset and her idea of being a good girl will change, and that''ll change how it influences her behaviour and stuff."


    Kelly added, "Eventually, if she becomes mature enough, she might realize that the concept is meaningless patriarchal bullshit, then it''ll have no hold on her at all. We can all choose for ourselves if we want to be a ''good girl'' and what that means to us. If she reaches that level of maturity and self-awareness, she''ll be completely free of that influence."


    Keira sighed then moved on to the next one. "Her wanting to stay out of trouble is also based on how her mind interprets that. Like, she might decide the best way to avoid trouble is to avoid breaking rules or laws. It doesn''t mean she''ll be unable to, like it doesn''t mean she''ll never drive above the speed limit? Like I said these aren''t unbreakable commands... And same as the ''good girl'' thing, her interpretation or understanding of it will probably change over time."


    "Right now she probably has some pretty black-and-white ideas on the subject," Kelly suggested. "Like, based on the past few centuries of her life, staying out of trouble to her might mean for now she''ll want to obey authority figures, and want to avoid breaking laws or rules."


    She added, "Combined with the ''good girl'' one, I have a feeling how it affects her will fade over time, if she grows and matures as a person. Like, most responsible functioning adults in human society want to be seen as good, contributing members of that society. If she becomes a responsible functioning human adult, this''ll probably become meaningless."


    Keira stayed quiet as she thought that over for a few minutes.


    "And the last thing?" I asked softly. "Doing what we say?"


    Keira whispered, "So once again it''s not that she''s compelled or forced to obey us. She''s not a slave. She''s not being forced to do whatever we say no matter what. It does mean she''s probably not going to fight or argue with us about inconsequential stuff just for the sake of being contrary."


    Once again Kelly chimed in with her own take on it. "Combine all three of those things and it means right now, she wants to be a ''good girl'' according to her misogynistic ideals, she wants to ''stay out of trouble'' based on how she interprets that, and she wants to do what we say. So at the moment she''s very quiet, she''ll probably do what we ask without argument, and she''s not going to try and fight back or escape or do anything else to disrupt our plans."


    "But," she continued, "Keenan isn''t a slave, she has free will. She won''t just blindly obey us. And she has the opportunity to grow, mature, and learn. As she learns that women aren''t inferior and aren''t just objects? And as she starts to participate more in human society? Things will improve for her, these things Keira did to her will become less influential, and she''ll gradually be free of them."


    After a moment she added, "It''s not a guarantee that she''ll someday become a normal happy functioning woman. But I think it gives her the opportunity. And in the meantime, it definitely gives her a taste of the sort of stuff she''s been doing to other people."


    I stayed quiet for another minute or two, as I looked back and forth between the two of them. Finally I turned to face Kelly and asked, "How much of this did you two discuss in advance? You said she told you up front what she wanted to do, and it sounds like you''ve both thought this out pretty thoroughly."


    Kelly shook her head, "We''ve been talking nonstop since she did it, babe. Like we''ve been discussing it all afternoon, so I''ve had several hours to figure out what''s likely to happen. All I knew before-hand was Keira wanted some personal revenge for what Keenan did to Amy. And I told her I wasn''t comfortable with it, but I wouldn''t stop her."


    After a moment she sighed "Tegan I''m sorry. I know it was wrong and I know it upset you. I shouldn''t have interfered when you wanted to stop Keira. But after what grandfather said she was going to do to me..."


    I leaned forward and kissed her, "I know Kelly." I hadn''t forgotten what Keenan told her, what he was planning to do to her, and how utterly evil and terrifying it was.


    "I''m sorry too, Tegan." Keira whispered. "I know it probably feels like I used you. I''m the one who suggested what to do with her, then I jumped in and added my own revenge ontop of that..."


    I turned and kissed her too. "I know how much it hurt Keira, what she did to Amy. I''m not happy with what you did, but like I said, I understand why you did it."


    We all wound up just laying quietly together for a while longer, until something else occurred to me.


    I sighed, "You know, it''s extremely messed up that when we get back to Earth I''m going to do almost exactly the same thing to my own dad? I mean, without the mind-magic of course. And for dad, it''ll be the greatest gift ever. But for Keenan, it''s a fate worse than death."


    "That''s because Keenan''s a misogynist," Keira stated. "And she''s speciesist. She thinks women are inferior, same with humans. That''s why it''s punishment for her."


    Kelly nodded, "Neither you or your dad see women as inferior. And you''re both trans. That''s why it''s a gift."


    We were all quiet again for a while longer, till I came up with the next question. "Keira, does Keenan know what you did? I mean, all the stuff you just told us?"


    "No," she replied softly. "She''ll probably figure some of it out sooner or later. She might have already figured out the obvious ones, about her gender and doing what we tell her."


    I had one last question for them, "So when we get back to Earth, do you both still want to turn her over to Kelsey? If we''re hoping Keenan''s going to be reformed after all this, I''m not sure Kelsey''s the best choice for her."


    Kelly sighed, "Yes. We need to confront our mom regardless, but I think in the long run me and Keira would be happier if Keenan was with family, rather than on her own or with strangers. Even if it means we have to do something similar to encourage mom to change her ways too."


    "If you don''t want to be a part of that Tegan," Keira whispered, "I''m pretty sure Kelly and I could handle it ourselves."


    I sighed again, "No, I''ll be there when you confront Kelsey. We can discuss the details another time though. For now let''s just get some sleep."


    They both nodded, and the three of us cuddled together before finally drifting to sleep.


    PurpleCatGirl

 86. Diminished

    I don''t think any of us slept well that night. We were all carrying too much stress and guilt from the day''s events. In the morning we all woke up at least an hour too early, and wound up just quietly talking.


    "There''s something I need to tell you both," I whispered. "At the time I wasn''t even thinking about it, I just acted because I knew Kelly was in trouble. But now, I realize it was probably a huge violation."


    They were both curled up on either side of me as usual. Kelly asked softly "What is it babe? What did you do?"


    I explained quietly, "When me and Keira retreated to the waypoint but you didn''t make it, then Keira said Keenan had you? I tapped into your connection. For a few seconds I was in your head with you, Kelly. I heard what your grandfather said, what she was going to do to you. And I shared the terror you felt, and the helplessness, the desperation."


    Both of them were quiet for a few moments, till Keira commented "I think I saw that. You reached out and grabbed it, right? As if it was a solid thing?"


    "Yeah," I whispered. "I took hold of it and suddenly I was connected. I''m not even sure how I did it to be honest. It just happened, like instinct or intuition?"


    Kelly was quiet for another minute or so, then finally said "That''s how you pulled off that impossible teleport. Even though you jumped in from two leagues away, it was like pinpoint accuracy. That''s how you appeared in between me and grandfather."


    I nodded "Right. I sort of rode the connection straight back to you."


    She and Keira were quiet again for a little while longer. I figured they were probably both talking again through their link, but I didn''t bother looking at their auras. I just stayed quiet as I rested in between them.


    "Ok babe," Kelly finally whispered. "I''m glad you did it, and I''m grateful you did it. But please don''t ever do it again. At least not unless we both invite you in."


    "I won''t. I promise."


    Both of them leaned in and kissed me on my cheeks at the same time, so I figured I was forgiven.


    After a few moments Keira asked, "So you were there with Kelly, you felt her fear, you heard what granddad was going to do, but you still don''t think what I did was justified?"


    I sighed and took a moment to think about my answer before I replied.


    "After yesterday," I whispered, "I think all three of us have a few more stains on our souls. It''s clich¨¦ but I don''t believe two wrongs make a right. Everything Keenan''s done has been wrong, and perhaps her fate is just, and maybe she deserved it? That still doesn''t make anything we did yesterday right or good. And I don''t think we had any kind of moral authority to do it, apart from the right to fight for our own survival. Keenan was a threat, to us and our loved ones."


    I sighed again, "There was no good solution to this. Whatever we did to Keenan, kill her or transform her, I knew it would suck. I guess at the end of the day all we can do is decide whether or not we can live with how much it sucked."


    They both seemed to think that over. Finally Keira said quietly, "I can live with it. I''ll take the hit on a stained soul, for the satisfaction of knowing I got some revenge for what she did to Amy. And it might not mean much to anyone else, but I feel like I let granddad off easy."


    Even though she spoke quietly, I could hear the conviction in her voice.


    "I can live with it too," Kelly whispered, "But it''ll take me a while to get over the guilt. I agree with you Tegan, whether or not grandfather deserved it, it was still wrong."


    After a moment she added, "When did you get all spiritual about this stuff, babe? Where''d this talk about souls and stains and all that come from?"


    I shrugged slightly, "I guess I''ve been thinking about it ever since I met Taralynn and Aisling. They talked about us having to earn our souls. I don''t know... When we decided to go after Keenan, I knew I''d have to break my own rules again. Either about killing, or about using magic to do unpleasant things."


    Kelly seemed to think that over, then finally suggested "Maybe I''m wrong, and maybe you''ll disagree with me. But I sort of wonder if we actually do have the moral authority in this case. Taralynn gave you her gift because she knew you''d use it right. Neither Keira or me would have been able to help yesterday if you hadn''t shared that gift with us on Samhain. And ultimately Keenan needed to be stopped. Someone had to do it. The only one who was able to stop Keenan and was in a position to do so, was you. And that''s only because of Taralynn and her gift."


    She quickly added "I''m not saying it was right or good, and I''m still going to feel guilty about it. All I''m saying is maybe these things happened for a reason, maybe all three of us wound up in this position for a reason."


    That left me thinking again, but I didn''t have anything else to say.


    The three of us cuddled together a while longer, before we all finally decided it was time to get ready. We got up and dressed, and Keira woke up their granddad and got her up as well. Then the four of us went down to the main hall, to let the soldiers know we were heading out.


    Lieutenant Desmond was up already and waiting to see us off. I realized he probably planned to escort us out to the waypoint or something, but I just thanked him and explained it wouldn''t be necessary.


    The three of us bid Desmond farewell, and I confirmed I''d speak with Maeve about getting him reinforcements and help with the repairs. Then Kelly and Keira both teleported themselves directly to the grove of trees. I sent Keenan after them, and finally teleported there myself.


    Keenan was quiet and looked a bit sullen as I moved around to find the point where the veil was weakest. As the sun started to crest the horizon I could feel the veil growing even weaker. The four of us held hands and I pulled us all through.


    We wound up back in the forest south of castle Br¨¢daigh, next to the garrison. As usual Gaelen was there with a group of archers, though they were getting less jumpy about me and the twins dropping in so frequently.


    Horses were provided of course, for the short journey back to the castle.


    Keenan knew how to ride but she was no longer able to get herself up into the saddle. She''d gone from at least six feet tall to something like four-foot-ten. Rather than giving her a boost one of the soldiers just picked her up and sat her down in the saddle.


    I still needed a boost, but I was used to it. Someday I''d learn how to get myself up into the saddle unassisted, despite my small size.


    With everyone ready we set out. Keenan''s horse was being led by one of the soldiers. She wasn''t in any restraints but she was still technically a prisoner so that''s how they treated her.


    Another soldier held our pennant aloft, and soon enough our group was welcomed into the castle courtyard by Maeve and Siobhan and the usual assembly of soldiers and servants.


    We all dismounted, except our prisoner who needed help getting down again. Siobhan took care of that. Much the same way Keenan was placed on the horse, Siobhan just picked the girl up out of the saddle then set her down on the ground.


    As she did so the tall captain asked "I take it this is our prisoner?"


    "Yes," I nodded. "I''d appreciate if she were placed in a room in a tower, rather than the dungeon. I''d like her to be looked after as an ''untrusted guest'', and not mistreated."


    Keira added, "She''ll need some suitable clothes too, if that''s not too much trouble."


    Maeve gave Siobhan a nodd, "Take care of that please captain. Then come and join us in the study."


    Keenan was blushing brightly from all the attention and stares, and she kept her eyes down to avoid having to meet anyone''s gaze.


    Siobhan bowed slightly, "Yes m''lady." She looked to Keenan and stated, "Come along. I don''t imagine I''ll have too much trouble with you."


    Keenan kept her eyes down as she shook her head. She remained quiet as she followed the captain out of the courtyard, accompanied by two more guards.


    Maeve led me and the twins to the study for a debriefing and breakfast, in what was starting to become a fairly routine practice for us every time we returned to the castle.


    Ten or fifteen minutes later the four of us were seated around a table, just starting to eat when Siobhan joined us. Maeve once again invited the captain to sit and eat with us, then we began the debriefing over our meal.


    "The good news is, castle Griofa is once again in friendly hands." I announced. "We left lieutenant Desmond in charge. Keenan had them all under control spells but I''ve dispelled the magic, they''re all loyal to you and the clann once again."


    Maeve smiled, "That is good news indeed, but is there also bad news?"


    I nodded, "The castle is short-handed. They''re down to only thirty-one men and three officers. They''ll need reinforcements, and help with repairs."


    "Very well," Maeve nodded. "I''ll make arrangements."


    After eating a bit more, she asked the three of us "I take it things went well? The three of you appear unharmed, and you''ve brought back your prisoner as planned."


    The twins and I exchanged a glance. I replied with a sigh, "We had a very close call, we nearly lost Kelly."


    I felt a little nauseous just saying it, and I felt worse as I added, "It was my fault. My inexperience... Keenan was prepared for us and I didn''t see it coming. We wound up scrambling, and it was just luck and brute strength that let me save her."


    Kelly put her hand on mine, I knew she didn''t blame me, she wasn''t upset with me. I still blamed myself though. The worst part of it was I knew I''d keep making those sorts of mistakes until I was more experienced.


    My fae-mom just nodded quietly, "I''m glad the three of you are all right. That''s the most important thing, Tegan. The experience will come, but there''s no shortcuts there. You have to go out and earn it the hard way."


    I just nodded quietly. She was right of course, that was one thing I couldn''t bypass or cheat with my gift.


    After another little pause in the conversation Keira asked, "Any news here while we were away?"


    We''d only been gone a day really, from one sunrise to the next, but it was always possible something had turned up.


    "Not yet," Maeve shook her head. "No news yet from the king, sir Colm has not yet returned nor has any courier come from the royal court. No news from the Ceallaigh family either, no response yet to the letter I sent Ois¨ªn."


    I nodded, "I still want to go and get Connor. I''ll do that spell again this morning to check on him, make sure he''s still ok and everything. I think I need a couple days to recover though, after dealing with Keenan."


    "Speaking of whom," Kelly said, looking at Maeve and Siobhan. "I hope we''ll be allowed to visit her without having to bother captain Siobhan or yourself? She''s quite harmless now."


    Maeve thought it over for a few moments, then nodded "Very well. She''s your er, grandfather. I won''t try and keep you separated from family."


    Siobhan asked, "She''s still a prisoner though, correct?"


    "Yes," I replied. "But like Kelly said, she''s harmless. We want her to stay put, but we don''t want her mistreated."


    My fae-mom nodded again, "Siobhan, make sure the guards know that Tegan, Kelly, and Keira are permitted to visit the prisoner without escort."


    The captain bowed her head, "Yes m''lady."


    PurpleCatGirl

 87. Decided

    I was relaxing on our bed when the twins finally returned. They''d gone to check on their grandfather about an hour ago, to see how she was settling in. I''d offered to go with them of course but Kelly convinced me it wasn''t worth the strain on my leg going up all those stairs just for a ten minute visit.


    "So how''d it go?" I asked as they came in.


    "Not bad," Kelly replied. "It was a bit awkward at first but I think we figured something out. Then Keira tried something that may have helped."


    I frowned, that just left me with a dozen more questions than I had to start with. I looked back and forth between them and asked, "Oh? How so?"


    Kelly sat on the edge of the bed to my left, Keira sat on the edge of the bed to my right.


    "So at first she was just terrified of us," Keira explained. "Like she was actually shaking. We talked to her a bit, and neither of us were even saying anything threatening? Then Kelly figured out what was going on."


    The other twin took up the story, "It''s how her mind was manifesting those desires. Probably based on her own experience, like she''s always been an evil bastard and quick to punish people? So instead of just wanting to be good and wanting to stay out of trouble like Keira intended, she was terrified of being bad and terrified of getting in trouble. Basically scared of upsetting us or anyone else, because she figured if anyone was upset they''d lash out at her."


    I sighed as that sank in. I wasn''t comfortable with this stuff to begin with, now hearing how it was actually playing out left me even more uneasy. Before I could comment though, Keira spoke up again.


    "So I kind of took what Kelly said, and turned it around. I made a few little compliments, like praised her for stuff she''d done, and it seemed to completely change her attitude. Kelly said it was about positive motivation instead of negative? Like praise her for doing the right thing, she enjoys the praise, and that motivates her to do the right thing again."


    Kelly continued, "Grandfather probably hadn''t had much experience with that in the past, so she was doing the right thing because she was afraid she''d be punished otherwise. Keira started by giving her some positive encouragement, and I think if we just keep doing that it''ll quickly build momentum."


    "How so?" I asked with a frown. "Like what sort of stuff are you praising her for?"


    Keira smiled, "When we arrived she was already dressed in a skirt and blouse. They''d given her some boys clothes but she put them by the door. And she actually asked for a hairbrush, she wanted to take care of her long hair rather than cut it off? So I complimented her on the clothes, and her hair. I think it really helped."


    I frowned as I thought that through. Then I looked at Kelly again and asked, "So if I compliment her when she does ''the right thing'', you figure that''ll help her in the long run?"


    She nodded, "I think so. It probably won''t happen right away, but it''ll help towards eventually rehabilitating her I think."


    "Ok," I sighed. "I''m still not comfortable with any of this, but I''ll keep it in mind."


    The three of us relaxed a little more for now. I''d already done that tracking spell again and confirmed my father remained unharmed in the Ceallaigh dungeon. I wasn''t really looking forward to more conflict, but I figured I could maybe avoid too much trouble if I mounted a night-time magical rescue mission.


    I was daydreaming about that when we had an unexpected knock at the door. One of the young butlers stepped in and announced, "Lady Maeve requests the three of you join her in the study."


    We all looked at each other, then got up out of bed and filed out together to go see what my mother wanted.


    She was seated at the table near the fireplace, frowning at a sheet of parchment in her hands. Some drinks had already been served and were waiting for us as me and the twins took our seats.


    Maeve finally looked up at us and announced, "A courier arrived this afternoon, bearing a reply from Ois¨ªn Ceallaigh."


    "Good news I hope?" I asked. "Connor is still alive and well in their dungeon."


    Maeve frowned, "Let''s say it''s not bad news. Ois¨ªn acknowledged my explanation, but without proof of Lord Aengus''s involvement, my words are worth very little. And the fact that captain Eamon was one of my men means I am still responsible to some extent. The Br¨¢daigh livery worn by the assassins wasn''t fake or stolen, they were legitimate uniforms, which Eamon had access to."


    I sighed, and Kelly asked "So what''s Ois¨ªn have to say? What''s the next move?"


    Mother replied, "He has offered to release Connor, if I pay him a ransom of five hundred pounds of gold."


    That sent a chill through me, and left my stomach feeling cold and heavy. It seemed a huge sum of money, though offhand I wasn''t actually sure how much it would be worth. More than I could imagine, anyways.


    "What are you going to do?" Keira asked. "Tegan could still go and teleport Connor out for free..."


    My mother shook her head, "I have decided I will pay the ransom."


    All three of us were staring at her now as I asked "How long will it take to raise the money? How long till it gets there, and Connor gets back here?"


    "It will put a strain on my treasury," Maeve stated, "But I already have the gold. Tomorrow at dawn, lieutenant Gaelen will set out with a column of three dozen soldiers to deliver the ransom and collect my husband."


    She added, "It should take less than a month for them to return with Connor. Perhaps as quickly as three weeks, they will not be making it an easy relaxing trip."


    I immediately volunteered "I''ll go with them. I can help make sure Connor gets back here safely. And I''ll make sure this isn''t some kind of trap."


    My mother shook her head, "I appreciate the offer Tegan, but there is something else I want you to do instead."


    I knew from the tone of her voice I wasn''t going to like the answer, but I asked "Ok, what would that be?"


    She kept her eyes on me as she replied, "I want you to go to county Conchobhair, to castle Faol¨¢in. I want you to seize Lord Aengus, and bring him to me alive."


    She continued, "You said you could do this to rescue Connor, that you could teleport into the Ceallaigh stronghold and teleport your father out and bring him home. That''s what I want you to do, but bring me Aengus ¨® Faol¨¢in instead."


    I felt a cold weight in my stomach again. "Why? What''s the point of dragging him here?"


    Maeve stated, "Once he''s warming a cot in my dungeon, I''ll ransom him back to his sons and recover my gold."


    That actually left me speechless for a few moments. I''d been expecting her to say something about justice, something about making him pay for his crimes against our family. Instead it all just felt so mercenary.


    She just literally wanted to be reimbursed for having to spend five hundred pounds of gold to get her husband out of jail. Like she was paying Connor''s bail, and since it was Aengus''s treachery that landed Connor in a cell to begin with, Maeve wanted the ¨® Faol¨¢in''s to foot the bill.


    I was still processing this when Kelly spoke up. "What if his sons don''t want to pay the ransom?"


    Keira added, "They might be happy to leave him with you, then they take over the county without him."


    My mother wore a grim smile as she responded, "They''re still squabbling over who''ll actually get the inheritance. They need their father to make that choice. They''ll both be eager to pay up, they''ll both want to be seen as the loyal son who coughed up the gold to earn their father''s freedom."


    I finally recovered my voice and pointed out, "The thing is I can track Connor because he''s my father. I don''t have a link to Aengus. I don''t even really know what he looks like or where to find him."


    "I understand Tegan," mother replied. "However you have in your possession a prisoner who''s met the man more than once, who probably knows him well. I believe your prisoner can supply you with the information you require."


    I sighed and glanced back and forth at the twins. "I guess you''re right... Keenan''s worked with Aengus for at least three decades. She may have even been involved from the start, over a century ago."


    Still, I wasn''t happy about it and Maeve could tell.


    "I''m not going to order you to do this Tegan," she said. "But I am asking."


    I thought that over for a few moments then asked, "And if I decide not to? What then?"


    Maeve took a deep breath then replied, "I will invade Conchobhair and seize as much of the most-valuable parts of the county as I can reliably hold. I will recover my gold through means of land and taxes. I''ll expect all three of you to be at my side when I invade, of course. And if the war goes favourably, we will lay siege to castle Faol¨¢in itself. With your help Tegan we will bring the castle to its knees. Lord Aengus and his sons will be put to the sword, and county Conchobhair will become part of my holdings."


    By the time she finished, my mouth was dry and I''m sure my face was pale. There was nothing in her tone or expression to suggest she was joking, or that this was mere idle talk. She seemed deadly serious about launching a full-scale war on her neighbour. I still remembered her estimates of what such a war might cost. I could imagine it might take ten years, with a death toll in the thousands.


    Kelly and Keira both looked as pale as I felt, and their eyes were wide. They weren''t looking at me or Maeve, both were just staring at random points on the table. I was sure I knew what they were thinking. This was a downside of being part of Clann Br¨¢daigh. If the clann leader declared war you were kind of obligated to help.


    I let out a long sigh and frowned. "That''s not really much of a choice, mother. So I can ''choose'' to go and kidnap someone and bring him back here to toss in your dungeon. Or I can ''choose'' not to, and we wind up in a decade-long war that''ll result in who knows how many deaths."


    Mother kept her eyes on me. She looked confident and calm, as she stated "Such are the sorts of decisions you''ll one day face when you''re countess, Tegan. Sometimes you have to make difficult choices. And sometimes there aren''t any good options."


    I leaned back in my chair and sighed again. My thoughts drifted back to Duma D¨¦, and I recalled that Taralynn said Maeve lacked willpower and presence of mind. It kind of felt like my mother was starting to improve in those areas. I hoped wherever my great-grandmother was that she''d at least be proud of Maeve for taking charge of things. Including taking charge of her wayward daughter.


    Maeve was still watching me, and she added "I could relieve you of the responsibility of choice and make one or the other options an order, Tegan. But you''ve already indicated that you won''t follow those. So now you have a choice, and you will decide."


    I leaned forward and picked up my glass of juice and drank a few gulps, then I set it back down and stated "Fine. I''ll go and get you Lord Aengus. I''m sure I''ll need at least a couple days to prepare first, before I even have a clue how long it''ll take or how to get where I''m going."


    "Thank you Tegan," mother gave me a satisfied smile. "I assume your girlfriends will accompany you as always, the three of you seem all but inseparable. Once you have a better idea of how you''ll accomplish the task, let me know how many soldiers you''ll require to accompany you."


    I just nodded slightly, "Fine. We can talk again tomorrow over dinner. I''m going to need to discuss this with Kelly and Keira, then I imagine we''ll have some conversations with their grandfather."


    Maeve continued to smile, "Very good."


    PurpleCatGirl

 88. Devised

    "So here''s castle Faol¨¢in," Kelly said. "On the west coast, in the southern half of county Conchobhair."


    I sighed as I looked where she was pointing. We had the old atlas out yet again, and we were once more looking at the map of the Southern Marches. I already knew where we were of course, now I had an idea of where Lord Aengus called home.


    "That''s what, sixty leagues? Sixty-five?" Keira asked as she tried to measure it out in finger-widths.


    Kelly replied "More like seventy, I think."


    After a moment she added, "But, it''s only about thirty leagues from castle Griofa, and we already know how to get there relatively quickly."


    I considered that. "You figure we could jump to Griofa, get horses, and head on to castle Faol¨¢in?"


    "It''s possible," Kelly nodded. "And it''d cut our travel time in half."


    I frowned, "Getting there''s only half the challenge. Actually not even half, it''s like, the first third. Or maybe even just a quarter. Once we get there it''s going to get a whole lot harder."


    I sighed as I thought about it again. "We have to get in, find Lord Aengus, then get back out again without us or him dying, then get him all the way back here. Again without anyone dying. Even if he is an old guy, he''s not going to make that easy. And we''ll probably have his people chasing us. Soldiers, maybe even mages."


    The twins were quiet for a few moments, then Keira shrugged "I guess it''s time to see grandad again?"


    I sighed again, "I guess."


    Half an hour later the three of us reached the level of the tower where Keenan was being held. After six flights of steep stairs my leg was sore and weak. That was probably the most stairs I''d tackled at once since me and Kelly came up here to visit Liam three years ago.


    I wound up leaning against Keira for a minute or so, as the three of us stood on the landing outside Keenan''s door.


    Once the pain in my leg had dropped to a manageable level, I nodded "Ok lets go."


    One of the guards unlocked and opened the door for us, and the three of us entered together.


    Keenan was sitting crosslegged in the middle of the bed, wearing a knee-length skirt and a tight blouse. There was a tray on the bed next to her, with a hairbrush, tooth brush, and some other toiletry items. She was holding a hand-mirror, though it was currently resting in her lap. She had her head tilted downwards and her eyes were staring at some random spot on the bed. Her cheeks were colouring slightly.


    I noticed her hair looked good, there was a bit of a shine to it, and I realized she''d probably just finished brushing it. She''d obviously been looking at herself in the mirror when we entered.


    Thinking back to when Liam was in this position, it was like night and day. Liam did his best to dress and act like a boy, and tried to ignore the feminine body I''d given him. Keenan was embracing it, and even appeared to be trying to accentuate it. She was focusing on her appearance, she wanted to be pretty.


    "Hello again granddad," Keira said in a friendly tone. "I see they already brought you the brush and things that you wanted."


    After a moment she added, "Your hair looks great by the way, good job."


    I recalled what the twins said earlier, about being positive rather than negative. I could see it now. Keenan was clearly nervous, if not outright scared. She refused to look at any of us, she seemed tense, her shoulders were set in a sort of permanent cringe. On the other hand she reacted positively to Keira''s compliments. There was a flicker of a smile on her lips and her eyes widened slightly. She was frightened, but she was also pleased.


    Overall it still left me feeling uncomfortable. I knew this was basically her conscious mind struggling to adapt to the changes Keira made to her personality. I wondered if Keenan was even aware of any of it.


    I finally made my way over to the table and sat down in one of the chairs. My leg was still aching and I needed to get the weight off it for a while to let the muscle rest.


    "Keenan?" I asked her, "Would you mind joining me at the table here? We need to have a chat."


    She cringed slightly, but nodded. She carefully set the mirror down on the tray then moved off the bed. On a whim I switched on my ability to see auras as she was settling into the chair across from me.


    I hadn''t really checked before, but I did get a brief look at her aura yesterday before I transformed her. It was dark. I couldn''t even tell what colour it should have been, it was like the whole thing was just stained from all the evil she''d done over the centuries.


    It was much the same now, with one notable difference. All around the outer edge, there was a very thin pink fringe.


    I stared for a few moments and thought about that. I decided it might be telling me the obvious, that she''s still an evil heartless person but with a thin veneer of ''vulnerable girl'' overtop. I also realized it might mean something else. If it continued to change, if the dark stains receded over time and the pink fringe grew larger, that could suggest that she was actually changing as a person.


    I decided to monitor it over the next few weeks. If the darkness really was receding, I figured that would be a good sign.


    Before I dismissed that aspect of my vision I glanced at the twins. They were standing side by side a few paces away from Keenan and I. As I expected, there was constant activity going through their link. Outwardly they were watching quietly. Internally they were deep in conversation.


    Finally I looked back to Keenan. I kept in mind what her granddaughters told me, and I tried to act polite and positive as I said "Please relax, you''re not in any kind of trouble. We actually need to speak with you, we need some information and I think you might be able to help us."


    Her eyes widened slightly, and she nodded once. She didn''t relax though, not yet. And she still hadn''t said anything. In fact I realized I''d yet to hear her actually talk since Keira enspelled her.


    Before I could explain what we needed, Kelly spoke up.


    "Grandfather, before we go any further would you tell us if you were under any kind of hold or oath? Are you bound to Lord Aengus, or anyone else? Where are your loyalties?"


    Keenan shook her head, and finally spoke. Her voice came out as a timid whisper as she replied "I''m bound to no-one, under oath to no-one." She gulped slightly and added, "I''ve always been careful to stay a free man... I''ve never been loyal to anyone but myself."


    "Thanks granddad," Keira said. "We appreciate your honesty."


    Kelly added, "Lady Tegan will appreciate it if you''re honest with her too. As I''m sure you know, any of us could extract what we wanted from you, but we''d all be much happier if you cooperated."


    I stayed quiet through this exchange. It sounded like the two of them were picking their words carefully, like they were mixing praise and expectations to guide their grandfather along a particular path.


    Keenan nodded again and said softly, "I''ll do my best."


    I smiled, "Thank you Keenan. So, here''s what we want to do, and what we need from you..."


    There was a slight cringe from her at first, then she just listened quietly as I explained our goals. I told her we needed to get into castle Faol¨¢in, abduct Lord Aengus, and get him back here to hand him over alive to Maeve. And of course I wanted to achieve all that with as little conflict and bloodshed as possible.


    By the time I was finished she had a thoughtful look on her face. She still wouldn''t look at me or the twins, her eyes were now fixed at a point on the table. But she''d relaxed slightly, and didn''t seem as scared as she''d been when we first arrived.


    She continued to think it over before she finally spoke. "I can tell you how I''d do it."


    Her voice was still soft, she still acted timid, but she seemed sure of herself in terms of what she had to say.


    "I would slip between the veil to a place I know that''s within a couple leagues of castle Faol¨¢in. From there I''d make my way on foot to a location to the north-east of the castle. The woods are close to the castle there, it''s a good place to lay low and wait for evening. I know some of the castle interior but you do not, so you won''t be able to teleport directly inside. Instead, you can teleport to the top of the castle wall, then proceed on foot. I could perhaps draw you a map, of the parts of the castle I''m familiar with."


    She added, "Aengus is paranoid of mages, he''s had some of the castle around his personal chambers warded against magic so no-one can teleport in, and scrying won''t work either. He won''t let any outsiders in that area either, so I''ve never set foot there. I can''t help you locate his bed, only point you to what part of the castle he''ll be in."


    After another pause she continued, "Once inside the walls I would... Well you''d probably use sleep spells to incapacitate everyone you come across. When you reach the warded part of the castle, I would use mind-reading spells on all the guards outside that area. At least some of them will surely know their way around the inner sanctum. Then proceed to Aengus''s room."


    She concluded, "Teleport Aengus and yourselves out to the spot where you all arrived, a few leagues from the castle. Wait till dawn, and slip through the veil back to castle Br¨¢daigh."


    I was silent for another minute or so after she finished talking. I''d honestly just expected to get some tips, maybe a map would be handy. I didn''t expect her to actually come up with a complete plan on the spot. On the other hand, it reminded me that she was almost six hundred years old, and she had a lot of experience being devious. And she was clever.


    It also reminded me just how dangerous powerful mages could be, even compared to normal fae.


    Finally I looked at the teen and said, "Thank you Keenan. I appreciate your insight. That actually sounds like a well thought-out strategy. And we''ll certainly take you up on your offer to draw us a map or two."


    There was another slight cringe before she smiled. She looked happy that I was pleased. And she almost seemed to preen slightly at my words.


    I thought again about what the twins said. It still made me feel uncomfortable, it felt borderline manipulative to me. Still, I''d rather have her happy and cooperative than compliant due to a constant fear of reprisal. I wasn''t sure what the little cringe was for though. I hoped she wasn''t so scared of me now that it bothered her every time I spoke.


    The teen''s voice was still soft and quiet as she replied "I''m glad you''re pleased Lady Tegan. And I would be happy to draw out maps for you if you wished."


    I glanced around and realized there was no desk in here. "We''ll have to get some parchment and writing supplies brought up here first."


    "Hey babe," Kelly spoke up. "Let''s save that till tomorrow. It''s nearly dinner time, and it''s been a long day."


    Keira agreed, "A very long day, and yesterday was a very stressful one."


    PurpleCatGirl

 89. Deliberated

    The following morning after breakfast, the three of us wound up standing outside on the castle wall. We were watching Maeve and Siobhan down in the courtyard, as they addressed the three dozen soldiers who''d be delivering the ransom money.


    From our vantage point we couldn''t really hear what was being said, but I knew my mother and the captain were probably briefing them on what to do, what to look out for, that sort of thing. With luck they''d all be back here safe and sound with Connor in three or four weeks.


    After she was done addressing them, Maeve joined the three of us on the wall. We all watched together as the column of soldiers set out, with lieutenant Gaelen in the lead. Once past the gate they turned and headed north-east, in the direction of Ois¨ªn Ceallaigh''s stronghold in county Donnghaile.


    I noticed there weren''t any servants or bearers with the troops. It was just soldiers, plus a few horses laden with supplies. Like Maeve said the day before, it wasn''t going to be a comfortable relaxing journey.


    I was still disappointed I wasn''t going with them, even if it was going to be a hard ride. I wanted to be there when they handed the gold over, just incase this turned out to be more treachery. And I wanted to make sure Connor got home safely.


    After a few minutes it occurred to me, if I could take care of the mission Maeve assigned me quickly enough I could possibly travel to the Ceallaigh stronghold with magic and get there in time to meet up with our column of soldiers. I figured if I could get Aengus back here in under a dozen days, that would leave me time to get ahead of the column so I could be with them when they delivered the ransom.


    I got lost in that idea for a few moments, until Maeve dragged me back to the matter at hand with a question.


    "How goes your planning, Tegan? Anything to report yet?"


    "Not yet," I replied. "The prisoner gave us some good information yesterday. I''m going to speak with her again today to get some maps drawn up."


    She asked, "You still expect to have news for me by dinner tonight?"


    "Yes," I nodded. Then I sighed, "I suppose I''d better get on with it."


    My mother didn''t respond to that, but I could tell by her expression she agreed with my sentiment.


    The twins accompanied me as I headed back into the castle.


    Kelly glanced at me and asked, "I hope you''ll teleport up there today rather than deal with the stairs again."


    "Yeah. I''m going to grab some parchment and the pen from our room first then I''ll pop up and talk with her."


    After a moment I looked back and forth between them and added, "I think I''d like some time alone with her, if that''s ok?"


    Kelly and Keira exchanged a glance then Keira shrugged, "Sure."


    Once in our room I grabbed a half dozen sheets of parchment, the pen and the jar of ink. With all that in hand I focused, and a moment later I was on the landing outside Keenan''s room.


    The two soldiers there jumped slightly when I appeared, but quickly recovered. Then one unlocked and opened the door for me, and I made my way inside.


    Our prisoner was sitting at the table, it looked like she''d just finished her breakfast. There was an empty plate before her, and a half-empty glass of water. I saw her shoulders tense as I entered and her body became very still. She kept her eyes down, and just stared at some point on the table. She was dressed in another skirt and a tight blouse this morning, and it looked like she''d brushed her hair again after getting out of bed.


    I set the writing supplies on the table then sat down across from her. "Good morning Keenan. I''m here to continue our conversation from yesterday afternoon. Are you finished with your breakfast?"


    She cringed slightly but replied quietly, "Good morning Lady Tegan. Yes, I''ve finished eating."


    "Good," I moved the plate out of the way then slid the writing supplies closer. "First thing I need from you are a few maps. I need a map of castle Faol¨¢in and the surrounding area, including any places you know of where the veil is thin enough to allow travel. Second, I would like a map of the castle itself, the layout, floor-plan, to the best of your knowledge and ability."


    I noticed she didn''t cringe this time, she just nodded slightly and replied "Yes Lady Tegan."


    She opened the ink jar and picked up the pen, then got started.


    I watched quietly as she worked. Her body language suggested she soon forgot about her fear as she focused instead on the task I''d given her. She was concentrating on the map, and as it progressed I could tell she had some talent for this. She was actually a pretty decent artist.


    The first map took her a little over a half hour to complete. Once finished she set it aside so the ink could dry, then got to work on the next one.


    While she was working on the layout of the castle I carefully picked up the first map. It was fairly detailed, she''d indicated the various important features around the castle, and she marked the approximate distances.


    The castle sat just over a kilometre inland from the coast. There was a fishing village to the south. East of the castle was another village, surrounded by farmland. Those were the two main sources of food for the castle''s occupants. There was a large forest to the north, which also supplied some food for Aengus and his family, in the form of wild game. There were two waypoints marked on the map. The nearest was north-west, very close to the coast. It was perhaps a little too close, and a little too exposed. The other one was further north, concealed in the woods.


    The second map was even more detailed, and took a little longer for her to complete. When finally finished, she handed it to me for inspection.


    I was again impressed, she''d put a lot of detail into it. At least, the areas she was familiar with were well marked out. She left some areas blank, but indicated what she knew of them. Like she hadn''t been inside the garrison so she couldn''t draw its floor-plan but she marked its location on the map, and where the doors were. Same for the interior of the castle, some areas she hadn''t been in but had a good enough idea what they were.


    As I looked it over I commented, "This is excellent Keenan. Both of these will help a great deal."


    She cringed slightly, but at the same time she seemed pleased with the compliment.


    Before I looked back at the maps again I asked, "I imagine in your work as a courier, you''ve got to know your way around a number of places in Otherworld. Are you familiar with the area around Ois¨ªn Ceallaigh''s stronghold?"


    "Yes Lady Tegan," she replied. No cringe this time, I noted.


    I asked, "Would you be able to draw me a map of that area, including the travel points? Something like this would be ideal." I indicated the first map she''d drawn.


    She nodded again, "Yes Lady Tegan, I can do that."


    As she got back to work, I asked "Does it bother you when I use your name? I''ve noticed you seem to flinch slightly whenever I say it."


    I saw the blush come across her cheeks. She sounded embarrassed or ashamed as she replied softly, "I know that name has brought you all nothing but trouble. I imagine it''s distasteful for you to even speak it. It would not upset me in the slightest if you never uttered it again."


    That surprised me. I recalled Keira mentioned she thought Keenan might want to change her name. I hadn''t really expected it though, and certainly wouldn''t have expected it to happen this quickly. Although to be fair she wasn''t asking me to call her something else. And the way she phrased it, made it sound more like she thought I was the one who didn''t like saying her name. Like it was a dirty word or something.


    I stayed quiet for a few moments, and continued to watch her work as I thought that through. I also remembered what the twins said yesterday, about how Keenan was sort of interpreting Keira''s spell in a negative way. I figured this might be another manifestation of that. She wasn''t necessarily wanting a new name, she just decided the old one was bad.


    After another minute or so I asked, "If I''m no longer addressing you as Keenan, I''ll have to call you something else. Do you have any suggestions?"


    There was another slight cringe, then she blushed brighter than before. She actually stopped drawing for a few moments. I wasn''t sure if she was thinking, or trying to work up the courage to reply.


    After a few seconds and a deep breath, she replied quietly "I thought... Perhaps I could be known as Kaitlyn? Kaitlyn Connolly."


    Once again I had very mixed feelings. If she were trans, if this was anything like my dad''s situation, this would be a big deal. I''d be honoured to be told her real name. But it wasn''t like that at all. I knew this was her conscious mind struggling to adapt to the changes Keira imposed on her personality.


    I also reminded myself that she was my enemy. That I shouldn''t let myself feel too sorry for her just because she was a young helpless teen girl. And that she was a small timid teen because it was punishment for decades of crimes against my family and my friends. It was either this, or death.


    As I continued trying to work through all my complicated feelings on the subject, she quietly returned to her work on the third map.


    In the end I came to a realization, and a decision. Her punishment made her the person sitting before me now, but that was the extent of it. I didn''t want her to suffer above and beyond that. So trans or not, I decided to treat her desired name with the respect I would anyone else''s.


    "Very well. I will let it be known that from now on, you are Kaitlyn Connolly."


    Kaitlyn faltered slightly with the pen, and she glanced up at me. She almost looked overwhelmed, like she hadn''t expected me to agree or something. She quickly averted her eyes again, staring down at the parchment in front of her as she said "Thank you Lady Tegan... Thank you very much."


    Rather than continuing her work on the map she hesitated a moment. In a nervous voice she asked, "May I speak?"


    It took me a moment to realize what she meant was, could she speak openly. At first I thought she was afraid to talk at all, like without permission or something.


    I nodded, "Sure. What''s on your mind?"


    She remained hesitant, and her voice was still quiet and meek. And she still wouldn''t look at me, she kept her eyes down.


    She took a deep breath then said, "I''m sorry for everything I''ve done to you and your family, Lady Tegan. I apologize for the role I''ve played in Lord Aengus''s schemes. And I''m sorry for what I tried to do to Kelly. I''m sorry for what I did to that girl Keira was with. I''m sorry for all the things I''ve done over the years that''s hurt you, and my granddaughters."


    Kaitlyn paused for breath then continued, "I''m not just saying that because I''m your prisoner, because of what''s happened to me. I mean it. I realize now, you''re a good person. You care about people. You even care about your enemies."


    I was caught off-guard again by all that. I hadn''t expected an apology, but it actually sounded sincere. And once again I needed a few moments to sort through my thoughts and feelings on the matter.


    Finally I replied, "Thank you Kaitlyn. I accept your apology, but I''m not ready to forgive you yet. And there are things you''ve done that I can''t forgive at all. I think you also need to apologize to your granddaughters. I''m glad to know you''re sorry for the things you did to hurt them, but it will be more meaningful for you to apologize to them directly."


    She bowed her head slightly, "I understand Lady Tegan. Thank you."


    As she got back to work on the map, intuition told me to have another look at her aura. It hadn''t even been a full day yet, but something told me the name thing then the apology were significant moments for her. And sure enough I could see a change.


    It was very subtle, but from yesterday to today I could tell the dark stains had receded ever so slightly, and the pink was just a tiny bit more prominent. It was a small step, but I figured it was a step in the right direction.


    Finally she handed me the third map. Like the other two, it was very thorough. The Ceallaigh stronghold was in the middle, with forest, villages, and farmland indicated. There were three waypoints on this map, and distances between all the key spots were marked out.


    I smiled, "Thank you Kaitlyn, this is perfect."


    She preened again. The combination of her new name and the compliment seemed to really make her happy.


    "The last thing I need to discuss with you is about what sort of defences we can expect to run into at castle Faol¨¢in. What numbers of soldiers, if there''s any mages working for Aengus, that sort of thing."


    "Of course Lady Tegan," she replied. "I''ll tell you what I know."


    PurpleCatGirl

 90. Drafted

    "Kaitlyn?" Kelly exclaimed. "Seriously?!"


    I nodded, "Kaitlyn Connolly. She specifically said both names."


    It was late-afternoon and I was back in our room with the twins again, telling them about my meeting with their granddad.


    Keira had an amused smile on her face as she said "Well that''s a little unexpected. I never thought she''d change her last name too."


    I suggested, "Maybe because she''s human now, she wanted an Earth name instead of an Otherworld name?"


    Kelly shook her head "It''s not Earth versus Otherworld. It''s not even human versus fae. It''s English versus Gaelic."


    She smiled at my blank expression and explained, "Connolly and Conghaile are basically the same name. Connolly is just the Anglicized version of Conghaile."


    I stared at her for another few seconds then shook my head "Three years in and I''m still learning the basics."


    Keira grinned "You didn''t know that? You know Br¨¢daigh gets Anglicized into Brady?"


    I felt my cheeks going red as I sighed, "I had no idea."


    Both of them giggled in stereo.


    "Ok," I sighed. "Well I''m going to keep saying Br¨¢daigh because it sounds more exotic and interesting to me. And anyways back on topic, so she asked to change her first and last names, and I agreed. And as the leader of the Vale sept, I''m telling you two that your grandfather''s name is now Kaitlyn Connolly. Ok?"


    They both nodded, but Kelly commented "Makes me doubly certain I''m changing my name to Kelly Vale back on Earth."


    "Me too," Keira stated. "It''s one less thing we''ll have in common with either granddad or mom."


    I could feel another blush coming on as I said "Right. That won''t be the least bit awkward, trying to explain to people that you two are both using my last name now."


    "I keep telling you," Keira grinned. "We''re all married."


    My blush got a little brighter as I rolled my eyes.


    "So did anything else happen?" Kelly asked.


    "Yeah," I nodded. "She apologized to me. She sounded sincere too."


    I added "I don''t think she''s reformed or anything like that, not yet. I''m sure she''s mostly still just adapting to what you did to her, Keira. But it feels like a start. Like she''s just taking the first steps in that direction?"


    The twins were both quiet for a few moments after that. I assumed they were talking with each other again.


    Finally Kelly responded, "I guess that''s a good thing? I wouldn''t have expected it so soon though. It''s only been two days."


    Keira suggested, "It''s probably just sort of sinking in for her now, that she''s not getting out of this. That this is her fate and she''s stuck with it. I bet that''s got her freaking out, and that''s what''s got her thinking about apologizing."


    "Maybe," I shrugged. "It felt sincere to me, but I have no idea what motivated it."


    "Keira?" Kelly looked at her sister. "Maybe you and I should go visit her again?"


    I reminded them, "We''re supposed to be meeting Maeve soon for dinner, so if you''re going don''t take too long."


    Keira shrugged, "Granddad can wait. We can see her tomorrow, sis."


    About an hour later, seneschal Owen showed up to escort the three of us to my mother''s private dining room.


    Like before, I was seated at one end, Kelly and Keira sat across from each other on either side, and Maeve sat at the other end opposite me.


    The twins and I were dressed casually as usual. They were both in matching trews and blouses, I was in my typical hose and short dress combination. Maeve was dressed casual as well, in a soft cotton dress.


    A couple maids served the food, which was some kind of exquisitely prepared roasted meat and vegetables, and freshly baked bread. Then they retreated and the four of us were left alone to eat and talk.


    "So Tegan," Maeve began, "What have you to report? What are your plans?"


    I replied, "Our prisoner has provided me with detailed maps of the area surrounding castle Faol¨¢in as well as the castle''s interior. She''s also told me what she knows about the defences there, in terms of numbers of soldiers, and how she''s observed them to be deployed. She warned me that Aengus has a mage on his staff, and he''s not too shabby with magic himself. She also said he wears a very strong anti-magic amulet, like the one she had. All of that will complicate things but we should still be able to pull it off if we''re careful."


    My mother listened quietly then asked, "And your plan?"


    "Kelly and Keira and I will travel at dawn to a location about two leagues north of the castle. From there we''ll go on foot to a point north-east of the castle where we can observe it from the woods. We''ll wait there till it''s late, midnight or so. Teleport onto the castle wall, then make our way inside."


    I hesitated slightly at the next part. It was the step I was the least enthusiastic about. "We know the rough area of the castle where Aengus will be found. To find out exactly, we''ll have to use some magic to get that information from whatever guards or staff we encounter along the way. Like what room''s his, and how to get there."


    After that I took a deep breath then concluded, "Then we grab him, get the amulet off him, hit him with a sleep spell to keep him quiet. We teleport him and ourselves back out to the spot where the veil is thin and as soon as the sun starts coming over the horizon we get back here."


    Maeve considered all of that for a few minutes, then finally asked "And you''re confident the information you have from the prisoner is accurate?"


    I shrugged slightly, "I''m pretty sure Kaitlyn isn''t lying to us. I think the information is as accurate as she can provide, going off her memory and what she''s observed over the many times she''s visited the place."


    "Kaitlyn?" Mother raised an eyebrow as she looked at me.


    "Yeah," I nodded. "Our prisoner''s name is now officially Kaitlyn Connolly."


    She was quiet again for a few moments, then asked "How many soldiers are you taking?"


    I shook my head "I wasn''t going to take any. Just the three of us."


    Mother frowned. "You did that last time and it nearly got you into trouble, Tegan."


    "We''re not going up against a powerful mage this time mother," I explained. "And once again we''re hoping for a small fast stealthy group. The more people, the slower we''ll go."


    She stated, "Then you''ll take Feichin. You said yourself he was invaluable helping you navigate unfamiliar woods on foot, and you''ll be doing that again this time. He''s able to move quietly and quickly."


    I could tell she wasn''t going to budge on that so I just nodded, "Very well."


    "When are you planning on setting out?" she asked.


    "Day after tomorrow," I replied. "We''ll leave at dawn. And we should be back again the following dawn, it should only be a day."


    Mother smiled, "Excellent. If you pull this off Tegan I will be very happy."


    ? ? ? ? ?


    "So that''s about it," I said. "It''s roughly two leagues we need to cover, and we''ll have all day to do it. Then we wait till it''s late, like midnight or later, before we make our move into the castle."


    Feichin was quiet for a few more minutes as he studied the maps Kaitlyn made for me.


    It was about noon, and the huntsman had been called into the castle to meet with myself and the twins again. He didn''t look very happy about it either. Some food had been provided though and he helped himself to that.


    Our dinner with Maeve last night wrapped up without much conversation, apart from the ''business'' I''d discussed with her. Now we were making our preparations and getting ready for tomorrow.


    "I''m not familiar with the terrain that far west," Feichin finally stated. "I can''t say if it''s level, rocky, hilly. I don''t know if these woods are thick, thin, or picked over for firewood. There may not be enough cover for us to hide where you want to go."


    After a pause he added, "And where we were to the south, we knew that was possibly dangerous. This place," he tapped the map, "This place is definitely dangerous. Me and the two lasses would be killed outright, we''ve no value to them. But you''d be taken and held for ransom m''lady. If they got their hands on you."


    I sighed and glanced at Kelly and Keira, then looked back at him. "I know it''s going to be dangerous. Unfortunately this is what Maeve wants us to do. I''m not really looking forward to it either, but we don''t have much choice."


    Feichin nodded slowly and looked at the maps again. "Where''d you come by these, if I may ask?"


    Kelly spoke up, "We''ve got a prisoner who''s been to castle Faol¨¢in several times. She drew up the maps for us."


    "We''re pretty sure we can trust her," Keira added. "We''re confident the information she''s given us is accurate, at least to the best of her knowledge."


    He looked at the second map, of the castle layout, then back at the first again. "If she''s been there, she''ll be able to describe the terrain. Get that information, we''ll be needing it."


    I asked, "What do you think we should bring? Supplies, weapons?"


    Feichin helped himself to some more food, and spoke as he ate. "Same weapons as before. Bows, two dozen arrows apiece for you lasses. Daggers for all three of you. If you''re confident we''ll just be away one day, no need to bring food unless you think you''ll fancy a snack. Bring something to drink for yourselves. Dress for travel, dark clothes, like when we went to Griofa."


    I looked at the twins and asked them, "Any other questions?"


    They both shook their heads.


    "I''ve another question," Feichin said. "Why bring me? You said yourself, you''re only covering two leagues and you''ve all day to do it. And you know I don''t know the land there."


    I sighed, "My mother ordered it. I''d planned for just the three of us to handle it. She insisted on sending you."


    He sighed but nodded slowly. I knew he wasn''t happy about it, but it looked like he wasn''t going to argue.


    After watching him for another few moments I asked, "Feichin, may I ask you a personal question?"


    That seemed to surprise him. He looked at me warily, "Aye, what is it m''lady?"


    It was something I''d been wondering about him for years now. I took a deep breath and asked, "Three years ago, when we first met? When I told you my idea to try and save Connor? You said my plan was crazy and was likely to get us killed, then you immediately went along with it. I''ve always wondered, why you were so eager to go on what you said was a suicide mission."


    He picked up his wine-glass and drained it. As he set it back on the table he sighed, "Your mother wouldn''t let anyone hunt the beast. For almost twenty-three years it stalked the western forest, and no-one was allowed to do anything about it. I knew your scheme was probably my one chance to take it down."


    After a pause he asked, "Do you remember when we set off, your mother told captain Siobhan and I something? She said bringing you back alive was paramount. Do you know what that meant, m''lady?"


    He didn''t wait for my answer, "It meant two things. The rest of us were expendable, she was ordering us all to give our lives to keep you breathing. It also meant that should the beast put you in mortal danger, we had permission to put it down. That''s why I went."


    "In the end though you didn''t shoot it," I said. "If I''m remembering right? You had your bow drawn but you didn''t fire."


    He nodded, "The captain had already dealt it a serious blow. I could have killed it then and there, but I sensed the curse was starting to unravel. I don''t know if it was your blood in its mouth, or on its claws. Or maybe it was your scream, but something led the beast to falter. As much as I wished to see it dead, I knew in a moment it would be Lord Connor again."


    By now the twins and I were all frowning slightly as we listened to the story. I asked, "Why did you want to kill it so badly? Was it some sort of challenge, like as a hunter you wanted the glory or something?"


    Feichin poured himself another glass of wine, then drank it back. "No m''lady, I was looking for revenge. My eldest son Roarke was at the Imbolc celebration the night you were born. He never came home from that feast."


    I sighed deeply, "I''m so sorry."


    The huntsman shrugged as he stood up. He stuffed some more food into his pockets and said, "I''ll meet you by the garrison tomorrow before dawn."


    PurpleCatGirl

 91. Deployed

    We were up before dawn, and me and the twins got dressed in some new travel-clothes. We met Siobhan and some soldiers in the courtyard, and the three of us rode out to the meadow in the south forest with a small escort.


    Feichin met us outside the garrison, he was there waiting for us of course. He was wearing the same dark clothes and long black coat as always. He and the twins were armed with bows, and all four of us had daggers.


    Me and the twins also had small packs containing some food and drink. Feichin had a wineskin slung over one shoulder, and for all I knew his coat pockets might still contain the bread and meat he''d stuffed in them yesterday.


    I had the two maps Kaitlyn provided, they were folded and tucked inside my jacket. I also had a letter my mother had written up, with her ransom demand. When we nabbed Aengus I''d leave that letter behind, so his sons would know where to find him. That would save us the time of sending the letter the slow way, and it would likely save the life of the courier who''d otherwise have to deliver it.


    Now the four of us were talking quietly as we waited for the sunrise.


    "Our prisoner says the forest we''re heading to should provide good cover," I explained. "She said nobody''s allowed to harvest firewood there, and it''s mostly left alone. Lord Aengus and his family use it for hunting game, so most everyone else stays clear of it."


    Kelly added, "She also said the terrain there is a bit hilly, but not too much."


    Feichin nodded slightly, "Good to know."


    He didn''t look happy about this trip, and I couldn''t blame him. I wasn''t that enthusiastic about it either. I was anxious, and I''m sure the twins were too.


    Unlike our two trips to Griofa, this would be taking us a lot further out of our comfort zone. We were literally going to invade another territory, infiltrate an enemy''s castle, and kidnap someone. And as much as I hoped we''d do it all without anyone getting hurt, I knew there was a good chance it wouldn''t be that easy.


    As the first hint of sunlight started peeking over the horizon I let the others know, "It''s about time."


    Kelly moved in close to my left and Keira stood to my right. We linked arms as usual, and Keira reached out to take hold of Feichin. I cast the spell, and pulled us all through.


    A few moments later we were in a tiny clearing in an unfamiliar forest. I immediately cast my shield spell just incase, but there didn''t seem to be anyone else around.


    We were at the bottom of a little gully or something, a depression in the landscape. It was hard to see very far through the trees and underbrush, but it felt like the ground sloped up from us in every direction. Once the others got over their disorientation, they all got their bows ready.


    I whispered "Everyone try and memorize this spot alright? This is where we''ll fall back to if we run into trouble, and this is where we''ll be bringing our prize if all goes well. It''s also our ticket back home."


    We all took a minute or two to familiarize ourselves with the spot. For me and the twins it was about being able to teleport back here. For Feichin I assumed it was the trees or the landscape or something. Honestly I had no idea how he could find his way around the woods when it all looked the same to me.


    Finally we set out. Feichin took the lead, then Keira followed him. I followed her, and Kelly was behind me. Even though he''d never been here before our huntsman quickly found the best route out of the gully and soon the four of us were winding our way south, towards castle Faol¨¢in.


    We were all on alert of course, we were all well aware of how dangerous it would be to get caught here.


    The terrain was a lot hillier than I''d expected, based on Kaitlyn''s description. Though I realized she''d have been describing the area in terms of the strong healthy six foot tall man she was when she''d last been here. So what was ''a bit hilly but not bad'' to her turned out to be a little more up-and-down than I''d bargained for.


    It meant it took us longer to get where we were going, a two-hour hike through the woods became more like three and a half hours, and my right thigh was burning by the time we got closer to the castle.


    Feichin signalled us to be quiet and move slowly, as he kept us inside the thicker part of the woods while manoeuvring us as close to the castle as we could safely go.


    At long last he indicated we''d got as far as we were going to go. I could just make out the castle. We had maybe thirty meters of trees between us and the edge of the forest, then there was probably another three hundred meters of cleared ground between there and the castle.


    We weren''t going to do much observing from here, but I realized he picked it because it meant we weren''t likely to be spotted here either. There was a small, shallow depression in the ground, and some fairly thick underbrush on either side that would help keep us hidden.


    Feichin whispered, "Lady Tegan and one of you two lasses, take a break and get rested. Me and the other lass will stay on watch. In a few hours we''ll swap."


    I nodded and found the other reason he''d stopped us here. There was enough leaf litter on the ground to make it somewhat soft and on the sides of the little depression the ground was dry, so we could basically sit or lay down and we''d be pretty much invisible to anyone passing by.


    Me and Kelly lay down next to each other, while Feichin and Keira stayed on guard-duty for now.


    I massaged my thigh for a few minutes, as quietly as I could. Then I finally closed my eyes and tried to get some rest.


    We spent almost the entire day taking turns resting and watching. Me and Kelly had two hours, then Feichin and Keira had a couple hours rest. We swapped twice more before dusk, so everyone got about four hours rest and spent four hours on guard duty.


    It wasn''t good rest, but it helped. Me and Kelly had a light meal during our second turn on watch. Happily the entire day passed without incident.


    Now that the light was fading, Feichin and Keira were finally up and the four of us were preparing to move a little closer. I wanted to get a better look at the place while there was still enough light to see it, but our huntsman was worried that would make the four of us more visible too.


    In the end, we got moving right around the time the sun was actually setting. There was only about a half hour''s worth of light left in the sky and it was already fading as we crept forward. Feichin took the lead of course, and he moved us to a point where we still had some relatively thick brush to provide some cover, while still giving us a view of our destination.


    This was only the third castle I''d actually seen after all my visits to Otherworld. On a scale between the squat square frontier castle Griofa and the tall huge impressive castle Br¨¢daigh, castle Faol¨¢in was closer to the Br¨¢daigh end of the scale.


    Castle Faol¨¢in was more or less rectangular, with six towers. There was one in each corner, with a fifth tower in the middle of one of the longer sides. The sixth tower was on the other long wall but closer to one corner. It and the tower in that corner stood on either side of a large gate-house. The walls were at least twenty meters high, and the towers had to be twice that.


    There were soldiers standing around and walking around the tops of the walls, and I could see ¨® Faol¨¢in pennants hanging from the walls and from posts here and there. It was hard to make out the details at this distance in the fading light, but I was pretty sure they depicted a wolf''s head in black, on a background of alternating grey and green stripes.


    Overall the place had to be about two thirds the size of castle Br¨¢daigh, which was still pretty impressive. Even though we had the map Kaitlyn had drawn, for some reason I was envisioning it would be more like castle Griofa. Maybe because that was the only other castle I''d seen up till now.


    As I took in the scale of the place, I suddenly felt a whole lot less confident about our plan. In my mind, when I was thinking of this place like Griofa, it all seemed relatively simple and straightforward. I''d been confident we''d have the job done in thirty minutes or something like that, that it''d be a snap.


    Now I was playing it out in my head thinking of it more like my mother''s castle, and I felt like maybe we only had a fifty-fifty chance of even succeeding. And I had no idea how long it would take.


    With the last of the light, I quickly dug out the floor-plan map Kaitlyn provided and started trying to translate what was on that small piece of parchment to the huge structure towering in the distance. I finally realized at least part of my mistake. I hadn''t been seeing the place in three dimensions. I''d looked at the flat map and assumed everything was all on one level.


    Now I could see it, and even without seeing the interior I was getting a better handle on how the map translated to reality. Kaitlyn had indicated relative distances on her maps but I hadn''t really been able to visualize it as a real full-sized place until now.


    "Looks like the sentries here are armed with bows, rather than crossbows," Feichin commented softly. "And they''ll likely have swords and knives too of course."


    Keira leaned closer to me so she could have another look at the map, then looked up towards the castle again. She sort of looked back and forth between the two a couple times, probably getting a feel for the layout same as I was doing. Finally she gestured, "That stretch of wall on the east between the two towers? That looks like the best spot for us to start. When it''s dark enough that they have to use torches, if there''s a spot there that''s still dark that''d be the best place to arrive."


    I glanced at the map then back to where she was indicating. The residential area was in the south-west corner of the structure, almost the opposite end from where she was looking. "That''s pretty far from where we need to go once we''re inside."


    She smiled, "We only need one of us there, to get eyes on the interior and find the next spot to jump to."


    Feichin and I both frowned at her, and I asked "How do you figure that?"


    "I''ll play scout," Keira explained. "I''ll teleport myself onto the wall there, then check out the courtyard and everything else I can see."


    She looked at me and continued, "You tap into the link between me and Kelly and you''ll see everything I''m seeing. You teleport Feichin to wherever our next jump should be, then yourself, then Kelly will follow. And finally I''ll teleport there too. Presto, all four of us are safely inside the castle, and only one of us had to spend time up on the wall in the open."


    Kelly added, "If we do it right, and with a bit of luck, we should all be safely inside and out of sight in under a minute."


    I looked back and forth between them, "I take it you two have already discussed this plan?"


    They both grinned, and Kelly nodded "We were discussing this and other options during the walk. And the past fifteen minutes we''ve been debating what was the best choice."


    "We both decided this would be quickest and easiest," Keira said.


    Kelly added, "Though I''m not happy about my sister having to be alone on the wall like that. But she made the point, it''s one of us up there, or it''s all of us up there."


    Feichin looked back and forth between the two redheads. His expression was a mix of curiosity and concern.


    Keira grinned at him and shrugged, "Turns out at least one of those ''twins legends'' is true after all."


    PurpleCatGirl

 92. Detoured

    The four of us stayed put for another four or five hours after dark. We observed the torches lit along the top of the walls and watched the sentries up there move about. We got a bit of a feel for their movement, and Keira was fairly certain she''d have enough time between sentries to do her solo scouting job.


    Still, when the time finally came we modified the plan slightly, to minimize the amount of time she''d be exposed and alone up there. It was a few hours past midnight when we put the plan into action.


    Kelly and Feichin and I moved back a little ways from the tree-line. The three of us stood together, so I could have a hand on Feichin and tap into the twins'' link. Keira stayed closer to the edge of the woods and got herself ready. She had her bow in hand, an arrow ready, and she crouched down.


    Feichin and Kelly also had their bows ready, and I''m sure all of them were feeling as tense and anxious as I was.


    Keira gave us a little nodd, then she looked towards the castle and a moment later she was gone.


    I had my sight active already, and I could see the gold filament stretching out from Kelly. She gave me the signal and I reached out and closed my hand around the thin streamer of energy.


    Suddenly I was on the castle wall with Keira. We were crouched down low with our back against the raised part of the wall. We were in shadows here. It felt like a fairly safe spot right now, but we knew there''d be sentries walking past in the next minute or so.


    Our eyes swept the courtyard below. There were people down there, and a few small fires. It didn''t look safe, there weren''t enough places to hide. Our eyes moved along the wall next. Like at castle Br¨¢daigh, the wall here passed through the towers so one could walk all the way around the castle ontop of the wall.


    We definitely needed to avoid the gatehouse to our left. From what we could see and hear, there was probably a small garrison inside there, in addition to the main garrison building.


    With no really good obvious choices, the best bet seemed to be moving closer to our objective.


    /Be careful!/ Kelly''s thoughts entered our mind, her concern was clear in her tone.


    /Just give me another minute sis,/ we thought back at her.


    We focused on the place where the wall passed through the tower nearest the residential part of the castle. It was dark in there, we couldn''t see any torchlight or any sign of movement. We cast the teleport spell again, and a moment later we were there.


    Our gamble paid off, there was nobody here at the moment. We told our sister, /Ok get your asses here now!/


    I pulled my awareness back into myself, but maintained my connection to the twins'' link.


    "Here goes," I whispered to Feichin. I didn''t wait for his reply, I just focused then teleported him to where Keira was waiting.


    As soon as he was gone, I cast the spell again and sent myself there too. A second later Kelly appeared with us.


    And just like that, all four of us were together inside the castle.


    I glanced at the others, and immediately felt a bit sorry for Feichin. He was so far out of his element here, I almost wanted to send him back to the waypoint to wait for us there. Almost. We''d already discussed the plan, and he was part of it.


    Keira and I took the lead, Feichin and Kelly moved into place behind us. The three of them were ready with their bows, Kelly and Keira also had magic ready. Kelly knew the shield spell, Keira had offensive magic. I was ready with the shield spell as well as anti-magic spells. And all three of us were prepared to use sleep spells.


    We''d all sort of memorized Kaitlyn''s map, but I was most familiar with it so I took the lead. I knew from here we needed to go down one level, then we''d get access to the interior of the residential part of the castle. From there I knew roughly where we needed to go, but we''d have to get our hands on someone to find out our exact destination.


    The four of us made our way down the winding stairs to the next level below. There we found the open doorway that led into the part of the castle where we''d find Lord Aengus. I carefully peeked around the corner and looked. The doorway led to a wide corridor. It was about ten meters long, with a few doors on either side. At the far end was a large double-door. I knew our target was in the area beyond those double-doors.


    There was nobody in the corridor, no guards or anyone else. The only light was provided by a few candles set in holders on the walls. It should have been a breeze to head down the corridor and reach our objective, but the lack of anyone here made me wary. After our near-disaster in Griofa, I was worried about wandering into another trap.


    After a few seconds I pulled back. Keira gave me a questioning look, but I shook my head. Something felt off. I whispered, "I don''t like it. Let''s go back up to the wall. We''ll nab the next sentries who come through this tower."


    I could tell from their expressions they weren''t sure about this change of plans, but none of them tried to question or challenge me.


    The four of us quietly went back up to the level where the wall passed through the tower. Me and Keira moved to the exit on our right, Kelly and Feichin went to the left.


    Keira and I took a quick look out the doorway at the wall then ducked back in. We''d seen men patrolling along the wall but none were near us here.


    Keira whispered "Kelly says there''s two soldiers coming from the left."


    I nodded and the four of us moved to either side of the doorway. When the two men entered, they were immediately hit with sleep spells. Feichin and Keira grabbed them before they could fall, and gently lowered them to the floor.


    This was the part I hated, but I crouched between them and used the mind-reading spell.


    Of our two victims, the younger man was no help. He didn''t know anything more than Kaitlyn did, when it came to the private part of the castle. The older one however proved to be invaluable. The so-called residential part of the castle was a trap after all. It was a ''decoy'', to catch would-be thieves and assassins. Aengus had his private chambers in the fifth tower, the one mid-way along the northern wall. Unfortunately that was a quarter of the way around the castle from where we were now, in the south-west corner.


    There were four guards stationed in the tower on the wall level, and four more in the next level above that. Above that point was Aengus''s private chambers, but those top levels were also warded against magic so we couldn''t teleport in there.


    I sighed, then quickly and quietly relayed what I''d learned to my three companions.


    The four of us were silent for a few moments, but I still had my sight on. I could see the flickering of conversation going on through the twins'' link.


    "Can you put a glamour on Feichin?" Keira asked softly. "Disguise him to look like one of these two guys? I''ll glamour myself as the other. Then the two of us will just walk around the wall like a couple of sentries, till we get into that tower. We''ll take care of the four soldiers in there, then you and Kelly teleport to us."


    I looked back and forth between Feichin and Keira then nodded "I can. You two be careful."


    Our huntsman just nodded, but I could tell he was probably wishing he was back home right now. I looked down at the two unconscious soldiers, then cast a glamour on Feichin. A moment later he was disguised as the older of the two men. Keira did the same, her appearance flickered and she was disguised as the younger man. They straightened up, took a few deep breaths, then strolled out of the tower along the wall.


    Kelly moved to the doorway to keep an eye on the two of them. Meanwhile I put my hands on the two soldiers and teleported them both outside the castle, into that little depression in the forest where we''d spent our day. I figured they could sleep off the magic out there, and nobody would stumble onto them.


    Kelly continued to monitor the other two as they made their way along the wall. They had to go through another tower before reaching our new destination. I kept watch out the other doorway to make sure we didn''t have any other sentries coming up behind us while we waited.


    We had a nervous two or three minutes of waiting, then Kelly whispered "Babe? They''re done. Do you need to look through our link, or can you get over there from what you already saw?"


    I already had a good enough view of the place through the soldier''s mind, I whispered "I''m good. See you there."


    She nodded, and I made sure she teleported herself there first before I did the same.


    As soon as I was in the tower with the others, I knew we were going to have trouble. Two of the soldiers were asleep, but the other two were dead. One had an arrow in him, the fourth man''s throat had been cut.


    I looked around alarmed, I knew there were four more soldiers on the level above us. Keira had already dropped her glamour, Feichin was still disguised of course.


    "Don''t worry," Keira whispered, "We were quiet."


    I sighed as I dispelled the glamour from Feichin, then whispered "As soon as the next patrol comes through here they''ll raise the alarm. We have to move fast now."


    Kelly gestured towards the stairs and said softly, "You and I can take the next level, then Keira and Feichin will follow."


    I nodded, but first I teleported the two sleeping men outside the castle to join their buddies in the woods. I figured, even if the alarm was raised, it meant there''d be two fewer soldiers to worry about later. Then Kelly and I moved to the staircase and started creeping upwards.


    She had her bow ready of course, but I was hoping we''d be able to just knock these guys out rather than kill anyone else.


    Fortunately the levels were far enough apart and the stairs wound around, so sound didn''t seem to carry easily from one level to the next. We were nearly at the next landing before we heard their voices. Two of the soldiers were talking quietly. It wasn''t anything alarming, from the sound of it they were discussing plans for their next day of leave.


    Kelly and I got near enough to have a look, and sure enough there were four men here. The landing was lit by a single torch mounted in the wall. Two of the soldiers were leaning against the wall looking relaxed and carrying on their quiet conversation. A third was sitting on the floor and looked like he was already asleep, or at least resting. The fourth was standing against the opposite wall looking bored.


    We worked fast, the two men talking about leave slumped over asleep, then the bored one. The last one looked up when he heard the other three go down, then he slumped back as well.


    I breathed a sigh of relief, and moved into the landing. I grit my teeth and used the mind-reading spell once more, and confirmed that the levels above this were Aengus''s private chambers, and there weren''t any more guards above us. Finally I sent these four out into the woods as well, to join the growing pile of sleeping men.


    Kelly whispered, "Another patrol is coming. Keira and Feichin are going to deal with them, that''ll buy us a few more minutes before anyone sounds the alarm."


    The two of us waited a half minute, then she added "Ok they''re coming up."


    A few moments later our two companions were with us, and the four of us moved to continue our way up to the last level. Keira moved to my side and the two of us started up with Feichin and Kelly behind. It was another, smaller curving staircase.


    Halfway up I was surprised to see Keira''s aura suddenly vanish. At that moment I also felt something different in the air, and I stopped moving. Keira stopped at the same time, and so did Kelly. Feichin stopped when he realized the rest of us had.


    Me and the twins looked at each other. I couldn''t see Kelly''s or Feichin''s auras either, and it was clear from the twins'' expressions something had alarmed them too.


    "Our link''s gone!" Kelly whispered in a frightened tone.


    That''s when it hit me. This part of the castle wasn''t just warded to prevent people teleporting in or scrying. Somehow this part of the castle was warded to block all magic entirely. Anywhere else in Otherworld I was the Great and Powerful Tegan Vale, hot shit fae mage of legend. But here, I was just a helpless twenty-five year old changeling without any combat skills.


    I motioned, and the four of us went back down a few stairs. My ability to see auras returned, Kelly and Keira both relaxed as their link was restored, and I could feel magic was back again.


    I looked at my companions and said in a soft, worried voice "There''s no magic at all up there. This just got a whole lot harder..."


    PurpleCatGirl

 93. Detained

    "Alright," Feichin said softly. "We''ve got about two minutes to decide what we''re doing. We go forward and finish the job, or we escape right now and get back home alive but empty-handed."


    All three of them were looking at me, expecting me to make the call.


    Maybe it was clich¨¦ but I was suddenly reminded of my mother''s words from the other day, about having to make tough choices and sometimes there weren''t any good options.


    I took a deep breath then decided, "Let''s keep going. We''re too close to give up now. We have to get Aengus out of his chambers and down here before we can get him out. And if he''s got a big fancy amulet on, we have to get that off him before we can get him clear."


    They all nodded, and we hurried back up the stairs again. As soon as we passed into the warded area my heart-rate doubled. As much as I''d complained about Taralynn''s gift, I felt extremely vulnerable and helpless without it. At least the twins knew how to use their bows, and of course Feichin was said to be an excellent archer. I was sure he was skilled at other forms of fighting as well.


    At the top of the stairs we found ourselves on a small landing, lit by a single torch. The only way past this point was a thick sturdy wooden door. And of course it was locked.


    The four of us stared at it for a few moments, then Feichin whispered "We''ll need some sort of battering ram to get this open, m''lady. There''s no way to do this and keep it subtle."


    I stared at the door. My mind was scrambling as I tried to figure out a way to bypass this. Without magic though I didn''t really have any answers. None of us knew how to pick locks, and we didn''t have anything with us to smash it down.


    I probably stared at the thing for a whole minute, before I heard the sound. Noises were muffled in here, but somewhere in the castle, someone was sounding a horn.


    It felt like my heart-rate doubled again as my blood went cold. That was the alarm. The bodies two levels below us had been discovered, and we were likely trapped in this tower, while a small army amassed downstairs.


    Our only hope of escape now was to get back down to the level below us before anyone else got there, then we could teleport clear. I knew if we were trapped here without magic, we were done for.


    Keira and Feichin moved to guard the staircase below us, they had their bows raised and ready.


    I was about to give the order for the four of us to flee when we heard the clunk of the door behind us unlocking. All four of us turned at once, as the door swung open.


    A tired and grumpy looking old man stood there, dressed in fancy silk nightclothes. There was a large ostentatious amulet hanging around his neck, and he was holding a scabbarded sword and belt in his left hand. It looked like he meant to put the belt on as he descended the stairs.


    His eyes locked on mine as we stared at each other in surprise. In an instant I realized the alarm must have woken him and he was emerging from his refuge to see what the problem was. In that same moment he realized the problem was Tegan Vale Br¨¢daigh and her three companions were standing outside his door waiting for him.


    His right hand came up in my direction and his lips moved.


    I immediately recognized my final mistake. I''d assumed no magic for us meant there''d be no magic for him either. I was obviously wrong.


    Fortunately at least one of my companions saw what was happening and responded even quicker.


    The arrow passed between Kelly and me and buried itself deep in the old fae''s left leg, a few inches above his knee. He let out a loud yell as he collapsed, clutching his leg.


    I lunged forward and yanked the amulet off him, then tossed it into the room behind him. Kelly stepped back to join her sister guarding the stairway below us as Feichin moved for the old man. The huntsman tucked his bow over his shoulder and said "Take his sword, m''lady. I''ll carry him."


    I didn''t stop to question why, I just grabbed the dropped belt and slung it over my shoulder so the sword was hanging by my side.


    Feichin moved quickly and deliberately as he put his foot on Aengus''s injured leg to hold it still, then snapped the arrow shaft off so it wouldn''t get in the way.


    That brought another yelp of pain and a very loud round of angry curses from the old man, but Feichin repositioned himself and swung his boot into the side of Aengus''s head. That shut the old fae up, and stopped his squirming too. Feichin then hauled him up and slung the semi-consious lord over his shoulder.


    Before we left, I reached into my jacket and pulled out the letter Maeve had written. I dropped it on the floor by Aengus''s door, so it would be found later.


    "Go!" I said to the twins. They led the way back down the twisting staircase, while Feichin and I followed.


    We didn''t get very far before both twins had to stop. They released their arrows and scrambled to get fresh ones on the strings.


    We were still in the warded part of the tower, we couldn''t use magic here. The winding staircase offered some cover, but it was sort of a choke-point. The enemy could keep us pinned up here, and as soon as they were organized they''d probably be able to push us back till we were trapped in Aengus''s chambers, where it would be open enough for them to finish us.


    Feichin looked frustrated and worried, I''m sure I looked the same.


    Keira suddenly said, "Cover me sis!" She released another arrow then sort of threw herself bodily down the stairs.


    "Shit!" Kelly shouted as she let her arrow go a moment later.


    I couldn''t see what was happening, Keira was out of sight but I recognized the sound. It was that thousand-blades spell. Kelly swore again as she charged down the stairs after her sister. I scrambled to follow, and Feichin kept close behind me.


    A scene of total chaos came into view as I moved down the winding staircase. There were at least three intact bodies, and I wasn''t sure how many more had been added to the mix from the spell. Keira''s stunt was enough to clear a path though so we could escape the no-magic area. Coming down a few more stairs I found the two redheads grappling with four soldiers in the tight quarters. They''d dropped their bows, Keira had her dagger in hand and Kelly was trying to get to hers but both twins were being overpowered by the men.


    I heard one of the sisters cry out in pain as I raised my hand and hit the four soldiers with a sleep spell. All four of them crumpled, and Keira went down as well. There were still more soldiers on the stairs below, and I had no doubt the landing beyond would be full of even more of them. Kelly was still on her feet, and Keira was moving but she was obviously hurt.


    Kelly''s hand came up and she cast the barrier spell, effectively sealing the staircase. The rest of the soldiers were trapped below us, unable to reach us now.


    I hurried to Keira''s side to check her.


    She had her left hand pressed against her abdomen and blood on her clothes and between her fingers. Her jaw was clenched in pain. She was conscious though and said "I''m ok! Lets get out of here, worry about healing later!"


    I nodded and put my hand on her shoulder, and teleported her to the gully with the waypoint. Then I moved to Feichin. Aengus looked rattled. He had a nasty bruise on his right temple and still had part of the arrow in his left leg but I hit him with a sleep spell just incase. I put enough into it to keep him out cold till noon, then teleported him to the gully. I sent Feichin next, then moved to Kelly.


    She was still holding her barrier in place, and I could see at least a half dozen soldiers glaring at the two of us. They had bows ready and drawn, they were obviously planning to release a volley as soon as the shield spell was gone.


    "You go next," I told her. "I''ll raise a shield and cover you."


    She shook her head "Then you''ll be unprotected! You go!"


    I rolled my eyes "We''re not having this argument, Kelly. Go!"


    She sighed, "Fine."


    I brought my right hand up and cast my own shield spell before she let hers fade.


    Her hand was still raised though, as she said to me "I''m not letting you take chances Tegan."


    She looked back at the group of soldiers who were all staring at us, waiting for their opportunity. Kelly stared at them a moment, then and cast another spell. I was shocked as I saw the dark ripples surge through the air, and a fraction of a second later the half dozen men were gone, torn apart by the same spell Keira had used a few moments earlier.


    "Let''s go!" Kelly stated before teleporting herself clear.


    I was stunned, but I didn''t waste time. I let my shield drop and teleported myself away as well, before more of the enemy could replace the ones Kelly eliminated.


    Feichin had his bow ready in hand again in the tiny clearing in the gully. Aengus and Keira both lay on the ground, and Kelly was already kneeling by her sister. I moved to Keira as well to check on her.


    "Tegan she needs healing and I can''t do it!" Kelly spoke quietly but her voice was urgent and full of worry.


    I didn''t bother asking why Kelly couldn''t. I just knelt next to Keira as well, and cast a few healing spells on her. Enough to patch up her injuries and get her out of danger. Then I left the two of them together as I stood and moved to Feichin''s side.


    "We''ve at least two hours till sunrise," he stated quietly. "They''ll surely be here before then. We''ll have another fight on our hands while you''re trying to get us home, m''lady."


    "Crap," I sighed. Both Kelly and Keira had left their bows behind, lost in the melee. That left us with only Feichin''s bow, and my and Kelly''s magic to keep us safe. And I knew Kelly was probably nearly exhausted after all the magic she''d used tonight. Meanwhile we had Keira and our prisoner who both needed assistance and protection when it came time to get us through the veil.


    I pictured trying to get us home while we were also under fire from enemy archers, or being overrun by enemy infantry. And there was supposed to be a mage working for Aengus, so we might have enemy magic coming at us too. I couldn''t see any easy way to deal with all that and get us home.


    There was one other thing I could try. Travel was easiest at dawn, but that didn''t mean it was impossible the rest of the day. I''d done it once at dusk already. It was harder, but I managed it. And so far I still had no idea how much power I had at my disposal.


    "Ok," I decided. "We''re not waiting for dawn. Let''s try and go right now."


    Kelly and Feichin both stared at me.


    "I didn''t think that was possible?" Kelly asked softly.


    I shrugged, "I don''t know that it''s not, and right now I''m hoping it''ll be less impossible than trying to get us all safely home while dodging arrows and swords and maybe spells."


    "Feichin," I stated, "You''ll be carrying our prisoner. Kelly I need you to bring Keira. Either carry her, or if she can stand, then get her on her feet and you support her."


    While they were doing that I moved around the gully till I found where the veil seemed thinnest.


    Feichin once again had the old fae slung over his shoulder, and he moved to stand at my right. Kelly got Keira on her feet. The injured twin was leaning heavily against Kelly though, and she was obviously in pain as they slowly moved to my left.


    I put my arms around Kelly''s and Feichin''s waists, and Kelly had her arms tightly wrapped around her sister while the huntsman had a good grip on our prisoner.


    "Here goes..." I whispered as I cast the spell.


    The power burned through me as I attempted to force my way through the veil.


    PurpleCatGirl

 94. Delivered

    Our arrival back in the south forest was about as inelegant as possible, and also completely unexpected. The usual group of archers wasn''t on duty yet, nobody expected anyone to arrive outside of dawn. So there was no-one around to see the lot of us come tumbling back into reality like someone spitting out a mouthful of sunflower seeds.


    We wound up scattered around the meadow. I was nauseous and had a headache, and I knew I was probably the most well-off out of all of us. I dragged myself upright and called towards the garrison, "Guards! We need help!"


    Kelly was slowly sitting up a few meters to my left, but I was more worried about Keira who was laying motionless on the grass a few meters beyond her sister. I stumbled past Kelly and dropped to my knees next to Keira to check on her.


    Six or seven meters behind me, I heard Feichin groan as he started stirring. And I finally heard troops emerging from the garrison. I turned and shouted at them "Hurry it up! We need a healer over here!"


    As usual Feichin buggered off the moment he''d recovered enough to walk. Shackles and a metal collar were locked on our prisoner''s unconscious body. But there was no healer in the garrison. So I left the prisoner with the soldiers and teleported Keira and Kelly and myself straight into the castle courtyard, where I started shouting for someone to get a healer.


    About ninety frantic minutes later, we were finally back in our suite in the castle. Keira was resting safely in bed while Kelly and I were sitting slumped at the table by the window.


    We''d got out of our travel clothes and into some comfy nightshirts. We were both mentally and physically exhausted, but neither of us was ready to try and sleep yet. There was fresh food and drink on the table between Kelly and I, but apart from some juice neither of us had touched it yet.


    I''d given Maeve and Siobhan a very brief report but my mother realized I wasn''t in the mood for a full debriefing, or much of a conversation at all for that matter. Kelly and I were both too worried about Keira, and we watched while Muireann carefully tended to the injured redhead.


    The good news was, Keira would be fine in a couple days. The healing I''d given her in the gully had got her out of immediate danger, but she was still weak. Then our rough landing back in Br¨¢daigh territory had undone some of those repairs and left her bleeding again, until she was patched up once more. That was all behind us now, Keira was safe, she was resting, and she was going to be ok.


    The other good news of course was all four of us survived, and we''d been successful at our mission. I was honestly surprised at that, when I thought back at how many unexpected obstacles we''d faced.


    I finally reached out and picked up a pastry, and had a few bites of it. Then I looked at Kelly and asked quietly, "I didn''t know you''d learned that spell. The thousand-blades one."


    She had a few gulps of her juice then shrugged, "I didn''t. Keira learned it, I just borrowed it from her."


    That left me silent for another minute or two as I realized what she was telling me. Their link let them share more than just thoughts and emotions and physical senses. It obviously let them share knowledge and skills too.


    Before I could ask the next question, she added "And I did it because there were so many of them down there you couldn''t sleep-spell them all. Every time you knocked a couple down there''d have been more behind them ready to take their place. We needed to clear them out so we''d have enough time to escape."


    There wasn''t anything else for me to say about that. I wouldn''t try and argue it with her, and I had a feeling she already felt bad about it. But she clearly figured it was the right decision at the time, and the fact that we both got away safely was what mattered most.


    I ate the rest of my pastry in silence, then finally asked "After we got to the gully, why couldn''t you heal Keira? I know you know the spell."


    "It''s because of our connection," Kelly explained quietly. "Our auras are linked right? Healing her is like healing me. We can''t heal each other any more than we could heal ourselves."


    "Huh," I sighed. "That makes sense, I never thought of that before."


    Kelly eventually had a piece of toast and some jam, and I had some more juice. Then the two of us finally got into bed to get some sleep.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The next week or so went by without much fanfare. Kelly and I spent most of our time in our room watching over Keira. She was up and about after two days, but she was still a little weak from the whole ordeal so we were in no rush to do anything else. In a way we were actually, finally, having some quiet vacation time.


    Once Keira was out of bed the three of us visited Kaitlyn once a day, but we all teleported up to see her rather than using the stairs. Kelly thought it was important to be social with her, she said it would help towards her eventual rehabilitation.


    I also used that tracking spell to check in on Connor every day, but I gave up on my idea of rushing out there to meet him and the column of soldiers. I''d honestly had enough adventure and excitement to last me a good long while.


    And anyways, things worked out ok without me. One afternoon I did the tracking spell, and saw Connor was on horseback with our soldiers. They''d already made the exchange and left the Ceallaigh stronghold, now they were on the way back home again.


    I let Maeve know right away, and told the twins I wanted to stay in Otherworld until my father was safely back at home. Kelly and Keira understood, of course.


    With that, it seemed like the threats and problems were all done and over with now.


    Eamon was dead, the twins'' grandfather was neutralized, and Aengus was locked in our dungeon. Ois¨ªn Ceallaigh had his gold as compensation for the loss of his son, and soon enough Connor would be home. All that was left was for Maeve to collect the ransom for Aengus.


    Eventually the three of us were asked to join Maeve for dinner in her private quarters. She wanted to hear all the details of our experiences at castle Faol¨¢in, and we couldn''t put it off any longer.


    So once again the three of us found ourselves sitting at my mother''s private dining table. We were at our usual places, I sat at one end across from Maeve, Kelly was on the side to my left, Keira across from her on my right.


    Another excellent meal was served, and the three of us took turns telling the story as we all ate dinner.


    We''d just got to the part where I decided we should try anyways, despite the revelation that Aengus''s private chambers were warded to prevent any of us using magic at all.


    "You what?!" Maeve interrupted. She looked and sounded aghast as she said, "Tegan without magic you''re defenceless! You don''t know how to fight, you weren''t even armed! Why in the world did you decide to press on without magic?!"


    I shrugged, "You ordered me to bring you Aengus. I figured we were already there, we were already close, and if we left without him we might not get another chance."


    She shook her head slowly, "Tegan I only sent you because you made it sound like you could easily accomplish the task with your magic... I never would have let you so much as set foot in county Conchobhair if I''d known you''d be in any real danger!"


    "Oh," I blushed. "Well, we were only in actual mortal danger for about thirty or forty minutes. And Kelly and Keira and Feichin all did great jobs!"


    We continued with the story, as I told her how we couldn''t get past Aengus''s door but then he opened it and came out when the alarm sounded. I told her how Feichin shot Aengus in the leg before he could enspell me, then I grabbed Aengus''s sword while the huntsman carried our prisoner.


    We just got into describing our daring escape when mother interrupted again.


    This time she was staring at Keira as she gasped, "You did what?!"


    Keira blushed, "They had us trapped just a meter or so away from the edge of the no-magic zone, so I used our height advantage on the stairs. I uh, dove over their heads then fell down the stairs behind them, into where magic worked. Then I used the thousand-blades spell to clear the four guys behind me, so Kelly and Tegan and Feichin could follow."


    "Is that how you were injured?" Maeve asked, as she stared wide-eyed at the blushing red-head.


    Kelly shook her head, "Not quite. I charged into the guys on the other side of her so Keira could get up, and the two of us wound up hand to hand fighting with four of them."


    "The guy in front of me went for his knife so I went for mine," Keira said. She shrugged, "He was quicker, but I think that''s just because I was still a little stunned from my stair-dive."


    I frowned at her, "Muireann said you had a broken wrist, Keira. I''m astounded you were even trying to grapple that guy in the first place."


    Keira shrugged and grinned, "What can I say? Adrenaline''s a hell of a drug."


    We finally got to the end of the story, with everyone safely teleported out to the gully and me getting the bright idea to pull us all through the veil a couple hours early.


    "I thought that was impossible," mother said, shaking her head again.


    Kelly grimaced, "It was rough. Really rough. Like ten times rougher than crossing worlds at dusk, which was twice as rough as crossing worlds at dawn."


    "It wasn''t easy, either." I added. "It felt like I had to rip a hole through reality to get us here."


    Keira smiled, "I guess I''m lucky I don''t remember that part."


    Kelly frowned, "You nearly died sis. Let''s never do that again."


    I nodded in agreement, "I think we did a lot of things in Conchobhair that we''re not eager to repeat."


    Maeve was silent for several minutes after that, while she slowly absorbed everything we said.


    Finally she asked, "Did you remember to leave my letter, Tegan?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. I left it on the floor just outside Aengus''s door. I''m sure it would have been found during the clean-up afterwards. So hopefully you''ll hear from his sons soon, and you can get your five hundred pounds of gold back."


    Maeve smiled as she took a sip of wine. "Five hundred? Please. I''ve put a price of one thousand pounds on Aengus. And if they want his sword back too, that will cost them an additional five hundred pounds."


    Me and the twins all stared at my mother for a few moments after that. I thought five hundred was a fantastic amount. I suppose I wasn''t too surprised she''d want more for Aengus, considering how much he screwed with our family and lives over the past century or so. Still, a thousand pounds seemed incredible. And half again for the sword boggled my mind.


    I finally asked, "What''s the deal with the sword? It looked fancy, but I didn''t think it was worth that much?"


    Mother smiled, "It''s not merely a weapon, Tegan. It''s the symbol of Aengus''s power. It symbolizes his right to rule the county."


    Kelly suggested, "It''s like how a king''s crown symbolizes his power as king?"


    Maeve nodded, "Exactly. When Aengus''s father was made Marquess of Conchobhair, he was given that sword by the king. With both Aengus and the sword in my possession it doesn''t exactly grant me control of the county, but it does mean neither Caleb or Sean ¨® Faol¨¢in can take command either. And if they only pay their father''s ransom, Aengus will return home without his sword, and that will be just as shameful as being captured in the first place."


    She smiled widely at the three of us, "Despite the difficulties and risks, you''ve all done exceptionally well to bring me both Aengus and his sword. And I will see you''re all rewarded."


    PurpleCatGirl

 95. Demurred

    We had another few days of quiet relaxing vacation as we waited for Connor''s return. I continued to track him with magic every day just in case, but it really did feel like all the trouble was behind us now.


    Me and the twins got a little more active again since Keira was all healed up, but we stuck to fun activities. We took another day-trip to the lake and had another picnic by the water, we enjoyed walks around the castle, and over-all the three of us were able to relax and unwind.


    There were still a few lingering stresses of course. I could tell Kelly was starting to worry about all the time she''d missed from university. Even Keira was starting to worry about that too. And we had some other matters we''d have to deal with when we got back to Earth.


    We needed to confront the twins'' mother, and they still wanted to leave Kaitlyn with her. I had reservations about that, I couldn''t imagine Kelsey would be a good role model, or that she''d even look after the teen. But I knew we''d have to deal with Kelsey one way or another regardless.


    The twins continued to visit their grandfather every day, and I usually went with them. I checked her aura now and then, it remained badly stained but from what I could see there were small improvements. The stain was definitely shrinking, albeit very slowly.


    I figured Kelly and Keira were right, that the positive reinforcement and regular social visits were helping. The girl was still timid around us, but she seemed to gradually be getting over that fear she had at first.


    On the subject of family, I hadn''t forgotten my promise to my parents. I''d probably be doing that soon after we got back to Earth. And as much as I wanted to help them, especially dad, I was still upset about the possibility of my folks splitting up because of my gift.


    So I guess overall we were all eager to get back to Earth, but also a bit wary about it at the same time.


    It was early afternoon and the three of us were sitting around our room trying to figure out what day it was back on Earth, when a butler came to the door.


    He bowed then announced, "Lady Tegan, Miss Kelly and Miss Keira. Lady Maeve requests you join her in the study."


    I was a little surprised. We''d been all but left alone since our dinner and debriefing with my mother. I wondered why she wanted to see us now, and of course I worried something new had gone wrong.


    The three of us got up and made our way to the study. As soon as we arrived I saw why we''d been summoned, and I groaned inwardly.


    "Lady Tegan, Miss Kelly and Miss Keira. A pleasure to see you all again." Sir Colm stood and bowed towards us.


    My mother was at a table with him, and she motioned to me and the twins "Please join us. Sir Colm just returned from the royal court."


    We all sat down at the table with Maeve and Colm. There were drinks and refreshments already waiting for us, and I took a glass of juice and had a few deep sips.


    Once everyone was comfortable, Maeve filled the three of us in, "I was just bringing sir Colm up to date on how things have been resolved in his absence."


    Me and the twins stayed quiet as mother looked back to Colm and said "As I was saying, rather than add to any conflict with the Ceallaighs, I chose to pay the ransom. My husband is on his way home now, and we expect him to arrive within the day. As for the conspirators, you eliminated Eamon yourself, my daughter and her girlfriends eliminated Keenan ¨® Conghaile, and most recently they''ve brought me Lord Aengus. A letter was left with Aengus''s sons, demanding ransom for his release."


    Colm stared at Maeve in surprise for a few moments, then glanced at me and the twins. He looked back at mother and asked "You have Lord Aengus ¨® Faol¨¢in here? How?"


    "Yes," she replied calmly, though there was a smile on her lips. "He is warming a cot in my dungeon. As for how, I asked Tegan and her girlfriends to go and get him for me. So they did."


    Colm looked at the three of us, "How did you..?"


    I smirked, "We just went to castle Faol¨¢in, walked up to the door of his private chambers, and took him. It only took an hour or two."


    The knight remained slightly stunned for a few more seconds, before he finally focused on Maeve again. "Lady Maeve, as I said earlier the king is not pleased about this level of infighting between a Marquess and a Countess. And while he understands that Lord Aengus has been the instigator in these matters, I''m not sure he would approve of you keeping Aengus in your dungeon. He may prefer to have Lord Aengus remanded to me, to be taken to the royal palace dungeon."


    I was expecting some resistance on that, but Maeve just nodded. "Of course sir Colm. I would be happy to turn Lord Aengus over to yourself, or anyone else. The ransom I''ve set on his head is one thousand pounds of gold. Whether that comes from his boys, the king, or yourself, it matters not to me."


    That left me and the twins all trying to suppress grins, while Colm just sort of stared at my mother. He obviously wasn''t expecting her to demand the king cough up cash for the prisoner.


    He finally said, "I see. I''ll pass that along then to his majesty..." After a pause, he looked to me and said "Lady Tegan, I also have something for you."


    I watched warily as he took a folded parchment out from inside his jacket and handed it to me. Kelly and Keira both looked slightly worried, and my mother was a little wary as well now.


    I took the letter and unfolded it. There was a big fancy royal seal at the bottom. As I read it, Colm summed it up for the others.


    "King Cathal requests your presence at his royal court, Lady Tegan. He would like to meet you. And he would like you to meet his son, Prince Odhran." Colm looked at my mother and added, "The king asked me to inform you Lady Maeve, he is interested in a union between the Royal House and Clann Br¨¢daigh."


    It was pretty much what Taralynn and Aisling warned me about. The king was ''interested'' in me, and wanted me to marry his son. I re-read the letter, then folded it back up again and looked up at the knight.


    "Wow, this is a pretty big honour I guess? Being asked to come to the royal court and stuff?"


    Colm nodded, "Yes m''lady it is."


    I smiled, "Unfortunately I have to decline. Let the king know I''m honoured or whatever? But yeah. I have business on Earth, so I can''t accept the invitation."


    Before anyone could respond I added, "Also, I''m gay, and I''m already in a relationship with two beautiful fae. So I''m not going to marry a man, prince or otherwise. Maybe let this Odhran guy know not to get his hopes up?"


    Colm stared at me for a few moments, then looked at Maeve. I''m sure he was expecting her to back him up or try and ''talk sense'' into me or something. And I honestly wasn''t sure how she''d react.


    Mother looked back and forth between me and the knight, then finally she gave him a polite smile and said "Well I think that''s all our business concluded? You have my daughter''s answer. And unless you happen to have a thousand pounds of gold at hand, I imagine you''ll need to return to the palace first before I can release Lord Aengus to you. If you''d like to stay the night and refresh yourself, my staff will prepare a room for you."


    I was fighting to suppress my smile again. Of course I was happy mother decided to side with me on this, but overall it was just really nice to see her stand up to Colm.


    The knight just stared at me and Maeve for a few more moments, before he finally nodded "Very well, Lady Maeve. Thank you for your time."


    Maeve summoned captain Siobhan and had Colm led away while a room was prepared for him.


    With him gone, she looked at me and cautioned "The king may not be pleased with your answer, Tegan. And next time he might make it an order rather than an invitation."


    "I''ll worry about that when and if it happens," I shrugged. Then I smiled, "Thanks for backing me up, mom. And I''m proud of you for standing up to Colm about the ransom."


    Mother sat back in her chair and picked up her glass. She had a sip of wine then smiled "I suppose I''ve been feeling a little more self-assured lately. It may have something to do with our family finally being out from under a century of manipulation and threat."


    After another sip of wine she added, "It doesn''t hurt knowing I have a daughter who commands the power of Taralynn, and magic or not she and her two girlfriends have the bravery and talent to achieve the impossible."


    My smile grew wider, but I also felt a slight blush coming on. Kelly and Keira were grinning as well of course.


    Before any of us could respond further, a servant appeared at the door. He was breathing hard like he''d just been running, and looked like he had urgent news. "My Lady! The lookouts have spotted your column returning!"


    Maeve drank back the last of her wine as she stood up. She smiled, "Then let us go to the wall and watch their arrival."


    Soon enough the four of us were standing at the north-east part of the wall, watching as the column of people on horseback came into view. The soldier at the lead was holding the Br¨¢daigh banner high.


    I remembered three years ago when it was us out there, returning after our voyage to Duma D¨¦. I knew the men on horseback would be weary, but relieved to have their home in sight. And I remembered what Siobhan told me. The pennant was flying high. There was the right number of people returning. And as they neared, I could see the smiles on their faces.


    All of us on the wall let out a few cheers, and I spotted Connor waving as he and the others approached. From what I could see he was probably tired from the rough trip, but no worse for wear despite his time spent in the Ceallaigh dungeon.


    As the column got closer, the four of us went down to the courtyard so we could welcome them when they arrived.


    It was crowded and busy, but also exciting. The gates were opened as three dozen and one tired but smiling fae rode into the courtyard.


    Connor dismounted and Maeve hurried to him. The two exchanged a long hug, both looked very happy and it made me smile even wider to see the joy and relief on my parents'' faces.


    After their embrace, they approached me and the twins. I gave Connor a hug as well and said "Welcome home father. I''m glad to see you''re all right."


    "It''s great to be back Tegan," he grinned. "And wonderful to see you again."


    I stepped back then suggested with a teasing smile, "Maybe you should uh, get yourself a bath or something there father. Then some clean clothes."


    He laughed, "Indeed. I imagine I smell like I''ve spent a dozen days on horseback."


    Maeve agreed, "You do, husband." She raised her voice as she announced, "There will be a feast, tomorrow night at sunset!"


    There was another cheer from the people around us, then everyone got back to work. Maeve led Connor away, and I had no doubt their first stop would be to dunk him in a tub. But after that I figured she wanted him to herself for the rest of the afternoon and evening.


    I looked up at my two girlfriends and smiled, "What would you two like to do with the rest of our day?"


    Keira teased, "A bath isn''t a bad idea, Tegan."


    Kelly agreed, "Sorry babe, but you do sort of smell like you just hugged a man who''s spent twelve days on horseback."


    I rolled my eyes, but I kept my grin. "Too bad our funny little bath isn''t big enough for three."


    The twins just giggled as they led me out of the courtyard.


    PurpleCatGirl

 96. Designated

    Kelly and Keira and I made our way down to the dining hall about a half hour before sunset. We were all in fancy dresses again. I was wearing the same one I''d worn for Samhain, but Kelly and Keira had gotten new ones.


    At the last feast their dresses were in the same style but different colours. Now they matched in both style and colour, so yet again nobody else could tell them apart. Both dresses were a deep emerald green, with dark blue trim and accents.


    As we entered the hall I could tell this was going to be a party. There was a buzz of excitement in the air tonight. At long last the spirits in the castle were up again, everyone was here and safe. Our enemies were either dead or defeated, and it looked like we once again had peace with our neighbours to the east.


    We were less certain about our neighbours to the west, but Maeve was confident as long as Aengus was in her dungeon there''d be no aggression from his boys.


    Maeve and Connor were standing in front of the head table smiling and greeting everyone, so my girlfriends and I moved to join them.


    I gave both parents a hug and kiss, then I stood next to Maeve and started greeting people and talking with other guests as well.


    Connor was looking at the twins with a sort of confused, quizzical look on his face. I realized he hadn''t really seen them up close since his return, and this would be the first time he''d realized they were now completely identical.


    He finally asked the two of them, "I''ve long been curious about this. Why are there two of you?"


    Kelly and Keira glanced at each other. Then they both grinned and did their creepy twin thing as both responded at the same time, asking him "Why is there only one of you?"


    I bit my lip to keep from smiling too wide as my father looked surprised by their reply. He finally said "You know, that''s a very good question!"


    As it got closer to sunset we all moved to take our seats. My mother was in the middle of course, Connor to her left and I was to her right. Kelly was next to me, and Keira on the other side of her. Captain Siobhan sat next to Connor, and lieutenant Gaelen was on the other side of her. The rest of the head table was filled up with other important or high-ranking soldiers and servants.


    Just before sunset Maeve stood up and started calling for everyone else to take their seats and settle down. The last two dozen servants emerged from the kitchens and delivered platters of food to all the tables, then they took their seats as well.


    Everyone was now quietly looking at my mother, waiting for her to start the celebrations.


    She smiled as she looked around the hall. The look on her face brought a smile to my own. She was happy. There was no stress, nothing weighing on her mind. I think everyone else could see it too, I saw a lot of smiling faces as I looked around the hall.


    "Welcome everyone!" Maeve stated. "Tonight we celebrate not only the return of my husband, but we also celebrate the end of over a century of strife and trouble!"


    She continued, "For many decades, Clann Br¨¢daigh was the victim of a trio of conspirators. Thanks to the three young woman next to me, and the loyal services of many of you, those enemies have been vanquished. One, a traitor, has been executed. Another lies imprisoned in our dungeon. The third is imprisoned in our tower, and will soon be exiled from Otherworld forever."


    As my mother talked, I noticed three servants had taken up a position sort of behind her and to the left. She was between me and the servants so I couldn''t see what they were up to. I assumed it was part of her announcement though, I could tell she knew the three men were there.


    Mother then motioned for me to stand as she continued with her announcement, "In gratitude for her services to our clann, I grant Lady Tegan the rank of Knight of Cathasaigh."


    She turned and took something from one of the three servants. When she turned back towards me I saw what it was.


    My custom-made sword was ready, along with a fitted scabbard and a long thin strap. Overall it was smaller than the ones all the soldiers had. It was the same shape though, just scaled down to about three-quarters the size.


    The scabbard, strap, and the leather grip on the sword handle were all dyed a deep purple. The pommel and guard on the sword looked like silver, with gold inlay. I was pretty sure it wasn''t just a decorative piece though, something told me Maeve wouldn''t give me a ''fake'' sword.


    She had me bow slightly and placed the strap over my head so it was on my right shoulder, and the sword hung at my left hip. It was sort of weird wearing a sword over my dress, but at the same time it actually kind of fit. Like most women would maybe accessorize with a designer purse or something, but I was rocking the deadly weapon.


    I quietly thanked her then took my seat. Mother didn''t sit though, she stepped past me and motioned for Kelly to stand, while the next servant moved up behind her.


    The ceremony was repeated, as mother announced "In gratitude for her services to our clann, I grant Kelly the rank of Knight of Cathasaigh, and the title Lady. You are now Lady Kelly Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh."


    Kelly was given her own sword too. It looked like a normal one without the fancy silver and gold on it. The grip was dyed dark red, and the scabbard and straps were forest green. She bowed while Maeve placed it over her shoulder so she could wear it with her dress.


    Once Kelly was seated, mother moved on to Keira and the whole process was repeated. Her sword was identical to Kelly''s, and she was granted the same title and rank. "You are now Lady Keira Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh."


    As Maeve moved back to her place between my father and I, Connor leaned closer to her. I heard him whisper, "How can you tell those two apart?"


    I suppressed a smile as mother whispered back, "Kelly is always on the left. Just remember the one with the L in her name is on the left, the one with the R in her name is on the right."


    Mother then raised her voice again as she addressed the crowd, "Let the feast begin!"


    There was a loud cheer, and the hall soon filled with the sound of talk, laughter, and celebration.


    As we all started to eat, I asked mother "What of Feichin? I hope he''s not forgotten in all this. We wouldn''t have been able to get you Aengus without him, and he helped us deal with Eamon too."


    Maeve replied "As usual he declined to join us for the celebration, but don''t worry Tegan. Feichin was not forgotten."


    She had some wine then said, "I awarded him some money, the equivalent of a full year''s pay. And I''ve granted him title to a dozen acres of land. He selected some property to the west. I believe he''s claimed eight or nine acres of the western woods, and the balance in adjoining land which he and his family can farm."


    I was glad to hear that. And unsurprised that Feichin wouldn''t attend the party. Especially after finding out about his son. No surprise about the land he selected for his reward either. Actually I was perhaps surprised he thought to take any farmland at all.


    After that I just relaxed and enjoyed the celebration. This was what Samhain should have been. It was a loud, boisterous, raucous event. The dining hall was packed, the drinks and food were in abundance, and everyone seemed happy.


    Me and the twins were all smiles of course. I had no idea mother was going to award my girlfriends titles. It didn''t exactly elevate them to nobility, but it did give them official rank and station.


    The only sad part of the night was when I quietly told Maeve and Connor that the three of us were planning to head back to Earth in the morning.


    My fae parents both hugged me, but neither complained, or tried to convince me to stay longer. I''m sure Maeve was well aware that all three of us needed to get back. Our two-week vacation had turned into another two-month adventure after all.


    We enjoyed the party a little while longer, before I looked to the two beautiful redheads and asked, "Lady Kelly? Lady Keira? Shall we retire to our chambers for the evening?"


    They both smirked, and Kelly replied "That sounds like a good idea, Lady Tegan."


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The three of us were up a little over an hour before dawn. We all dressed in our Earth clothes, and packed up our things. We wore our swords of course, but where they''d actually sort of fit in with our fancy dresses, I thought it felt a bit weird wearing mine with my jeans, hoodie, and autumn jacket.


    Some food had been delivered to our room so we had a little bit of breakfast as we got dressed.


    None of us really talked much, I think we were all looking forward to getting back to Earth again. The past six or seven weeks had been another huge adventure, though we did get some quiet vacation time out of it towards the end. Now we were thinking about our commitments back on Earth again, and mentally preparing ourselves for the adjustment back to Earth life.


    When we were ready, the three of us made our way down to the courtyard. Maeve and Connor were there waiting for us. Siobhan was there too, and Kaitlyn had been escorted down from the tower.


    Soldiers took our backpacks, and Kaitlyn had a little canvas bag with a change of clothes and a few other small items. She was currently wearing hose and a small dress, and soft leather shoes.


    Maeve and Connor each gave me a hug, and mother said "I know I said I''d send you back to Earth with some additional resources Tegan, but I''m afraid that will have to wait until my treasury is refilled. I expect that will happen sooner rather than later, and when it does you will receive a generous share of the ransom money."


    "I understand mother," I replied. I wasn''t in any great hurry to scoop up our neighbours'' land anyways, so I wasn''t really worried about it. "I hope things go smoothly with Aengus''s sons. Or the king, whoever pays up first."


    She smiled and asked, "You''ll be back for Imbolc, won''t you? We''d love to have you here to celebrate your birthday. And perhaps we can discuss sending you a tutor, so the three of you can begin learning how to use those swords."


    I nodded, "I''ll do my best."


    After that we all said our fare-wells, then we mounted up on the supplied horses. I got a boost as usual, and Siobhan picked Kaitlyn up and set her down on one of the horses.


    Maeve and Connor didn''t ride out with us, but the captain did. And as usual, there was a soldier at the lead holding our pennant aloft, and another carrying a torch.


    Soon enough we were in the south forest near the garrison.


    To our surprise, Feichin had come out to see us off. He bowed when he greeted us, which was yet another surprise. I don''t think I''d ever seen him do that for me.


    He spoke softly as he said, "Lady Kelly, Lady Keira, I apologize for doubting your skills with the bow. You both proved me wrong. And Lady Tegan, I thank you for bringing me safely home from both our excursions. I wish you three ladies a safe voyage."


    We thanked him, then said our goodbyes to the soldiers. We also bid Siobhan and Gaelen farewell, then finally the four of us got ready.


    Me and the twins had our backpacks, their grandfather had her little sack of clothes. Kelly and Keira looped their arms through mine and they each took hold of Kaitlyn with their other hand, so the four of us were in a small circle.


    As the sun came up over the horizon I felt the veil weaken, and I cast the spell then pulled the four of us through to Earth.


    PurpleCatGirl

 97. Decoupled

    I let out a relaxed, contented sigh. The house was finally warm again. We had coffee, and fresh food in the fridge. We could finally relax, after being fairly busy for the past hour or so. At least three of us were.


    Keira got a load of laundry started in the washer, then she sat in front of the wood stove and got to work building a fire. Now she had a good little blaze roaring in there.


    Meanwhile Kelly went outside to clear the driveway of snow. Then she brought in all the mail that had accumulated while we were in Otherworld.


    And I took a chance and teleported myself to a quiet spot around back of the grocery store in town. I bought as much food as I could carry, then returned home the same way.


    While the three of us were busy, our young charge dumped her belongings upstairs in the guest room then came back down to the living-room and parked herself on the recliner. We all worked while she just stayed put and watched her granddaughters.


    With the work over for now, me and the twins were cuddled up together on the sofa. All three of us changed into our comfiest clothes. I had my favourite leggings and oversized top, the twins were both in stretch-pants and t-shirts. Kaitlyn was still in her fae dress and hose, but I knew we''d have to get her some Earth clothes. I decided we''d take care of that tomorrow.


    We had no idea what to do with our swords, so they''d all been left ontop of the dresser in our bedroom for now. I figured we could sort out some kind of display for them eventually, put them up on the wall or something.


    For now we were happily sipping our coffee and enjoying the peace and quiet, and the warmth of the fire. I''d even made a warm drink for Kaitlyn. She was skeptical at first when I gave her hot chocolate instead of coffee, but she seemed to be enjoying it. She seemed amused with the little marshmallows I''d tossed in.


    As we all relaxed, I asked "Anything interesting in the mail?"


    Kelly grinned "Yeah, actually. The most interesting thing wasn''t for us though. There''s a letter from some college, addressed to ''Elise Vale''."


    "Oh!" I thought about that for a moment. "Right, they''ve probably sold their house by now, but either way they''ll be moving soon. If she''s applying to a college it makes sense she''d use our address."


    "Gonna call her?" Keira asked.


    I nodded, "Yeah. I guess I should check my messages and email too."


    That brought sighs and groans from both twins, as they grumbled about doing the same. Eventually we all left the sofa and went about locating our phones and checking messages.


    I had about two dozen emails from my mom, and a handful from my dad under the old email account, then a couple recent ones from a new account under her new name. I could tell by the subject lines of my mom''s emails that she and dad must have finally had their talk last month, dad came out to her, and it probably didn''t go well.


    I skimmed the emails then wound up calling Elise. We spoke for about ten minutes and she gave me a super-condensed version of the story, but we both agreed the three of us needed to talk in person. In the end I invited her and mom to come over, and she said they''d be here around noon. It was a few minutes past ten at that point, so we had a couple hours.


    After I told the twins, Kelly glanced at her grandfather and asked "How are we going to explain our little guest here?"


    I shrugged, "Just tell them the truth. No point making up some elaborate story."


    Kelly and Keira exchanged a look, and both said at once "We''ll leave that to you."


    Kaitlyn blushed as I rolled my eyes. I looked at the kid and stated "You be on your best behaviour. My human parents are coming to visit and I''m going to have enough stress dealing with them, I don''t need any more from you."


    The girl bowed her head and replied, "Yes Lady Tegan." There was actually a faint hint of a grin on her face though.


    We were all still relaxing in the living-room a couple hours later when I felt my parents drive onto the property. I looked up and watched their car come up the drive. I felt some growing anxiety as they parked, and as the two of them emerged from the car. Mom was driving, and the body language between her and dad didn''t look all that close. Dad carried a plastic bag in each hand, but I couldn''t tell what it was she was bringing us.


    I moved to the door and opened it as they arrived, "Hi mom, hi dad! Come on in out of the cold."


    As soon as they were inside I closed the door again. Before anyone else could speak dad held up the two bags and announced, "We brought lunch! I hope you all still like sushi and related goodies?"


    That got pretty much everyone moving, and less than five minutes later all of us were comfortable in the living-room enjoying lunch together.


    Mom was in the recliner, dad sat on the sofa with Kelly and Keira, me and Kaitlyn were both cross-legged on the floor sitting on cushions. Keira and mom were drinking white wine, dad and Kelly had hard lemonade, me and Kaitlyn had cola.


    The food was spread out on the coffee table so everyone could help themselves. Despite being Earth food, it was still pretty darn tasty. Dad got lots of our favourite sushi, and a few of our favourite hot dishes as well.


    Elise was in good spirits. She actually seemed excited, and I had a feeling she was ready for me to do some magic for her today. Mom was a lot quieter and maybe a bit withdrawn. She didn''t seem happy, and that worried me. She didn''t complain though, and she wasn''t acting bitchy or angry. Just quiet.


    As we started eating, I said "Oh, I guess introductions are in order."


    I gestured to the small redhead next to me as I told my folks, "This is Kaitlyn Connolly. She''s uh...I don''t know how we''re going to describe her. Cousin, or little sister to the twins? Something like that. Anyways, maybe just don''t ask us a lot of questions about her right now. She''s only staying here temporarily."


    After that I gave Kaitlyn a bit of a warning look and told her, "These are my mom and my dad..." My voice trailed off as I realized I didn''t know how to introduce either of them.


    I looked at my folks. "Uh, ok. This is awkward, but I guess it''s the reason you''re both here. What names should I introduce you two as?"


    Mom sighed but said "Hello Kaitlyn. You can call me Susan, or Sue." Then she looked at me and said "I''d prefer to talk with you alone Tegan, after we''ve eaten."


    Dad was all smiles as she said "Hi Kaitlyn. My name''s Elise." Then she smiled at me too, "Like your mom said hon, we need to chat later."


    Kaitlyn was indeed polite as she replied "Hello Susan, hello Elise. It is a pleasure to meet you both."


    After that, the meal felt a little less fun. The food was good, but there really wasn''t any conversation. My folks didn''t ask about Kaitlyn, and didn''t ask how things went in Otherworld. And none of us wanted to ask them how they were, since it was obvious the situation was strained.


    Soon enough, or perhaps too soon, we''d all had enough to eat. I looked at my folks and suggested "Why don''t the three of us go into the kitchen to talk?"


    The twins turned on the TV so they wouldn''t be able to overhear, to give me and my parents some added privacy. Kaitlyn wound up on the sofa with her granddaughters and all three settled in to watch a movie or something.


    In the kitchen my folks sat down on opposite sides of the table, with me in the middle. I got them both a second drink, and myself another can of soda.


    "So what''s going on?" I asked nervously.


    Elise started, "The house is sold, closing date is this Saturday. I''m already done with work, I used my last eight sick-days so my final day at the office was last Tuesday. Your mom and I moved into a hotel two days ago. The house is empty now, and our lawyer has all the paperwork and keys so he can handle the final proceedings on Saturday."


    Mom continued, "I have all my keepsakes and other belongings packed away in a storage unit in town. Everything else has been sold, donated, or disposed of. We''re both pretty much ready to move on."


    I took a deep breath as that sank in, "Wow. Ok. Like you''re ready right now, today?"


    Mom hesitated but dad nodded. "I''m ready today, yes. I was hoping I might be able to stay here with you and the twins for a couple weeks, but if you''ve got Kaitlyn in the guest room, I can go back to the hotel..."


    "We have space," I replied. "Kaitlyn''s in the guest room, but Keira''s room is available."


    I looked at mom and asked, "What about you mom?"


    She replied "Your father... Elise and I already discussed things. I''ll be returning to the hotel regardless."


    Elise asked "Where''s Keira staying? Is she moving out?"


    I blushed, "That''s another long story that we can discuss another time."


    After taking another deep breath I looked at my dad and said "Ok. You''re welcome to stay with us for now. And I''m happy to do what I promised as soon as you''re ready. If you''ve already got your things in the car you may as well go out and get them. Then maybe hang out with the three redheads, while I talk with mom?"


    "Ok Tegan," Elise grinned. She got the key-fob from mom then excused herself and left the two of us alone to talk.


    I had a sip of my soda then looked at my mom. "So, ''Susan'' huh? I haven''t had a chance to read all your emails, but I know things aren''t going well for you and dad. I''m sorry about that mom."


    She grimaced, "It''s not your fault, Tegan. It''s a wondrous and miraculous gift you''re giving us. And Elise was right. I shouldn''t have assumed she''d want the same things that I wanted. I should have spoken with her much sooner."


    After a moment she added, "Maybe just delete my emails, don''t read them. Some of them aren''t kind. I''m trying to move beyond that though."


    I knew she had to be making some progress if she was using dad''s new name and pronouns, even if she obviously wasn''t comfortable about it yet.


    "So we know what dad wants. What about you mom? What am I going to do for you?"


    Mom took a sip of her wine, then started telling me her plans.


    She wasn''t going to be quite as young as Elise, she''d settled on twenty-five. Her new name would be Susan Shaw. She told me how she''d been looking at real estate out east, that she was planning to move to Cape Breton. She was thinking of maybe buying or starting a Bed and Breakfast out there.


    I listened quietly while she enthused for a good twenty minutes about the area and told me all about North Sydney, the small community she planned to call her new home. From the sound of it she''d been doing a lot of research, she''d put a lot of thought into this. Presumably that was all after her discussion with Elise, because everything she was talking about now was strictly about herself, not the two of them.


    When she was done, I smiled "It sounds like you''re really excited about this mom. It''ll be harder to come and visit you, but that won''t keep me away. When are you planning on going?"


    "The first week of January," she replied. "I''m going to be visiting friends over the holidays. I''ll tell them your father''s already left to get things set up elsewhere, but I wanted to see people once last time, while I still can."


    After one more deep breath I asked, "So you are you and Elise split up now?"


    She sighed, "We had a difficult couple weeks Tegan. We''ve patched things up though, I think? We''re still friends, and I''m sure we''ll remain friends. But... There''s things she wants that she''s not prepared to budge on, and there''s things that I''m not willing to give up either. And unfortunately some of those things are mutually exclusive."


    She added "Neither of us blame you dear. We''re both grateful for what you''re giving us, and I''m sure Elise and I will continue to see each other. Holiday visits, that sort of thing."


    "Ok mom," I tried to smile and look pleased but I''m sure I wasn''t fooling anyone. I was sad, I felt guilty, I felt like I''d split them apart. At least they were going to stay friends.


    PurpleCatGirl

 98. Delighted

    Mom and I talked a while more, we made plans for her to come visit right after new years so I could work some magic for her. After that she''d be packing up the car with the stuff in storage, then driving out east by herself.


    It was something like two thousand kilometers, she''d be on the road three days at least. Then she''d be getting herself established out there alone. I was worried she''d be lonely, and I think she was too. At least at first, until she started making friends and getting to know people out there.


    While mom and I talked in the kitchen the others stayed in the living-room and watched a movie. By the time the movie was over, mom was ready to leave. And dad was ready to stay, she had an overnight bag that she''d left on the floor next to the sofa.


    Mom and dad hugged but I could tell there was still some tension. They were trying though, which made me feel a little better. Both of them knew full well it was their final time together like this. I had no doubt I''d be doing some magic for Elise very soon, and that would be the last anyone ever saw of her old self.


    With all the goodbyes out of the way mom made her way out to the car. I stood by the window and waved as she pulled out, then she was gone.


    Kelly and Keira sort of gave me an expectant look. Elise looked like a child waiting for the candy store to open. She wasn''t exactly buzzing but her excitement was pretty obvious.


    I looked at the three redheads and said "Ok. Now I need some alone-time with Elise. I''m going to take her upstairs because we''ll want a little more privacy for this conversation."


    "Keira," I added, "I don''t want to rush you but after I bring Elise back downstairs do you think you could start moving stuff out of your old room? Elise will be staying with us for a few weeks, and we''ve already got Kaitlyn in the guest-room."


    "Sure Tegan, that''s no problem." she smiled. Both the twins were smiling in fact, I''m sure they knew what I was up to with Elise.


    Kaitlyn looked like she had a lot of questions or comments, but she kept them to herself for now. I wasn''t sure if the twins said anything before-hand or if it was her desire to be ''good'' that was keeping her quiet for now. I was grateful either way that she wasn''t saying anything to upset my dad.


    "C''mon," I smiled to Elise. "And bring your stuff."


    She had a wide grin as she picked up her bag and followed me up the stairs.


    I led her into the master bedroom and we both sat down on the edge of the bed.


    "So this is it," I said, as I watched her expression. "Doing this for real, permanently and forever."


    "Yes!" she grinned. Now she was buzzing with excitement. "I''ve been looking forward to this moment for almost two months Tegan. Since you did that temporary spell for me back in October."


    I asked, "You have some clothes to change into afterwards?"


    She nodded, "Not a lot. I wasn''t sure on sizes, I followed your advice and got some stretchy things. I figure I''ll need to go shopping afterwards anyways so I didn''t go crazy ahead of time."


    "We can go tomorrow if you like," I suggested. "We have to get clothes for Kaitlyn, so may as well do it all at once."


    Elise asked, "Do I want to know that story?"


    I shrugged, "Short version, she was an absolutely vile evil bastard. She was the twins'' grandfather, a six-hundred year old fae. She was part of a conspiracy that led to several deaths, she was an enemy of my clann and myself. We either had to kill her, or neutralize her as a danger. This was Keira''s idea. I made her a fifteen-year-old human girl and Keira did something to encourage her to be less evil. Now we''re going to get someone to look after her, and hopefully she''ll eventually be reformed."


    "Uh... Wow." Elise looked like she didn''t know what else to say.


    I nodded, "Yeah. It''s a lot. She won''t bother you, so don''t be scared of her. She''s nothing more than a teenage girl now, who''s basically been grounded. Anyways enough about her, it''s time for you."


    Elise grinned again, "I''m ready right now."


    I asked, "Any last-minute adjustments, or are you good with what we did last time?"


    "No, that was absolutely perfect Tegan." She sounded like she didn''t want to wait another minute. "So what do we do?"


    "You just sit there and relax," I said as I stood up. "I''ll stand here. I''m going to take a minute because I''m a little nervous. Then we''ll do it."


    She nodded, watching me. "And this is permanent? This won''t wear off?"


    "It won''t wear off," I confirmed. "It can''t be dispelled, and there''s really no way back from this. Like I said, it''s forever."


    Elise continued waiting impatiently while I took a couple deep breaths. It shouldn''t have been a big deal but I think I was almost as excited as she was.


    One of the reasons for my nerves was the knowledge I''d never see my ''dad'' again after this. Kind of like what happened to me three years ago. The person I thought I was vanished one Friday evening, never to be seen again. At least with Elise, we all knew it was going to happen, it wasn''t a surprise.


    Finally I was ready, I looked to her and said "Ok this is it. Just relax."


    She closed her eyes but she had a huge smile on her face.


    I focused on the stuff she told me back in October, on the form I''d given her briefly back then. I raised my hand towards her and cast the other spell, the permanent one.


    Her body was surrounded in shimmering light for a few seconds, and when it faded she was herself again.


    "All done," I said quietly.


    Elise opened her eyes and practically leaped off the bed to hug me as she let out a happy squeal of excitement. Her clothes now hung off her smaller frame and she nearly tripped over her pants in the rush to thank me.


    I held her for a few seconds then pulled back. "You get changed in here ok? I''ll wait for you in the hall, then we''ll head downstairs together and I''ll introduce you to the others."


    "Ok Tegan! Thank you!" she was almost bubbling with joy again. It reminded me of when I did the temporary spell in October. She was giddy again, and I wondered how long it would take her to calm down this time.


    She didn''t leave me waiting very long, it was only a couple minutes before she emerged from the bedroom in a new outfit. Her clothes were pretty close to my own, which emphasized the similarities between the two of us. She was wearing charcoal-grey leggings, and an oversized black top. And she had cute fuzzy pink slippers on her feet.


    I smiled, "Ok let''s go meet the family."


    Elise was almost bouncing again as we went downstairs together. The two of us stood just inside the living-room door and I announced, "Kelly, Keira, and Kaitlyn? This is my cousin, Elise."


    All three of them stared, but the twins at least responded politely. They both stood up to greet her, though they didn''t do the stereo thing.


    Kelly spoke first, "Hello Elise! You look amazing!"


    "Hi Elise, you look great!" Keira added.


    Before, as my adoptive parent, there was no resemblance between us at all. Now she and I clearly looked related.


    Her overall shape or build was quite similar to mine, though Elise wasn''t as small as me. She stood a couple inches taller than myself, which was still about half a foot shorter than she''d been before. She was busty like me, but her boobs weren''t as large. There were similarities in our faces too. The shape of her eyes, nose, and lips was very close to my own.


    Her hair was now jet-black and styled in a short cute pixie-cut. Her eyes were still blue, but they were much brighter than before. Her lips were full, and a nice healthy pink. And her skin was still fair, but now it was clear, smooth, and free of any blemishes. And in terms of age, she looked the same age as me. We both looked like nineteen-year-olds.


    "Thanks!" Elise replied, grinning happily as she looked up at the twins.


    If she was anything like me I figured she was feeling that flutter in her stomach now. Nothing drives home the reality of being suddenly smaller quite like having to look way up at someone you saw eye-to-eye with ten minutes ago.


    Kelly sat back down while Keira moved past us, "I''ll go clear out some of my stuff. Maybe not everything yet, because I don''t know where to put it all, but I''ll move the personal stuff. We might share a closet for a while Elise, I hope you don''t mind."


    She shook her head, and I was pretty sure at that point she was so happy she''d have agreed to sleep on the floor if someone suggested it.


    I shooed Kaitlyn off the sofa so me and Elise could sit down next to Kelly. The teen moved back to the recliner for now.


    As I relaxed in between my new cousin and one of my girlfriends I mentioned, "Tomorrow I''m going to take Elise and Kaitlyn shopping, since they both need clothes."


    "Do you want me and Keira to come too?" Kelly asked.


    I shrugged "You''re welcome to come along, but you don''t have to. I think I can manage one anxious teen and one hyper cousin."


    Both Elise and Kaitlyn blushed, and I had to fight to suppress a smirk.


    Kelly smiled as well but said, "We''ll see. I''m sure we can fit all five of us in the car, though we might have to pack you three smols in the back seat while Keira and I sit up front."


    That brought another blush to the pair of them, but I just grinned. I was used to it.


    Elise turned out to be way too excited and giddy to sit still for very long. When Keira came back downstairs we left the three redheads to relax in the living-room while they put on another movie.


    My cousin and I wound up in the kitchen, with her sitting, standing, pacing, and just generally fidgeting while I fussed about putting away the leftovers from lunch and thought about what to make us all for dinner later.


    In the meantime, she and I talked some more. She started telling me about her plans for college, which reminded me about the letter. I quickly grabbed it and handed it over to her.


    She ripped it open and looked, then half-shouted "Yes!" accompanied by an excited fist-pump.


    "You got accepted?" I asked.


    "Yeah!" Elise exclaimed happily.


    She was even more giddy and hyper after that as she went on about her plans and the course she''d be taking. It was a three-year program in Environmental Technology, and she sounded really happy about it. It was a far cry from accounting, and it was something positive, something useful.


    It involved a lot of work outdoors, working with nature. Her dream was to land a job with the Natural Resources ministry, working on wildlife preservation or something like that after she''d graduated.


    She also mentioned that she''d already emailed me loads of information, but I hadn''t had a chance to look at any of it yet.


    Eventually I got dinner ready and the five of us sat down at the dining table for a proper meal. Elise got into the hard lemonade again, but I warned her not to over-do it.


    I honestly thought by now I''d be used to weird stuff, that nothing would phase me anymore. I was wrong. Having to tell my dad, "Go easy on the booze. Remember, you''re now a nineteen-year-old girl now who''s never had alcohol before," felt just as weird as it sounded.


    Over dinner we wound up making plans for tomorrow. In the morning I''d use magic to update all dad''s ID, then I''d have to get in touch with a contact in the ''shadow economy'' to get it all made legal and real.


    We also talked about our plans for Kaitlyn. The twins would speak with their mother tomorrow, and hopefully some time in the next few days the three of us would take the teen out to the west coast and hand her over to Kelsey.


    Kaitlyn got very quiet and looked upset about that. She actually looked scared at the prospect. I tried not to let it bother me, even though I wasn''t sure it was a good idea either. It''s what Kelly and Keira wanted to do, so that''s what we were doing.


    And we really didn''t want Kaitlyn to say here with us any longer than necessary.


    PurpleCatGirl

 99. Denounced

    "This is kind of pretty actually," I commented as I looked out the window. "I''ve never been here before. Maybe we''ll come visit more often, now that I know where the waypoint is."


    Kaitlyn shrugged and had a sip of her cola. She said softly, "You get used to it."


    She looked and sounded depressed. She wasn''t acting nervous or anxious, or even scared. This was more like she was dejected, resigned to her fate.


    The two of us were sitting in a little tea-house at the west end of a nice park, in the middle of Vancouver. The park was at the end of a knob of land that stuck out into a big bay, or I guess they called it an inlet. Kaitlyn might have found it boring but to me it was scenic. It felt like we were surrounded by water and mountains.


    Back home it was cold and we had snow on the ground. Out here they didn''t have any snow yet, and the air was cool but not cold. Warm-jacket weather, but not winter-coat weather.


    Apart from the warm jacket that was currently draped over the back of my chair, I was dressed casual. I had jeans and a t-shirt, and running shoes. I hadn''t even bothered to bring a purse, I had some ID and money in my jacket pocket.


    Kaitlyn was dressed ''girly'', or at least in what she thought was a girly style. She was wearing dark leggings under a knee-length plaid wool skirt. She had an attractive pink blouse, and black ankle-boots on her feet. She had a little purse now too, which was black but decorated with a pink kitty pattern. She was even wearing some lipstick. Her dark purple jacket was on the chair next to her, along with her purse.


    She also had a backpack on the floor by her feet, which contained all her clothes and the few other belongings we''d bought her since bringing her back to Earth.


    In addition to the scenic view outside, we could also see Kelly and Keira. They were both sitting on a park bench about seventy meters away, overlooking the water. Like me, they were dressed casual. Skinny jeans, running shoes, warm jackets. And as usual their clothes all matched so nobody else could tell the two of them apart.


    After a few minutes, Kaitlyn pointed out "There''s Kelsey."


    I looked where the teen indicated. Kelsey had just emerged from her car, she was walking towards my girlfriends. Her back was to us, the parking lot was between the teahouse and the benches where the twins were sitting. She was dressed like the twins, in jeans sneakers and a jacket, with a purse draped over her shoulder.


    "I sure hope this goes ok." I said quietly.


    I concentrated and switched on my sight. At this range it was hard to see, but I could just make out their auras. Kelly''s and Keira''s were familiar of course, a little more purple on the left and a bit more red on the right.


    Kelsey''s was darker. It looked stained like Kaitlyn''s did at first. By now the the teen''s aura was about one-quarter pink, though that surrounded a dark-stained core. I didn''t know if the darkness would ever truly leave, but I figured the brighter her aura got the better.


    My young companion shrugged again and whispered, "I doubt it will. My daughter never liked surprises."


    Kelsey was standing in front of the bench now, she and the twins were just starting to talk.


    I kept my eyes on them, but I replied to Kaitlyn "I know you''d prefer to stay with me and the twins, but we''re not really in a position to look after you."


    "I don''t need looking after," Kaitlyn sighed. "I''m five hundred and seventy-nine years old, I''m not a child."


    I gave her a warning look, "You are now. You''re fifteen years old, and if you do wind up staying with us you''ll be going to school starting next month."


    She stared down at her drink, "That''s still better than what''ll happen if you leave me with Kelsey. She''ll either sell me off, or put me to work as a prostitute."


    I frowned as I turned towards my girlfriends again. Kelsey had joined them, all three were sitting together on the bench now. Kelly was on the left, Keira in the middle, and Kelsey on the right.


    "I don''t think your granddaughters will give her that option."


    Kaitlyn finished her drink and set the glass down. Her voice was quiet but her tone was almost pleading as she said, "I just really don''t want to be left with her, Lady Tegan. I''d rather stay with you three. Or send me someplace else, leave me with some humans. I just don''t think it''ll end well, even if you force her to take me."


    I turned back to look at the kid again. She sounded really worried, and she looked scared again. And the fact that she''d rather be with strangers than Kelsey gave me pause. To be honest I was never thrilled with this plan either. We were hoping Kaitlyn could be reformed, and Kelsey didn''t seem like the best choice for that.


    I thought it over once more, then finally nodded. "Ok. We won''t leave you here. Kelly and Keira are going to hate me for changing the plan at the last minute but..."


    Kaitlyn let out a sigh of relief and I could see the tension actually unwind from her. I hadn''t realized just how stressed she was about this.


    "Thank you Lady Tegan," she said softly. She added, "My daughter carries a gun when she''s meeting with fae. Because she knows she''s at a disadvantage, and fae don''t usually expect guns. She knows you''re fae, and when she figures out my granddaughters are too, she''ll forget about using magic. If she feels threatened and outnumbered, the gun will be her first choice."


    I stared at her for a moment as that sank in, then I grabbed my jacket and said, "Come on, kid!" I pulled my jacket on as I hurried out of the teahouse.


    Kaitlyn picked up her jacket and purse, and scooped up her backpack.


    I hurried across the parking lot towards the bench where the three redheads were seated. Kelly hadn''t given me the signal yet but I couldn''t risk waiting. If Kelsey was armed I had to get close enough to intervene. I had my shield spell ready as I hurried to join my girlfriends.


    As I approached the three of them I picked up their conversation.


    "..is impossible!" Kelsey stated. Her tone was somewhere between angry and exasperated. "You can''t be fae! That can''t happen!"


    "It''s true mom," Keira replied with a shrug. "You did the spell, you saw it in our eyes."


    Kelly added, "We''ve been full-blooded fae since Samhain."


    Kelsey shook her head, "But how?! And who would do that for you? Even if such a spell were possible, it must have taken a dozen mages to pull it off! Why would they do that for you?"


    By now I was just a few meters behind the bench. Keira and Kelsey hadn''t noticed me yet but Kelly did. She gave me a subtle ''stay there'' gesture, they weren''t ready yet for me to join them.


    "Our girlfriend did it," Kelly said with a grin. "Tegan''s kind of a legend over there."


    I saw there was a fair amount of chatter going on behind the scenes, the twins'' link was buzzing with activity. I could also see clearly all the dark stains in Kelsey''s aura. Her soul was probably stained even darker.


    Kelsey shook her head again, "I don''t believe it."


    Kaitlyn finally came up alongside me and I made a ''shh'' gesture so she knew to stay quiet.


    "Actually that''s not our only surprise for you, mom." Keira said.


    I figured that was our cue so I motioned Kaitlyn forward. I led her around to the left, then out in front of the others. I kept the two of us sort of closer to the twins, so if I had to put up a shield spell all four of us would be protected with Kelsey on the other side.


    As me and Kaitlyn started moving, Kelsey stated "You know I hate surprises."


    She frowned as she saw me and the kid. Her eyes only stayed on me for a second then she stared at the teenage girl next to me. The confusion was clear in her expression. There was more than enough family resemblance in Kaitlyn that Kelsey had to know this girl was a relative.


    "Hello Kelsey," I greeted her, though there wasn''t a lot of warmth in my tone.


    The woman stared at Kaitlyn for a few seconds. I saw her lips move slightly, and with my sight already on I saw the surge of magic through her. It was just the harmless identification spell though so I didn''t stop her.


    Her eyes flashed with light, but of course there was no corresponding flash in Kaitlyn''s eyes. Kelsey would know the girl was fully human.


    "Who is this child, and why is she here?" Kelsey asked with a frown.


    Both the twins and myself hesitated, it seemed none of us wanted to be the one to answer that.


    Then Kaitlyn spoke up and saved us all the hassle. Instead of being quiet and timid, there was actually some bravado in her voice. "Hi kiddo. My name''s Kaitlyn Connolly. Lady Tegan and the girls dragged me out here because they were planning on leaving me with you. They wanted you to ''raise'' me, but I''ve been telling them that''s a bad idea. And anyways I don''t need to be ''raised'', I''m older than the lot of you combined."


    Kelsey frowned at the girl, "Excuse me?"


    Since I agreed not to leave her with Kelsey, Kaitlyn''s mood had obviously picked up considerably. She actually seemed to be enjoying herself now as she grinned, "I''m your old man, Kelsey. Your girls turned against us. Lady Tegan and the twins did this to me."


    The frown on Kelsey''s face grew darker as she stared at Kaitlyn for another second or two. Then she looked at her daughters and scoffed, "I don''t know what sort of game you''re playing at, but there''s no way you''ll convince me this girl, this human child, is my father."


    Kelly nodded "She is. Or she was. Now she''s a fifteen-year-old human girl and she needs a home. And a grown-up to look after her."


    "She''s your dad, she''s your responsibility." Keira stated. "You''re going to look after her, and you''re going to raise her right. That means school, that means taking care of her health, and it means helping reform her. Which means the ''family business'' is closing its doors, right now."


    "Actually," I interjected. "Change of plans. We''re not going to leave Kaitlyn here after all. Sorry."


    I looked at Kelsey and added, "Still shutting down your business though. I''m not sure how much you can do without your father''s help, but either way we''re not going to let you keep hurting people."


    All three of them were staring at me now. The twins with a questioning frown, Kelsey just looked defiant.


    Kaitlyn spoke up again, she nudged me and said "She usually keeps it in her purse. She''ll pretend she''s digging out her phone or her keys or something."


    Kelsey''s face paled slightly and her eyes widened as she stared at the teen. I think that''s the moment she realized we were telling the truth about Kaitlyn, and that her dad just exposed her backup plan. Her purse was hanging over her left shoulder, her arm was resting against it and I saw her hand shift slightly.


    "What''s in her purse?" Keira asked warily.


    Kaitlyn replied, "Her gun."


    Kelsey suddenly moved, she dug her hand into her purse while she started casting a spell. By this point though she''d lost any element of surprise, and she was facing three fae who already knew she was hostile.


    My shield spell came up, separating Kelsey from the rest of us incase she managed to get a shot off. It proved to be redundant though. Kelly''s spell left her mother temporarily paralyzed. She sat motionless on the end of the bench, unable to finish her spell and unable to reach her weapon.


    I let my shield drop again as Keira leaned closer to Kelsey. She touched her hand to her mother''s forehead and as her eyes flared with her spell, I heard her whisper "Sorry mom."


    I saw the flash of light in Kelsey''s eyes a moment later as the spell took hold. I was still uncomfortable with this part of the plan but I knew it had to be done. I''m sure Kelly didn''t like it either, but we needed to be sure Kelsey wouldn''t try to keep operating her father''s business. We had to make sure she stopped hurting people.


    As Keira moved back, Kaitlyn stepped forward. She reached her hand into Kelsey''s purse and pulled out the gun. It was a squat, heavy-looking revolver, made of brushed-steel with a black handle and a short barrel.


    "May I keep it as a souvenir?" Kaitlin asked with a hopeful smile.


    "Absolutely not," I stated. I reached out and took it from her, then teleported it about a half kilometer out into the bay.


    The teen pouted, "Aw."


    Kelly and Keira both stood up as Keira asked "So we''re keeping the kid after all?"


    "For a while longer," I replied. "Until I find someone else who''ll take her in."


    Kelly sighed, "I guess we''re done here?"


    I nodded, and the four of us turned and walked away together. We left Kelsey frozen on the park bench as we headed back towards the teahouse. They waypoint was about a hundred and fifty meters away in a small clearing in the woods, but it wouldn''t be dusk for another two hours so we had some time to kill.


    As we crossed the parking lot, Kelly turned and dispelled her magic.


    I glanced back as well and saw Kelsey sitting there alone on the bench. Her shoulders slumped in defeat and she just slowly shook her head as she stayed seated for now.


    PurpleCatGirl

 100. Disorientated

    "I said I was sorry," Elise stated with a slightly exasperated sigh. She had another sip of coffee and added, "It won''t happen again."


    I continued frowning at her, "It''s not about apologizing to me, although I''m still upset you took the car without asking. The point is, you could have gotten yourself hurt. You''re not as strong as you were before. The changes to your body aren''t just cosmetic, Elise. You don''t just look like a small nineteen-year-old girl, that''s what you are now. Going out clubbing for the first time all by yourself was entirely irresponsible."


    She grumbled, "I couldn''t ask about the car, you were away."


    "We were in Vancouver and you knew it," I stated. "You could have called or texted. It''s not like we were in Otherworld. And like I just said, it''s not about the car it''s about keeping you safe. You need to learn to think like a young woman now, you have to be a lot more careful."


    Elise sighed again but rather than continue arguing she stuffed the last of her pancake into her mouth.


    The twins were already finished eating, and both of them got up to leave the table.


    "Thanks for breakfast babe," Keira said.


    Kelly nodded, "Yeah, thank you Tegan."


    I did a double-take, and switched on my sight as the two of them headed for our home office. I needed to check, because that was maybe the first time Keira called me ''babe''. And the way she did it sounded exactly like Kelly would have said it. They had me second-guessing which of them was which again.


    "You''re welcome," I replied as they disappeared into the office.


    After their two-week vacation turned into almost two months away in Otherworld, they''d both fallen way behind on their studies. Rather than write off the semester both of them decided to put in the hours to try and salvage it.


    This past week had been busy, and that was just the start for them. We''d returned to Earth on Monday. Tuesday I took Elise and Kaitlyn shopping and also made the arrangements to get them both new legal ID, while the twins contacted their mother and their profs at university. Wednesday and Thursday the twins were both at school while I was babysitting their grandfather and helping my cousin get settled in to her new self. And yesterday me and the three redheads spent the day in Vancouver while Elise decided to go down into the city for a night on the town.


    We''d also forgotten about the twins looking younger now, so they didn''t try and hide or disguise it when they went on campus. Fortunately nobody freaked out. They each received a few comments about ''looking different'' but that was it.


    We figured since being suddenly younger is impossible, people just assumed it was something else. New hair style or different clothes or whatever. Kelly said they''d claim it was a new skin-care routine, if anyone seriously questioned them about it. The main thing was it seemed like it wouldn''t cause them any trouble after all, which was a relief.


    Now the university was officially on winter break until January but both twins were planning on working from home pretty much non-stop through the holidays to catch up. They''d probably be burning the candle at both ends well into January, maybe even into February. Which meant I probably wouldn''t see much of them for a while, outside of meals and in bed.


    With the two of them disappeared into the home office, that left Elise and Kaitlyn at the table with me.


    My cousin and I were sipping our coffees but were otherwise finished eating as well. Kaitlyn still had half a pancake on her plate but I was pretty sure it was cold. She didn''t eat much at the best of times, she actually had a smaller appetite than me. But this morning she was even less interested in food than normal.


    "Hey Kaitlyn?" I said in a gentle voice. "If you can''t finish that, don''t worry about it. Try and finish your milk though please."


    "Yes Lady Tegan," she half-whispered. She drank the last of her milk, then asked softly "May I be excused?"


    I nodded, "Sure."


    She mumbled a quiet thanks then got up and headed back upstairs.


    Elise watched her go, then looked back at me and asked quietly "Do I want to know what that''s all about? I thought the whole point of your outing yesterday was to leave her there?"


    I sighed and had a deep sip of coffee, then replied "She begged me not to leave her with the twins'' mother. She was convinced it would have ended badly for her, and maybe me and the twins too. So we did what we had to do with Kelsey, then brought Kaitlyn back here with us. I''ll try and find somewhere else for her, but if I can''t then I guess I''m going to be stuck raising her myself."


    That brought a frown to my cousin''s face. "So if she wanted to come back here, why''s she acting like she just lost her best friend?"


    I lowered my voice and leaned closer to her, "Our trip out west and back triggered a sudden attack of conscience in her last night. She''s finally starting to understand how awful she was, how horrible the things were that she''s done. She''s dealing with guilt, grief, remorse."


    I sighed and added, "And she knows there''s nothing she can do to fix things. No way for her to make things better or undo the things she''s done."


    After a moment I shook my head, "I don''t know, this is Kelly''s area of expertise. She could probably explain it better and maybe help the kid work through it better? But Kaitlyn''s hurt both the twins in the past so they can''t really be the ones to help her. That''s why I''d prefer to find her somewhere else to stay, because there''s so much baggage between her and the three of us."


    Elise frowned as she listened. She finished her coffee then asked, "What sort of outcome are you hoping for? I mean you haven''t really told me what she''s done, just hinted at things. I take it there''s some unpleasant stuff in her past though."


    "It''s pretty terrible," I nodded. "As for what I''m hoping, I guess it''s that she''ll become a good, functioning, contributing member of society? I''m hoping she''ll be reformed, rehabilitated."


    I shrugged again, "I don''t know. She did horrible stuff for a long time. Keira and I did some horrible stuff to her to make her stop. It was either that or kill her, and I don''t want to kill people. I''ve seen enough death already."


    I sighed once more, "I guess if she can do one good thing, or help one person in this new life of hers, that''ll tell me I made the right choice. In the meantime, she''s going to go through a lot of suffering, and I guess I''m going to try and help her get through it."


    Elise smiled at me. "I''m proud of you, hon. I don''t understand half the stuff you have to deal with in your uh, ''other life'' over there. But I''m proud of you for wanting to make things better, and for being so compassionate."


    She stood up and added, "C''mon. Let''s you and me tidy up and take care of these dishes. I''ve got a bunch more questions for you."


    It took us a few minutes to clear the table, then we stood next to each other by the sink and got to work. She was washing, I did the drying, and the two of us continued our conversation.


    "Tell me if this is none of my business Tegan," Elise was speaking quietly, and between her lowered voice and the noise of the tap running it was pretty good cover to make sure nobody would hear us talk. "I''m kind of dying to know what''s going on with you and Kelly and Keira. I mean first off they look younger than they used to, and even more identical? And the three of you are sleeping together now?"


    I could feel my cheeks burning, and nodded "Ok... Younger and completely identical in every way was an unexpected side-effect of some magic. I''m not going into all the details but the short answer is, it''s a weird fae twin thing."


    Elise nodded slowly but accepted that. "And uh, about you three sharing a bed?"


    I took a deep breath then started to explain. "Keira was lonely, and for reasons I''d rather not get into she wasn''t comfortable dating humans anymore. She''d kind of resigned herself to a life alone? Then Kelly asked if I''d consider spending some time with her now and then, just to give her some intimacy. Since Keira and I were already pretty close as friends and everything. We already had a strong bond, we trusted each other."


    I added, "I thought it was pretty strange at first. But it was really important to Kelly, and I knew Keira was lonely, so I agreed to try."


    Elise listened quietly as she continued with the washing. She looked like she had questions, but she didn''t interrupt.


    I told her how things played out the first time we tried, with Keira and I just talking and cuddling. I didn''t go into what we discussed of course, I just explained how it led to me feeling bad she''d been so alone for so long. And I told her how that quickly turned into Keira basically moving into Kelly''s and my room over there.


    Finally I explained how we all came up with some rules and boundaries and things together, so we all knew where we stood with each other, nobody would do anything that might upset anyone else, and we''d all stay comfortable with how things were progressing between the three of us.


    I finished with, "It was a bit weird and awkward at first. Like it sort of went against everything I thought I knew about relationships? But now, I couldn''t really imagine it any other way. I love them both, they both love me. Me and Kelly are girlfriends, me and Keira are girlfriends, and all three of us together are a ''throuple'' according to Kelly."


    When I was done she was quiet for a few moments, then finally asked "And you''re all ok with it? Nobody''s jealous or anything?"


    "Yes. We''re all happy, there''s no jealousy, no trouble." I added, "It''s only been about a month and a half, but as far as I can tell it''s brought all three of us even closer together? Like as friends, as family even."


    I blushed as I added in a half-whisper, "Right now the only problem is sometimes they wear me out at night. Like, the two of them each get to take a break in between but there''s just the one of me."


    Elise''s cheeks went red as well but she grinned, "You don''t sound too upset about that, Tegan."


    I smirked back at her, "Yeah sorry I wasn''t complaining. Maybe bragging a bit though."


    The two of us finally finished the washing-up and started putting everything away. As we got the last of the kitchen tidied up she asked "Can you still tell them apart? Now that they''re completely identical?"


    I shook my head, "Not at first. There were a few uncomfortable days when I constantly had to ask because I had no idea. But now I have a sure-fire way of knowing who''s who."


    "Will you let me in on the secret?" Elise asked hopefully.


    I tried to suppress a smile, "Sure, but it probably won''t do you much good. Kelly''s aura has a bit more purple in it, Keira''s aura is a little deeper red."


    Elise turned and stared at me, "Their auras?"


    "Yep," I nodded. "Yours is pretty by the way. Looks like a tie-dye, shades of pink, purple, and blue."


    She was still staring at me as she asked, "My aura is the same colours as the bi pride flag?"


    I giggled, "It''s not the right shade of pink. And I don''t really think that flag is..." I stopped grinning and gave her a quizzical look. "Wait, is that an appropriate flag for you?"


    Now it was her turn to smirk as she shrugged, "I wouldn''t say it''s inappropriate."


    After a moment she giggled, "Don''t look so shocked, Teeg. Considering you''ve just been telling me about your experiences with polyamory I didn''t think you''d be so prudish finding out your cousin''s bi."


    Elise continued smiling as she headed into the living room, while I just stood there and stared at her in surprise.


    PurpleCatGirl

 101. Distracted

    I wasn''t really paying attention to the calendar or the days, I was still sort of living on Otherworld time where things were a lot more relaxed and we had less of a schedule. On the other hand, it seemed way too early when I felt my mom drive onto the property. Like I was pretty sure it hadn''t even been two weeks yet, there was no way we could be past new years already.


    It wasn''t quite noon, we''d all had breakfast a couple hours ago. The twins were both busy in the office, Elise and Kaitlyn and I were all sitting in the living room together. I was relaxing on the sofa with a book, Elise was on the recliner with her laptop, and Kaitlyn was with me on the sofa watching TV.


    I set my book aside as Sue emerged from her car, and met her at the door. As I let her in I greeted her, "Hi mom. It''s early isn''t it? What brings you by today?"


    "Hello Tegan," she replied. "Sorry for dropping in unannounced. I..." Her voice trailed off and she frowned slightly, then asked "You don''t even know what day it is, do you?"


    "It''s Friday," Kaitlyn offered in a helpful tone.


    I glanced at her then looked back at my mom and shrugged, "Apparently it''s Friday?"


    Mom rolled her eyes, "Tegan it''s Christmas today! You haven''t got a tree, there''s no decorations up."


    I stared at her for a few seconds as I realized I''d completely blanked on that. All my life we''d celebrated the holidays at my parents'' place. This was the first year that wasn''t happening, and I never even thought to try and do anything about it here.


    It wasn''t a fae holiday, Kelly and Keira didn''t really celebrate it growing up. And of course Kaitlyn didn''t celebrate it either. Elise didn''t have any excuse though, and I was surprised she hadn''t said a word about it.


    "It honestly never occurred to me?" I replied to mom. Then I looked at my cousin and asked, "Hey Elise? Why didn''t you say anything? Or remind me?"


    She set her laptop aside as she shrugged, "Since none of the rest of you seemed to care about it, I figured it wasn''t important. And I remembered you mentioned a year or two ago the fae didn''t celebrate it. I didn''t want to impose human Christian cultural stuff on your fae household."


    I looked back at mom to say something else, but immediately forgot whatever it was when I saw the look on her face. She was staring wide-eyed at Elise. Of course it was her first time seeing ''dad'' since I changed her.


    Sue looked like she was completely lost for words as she just stood there and stared.


    Elise got to her feet, she was blushing slightly as she approached. She sounded a little nervous as she said "Hello Susan."


    I was almost holding my breath as I watched the two of them.


    Mom''s eyes slowly moved up and down over her ex-husband''s new body. Elise was shorter than mom by about two inches, and smaller over-all too. At the moment she was dressed like me, in tight leggings and a loose top, with fuzzy slippers on her feet. Her short black hair was a little messy, she hadn''t done anything with it this morning. And she wasn''t wearing any make-up or jewelry or anything like that. Nonetheless, she was absolutely unmistakably feminine.


    After a few moments Sue finally responded, "...Hi."


    I could tell mom was uptight. She obviously knew this moment would come, but I was positive there was a big difference between knowing it as an abstract thing, and actually experiencing it for real. And even though she''d kind of gone through something similar with me three years ago, I had no doubt it was entirely different and new going through it again with her spouse.


    "Hey Kaitlyn," I said softly. "Turn off the TV, you and me are going into the kitchen for a while."


    I figured my parents would need some time alone to talk things over. Kaitlyn hit the remote control then got up and headed for the kitchen, while I said to my folks "If you want anything, a drink or whatever, just call. I''ll be in the kitchen."


    "Thank you Tegan," mom replied quietly as I excused myself and retreated to the kitchen.


    While Elise and Susan talked, Kaitlyn helped me plan out a nice dinner based on what we had in the house to eat. It wouldn''t exactly be a traditional xmas supper, but it would do. I also let the twins know it was the twenty-fifth today and Sue was here so we''d all be having a family dinner together later.


    My folks spent about two hours talking quietly together while Kaitlyn and I waited in the kitchen. I had the teen help me with the prep work for dinner, chopping vegetables and peeling potatoes and so on.


    Eventually my folks finished their talk, and both of them joined Kaitlyn and I in the kitchen.


    "I know space is a bit of an issue Tegan," mom said as she sat down at the kitchen table, "But I was hoping I could impose for tonight? I''ll be leaving again tomorrow around noon. I couldn''t find anywhere to stay tonight..."


    She almost sounded a little embarrassed as she added, "And I didn''t like the idea of being alone in a hotel somewhere on Christmas."


    I smiled, "Of course, you''re always welcome here."


    My smile faded as I gave the teen an apologetic look, "Sorry Kaitlyn but you''re getting bumped to the living-room sofa tonight."


    "I understand Lady Tegan," Kaitlyn replied.


    Elise suggested, "Hey Kaitlyn, why don''t you and I go upstairs and change the linens in the guest room for Sue?"


    That left my mom and I to talk alone, which I knew wasn''t a coincidence. I sat down across from her and asked, "So how did it go with Elise? Is everything ok?"


    Mom nodded, "Things are ok Tegan. It was a shock seeing her, even though I knew it was coming. I even knew in advance what she was going to look like. When she came out to me last month she showed me a picture she took with you in October. I still wasn''t quite prepared for the emotions though, of actually meeting her."


    "You''re ok though right?" I asked softly.


    "Yes," she nodded again. "Like with you, you''re my child whether you''re a boy or a girl. She''s... Well I suppose she''s not my husband anymore. But she''s the same person I spent more than half my life with. We''ll remain friends, whatever else happens."


    I sighed, "I still feel bad about some of this, splitting you two up. I''m not sorry for helping Elise, I''m just sorry there wasn''t a way to do that without driving you both apart."


    Sue shook her head, "Don''t blame yourself, Tegan. Even without your magic, if she''d come out and started to transition the normal way, the outcome would have been the same. This way she''s happier. She has a whole new life ahead of her, and from the sound of it she''s going to make the most of it, following her dreams."


    "What about you?" I asked. "You''re still planning on moving out east by yourself?"


    She nodded, "Oh yes. Next week I''ll be back here looking for my own miracle, probably January second. Then I''ll be off to Cape Breton. I''ve always loved it out there, ever since your dad and I visited a few years back. I''ve always dreamed of retiring there. Now instead of just a decade or so, I''ll have a whole lifetime to enjoy myself there."


    She added, "I know it''ll be a challenge, especially doing it all alone, but it''s my dream. It''s what I want to do."


    I was quiet for a few moments as I just slowly nodded in response.


    Before I could say anything else, Sue changed the subject "So last time I was here we didn''t really talk about any of your news. Tell me how things went on your extended stay over there? And tell me about Kaitlyn, who is she, why''s she staying with you and the twins?"


    I spent the next hour or so telling her about our recent adventures in Otherworld. It was the abridged version, I left out all the unpleasant or delicate details, same as when I told Elise the story a week and a half ago. Even at that it was still enough to leave her worried for my safety at times.


    Then we got onto the subject of Kaitlyn. Once again I didn''t go into all the details, only that she was the twins'' grandfather and that she''d been a despicable person. That we basically had to either kill her or transform her, to render her harmless.


    That may have been the thing my mom had the strongest reaction to out of anything I''d ever mentioned about Otherworld, the fact that I might have had to kill someone. Of course she was relieved I refused to do that. I went on to explain how we planned to leave the girl with Kelsey, but I had a change of heart about that and we brought Kaitlyn back here.


    Mom was dismayed to learn Kelsey Connolly was almost as evil as her father, that she was now considered an enemy of my clann as well as myself and the twins. And she seemed curious about Kaitlyn. I figured that wasn''t unusual, like how often do you get to meet a six-hundred-year-old evil-bastard-turned-teen-girl.


    Eventually I started getting dinner ready and mom chipped in and helped out. Not that there was too much to be done, since Kaitlyn already helped with the prep earlier. It was mostly just seasoning the roast and the vegetables then putting it all in the oven.


    With that done, we sat down at the table again to continue our conversation.


    "So the other thing I wanted to ask about Tegan," Sue said as her lips curled into a bit of a smile, "I understand Keira''s moved into the master bedroom with you and Kelly?"


    I was already blushing but before I could respond she added, "You know it wasn''t three months ago you gave me hell for suggesting they were both your girlfriends."


    "Yeah but..." I sputtered a little. "They weren''t, back then! It wasn''t even on the radar! It came up when we were in Otherworld and it''s a long story and I had no idea it was going to happen that way..."


    She just smiled, "Oh relax Tegan, I''m not cross. Let''s just say, perhaps I had a bit of intuition about the whole thing. Elise told me the three of you are happy, that''s the important thing."


    I sighed as I slumped back in my chair, "It''s true, we are. It was awkward at first, but now I really couldn''t imagine it any other way."


    "I''m happy for you dear," Sue said as she stood up. She looked out the doorway to the living-room and asked, "Kaitlyn? Would you come and give me a hand setting the table?"


    That caught me a little off-guard. I was going to do that myself in a few minutes. A moment later Kaitlyn joined us in the kitchen. Then she and my mom started carrying the plates and cutlery out to the dining room together.


    I stayed out of the way but I could hear Sue giving the girl instructions, teaching her the correct way to position the cutlery and so on. From the sound of it, my mom wasn''t the least bit phased by Kaitlyn''s dark past. Instead she was pretty much acting like mom, taking charge of the teen and putting her to work.


    When the time came, Elise got the drinks ready. Susan and Keira had wine, Elise and Kelly preferred hard lemonade, and there was cola for Kaitlyn and I. Meanwhile I carved up the roast, Kaitlyn carried all the food out and set it on the dining table, and I called the twins when it was time to eat.


    It wasn''t anything like xmas dinners in the past, but it was honestly kind of nice. We were certainly an odd family, but for tonight at least, we were family and we were all together.


    After dinner Sue volunteered to do the dishes, then roped Kaitlyn into helping her. The two of them were in the kitchen again together the following morning. Sue made breakfast for everyone and had the teen helping her. And she put the kid to work doing dishes again after that.


    When all that was out of the way, Susan and Elise and I had a nice little conversation together. Eventually though she had to get going.


    "I''ll be back again next week Tegan," mom said as she gave me a hug. "Thank you for having me here for Christmas."


    I hugged her back, "It was good to see you, mom."


    PurpleCatGirl

 102. Departed

    Things were sort of quiet but busy through the week after mom''s visit. The twins were still spending all their time working, and most of my time was spent with Elise and Kaitlyn.


    My cousin was finally settling down and getting over her giddy phase as she began to get into the right mindset for going back to college, which would happen in a couple more weeks. And as for Kaitlyn, I really wasn''t sure what we were going to do with her but I did look into schooling options incase she wound up staying here with us.


    I was still hoping to find someone else to take her, but I knew it was probably a long-shot finding the right fit for her. I wasn''t just going to kick her out or leave her with random strangers, but I didn''t really know where to turn or how to find someone who''d want to take her in.


    It wasn''t really ideal keeping her with us though. The twins hadn''t said anything but I knew with the history between them and Kaitlyn, it probably wasn''t good for any of us to be raising her here.


    On the other hand I felt responsible for her, and she''d opened up to me a few times. So if it came down to it, I''d do my best to look after her and just hope that didn''t become an issue between me and my girlfriends.


    Things got less quiet and more busy on the thirty-first, when a delivery truck rolled up to the house right around noon. The king-size bed we ordered had arrived.


    I convinced Kelly and Keira to take the rest of the day off, and the three of us got to work moving the old bed down into the cellar for storage. Then we got the new bed put together and set up. It would have been infinitely more difficult if not for the fact that we could just teleport the bulky heavy stuff up and down the stairs.


    Even with the advantage of magic it still took us all afternoon to get the new bed assembled and get the mattress and box spring in place. Then we got all the sheets and the new king-size duvet and everything else sorted out. It was already dark out by the time we finally finished, and I really had zero interest in doing any cooking at that point.


    Elise came to the rescue and drove down into the city, then returned with a big order of all our favourite sushi along with some General Tsao chicken and pad Thai and other related goodies.


    Keira opened a bottle of wine, Kelly and Elise and I got into the hard lemonade, and Kaitlyn stuck with soda of course. The five of us set all the food out on the coffee table, and we all got comfortable in the living-room to eat as we watched a movie.


    After the movie was over, me and the twins bid Elise and Kaitlyn a good night as we headed upstairs together. My cousin and the teen were planning to stay up till midnight, but my girlfriends and I were going to celebrate the new year together in our big new bed.


    "This is nice," Kelly said quietly as she cuddled up against me on my left.


    Keira was already snuggling against me on the right as she agreed, "Very nice."


    "It''s not bad," I teased quietly, "But I''m still squished in the middle. I think you two stole all the additional space."


    That just made the two of them cuddle up even closer on either side, which wasn''t entirely a bad thing. Kelly gave me a kiss on my left cheek and I felt one of her hands caress along my side then across my chest.


    "Hey babe?" she asked softly. "Do you remember that fable Colm told us, about the twin fae queens?"


    I nodded slightly, "I remember. I''m not a big fan of that story though."


    Keira kissed me on my right cheek as I felt one of her legs rub against my right leg, before she slipped it in between mine. She whispered, "Then when you met Taralynn, she said you had two souls, because you were a child of two worlds."


    "Yeah," I replied, then I frowned. "Wait what? What are you two saying?"


    Keira kissed me on the lips and smiled, "We were just thinking how things worked out so perfectly, like the good ending of the fable."


    "We''re twin fae," Kelly added, "Who both love the same beautiful woman."


    When I turned to look at her, she smiled and kissed me on the lips as well.


    "A beautiful woman who has two souls," Keira concluded, giving me another kiss.


    I looked back and forth between the two of them. I was a little overwhelmed for a moment, then I smiled.


    "I normally don''t like fables and legends and fate. But this time, I guess it''s worked out all right."


    They both smiled back, then the three of us decided to try and break in the new bed together.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    It was mid-afternoon on the second of January when I felt mom drive back onto the property. I met her at the door and welcomed her in, and she greeted both Kaitlyn and Elise who were there with me in the living room. The twins were busy in the office again as usual.


    About three weeks had passed since I''d done some magic for Elise, and Sue was finally ready and eager for me to do it for her too. She had an overnight bag with her, and the two of us went straight upstairs to have a private chat in the master bedroom.


    We talked for about ten minutes, and she filled me in on exactly what she wanted me to do for her. Beyond making her twenty-five, the sorts of changes she wanted weren''t all that drastic. Certainly nowhere near as big as what I''d done for Elise.


    Once I understood what she had in mind, I loaned her a bathrobe and let her get undressed. When she was ready I cast the spell and that was that. She was happy and she smiled a lot, but she wasn''t giddy or bouncy or hyper like my cousin. Susan got dressed in some clothes she''d bought in advance then we went back downstairs and I introduced her.


    "Elise, Kaitlyn?" I said as Sue and I came into the living-room. "This is Susan Madison Shaw."


    The most obvious thing beyond her age was Sue was taller than mom had been. In fact she was an inch or two taller than the twins. She was slim, with a somewhat athletic physique. Her hair was shoulder-length, wavy, and strawberry blonde. Her eyes were sort of steel-blue, but there was a friendly sparkle to them. Her face was attractive, but there was also a hint of toughness under the surface. Like she could look delicate and pretty when she wanted, or she could come across as a strong, tough young woman when she needed to.


    In some ways she actually reminded me of Captain Siobhan.


    Susan was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, nothing fancy. Something about her made me picture her in overalls and a flannel shirt though. There was a bit of a ''country'' look to her now, I thought. Which was funny because she was very much a city girl. Or at least, my mom was a city girl. Maybe Susan really was a country girl at heart.


    Elise and Kaitlyn both greeted her, and Sue wound up joining the two of them on the sofa to visit with them while I went into the kitchen to start making dinner for everyone. After dinner Sue volunteered to do the dishes, then roped Kaitlyn into helping her again.


    I had Kaitlyn move out of the guest room and back onto the living-room sofa so Sue could have the guest bed. The kid didn''t complain though. And in the morning she was back in the kitchen with Susan yet again as the pair of them made breakfast for everyone. The real surprise came after breakfast, when Kaitlyn actually volunteered to help Sue with the dishes.


    We were a little busy for part of the day as I got all Sue''s ID updated and made the arrangements with my ''shadow economy'' contacts to get the official government records updated as well. By the time all that was done it was mid-afternoon, and she decided to stay with us one more night.


    That would be it though, the following morning after breakfast she''d be setting out on her long drive east. After that we probably wouldn''t see her again for some time. I had a feeling the twins would be busy with their studies until summer break. There was a chance I could go and visit sooner, if I went by myself. And of course Sue likely wouldn''t be coming back this way any time soon, she''d be too busy getting herself established out there.


    That evening Susan and Kaitlyn made dinner for everyone while I hung out with Elise, and afterwards the two of them did the washing-up together too. It was really kind of amazing how quickly and easily Sue took charge of the teen. Kelly and Keira took the evening off, and when Sue and Kaitlyn were done in the kitchen all six of us crowded into the living-room for a quiet evening talking and watching tv.


    The next morning after breakfast, Sue sat behind the wheel of her car, engine running, all set to go. She had her window down as I stood next to her and we said our last goodbyes.


    It was cold out and I was trying not to shiver. I knew I could have just said goodbye in the house, but I was a little reluctant to let her go. I still felt a bit sad I guess, about her moving so far away.


    "Are you going to be ok driving all that way?" I asked. It was silly but I was fussing over her and I was worried. "Don''t push yourself too hard, if you start feeling tired you stop. Find a motel or a hotel or something and sleep, don''t just keep driving."


    Before she could protest I added, "And stay on top of the weather reports! Don''t go driving off into a blizzard or anything!"


    "Yes mother," Susan smirked. She wasn''t even a teen but she managed to get the sarcastic tone and expression down perfectly.


    "If she gets tired I can take over," Kaitlyn suggested from the passenger seat. "We can alternate, cover twice the distance each day."


    I frowned at her, "Absolutely not! You can''t drive, you''re too young."


    The young redhead rolled her eyes, "Still five hundred and seventy-nine years old here. I''ve been driving since the nineteen forties, Lady Tegan. I know how to do it."


    I looked at Susan, "Don''t let her drive. Whether or not she knows how, she''s only fifteen and she doesn''t have a license."


    She smiled "You don''t have to remind me Tegan. She''s going to be busy enough navigating for me. And don''t worry, it wasn''t that long ago I had another fifteen-year-old know-it-all around the house. I survived you just fine, I''ll manage Katie here alright too."


    "Katie?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I looked at the redhead again.


    The teen stated, "That''s Kaitlyn to you. Only Maddie gets to call me Katie."


    "Maddie?" I looked back at Sue. "You two already have nicknames for each other?"


    She smiled, "It''s called bonding, Tegan. Now enough chit-chat. We need to get moving, and you need to get back inside before you catch a cold."


    I nodded "Ok Sue. You two take care. Drive safe! And stay in touch! Call me every night when you stop, so I know where you are!"


    Susan smiled "Ok Tegan. You look after yourself and your girlfriends. And keep your dad out of trouble!"


    Kaitlyn waved at me as the window slid shut, then Sue pulled the car out and around. I stood there in the cold as I watched them head out to the end of the driveway. They turned onto the country road and a few seconds later they were gone.


    I stared for a few more moments, then finally hurried back into the house. I wound up standing right next to the wood stove for a while, letting myself warm up again.


    "They''ll be fine cuz," Elise smiled at me.


    I turned to look at her, "Cuz? Did everyone have a meeting about new nicknames while I was out or something?"


    She shrugged, "You didn''t like it when I called you Teeg. And I thought the plan was to tell people we''re cousins?"


    "Yeah," I nodded, then moved to sit next to her on the sofa. "It''s another two weeks right? I''ll drive you to college and get you settled in, then I guess we''ll figure out when you''ll be visiting or whatever."


    She watched me for a few moments then asked "How''re you handling all this, Tegan?"


    I could tell from her concerned tone she was back in ''dad mode'' now. I sighed, "I''ll be fine. It''s been a few crazy weeks. I''m glad you''re happy though, and I''m glad Sue''s happy."


    "Are you happy?" she asked.


    "I''m numb," I replied truthfully. "And after you''re at college I''ll probably be lonely, to be honest. Kelly and Keira might be swamped with university stuff for another month or two yet, trying to catch up on everything. Having you and Kaitlyn here kept me busy, but without you both it''ll probably seem too quiet."


    She frowned, "Will you be ok? Do you have any hobbies or anything, something to keep you busy?"


    I leaned back and stared at the ceiling for a few moments, then admitted "I''ve actually been thinking about trying college again. The place you''re going had some courses that caught my eye. Jewelry making, goldsmithing. And the campus is only about fifty kilometers away. That''s like, ten leagues? It might just be close enough for me to teleport there and back."


    A wide smile formed on Elise''s lips as she stared at me. "You''re going to come to college with me?! Teeg that''s amazing!"


    PurpleCatGirl

 103. Domesticated

    I was just putting away the last of the dishes from brunch when my phone started ringing. I checked the display and immediately smiled.


    I grabbed my coffee and sat down at the kitchen table as I swiped the screen, "Hey Sue! How are things?"


    "Hello Tegan," she replied. "Things are well here. How are you and the twins? How''s your dad?"


    I rolled my eyes, "You mean my cousin. Or just say Elise. We''re not calling her ''dad'' anymore."


    Sue was probably rolling her eyes too as she said "I know Tegan, I was teasing. Anyways how is everyone?"


    After a sip of coffee I replied, "We''re all doing really well. Kelly and Keira finally got caught up on everything and are actually relaxing for spring break. Elise is here too, the four of us have been taking it easy during the time off."


    Her next question was almost predictable, as she asked "How''s school going?"


    I didn''t mind her asking. Considering I''d already dropped out twice I knew it was something Sue was worried might happen again. She wasn''t acting bitchy about it though. It was just a guess on my part, but I suspected her renewed youth combined with having Kaitlyn there with her meant she was less uptight about me. She had so much going on in her own life, and with Kaitlyn she had ''a kid of her own'' to worry about again.


    Or maybe it was just that she finally realized my life was going to be on a different track and moving at a different speed, and it wasn''t up to her to try and control it.


    Either way she no longer had that disappointed and bitchy attitude, which I felt was better for everyone. Especially her and me.


    "School''s good," I finally replied. "I know it''s early days, I''ve only been at it two months, but I''m really enjoying the program. I think part of it is there''s no pressure? Like I''m doing it for fun, I don''t need to worry about making it a career. And it''s something I can actually use both here and over there? Like one of the reasons I thought jewelry making sounded so interesting is I''m figuring out how to do enchantments. I''ll be able to custom-make jewelry and build magic right into pieces as they''re being made. It''s honestly pretty neat!"


    She sounded pleased as she said "That sounds great Tegan! I''m not going to comment on the enchantment stuff, but I''m glad you''re doing something, and you''re enjoying it. How about your girlfriends, you said they''re finally taking a break?"


    I nodded, "Yeah they finally got caught up around the end of February. So the first part of March it was back to normal hours for them, and when spring break started they both decided to take the time off and relax. And Elise is here too like I said. The four of us have been pretty lazy these last couple days."


    "Anyways what about you? How are you and the kid doing? I saw the pictures, the house looks fantastic. Have you moved in yet?"


    Sue sounded very happy as she responded, "Yes! We moved in on the eighth, so we''ve been in here ten days now. I''ve been busy doing some cleaning and painting. The first few days were a little rough trying to organize furniture deliveries and get Katie sorted out with school, but that''s been settled. She''s a little grumpy right now, I''ve got her doing schoolwork over the break to try and catch her up to the rest of the students for this semester."


    I couldn''t help but grin at the thought of the six-hundred-year-old former fae being forced to do homework. "How''s that working out? She''s not giving you any trouble is she?"


    "No, she''s a dear Tegan." Sue replied. "Katie sometimes grumbles and complains but she does what I ask, and she seems to be taking her studies seriously. To be honest, the only actual trouble I''ve had hasn''t been from her, it''s been trying to explain her."


    I frowned, "What do you mean?"


    After a slight sigh she said, "The two of us came up with a very convincing back-story. That was honestly pretty easy. We''re step-sisters. Eight years ago, her father Keenan married my mother Laura. Her mother died of cancer when she was five, and my father walked out on us when I was young. Then last year, our parents were killed in a car accident. We''re the only family each other has left, and we moved out to Cape Breton for a fresh start together."


    "Wow," I commented. "That''s a pretty good story. A little tragic but it makes sense. So you kept your mother''s last name Shaw, and Kaitlyn has her dad''s last name Connolly."


    "Exactly," Sue stated. "So that part''s been easy. The hard part was trying to explain Katie''s um, peculiar skillset? Getting her into the high-school involved the two of us meeting some of the teachers and the principal, and I hadn''t really thought to discuss some important details with Katie before-hand. So she was a little too honest with them when it came to answering their questions. That led to the teachers and principal asking even more questions, that were a lot harder for me to answer."


    That sent some alarm-bells ringing in my head and left me cringing. "Like what? What sort of questions?"


    Sue replied, "Well, for one thing trying to explain how a fifteen-year-old girl is fluent in English, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, French, German, and Fae. And she''s passable in Spanish and Italian. Or how she''s fairly well-versed in some areas of math, especially relating to investments, interest calculations, and international banking, but she didn''t even know what algebra and trigonometry are. Nor did she know the first thing about science, although she did say chemistry sounded similar to alchemy."


    It sounded like Susan was smiling now as she continued, "I managed to get her to stop talking right about there. Needless to say she''s also an expert on twentieth-century history, and fairly knowledgable about some aspects of geography and politics."


    By now I was rubbing my forehead and cringing even harder. "Ok... How did all that play out?"


    "It''s fine Tegan," Sue replied. She still sounded amused, "We lied, bluffed, and joked about it. In the end they just let it go. It''s not like they actually suspected my little sister''s been around for six centuries or that she''s from another world. Nor would they believe it if we told them."


    "So things are going ok?" I asked. I was still anxious about the whole thing, but it sounded like Sue was taking it all in stride. "You''re not having any problems with her at all?"


    "She''s a dear, Tegan." Sue stated again, and I could hear the conviction in her voice. She really liked the girl. "I know you said she was a horrible person before, and Katie''s told me a little of her past herself. But she''s honestly trying to put it all behind her. And... I don''t like to admit this too loudly, but I''m grateful to have her here with me."


    There was a pause, and her voice dropped lower as Susan explained "You know I was a little leery about making this trip by myself. Not so much about the distance or the drive, but as much as I love it out here and wanted to live here, it was a huge step to take completely on my own. And without knowing anyone here... It just left me worried I might get too lonely. I worried I might give up if I couldn''t handle being out here by myself."


    She continued, "But when Katie and I started to get to know each other at your place over the holidays, it just felt like a perfect match. She desperately needed a parental figure, someone to take charge of her but who''d also care for her without the baggage of her past getting in the way. And I needed someone to keep me focused, keep me grounded. And she really is a dear, Tegan. You know, when I suggested that we could be sisters she actually cried? She was so touched that anyone would want to be family with her."


    Sue finished, "So no, I have no problems at all with her. I have a feeling she''s going to get good grades, and she seems to enjoy learning new things. She''s also been helping me get my business set up. You know she knows all about budgets and finance and bookkeeping? Anyways, Katie and I are fine. I think everything''s going to work out great. So enough about me, what else is new with you? Have you been back to visit your other family again lately?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. "I went back for my birthday at the start of February. It was just me, the twins were still bogged down with studies at that point. And I was only there for three days, I didn''t want to miss too many of my own classes. But things over there are good."


    I blushed as I told her, "Maeve sent me home with more gold again. My share of the ransom, for that guy who''d been messing with us for the past hundred years. His sons coughed up the thousand pounds so Maeve handed him over."


    Sue laughed, "So you got another sack of gold coins for your birthday did you?"


    "Uh, not exactly..." I blushed brighter as I admitted, "She actually sent me home with a chest. Like a literal treasure chest? She gave me ten percent of the ransom, so a hundred pounds of gold."


    Sue was silent for a few moments, before she finally asked "What in the world are you going to do with that?"


    I sighed, "Maeve wants me to get more land? So we''re talking with the neighbours. Trying to buy one or both farms on either side of us. I have no idea what we''ll do with them. Maybe rent the land back to farmers so it''s still being productive? Though I might add more trees, a little more forest on either side of us would be nice."


    "I suppose you can think long-term like that, planting trees and waiting for a new forest to grow," Susan commented. She didn''t sound jealous about it, not anymore. It was another indication to me that her attitude had indeed shifted significantly over the past six months. "If you''re impatient though, I think some evergreens can grow fairly quickly? If I remember right, cedars were a popular choice for privacy and wind-breaks."


    I blushed slightly and admitted "I''m a little too impatient to wait a few decades, even if I do have the time. I know some spells that can speed things along. Maybe one season would be a little too noticeable, but if I spread it out over five years that''ll probably be enough to go under the radar. And I''d be looking at mixed trees, like in the ravine? Hardwoods, softwoods, evergreens, deciduous."


    Sue laughed, and I could almost picture her shaking her head slightly at my talk of using magic to grow a forest.


    "Oh, speaking of magic," she said suddenly, "That reminds me. Katie asked me to tell you, she''s pretty sure she''s found a place where the ''veil is thin enough to allow passage'' that''s within teleport distance to our home here. She said that you''d probably need to come out by car or plane for your first visit, to get a feel for the location yourself. But after that she suggested you''d be able to come and go as you liked with your magic."


    I was surprised but pleased to hear that. "Thanks! That''s good to know. It''s too late to do anything during spring break but maybe at the start of summer I could come out by myself on a one-way plane ticket, then you and she can show me the spot. Then at the end of my visit I can get home on my own."


    I added after a moment, "Or even for a long weekend, actually. Maybe in May? I could get a flight out on the Friday, spend Saturday and Sunday with you and Kaitlyn, then get myself home on the Monday morning."


    Susan asked, "As I understand it, once you know the spot you''ll be able to bring Elise and the twins over to visit whenever you please?"


    "Right," I nodded. "Well, not anytime we please. It''s easiest to travel at dawn, which is a bit inconvenient but still beats driving or flying. Or riding horses, or walking."


    She laughed again then said "We''ll have to talk more about it later Tegan. I''d better get going now. Take care of yourself and your girlfriends. And your cousin."


    "You too! Take care of yourself and the kid," I replied.


    We bid each other goodbye for now, and finally disconnected.


    As I finished tidying up the kitchen, I suddenly came to a halt as a thought crossed my mind. "How was Kaitlyn able to sense a spot out there where the veil was thin?"


    End of Book Two


    PurpleCatGirl

 104. Exiled

    It was Monday morning and I woke to the sound of an alarm beeping. My two beautiful girlfriends were already beginning to stir on either side of me.


    Kelly reached out and turned off the alarm, then both her and Keira got themselves up. One of them went into our en-suite bathroom, the other went to the family bathroom in the hall.


    The bed was still nice and warm and I thought briefly about just going back to sleep. In the end I decided to get up and be useful. I dragged myself upright and climbed out of bed as well. I found my nightshirt and fuzzy slippers, then made my way downstairs.


    First order of business of course was coffee. I got the machine started, then I got to work making breakfast. I figured if I timed it right, the twins would have a half hour to sit and eat before they had to head off to university.


    Forty-five minutes later Kelly and Keira came down the stairs together, both dressed and ready to go. I had the kitchen table set, pancakes and bacon ready, and fresh coffee waiting for them.


    "Thanks babe, you''re awesome!" Kelly grinned as she gave me a kiss before she sat down.


    Keira kissed me as well then took her seat, "Thanks for breakfast, cutie."


    Some time last year they finally stopped making a point of dressing the same. They still did it sometimes but it was more the exception than the rule now. Kelly tended to dress a little more professionally, this morning she was in black slacks and a white blouse, and she had some low-heeled shoes on.


    On the other hand, Keira was still a lot more casual. She was in blue skinny-jeans and a green t-shirt this morning, and a pair of running shoes.


    They still kept their hair cut to the same length but like their clothes, their make-up was also different nowadays. Kelly usually did her make-up in a conservative but stylish look that made her look a little closer to her actual age. Keira tended to just wear some lipstick to add a splash of colour, but she rarely bothered with anything more than that.


    I figured Kelly was either trying to look more professional in preparation for her career as a psychologist, or maybe she just wanted to dress for her actual age. Both she and Keira were twenty-seven now, and they''d be twenty-eight in three months.


    Dressed like that though, Keira still looked twenty. So did Kelly if she didn''t put in some effort to make herself appear older. In the two years since I''d made them both fully fae, they hadn''t really aged at all. They''d both be in their fifties by the time they looked twenty-one.


    Much like me, I still looked nineteen despite having my twenty-eighth birthday back at the start of February. It was almost six years since my changeling egg hatched and I''d barely changed. I figured it would take another decade or two before I looked twenty.


    "What are you up to today?" Kelly asked me as the three of us ate.


    I thought for a few moments, then replied "I''m going to spend some time in my workshop."


    After my mom gave me a share of the ransom for Lord Aengus two years ago, I managed to buy up more land on either side of us here. What started as a comfy little six-acre plot was now about a hundred and twenty acres. We still only had an acre or so of lawn with the house in the middle, but there were trees growing on either side. In another couple years we''d be almost completely surrounded by forest.


    In addition to the trees, I''d had a workshop built on one side, and we had a cottage added on the other. Neither would be visible from home once the trees had fully matured, but both were easy walking-distance. And both had access to the road of course.


    The cottage was there to provide lodging for long-term guests. Like we had a couple fae visiting for about a year, giving all three of us lessons on swordplay.


    And the workshop was for me, to continue my jewelry-making endeavours. I actually stuck with that and graduated a few months ago. I also planned to take a goldsmithing course, but decided to take a six-month break from school before I dove back in and started on a new program.


    "Working on anything interesting?" Keira asked with a grin.


    I smiled back, "Perhaps. But if I were, I''d probably be keeping it a secret."


    She and Kelly both knew I was planning on giving them something fancy for their graduations. And their birthdays would be in July, so I had lots of excuses to make them jewelry.


    All three of us were already wearing some of my creations. We all had matching rings, or at least, mostly-matching rings. The bands were an intricate weave of two wires of rose gold and one wire of white gold, that represented the three of us together. Kelly''s and Keira''s rings each had a single small purple gemstone set in them, to represent me. And my ring had two small red gems, representing the two of them.


    The rings were enchanted of course, that was part of the reason I wanted to learn to make my own jewelry. I could build magic right into my creations.


    The rings allowed us to stay connected with a simple form of telepathy, sort of like mental text-messages. It was nowhere near as comprehensive as the link between Kelly and Keira, but it meant the two of them could communicate with me without words and over great distances, albeit in a limited fashion.


    The enchantment also allowed us to instantly locate each other with scrying spells, and we could even teleport safely to each other from as far away as ten or twelve leagues, which would be useful in emergencies.


    Of course the fact that the rings looked like wedding or engagement rings wasn''t lost on Keira, who still teased that the three of us were all married. She and Kelly both followed through on their plans to change their last names two years ago, which only added to peoples'' confusion on the subject.


    "What''s the plan for tonight?" I asked. "Should I fix up something fancy for dinner?"


    Kelly shook her head, "No need for you to cook tonight babe. Me and Keira are going to pick up sushi fusion on the way home. We''ve already got the fridge stocked with hard lemonade and wine."


    I grinned, "I like this plan."


    Today was the first of May, Beltane. And in lieu of going to Otherworld to celebrate with our clann, we''d just have a quiet little celebration here by ourselves.


    I couldn''t really tell if Kelly or Keira missed going over there. If they did, they were keeping the feelings hidden, and neither had said anything about it. I missed it though. I missed being able to relax and visit with my parents, and I missed the loud boisterous feasts in the great hall.


    The last one we''d been able to attend was Lughnasadh, at the start of August last year. We were planning to head over for Samhain when Maeve''s courier arrived at the waypoint in my ravine with the bad news.


    Just over two years ago King Cathal invited me to his court. He wanted to meet me, and he wanted me to meet his son Prince Odhran. In fact he wanted me to marry his son and become part of the royal family.


    Needless to say I declined the invitation and refused to marry any man.


    I later found out that the following year several letters passed back and forth between the king and my mother. King Cathal was trying to negotiate with mom to arrange my marriage. Apparently the king believed my mom had some kind of control or sway over me, that she could persuade me to comply.


    About the only thing that accomplished was the king gave up on the idea of making me marry his son, and started trying to get me to marry his daughter instead. Rather than forcing me to be a wife to Prince Odhran, he wanted to set me up with Princess ¨¢ine.


    It all came to a head last year at my twenty-seventh birthday. Me and the twins were over there for Imbolc and to celebrate my birthday, when one of the king''s knights showed up. There were no more requests, no more invitations. I was being ordered by direct royal command to attend the king''s court.


    And of course I refused. I wasn''t rude or violent about it, I didn''t hurt or threaten the guy. I just refused to let him haul me off somewhere. I told him I wasn''t refusing to attend ''forever'', just that it wasn''t convenient right then. I was only halfway through my college course. And Kelly and Keira had a year and a half left in their university courses. None of us wanted to drop out or put all that on hold.


    So the knight returned empty-handed, told the king about my refusal to obey his orders and all that stuff.


    When the three of us returned to Otherworld last August for Lughnasadh we found out there were warrants for our arrest. Nobody at castle Br¨¢daigh would turn us in, but it meant we had to be careful. We couldn''t travel freely in Otherworld any longer.


    Then the news just prior to Samhain was the end of our visits. The king had installed two knights at castle Br¨¢daigh to wait for us. He knew my mother wouldn''t turn us over, but she couldn''t refuse to accommodate his representatives. So she had to put up with a pair of knights in her castle, and me and the twins were basically living in self-exile on Earth.


    If any of the three of us returned to Otherworld we''d be arrested and hauled off to the royal court.


    I''d visited my parents a handful of times since then, but they were very clandestine affairs. I could cross over to the western woods where I''d arrive unseen. And from there I could teleport directly into my parents'' private chambers within the castle. It wasn''t ideal, but at least it meant I could see them now and then.


    For the most part though, I stayed away. As did the twins. We celebrated the festivals ourselves here at home, we carried on with our plans and our education, and I corresponded with my mom and dad via letter and the occasional secret visit.


    I figured maybe after the twins were done with university the three of us would discuss heading back over and dealing with the problem. Once they''d graduated they''d have time, and even if it took a year or whatever if we could get it all sorted out that would be nice.


    Kelly still had plans of opening a psychology practice and helping fae and part-fae here on Earth, but that didn''t have to happen immediately after she graduated. I wasn''t sure what Keira''s plans were, but she was still working hard on her history program at uni.


    And my long-term plans were still up in the air. I wanted to do another year of college but I could put that off. Now that I''d graduated I really didn''t have much going on here or in Otherworld, so I was basically free to do what I wanted.


    I didn''t want to just disappear over there forever though. I still had friends here, people I wanted to keep in contact with.


    We still saw Elise on a regular basis, I was still really good friends with her. In fact we had plans to have her come stay with us in a few weeks, for the May long weekend.


    And I was still close with Susan too. She and Kaitlyn came and spent two weeks with us over the winter holidays, then at March break me and the twins went out to Cape Breton and spent some time with them. Elise was invited too, but she had spring break plans with some college friends and couldn''t make it.


    So I wasn''t ready to just leave Earth completely. But if I had to go for a year or so to placate the king, I figured I could manage that.


    With breakfast done, Kelly and Keira each gave me a kiss, then they grabbed their bags and headed out to the car. I waved and saw them off, then went back inside. I tidied up the kitchen and washed the dishes, got myself dressed, then made my way over to my little workshop.


    In another three or four years it would be absolutely perfect. It looked like a little log-cabin and it''d be nestled in the woods. There was a winding trail that connected it back to our home, and the drive out to the country road twisted as well. So when the trees were mature, the workshop would seem to be completely surrounded by woods. There''d be a little bit of cleared lawn and garden around it, and of course there was a small area to park a couple cars.


    The trees that were planted two years ago were doing pretty good. Some of the evergreens were already taller than me and getting quite bushy. Most of the conifers were still rather spindly, but they were all coming along.


    I had to resist the urge to shower them all in another blast of growth magic. It would draw too much attention if I had a mature forest pop up in a single season. It was tempting though.


    With a smile, I opened up the shop and settled down at my workbench. Within minutes I was focused on the matching brooches I was designing for the twins'' graduation.


    PurpleCatGirl

 105. Expostulated

    I held my breath as I sighted carefully down the shaft, then when I was ready I let it go.


    The slap of the string was followed a second later by the thwack of my arrow striking the target.


    "Yes!" I grinned triumphantly.


    Kelly smiled, "That''s not bad, babe. Now just do that nineteen more times."


    It was the first Saturday of May and the weather was finally nice enough that we could resume our backyard archery practice. We had a target set up at the back of the yard, opposite the gazebo. It was a pile of straw bales, with some plywood at the back. There was also a large net behind that to catch any stray arrows, and that came in handy quite a bit at first. It took me a while to really get the hang of the whole thing.


    Now I thought I was doing pretty good. My first shot in months and it was just outside the bulls-eye, and we were standing about fifty meters from the target.


    Keira went next, and of course she easily showed me up by nailing her target almost dead-centre. Kelly was almost as good. To be fair they had about a decade''s worth of experience compared to my year and a half.


    We originally got the idea a couple years back, we''d talked about bringing some bows home from Otherworld. In the end we decided against it. Fae longbows were well-made and absolutely deadly in the right hands, but they required a lot of skill and training to use. And they required a lot of muscle to draw them correctly.


    I just didn''t have the upper-body strength to do it. Even Kelly and Keira struggled with them at long range.


    So we found a local shop that specialized in archery gear, and all three of us got kitted out with bows that worked best for our requirements. Kelly and Keira had larger bows with heavier draws that suited them. And I had a smaller bow with a lighter draw, but it was something I could use reliably and safely.


    Rather than the fancy compound bows with the pulleys and wheels, all three of us opted for simpler recurves. They even disassembled for transport, so we could fit them in backpacks. We also got ourselves a bunch of modern carbon-fibre arrows, and found a machinist to make us a bunch of custom ''practice points'' that were basically bodkin tips that fit the modern arrows.


    Of course I hoped to never wind up in a situation where I needed to use my bow, or my sword, or even a knife in any sort of combat. I''d always be more comfortable using magic and trying to defuse a situation rather than resorting to lethal force. But these were all skills I was supposed to have, and it was honestly kind of fun doing the archery practice.


    As the three of us continued shooting, I asked "So this is maybe a tough question, but after you''ve both graduated what do you think about heading back to Otherworld with me? I figure I should finally go see what the king wants, meet him in person and stuff."


    Keira and Kelly both turned to look at me.


    "Are you sure babe?" Kelly asked. "I mean, we all know what he wants is to get you to marry into his family. Then he''ll probably want you to stay there at his palace."


    I sighed, "Yeah, from that perspective I guess we know what he wants. But that''s not going to happen. I figured I should meet him and maybe I can explain to him in person how that isn''t a possibility."


    Keira pointed out, "He might also want to toss you in his dungeon for a while. I got the feeling from what your mother said, that he was getting pretty annoyed with you for ignoring his invitation then disobeying his orders."


    "Maybe," I sighed again. "I don''t want the three of us to wind up permanently exiled though."


    We shot a few more arrows, then Kelly said "I agree, it would be nice to be able to visit our clann again. I miss the festivals, and I miss being able to just visit and spend time with Maeve and Connor. I think you need to consider some worst-case scenarios though babe. Like Keira said, maybe he''s going to want to toss you in a cell for a while. Or maybe he''s going to insist you marry one of his kids. He might try to insist you have to stay at his palace, or at least stay over there. Instead of being exiled to Earth, you could wind up trapped in Otherworld."


    Keira added, "I think you basically need to decide up front what you''re willing to do, Tegan. If there''s anything you''re willing to compromise on. And if not, are you willing to fight the king? That could pit you against all of Otherworld, and maybe drag Maeve and Connor into it with you. Otherwise you may as well just stay here. No point making the situation worse if you aren''t going to follow-through or if you don''t have any plan to make things better."


    I shot my last couple arrows but they were well off the target. I was stressed and uptight again and it reflected in my lousy aim.


    "You''re right," I finally conceded. "I don''t really want to go to war with the king, I don''t want to drag our clann into a war with the rest of Otherworld. My mom and dad already have to deal with a couple of the king''s men watching over their shoulders all the time, that''s bad enough. And I''m not prepared to give up my life here, I''m sure not going to move into the royal palace and live under the king''s thumb."


    "What about marrying the princess?" Kelly asked. "Maybe if you did that, under the terms that she had to come live with you rather than you living with her, that would be enough to placate the king?"


    I shook my head, "I don''t want to marry some stranger. She''s something like two hundred years old? There''d be absolutely nothing in common between us. She''s spent two centuries raised as a princess, steeped in fae nobility. She''d never have even visited Earth, probably hasn''t even travelled much in Otherworld."


    "Political marriages are never about compatibility," Keira pointed out. "You get to know her afterwards. Maybe you become friends with her. Or maybe you just act civil around each other when there''s important guests visiting but otherwise live completely separate lives."


    The three of us walked together to the targets to start collecting our arrows. I shook my head again "The whole concept is just too alien to me. The three of us are together. I love you two. Like you keep saying Keira, the three of us are already married in almost every way as it is. I can''t see some stranger coming along and people thinking she takes precedence because there''s some official ceremony."


    I continued pulling my arrows from the target and dropping them back in my quiver as I added, "And I can''t imagine some princess accepting that she''s a distant second-place, while you two are the ones I actually love and adore. And anyways, none of this even takes your feelings into account. How would you two deal with that, if I had to go around staying I was married to some stranger and you two were just ''good friends''. Or I guess we could say you were still my girlfriends. Or mistresses."


    "We get that it''s weird babe," Kelly replied. "In Earth-terms at least. The fae don''t seem too bothered about it. And I bet if you went back a few centuries, it wouldn''t be that out of place here either. Except maybe the fact that we''re all women."


    With all the arrows retrieved, the three of us started walking together back to our shooting line.


    Kelly continued, "Of course me and Keira would have some issues to work out. I almost think it might be easier for us if it was a purely political thing, like if you and the princess were just ''acquaintances'' who lived separate lives and only appeared together for public functions? I think it''d be a lot harder on us if it actually developed into something further."


    Keira nodded, "Still, it''s something we''d have to deal with. It''s all moot though unless that''s something you''d be prepared to do, to make the king happy. And assuming the king was content to leave it at that."


    I was quiet for now as we all started shooting again. My aim was still off though, I was still uptight about the whole thing.


    After a few more shots I sighed once more "I really don''t know how to deal with the problem. It feels like there''s no good answer, no solution that will let us all just live in peace."


    "Sometimes that''s how it works," Kelly replied. "Sometimes that''s just life."


    After a few more errant shots I let my shoulders slump. "This isn''t working. I''m too stressed to actually focus on the training. If I keep shooting I''ll just be reinforcing lousy habits."


    Kelly and Keira both gave me a sympathetic look.


    "Take a break Tegan," Keira suggested. "Try and relax and get your mind off the king and his demands."


    "Yeah, ok." I moved back and had a seat at our picnic table, and watched as the twins continued shooting bullseyes.


    It was harder though to relax, and harder still to try and get my mind off these problems. It still felt like an unsolvable puzzle. Or at least, a puzzle where the only solutions came in varying levels of unpleasantness.


    The bottom line was the king wanted me to do a bunch of stuff I didn''t want to do. He had all the political power and military might of Otherworld to back him up. He was also something like seven hundred and fifty years old, and had a lot of experience playing politics and getting his way. I was a twenty-eight year old changeling, but I also happened to be the most powerful mage the fae had seen since my great-grandmother died.


    And I was positive that''s why the king wanted me. He probably assumed I''d be easily controlled, or easily manipulated. I was young, inexperienced, and naive. He wanted me and my power under his thumb and at his command. And I wasn''t going to let that happen.


    I continued watching my two girlfriends nail the target shot after shot as I thought through the options again.


    When they both finally sent their last arrows downrange I followed them back to the target to collect the handful I''d shot before giving up.


    I commented, "I think I''ll just put the whole idea on the back-burner again for now. I''m not in any hurry for a confrontation with the king. And I don''t want to wind up fighting him, or dragging Clann Br¨¢daigh into a war with him. We can just stay here on Earth for a few more years and see how it goes."


    Keira gave me a smile and teased, "I was just thinking, if you completely crushed him with your magical might, maybe you could take over. Be the new queen or empress or something. Then folks would leave you alone."


    I rolled my eyes, "I don''t want to be queen or empress or whatever. And I don''t want to kill anyone. If I did though, his son would get the job not me."


    "I know Tegan," Keira replied. "I''m just kidding."


    With all the arrows retrieved, the three of us started walking back towards the shooting line again.


    Kelly suggested, "Let''s call it a day for the archery. I have an idea that might help get your mind off things, help you relax."


    Me and Keira both agreed to leave the shooting for another day.


    We went back into the house and put our gear away, then I asked Kelly, "What''s your idea to get me to unwind?"


    She gave me a sly smile and said, "The first step is you go put on your maid outfit."


    That brought a grin to Keira''s face as well. She wasn''t into the domme stuff like her sister, but she did enjoy watching Kelly boss me around. And sometimes she''d even play along.


    I sighed, "I think I''m probably too uptight for even that to help."


    "Well then," Kelly was still smiling at me, "Step two is you lower your defences and I employ a little magic to help distract you."


    That caught me by surprise. It had been a few years since she''d last suggested playing with magic in the bedroom. A little smile formed on my lips as I thought it over.


    I finally nodded, "Ok. I''ll go get changed."


    As I headed for the stairs, I grinned and added "I mean, yes mistress!"


    PurpleCatGirl

 106. Enquired

    Kelly and Keira did such a good job keeping me distracted through the weekend that it took me all day Monday to recover. Now it was early Wednesday morning and I was up before my girlfriends for a change. I''d received some worrying news yesterday afternoon, and I needed to follow-up in person.


    I got dressed and had a coffee, then with about ten minutes to go before the sunrise I made my way out through the kitchen door, across the backyard and down into the ravine. I got to the little glade right on time.


    It took me a few seconds to find the right spot, then I cast the spell and pushed out through the veil.


    A moment later I emerged into some woods overlooking a large pond. The sun was higher up in the sky here, I was a couple thousand kilometres east of home.


    Some three or four hundred meters south-east on the other side of the trees was a high-school that would be full of students in another hour or two. My destination however was about four kilometres to the south-west, and I focused on that as I cast the teleport spell. A moment later I appeared in a bright spacious kitchen.


    "Good morning Lady Tegan, I have fresh coffee ready for you if you''d like? Susan will be with us in a moment. She''s just finishing getting dressed."


    Kaitlyn was standing next to the counter where a large coffee machine had just finished filling the pot. She was wearing a knee-length navy blue pleated skirt and a white blouse, and she had some cute black shoes on. As usual her make-up was subtle but attractive, and her long bright red hair was neatly brushed and styled.


    In the two and a half years since I''d transformed her she''d grown a little, but she was still smaller than me. She was seventeen now and she stood almost exactly five feet tall. And while she had filled in slightly, she remained rather slim and petite.


    As usual she was polite and formal with me, despite my telling her countless times she didn''t need to use my title when addressing me. Not on Earth anyways, and she wasn''t likely to ever return to Otherworld.


    "Good morning Kaitlyn," I replied as I moved to the large sturdy kitchen table. "Some coffee would be wonderful thanks."


    She bowed her head slightly, "Of course Lady Tegan."


    I slipped my jacket off and draped it over the back of a chair, then had a seat. A few moments later Kaitlyn set the mug down in front of me, she already knew how I liked it.


    "Would you like to join us for breakfast Lady Tegan?" she asked. "I''ll be making bacon, scrambled eggs, and home-fries."


    I nodded, "Thank you Kaitlyn, that sounds nice."


    She bowed her head again and got to work. I watched as she set three frying pans on the gas range and got out the food from the large fridge. She put an apron on over her clothes and soon the air filled with the smell of bacon frying.


    Sue finally joined us in the kitchen. She smiled when she saw me, "Hello Tegan, it''s lovely to see you again!"


    I stood up and gave her a hug, "Nice to see you too."


    She got herself some coffee then sat down at the table across from me. Sue was dressed casual, like myself. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans and had sneakers on her feet. Instead of a t-shirt her top was a little nicer, more like a blouse. I was just in skinny jeans, running shoes, and a t-shirt.


    After a sip of coffee Sue asked "So what brings out out here in such a rush Tegan? Not that we aren''t happy to see you of course, but I gather this isn''t just a social call? You were very cryptic last night on the phone."


    I glanced at Kaitlyn then looked back at Susan and sighed. "No, it''s not a social call. I heard something yesterday which was a little troubling. It sounds like someone may have used magic at Kaitlyn''s high-school recently?"


    Sue took a sip of her coffee then asked, "How in the world would you hear something like that?"


    The kid was still working on breakfast, she had her back to us but of course she was listening in on the conversation. She spoke up before I could, "Lady Tegan has someone spying on us. She doesn''t trust me and wants to keep an eye on me."


    "Tegan is that true?" Sue demanded with an angry frown. "Are you really spying on Katie and I?"


    "No! I mean, they''re not spying on you. I mean they''re not..." I sighed, then tried to explain. "Look, Kaitlyn has a lot of enemies. I have enemies. I was worried that someone might come after you because of your relationship to me. Or someone might go after Kaitlyn and you, because of her past. So I asked one of the people who works for my mother to just sort of keep an eye on things out this way? Just incase anything suspicious came up."


    Sue continued frowning at me as she shook her head, "I can''t believe you''d have spies keeping tabs on us."


    I sighed again "Look I''m sorry that upsets you, but I did it to try and keep you two safe ok?"


    "Anyways," I added, "I didn''t come out here to argue about that. I came to find out what''s going on at the high-school."


    Kaitlyn set out plates and cutlery for the three of us, then she loaded up a big toaster with bread before she returned to the stove to check on the food.


    Sue rolled her eyes "I could have told you last night on the phone Tegan, and saved you a trip if you''d bothered to ask. No need for all this cloak and dagger nonsense."


    My eyebrows crept up as I stared at her. "You know about something going on at the school? I thought I was going to have to interrogate Kaitlyn, or go and check the place out myself to find out if there was a fae or half-fae there getting up to something."


    Sue just smiled and shook her head, "Katie''s best friend had a problem and I gave Katie permission to help her out."


    I looked from her to Kaitlyn then back to Sue again. "You what?"


    "Tracey Meyers was going to out Claire," Kaitlyn said calmly as she started setting the food out on the table. There was a plate of bacon, a bowl of scrambled eggs, and another bowl of home-fries.


    I frowned, "Who''s Claire? Is she your girlfriend?"


    Kaitlyn stated in a somewhat forceful tone, "Claire and I are just good friends."


    Susan sighed, "Claire''s parents are homophobic arseholes Tegan. If they thought their daughter was gay they''d kick her out of the house."


    "And Tracey was going to out Claire, which would get her kicked out." There was some anger in Kaitlyn''s tone as she said that. "So I put a geas on Tracey to make sure she wouldn''t. It''s harmless, and it was to help keep Claire safe."


    Kaitlyn set out a plate full of buttered toast and got a glass of orange juice for herself, then finally took her seat next to Susan.


    "Help yourself Tegan," Sue said as she took a couple slices of toast and a scoop of eggs.


    I looked back and forth between them, then sighed and loaded a little of everything onto my plate. Kaitlyn waited until both Susan and I had all we wanted before she served herself.


    As the three of us started to eat I asked Sue, "And you knew about this? You ok''ed it?"


    "Yes Tegan," Sue replied as she ate. "Katie said she couldn''t do anything about Claire''s parents, which would have been my first choice. Just have them stop being judgemental arses so Claire wouldn''t have to hide that part of herself from them. Unfortunately that was beyond what Katie''s capable of."


    After a moment she looked at me, "Actually since you''re here Tegan, that''s something you could do isn''t it?"


    I stared at her in shock and shook my head, "Absolutely not!"


    "Lady Tegan is very much opposed to using mind magic," Kaitlyn told Sue. Then she added, "Maybe next time her girlfriends visit we could ask Lady Keira to do it? She''s less strict about that sort of thing."


    I glared at the kid, "You are not asking Keira to do your dirty work! Though I doubt she''d do it anyways, you know neither her or Kelly like you very much."


    "I know," Kaitlyn replied calmly. "But it wouldn''t be for me, it would be for Claire."


    Susan added, "Claire''s a good kid, Tegan. And she''s been a very good friend for Kaitlyn. If she ever did get kicked out I''d welcome her to stay with us. The only reason I haven''t already invited her to come live here is it''s expensive raising teen girls. And it''ll be hard enough paying for Kaitlyn''s university, there''s no way I could afford to send both of them."


    Kaitlyn sighed and glanced at Sue, "I already told you I don''t want to go to university. I''d rather stay here and help you."


    "I know Katie but we''ve talked about this," Susan replied. "You''re a bright girl and you can so much better than working in the hospitality industry. Get a degree, learn something valuable. Even if you do come back afterwards to work with me here, at least you''ll have an education and skills to fall back on if anything ever happened to the business in the future."


    Neither Kaitlyn or I had much to eat, and Sue finished her breakfast quickly too. The kid got up and started clearing the table while Susan and I had some more coffee.


    Susan looked at me and said, "If you won''t do anything to help Claire with her parents, then I don''t see any problem with what Katie did. She''s protecting her friend, and she didn''t do anything harmful. She just made sure a bully wouldn''t get Claire kicked out of her home."


    I sighed and shook my head. I didn''t like it, but I couldn''t really find anything wrong with it. It sounded like the sort of thing I''d do myself if I were in Kaitlyn''s place.


    The kid was starting to wash the dishes as I asked her "Kaitlyn? Does Claire know what you did? Does she know you used magic?"


    "Yes Lady Tegan," she replied. "That''s how we met. Claire is a witch. I introduced myself in hopes we could collaborate in our magical studies. I offered to share my vast knowledge of spells and magic, if she would share her techniques for raising and focusing magical energies."


    I stared at her for a few seconds, and I may have facepalmed. Finally I half-demanded, "So you''re teaching fae magic to a human teenager?"


    "I am exchanging knowledge with a friend and colleague," Kaitlyn replied. She added, "We both swore oaths to keep each others'' secrets. She will not divulge or distribute what I teach her, and I will not share what she has taught me."


    I finally slumped back in my chair and rubbed my forehead. Finally I asked, "Wait is she really a witch? Are witches real?"


    Kaitlyn finished with the dishes and replied "She is not the kind of witch I originally thought. But she is a witch, and she is my friend."


    Sue spoke up, "And now Katie has to get going Tegan. We don''t want her to be late for school.


    I asked, "One last question. How''d you get the power to put a geas on someone?"


    Kaitlyn reached up and pulled a necklace out from under her blouse. There were a half dozen pieces of amethyst hanging from it. It reminded me of the necklace Kelly had me wear that fateful night almost six years ago, except rather than just one crystal the kid had six of them.


    "Since I am no longer able to raise sufficient power on my own, I have learned some alternative methods of charging crystals. I can tap into their stored power when necessary."


    "Great," I sighed. I switched on my sight and my magical sense.


    To my relief the crystals she was carrying were all very weakly charged. I''d worried she had enough power on her to start transforming people, but from what I could see she had nowhere near that, even if she used all six at once. I was also happy to note her aura didn''t show any evidence that she was getting worse. It was still mostly pink, with some streaks of purple here and there. There was still a black core underneath, and I figured that would never go away. It hadn''t grown at all since I last saw her though, which was enough to set my mind at ease.


    "Katie, why don''t you invite Claire over for dinner tonight?" Sue suggested. "Tegan might like to meet your friend, and perhaps that''ll help set her mind at ease knowing you were just looking out for Claire''s best interests."


    "Ok Maddie," Kaitlyn smiled. She bowed her head to me, "See you later Lady Tegan, I have to get to school now."


    I just nodded and watched as she pulled on a jacket, grabbed her little backpack then hurried out the door.


    PurpleCatGirl

 107. Elucidated

    "She did what?!" Kelly asked incredulously.


    I sighed "Yeah. She introduced me with my full fae title and rank. Then she said that I was the most powerful mage alive, and that I was the one who transformed her and stripped her of her power."


    It was Thursday night and the three of us were sitting at our kitchen table having a light dinner. I spent all of Wednesday out in Cape Breton with Sue, then Kaitlyn brought Claire back home with her after school so the four of us could have dinner together.


    I wound up staying a little too late and missed the sunset, so I didn''t get back home again till dawn this morning. And I didn''t really have time to talk with the twins before they had to get to university, so we had to wait till dinner before I could fill my girlfriends in on Kaitlyn''s latest antics.


    Keira frowned "So wait, this girlfriend of hers knows you''re fae? And she knows who and what granddad was?"


    "Apparently," I shrugged. "Kaitlyn said they became friends back in October, and she wanted to be honest so she told Claire who she was."


    "And this girl''s ok with that?" Keira asked.


    I nodded, "I don''t know how that all played out last autumn, but yeah. They''re basically girlfriends now, though they don''t actually say that. That''s what the magic at school was all about actually. Claire''s parents would kick her out if they found out she was gay, and a girl at school was threatening to out Claire. So Kaitlyn put a geas on the troublemaker, to protect her friend."


    Before either could ask I added, "Susan knew all about it. In fact Kaitlyn asked permission first, and Sue approved."


    The twins glanced at each other, I didn''t even have to use my sight to know they were talking. After all this time I could tell just by the look in their eyes when they were using their link to consult with each other.


    I suppose some people might think it was rude they''d do that in front of me, but I didn''t mind. I was pretty sure they didn''t do it to exclude me, it was more that they could communicate faster and more efficiently that way. Having to put thoughts and emotions into words slowed things down and some concepts could lose their nuance in the translation.


    Finally Kelly said, "I suppose as long as this girlfriend of hers isn''t going around telling people about all this, it''s not too bad. It''s still not ideal though."


    "I agree," I sighed. "But Claire swore to keep it secret. And I think she was a little awed, if not downright scared of me. It made me wonder what sort of stories Kaitlyn''s been telling her."


    Keira smirked, "Well, you are kind of awesome. So it makes sense she''d be awed."


    I rolled my eyes, then the three of us were quiet for a little longer as we ate.


    Eventually Kelly remarked, "I''m still not comfortable knowing that Kaitlyn can use magic again. At least she''s trying to be good about it."


    "Yeah," I nodded in agreement.


    That was a big surprise when I found out about it two years ago. Back when I transformed her into a human girl I thought that would eliminate any chance of Kaitlyn ever using magic again. And it certainly stopped her for a good six months.


    It wasn''t until my first trip out east to visit Susan and Kaitlyn that I learned the truth. And in retrospect, it was something I should have seen coming. It was yet another example of my inexperience, of how naive I was about some of this stuff.


    When Kaitlyn explained it to me, I almost felt foolish for never having considered the possibility. Though she did remind me that she''d spent nearly a century and a half living on Earth and she had a lot more knowledge of humans than I did, despite my being raised among them.


    There''s magic on Earth like there is on Otherworld. There''s less of it here, but it still exists. And humans and fae are very similar, enough so that we can interbreed. So knowing humans evolved on a world where magic was present, it would be foolish to assume none of them could interact with it or use it.


    In fact, Kaitlyn said apart from the vastly longer lifespan and a few biological distinctions, one of the main differences between fae and humans came down to how common it was to be able to use magic.


    I already knew there was a huge range of magical ability among fae, from some fae having almost no magic, to mages like Kaitlyn used to be having a great deal of power. It was the same in humans, but at a much lower scale. Most humans had negligible access to magic and no awareness of it, but a rare few had more. And since magic was pretty much unknown here, those rare humans who did have the touch almost never found out they had it.


    As an average human girl Kaitlyn had very little in the way of natural magic ability. But she did have nearly six centuries'' worth of knowledge as a highly skilled fae mage, and that meant she was able to overcome her physical limitations. She''d never again have access to magic the way she used to, but she was able to figure out how to trickle-charge crystals with magical energy.


    It was a slow process though. Putting that geas on her fellow student drained crystals that had taken Kaitlyn three months to charge.


    That''s what she was hoping to improve on by collaborating with her friend, she figured Claire would have better or more-efficient techniques for raising power. Kaitlyn thought she and Claire could charge up crystals quicker and with more power, then they''d have access to more magic when they needed it.


    "So what was she like?"


    Keira''s question snapped me out of my little reverie and for a moment I wasn''t sure who or what she was talking about.


    "Hmm?" I asked.


    "Kaitlyn''s girlfriend," Keira clarified. "What was she like?"


    "Oh," I blushed slightly. "Claire seemed nice, once we got past the awe and stuff."


    I drank the last of my cola then elaborated, "She''s tall, almost as tall as you two. She''s slim, attractive in her own way. She''s sort of emo goth? She was all decked out in varying shades of black. Black stockings, black dress, black shoes, long black hair, black make-up. She looked like a Victorian widow or something. And she seemed like a nice girl? From what I could tell anyways she seemed clever, friendly, and she definitely likes Kaitlyn. Anyone who didn''t know they were a couple would probably figure it out after a few minutes watching how the pair of them act together."


    The twins were quiet again for a few moments, then Kelly said "I suppose it''s good for her. Kaitlyn I mean. It''s basically what we hoped for, right? She''s settling in as a normal human girl. More or less."


    Keira pointed out, "You don''t sound entirely convinced, sis."


    "No," Kelly admitted. "Because she''s not a normal human girl, and I suppose she''ll never really be one. And now I''m a little worried that it''s safe for this Claire to be so close to her?"


    I sighed, "I said something similar yesterday and Sue gave me an earful about it."


    "What do you mean?" Kelly asked.


    I shrugged, "I made a similar comment, that regardless what she looked like Kaitlyn''s still six centuries old. And I said that I was glad she was behaving and playing nice now, but she still had several centuries of evil behind her. Sue practically read me the riot act."


    After a deep breath I explained, "She told me I couldn''t have it both ways. I couldn''t say Kaitlyn was a teen who needed adult supervision and had to go to school then turn around and say she was six hundred years old and shouldn''t be allowed to be too close with other teens her age. And she said I couldn''t claim we were hoping Kaitlyn would be reformed and be a normal contributing member of human society then turn around and use her past crimes as an excuse to limit her contact with that society."


    After a moment I added with a sigh, "And finally Susan reminded me that I turned Kaitlyn over to her so Sue could raise her and look after her. And she said if I didn''t like how she was handling it then I could uh, bugger off back to Ontario and keep my nose out of their business."


    The two redheads glanced at each other.


    "Wow," Keira said. "I knew Susan liked granddad but..."


    Kelly asked, "Babe? How do you feel about that?"


    "In the end I had to agree with her," I replied with a grimace. "She was right, I was doing the double-standard thing with Kaitlyn, treating her like a kid when I wanted to limit her in some way, then treating her like an adult when I wanted to limit her in other ways. Same with the stuff about her past."


    "As for the ultimatum?" I shrugged, "I agreed to leave it up to Susan. She''s closer to Kaitlyn now than to me. Sue sees Kaitlyn as family while I''m just a long-distance friend. I''m not upset about it, I''m glad they have each other. And I want to keep that friendship with Susan, which means I have to accept that how she raises Kaitlyn is none of my business."


    Kelly gave me a compassionate smile and said "I''m glad you aren''t upset, but I''m still a little worried. And I think we should still keep an eye on things out there. Especially now that we know Sue is uh..."


    Her voice trailed off as she seemed unsure how to finish that sentence.


    Keira did it for her, "Now that we know Sue isn''t exactly a saint? I mean, if she approved of putting a geas on a high-school student, I imagine there''s other things she''d agree to as well. And we all know what I did to Kaitlyn''s mind is subject to interpretation. If she''s sort of imprinting off Sue''s morals, that''s probably going to give her a little more leeway in terms of what it means for her to be good and stay out of trouble."


    "Yeah," I nodded in agreement. "Still, there''s only so much she can do. She literally doesn''t have the power to do any of the really dangerous spells. Casting the geas drained crystals it took her three months to charge."


    Kelly asked, "You said she''s collaborating with Claire though, trying to get more power?"


    "She originally thought Claire was a witch," I explained. "Apparently witches are real? They''re humans who are naturally gifted in magic and have the knowledge and training to make the most of it. It''s not like TV witches where they''re a separate species or whatever. I guess it''s rare, but Kaitlyn''s been around long enough to know they''re real."


    "So is Claire a real witch?" Keira asked.


    "No," I shook my head. "I mean, she''s a witch in the new-age Wiccan sense? But she doesn''t have any special gift or talent for magic. So Claire isn''t going to be any great help to Kaitlyn in terms of magic. The two are friends though, and Kaitlyn is living up to her side of the bargain and sharing some of her knowledge with Claire."


    I added, "I don''t think either Kaitlyn or Claire are going to be much of a threat to public safety or anything like that. And I''m still keeping an eye on things out there, just in case. Honestly, I get the impression Kaitlyn wouldn''t try do anything really nasty unless someone actually hurt Sue or Claire. Like she''s still committed to being a ''good'' person. She''s just defining ''good'' by what Sue says is ok."


    The twins glanced at each other and Kelly said, "Ok babe. If you''re convinced it''s safe, and you''re comfortable leaving Susan in charge of Kaitlyn, that''s good enough for me."


    "I don''t trust Kaitlyn," Keira said. "But if you think that Sue can handle her regardless, then that works for me. I mean, I sure don''t want her back here with us."


    She added after a moment, "Visits are fine, like I didn''t mind her and Sue here over the winter holidays. I just don''t want her moving in with us."


    I nodded, "I understand. And I agree. I think having her two thousand kilometres away and living with Susan is the best outcome. For everyone."


    PurpleCatGirl

 108. Exsanguinated

    It was Monday and I was back in my workshop again, the twins were both at university. It was the middle of May and I only had about six weeks left to finish the brooches if I wanted to have them ready for Kelly and Keira''s graduation.


    I''d been working the past two weeks on sculpting the bases in wax. They were oval, about an inch and a half across and one inch high, and shaped like stylized violets. I went with violets because I''d read somewhere that the violet was a symbol of sapphic love. I figured that was more unique and more interesting than roses.


    They were nearly identical, though I couldn''t get them to match one hundred percent perfectly. That was the thing about hand-made, it was always going to be unique now matter how hard you tried.


    I was planning on casting them both in gold today, and I was just verifying that the wax models were perfect. Once they were cast it would be a lot harder to make changes or correct any mistakes. At times it was a bit tedious but I enjoyed the work.


    It was early afternoon when I was finally satisfied, and started encasing them both in fine casting sand while my electric crucible was getting up to temperature.


    The bases were to be in white gold, so I was mixing a few of my fae coins with some platinum. I had the ratios figured out, I knew how many coins to blend with how many grams of platinum to get the gold as pale as I wanted.


    I had to admit it felt kind of wrong to be melting down fae coins to make jewelry, but I couldn''t think of any good reason not to do it. It was certainly a lot more cost-effective than converting fae gold to human currency and paying the shadow-economy bankers'' exorbitant exchange rates, just to turn around and use that money to buy local gold.


    So I dropped a couple of my fae coins into the little crucible, along with a measured amount of platinum wire.


    I was pretty happy with the overall design I''d come up with. After the bases were cast I''d probably need two weeks to clean and polish and perfect them. Then the next step would be done in rose gold. I was planning on using wire and just free-hand sculpting it into shape. I was going to craft the initials K-V-B in fae runes, and that would be mounted overtop of the flower pattern base.


    Then I''d add a couple red and purple crystals to finish them off, along with mounting the clasp hardware on the back.


    And somewhere along the way I''d figure out what enchantments I wanted to put in them, and those would be incorporated into the build at the same time that I mounted the runic initials on the front.


    As the gold and platinum was melting together I moved on with the next step.


    I got the two wax bases firmly encased in casting medium, then the two little blocks went into a small kiln for a few minutes. That would set the medium and melt the wax. The wax would drain out and leave a perfect space in the sand for the gold alloy.


    I always found this part of the process the most nerve-wracking. Setting the casting medium destroyed the wax, that''s why it was called lost-wax casting. So after weeks of carefully sculpting the two little identical wax pieces, they were both destroyed in the kiln. And until the pieces were actually cast in gold, all those weeks of work only existed as a small complex empty space inside a block of fine sand.


    I tried to time everything just right, so the crucible would have the gold at the right temperature exactly when I had everything else ready.


    The molds were set, they were warm, the gold was ready, I had my safety gear on, and was just getting ready to cast the first one, when I sensed two people driving onto the property. It was the worst possible time for visitors.


    I decided whoever it was could wait, this was more important. My attention returned to the task at hand, and I went ahead and did the first casting.


    That was always exciting too, pouring the molten metal into the little hollow at the top of the block of sand. It only took two or three seconds and it was done. Then I set it aside and picked up the second one, and repeated the process.


    At last I could breath a sigh of relief.


    They''d cool, and within a few seconds both would solidify. I couldn''t entirely relax till I''d extracted them from the molds and verified the casting went correctly, but at this point it was out of my hands. They were either good, or they weren''t, and I''d deal with that later.


    I dumped the leftover gold alloy out of the crucible to let it cool, I''d find some other uses for it later. And finally I shut everything off and started taking off all my safety gear.


    A knock at my workshop door reminded me there were people outside. With a sigh I went to the door and opened it up.


    Waiting there for me was a young guy in a courier uniform. He had a large cardboard envelope in one hand and his electronic tracking thing in the other. His van was parked about ten meters behind him.


    He greeted me, "Hello. I have a delivery here for a Tegan Vale?"


    "That''s me," I replied.


    He held up the electronic pad thing and said, "Sign here please."


    After I signed it I took the envelope from him, then asked "How did you know to find me here? The only address we have listed is our house next door. This building doesn''t even have a street number or anything."


    "Oh," he shrugged, "My supervisor said to come here?"


    I''d forgotten there was a second person around. I glanced at the delivery van expecting to see the supervisor sitting inside, but I couldn''t see anyone in there.


    "Have a nice day," the young guy said as he turned to leave.


    That''s when I saw the second man.


    He must have been out of sight behind the vehicle. When the courier stepped away from me the other one moved out into view. I had a split second where I was looking at a man some fifteen meters away. He held a longbow, with an arrow drawn and aimed at me. I thought to raise a shield spell but I was too late.


    I didn''t even hear the slap of the string, when suddenly it felt like I''d been hit in the chest with a baseball bat. The air was knocked from my lungs and I fell backwards through the doorway into my workshop.


    As I hit the floor I was nearly overcome with pain. It was intense, and it was constant, but I couldn''t even cry out. I was struggling to breath, and I knew I was going into shock.


    My eyes were fixed on the back of arrow, which was protruding from my chest. The shaft was wood, and it was noticeably thicker than the carbon fibre arrows I was used to shooting. The fletching was made from real feathers, and was attached to the shaft with thread as well as glue. The arrow actually looked hand made, and I had no idea why I was fixating on that other than perhaps to stave off the panic and shock.


    I finally forgot about the arrow as I realized I still couldn''t breath. I was gasping, and tried to cough. I noticed a metallic taste in my mouth, and I knew it was blood. My vision was already dark around the edges, and in a strangely detached way I knew that I was dying.


    I had no idea if the arrow hit my heart but it was on the left side of my chest. Whether it hit the heart or not, I knew my left lung was pierced, and was filling up with blood. That was why I couldn''t breath, and why I was coughing it up.


    My left hand clenched into a tight fist and I felt the edges of my ring bite into my fingers as I squeezed it. I concentrated on the ring, and on my two girlfriends as I sent them a desperate message.


    "Help. Danger. Shot. Dying."


    The twins were both at university today, the campus was right downtown in the heart of the city. It was an hour by car to get there and another hour to get home most days. When traffic was bad though it could take as much as ninety minutes. In a straight line, the campus was about nine leagues from our home. That was right on the edge of what the teleport spell could safely cover.


    Thanks to one of the enchantments I''d put on our rings, nine leagues was within reach by teleport. I just hoped they''d be able to get out of whatever they were doing so they could get here before it was too late.


    My vision continued to grow darker, especially around the edges. I vaguely recalled that was called tunnel vision, and that it was a thing that happened as you lost consciousness. I still couldn''t breath right, the best I could manage were short shallow gasps. And with each breath I felt the pain grow worse. It felt as if my attempts to breath were twisting the arrow shaft further or deeper into my being.


    I hadn''t even really registered anything else around me yet. I had no idea whether the young courier was in on the assassination or if he was another victim. I didn''t even know if he was alive or dead. I knew the assassin would be approaching to make sure the job was finished, but I also knew he''d be in for a surprise.


    My workshop was as heavily-warded as our home. Nobody could cross the threshold without first being invited in, and I''d fallen in through the door.


    I didn''t bother trying to look. I was laying on my left side, looking towards my worktable. I imagined the assassin was standing a meter away, stuck outside and unable to do anything but watch.


    Except all he had to do was watch. In maybe another thirty seconds, or a minute at most, the job would be complete.


    As I lay there staring at my worktable, I realized all my drawings and sketches of the twins'' brooches were visible. When Kelly and Keira got here they''d see the designs and the surprise would be ruined.


    For some reason that''s what I worried about as my vision continued to grow darker. That my girlfriends would see my drawings of the brooches I would probably never get a chance to finish making.


    My mind started to wander. I wondered if I remembered to turn off the electric crucible, and if I''d see Taralynn and Aisling even though I died on Earth.


    In some small mercy the pain started to fade. My vision was almost completely dark, and I felt oddly relaxed. I was ready to let myself drift to sleep when I became aware of frantic voices in the distance. Then I realized I could feel hands on my body.


    The pain suddenly returned with a vengeance, but only for a split second. Then everything went dark and silent and still.


    PurpleCatGirl

 109. Embrued

    I woke with a start, then immediately groaned in pain. It wasn''t quite as bad as before, it was more of a dull burning ache now. And it still hurt a bit when I breathed, but at least I was able to breath.


    "Oh thank Gods!" Kelly gasped.


    I felt her hand on mine, and she gave my hand a gentle squeeze as she said "We thought we lost you Tegan!"


    I slowly became aware of my surroundings. I was at home, in our bed. Kelly was sitting crosslegged on the bed next to me. She was wearing one of her weekend laze-around-the-house outfits, leggings and a large top.


    "What..?"


    My voice was rough and weak and my throat felt dry. And it hurt to talk.


    Kelly reached behind her then brought a glass of water into view. There was a straw in it, and she helped me to drink a bit.


    As I was taking a few little sips she explained, "Me and Keira did as much healing to you as we could. It''s going to take another day or two for the magic to finish doing its thing. You''ll be ok though. You''re going to make a full recovery."


    After drinking some water it wasn''t as hard to talk, though I was still in pain.


    I thanked her for the water then asked, "What happened?"


    She sighed, "Someone tried to assassinate you. And they very nearly succeeded."


    After a moment she added, "Drink some more water, then try and rest ok? We''ll talk more when you''re feeling better."


    I had a few more sips of the water, then let myself drift back into sleep.


    The next time I woke I definitely felt better. I was still weak but it no longer hurt to breath. Kelly was still with me, she was laying next to me on the bed reading something on her tablet.


    "What time is it?" I asked. "And what day is it?"


    Kelly put her tablet aside and looked towards me, she was obviously happy to hear some strength had returned to my voice.


    "It''s Tuesday, about one in the afternoon." she replied. "You sound a bit better now, how are you feeling?"


    "Still weak," I replied, "But it doesn''t hurt as much now."


    She helped me to sit up, and piled some more pillows behind me to keep me comfortable. They''d undressed me before getting me into bed, and as she was helping me sit up I got a good look at the scar. Or at least, one of the scars. I knew there''d be another one on my back too.


    On the upper slope of my left breast, about two inches above and one inch to the left of the nipple was a large pink scar. It was a diagonal line nearly two inches long. The line bulged in the middle to nearly a half inch thick.


    I stared at it for a few moments, then finally realized the arrow head wasn''t a small bodkin tip. The man wasn''t trying to pierce chain or plate armour, he knew I''d just be wearing normal clothes. So he was using a broad-head hunting tip, designed to cause a much larger wound and to encourage rapid blood-loss.


    From the look of it, from the position and angle of the wound, it probably missed my heart by about a half inch.


    "It''ll fade eventually," Kelly said as I continued staring at the scar. "And you''ll be fully healed in another day or so. There won''t be any lasting damage."


    "Yeah," I said quietly as I pulled the blankets up again so I wouldn''t have to see it.


    Once I was comfortable she gave me a glass of water and had me drink it.


    Then I asked, "So did you and Keira catch the guy?"


    Kelly hesitated a moment, like she didn''t have good news.


    "Don''t tell me he got away?" I asked with a frown.


    She shook her head, "No, he didn''t get away."


    "What''s wrong then?" Suddenly I felt a shock of fear, "Where''s Keira? Is she ok?"


    "Keira''s fine," Kelly replied, her words and tone set my heart at ease again. "She took the bus back down to the city this morning to gather up the stuff we both left behind yesterday, and to bring the car back home. She''ll be here in another hour or two."


    I let out a sigh of relief, then frowned again. "Is there going to be any trouble for you two? Did anyone see you teleport away?"


    "I''ll have some explaining to do, about why I suddenly ran off." Kelly replied. "Keira will have a little more explaining to do. She doesn''t think anyone saw her teleport, but she said she basically ducked around a corner and vanished, and she''s pretty sure people will want to know how she did it."


    I nodded slightly as that sank in. Finally I asked, "And the assassin?"


    "He''s dead," Kelly replied. "The second man, the courier? He had nothing to do with it so we let him go...after Keira made sure he wouldn''t say anything about what he''d witnessed."


    I sighed, "So what happened?"


    "After we got your message, we both used scrying spells and saw the situation. I teleported directly to your side and put up a shield spell, just incase the guy tried shooting at you or me through the doorway? Then I got the arrow out of you and cast a couple healing spells on you."


    Kelly sighed and continued, "Meanwhile the courier guy was screaming and freaking out and the assassin was trying to get into the workshop. Keira teleported around the back of the workshop and circled around. She hit the guy with magic, knocked him out cold. Then she used a sleep spell on the courier."


    I was quiet for a few moments as I took that in. Then I asked, "So what happened, how''d the assassin die?"


    Kelly was quiet for a few moments, then finally admitted "Keira killed him. He was fae, he was dangerous, and we couldn''t just let him go. She felt it was the only option."


    It''s more or less what I was expecting to hear. It didn''t make me any happier knowing I''d guessed right, but there wasn''t much else we could do. There''s no fae law on Earth, and most fae here consider themselves above human law. We don''t have a dungeon in our little converted farmhouse, and I wouldn''t want to keep someone prisoner here anyways. If we weren''t in self-exile we could perhaps take a prisoner over and toss him in my mom''s dungeon, but I knew he wouldn''t last very long there once my mother found out what his crime was.


    After a few minutes of silence, I asked "What happened to the body?"


    Kelly replied softly, "A couple blasts of the thousand-blades spell, out in the ravine. Compost and fish-food, basically."


    "Ok," I sighed. As much as we didn''t want to keep a dangerous prisoner around or let a killer loose, we also didn''t want to leave a body somewhere that could cause trouble if it was ever found.


    It left me with some uncomfortable feelings, but at the end of the day we were fae taking care of fae business. As long as no humans got hurt, it seemed like the best way to handle it.


    "I''m assuming you and Keira got some information from the guy first? Did you find out who sent him?"


    "Keira interrogated him," Kelly replied. "It''s probably best if we wait till she gets home, to discuss what she learned."


    While we waited for Keira, Kelly got me something to eat. She heated up some stew and brought me a glass of milk and another of juice.


    I ate a bit but wasn''t really that hungry. Then I just rested, though I don''t think I slept. Meanwhile Kelly stayed by my side and read some more on her tablet.


    It was about three in the afternoon when Keira got back. She hurried upstairs to see me, and wound up sitting crosslegged at the foot of the bed.


    "I''m glad you''re ok Tegan," she said with a relieved smile. "You have no idea how scared we both were yesterday when we got your message."


    I grimaced, "I can imagine."


    The whole thing reminded me of the other assassination attempt, where Kelly was hit instead of me.


    "So Kelly''s told me some of the details, and she said you got some information from the assassin?"


    Keira sighed, "He was hired by Prince Odhran. At first I assumed it was a lie, or misdirection? Like honestly I figured Lord Aengus would be at the top of the list for people who wanted to bump you off. But the assassin actually met the prince in person. Like he was at the royal palace and everything. It wasn''t a thing where he was hired by letter and never met the customer. It really was the prince."


    That brought a frown to my face, "That doesn''t make any sense. The king wants me to be part of his family, under his control. He doesn''t want to kill me."


    Kelly suggested, "Maybe he''s decided since you won''t obey his orders it''s better to eliminate you rather than leaving you free? Like maybe he sees you as a potential threat."


    I shook my head, "It''s only been two years since the king first ''requested my presence'' at his court. The guy''s something like seven hundred and fifty years old, you''d think he''d have more patience than that. Like, I thought he''d wait at least a decade or two before he gave up on trying to get me under his thumb."


    "Maybe this had nothing to do with the king?" Keira suggested. "It was the prince who hired the guy. It''s possible the king doesn''t even know about it."


    "Why would the prince want me dead?" I asked. "I''ve never even met the guy. Unless it''s because I flat-out refused to marry him? I wonder if fae guys can be as fragile as some human guys."


    "Fae or human, some guys are just jerks," Kelly said with a scowl. Then she suggested, "Maybe it wasn''t meant to succeed? Maybe it was meant as a warning, to sort of scare you into going back to Otherworld?"


    Keira shook her head, "The assassin was definitely trying his best to kill Tegan. I mean, he didn''t think it was meant to be a warning or something. Like he''d been watching us for a week, he knew me and Kelly were at university and you were alone Tegan. He knew we were both fae but he figured we were too far for us to teleport home, and he didn''t think you had any way of contacting us regardless. He was sure that you were isolated, and confident if he got you by surprise he''d be successful."


    I sighed, "He was right. And he came pretty close to succeeding."


    "Too close," Kelly said with a frown. "Babe that was way too close. We need to figure out what to do incase there''s another attempt."


    "Agreed," Keira stated. "I mean, that arrow missed your heart by half an inch. The next one might not miss."


    I shook my head, "I can''t stay cowering in the house forever. And if someone''s trying to get me, they might target you two as well. Especially if they can''t get to me and wind up frustrated."


    The twins both looked worried, but neither of them had any solution or suggestion.


    After a few moments of silence, I changed the subject. "How did it go at uni Keira? Did you run into any trouble today, anyone asking difficult questions?"


    She sighed, "No difficult questions today, but I''ll have to face them soon enough. I wasn''t actually at the university when it happened. Me and a half dozen others were with one of our profs over at the museum. We were doing some practical work, helping set up a new exhibit. I ducked around out of sight behind a column and teleported away. All my stuff was in the prof''s office at the museum, but he wasn''t there today when I dropped in to collect it."


    Keira continued, "Then I used a glamour to make my clothes and make-up look like Kelly''s, and went and picked up her stuff. I ran into one of her profs, but Kelly helped me deal with that."


    "We told her that I got a text saying you''d been injured at work," Kelly added. "And we said I was in such a panic I left my stuff behind and forgot to say anything."


    "So Kelly''s probably all set," Keira concluded. "The prof was glad to hear you were going to be ok and just told Kelly to try not to be so panicky if anything like that comes up again. I''m sure I''ll have some tricky questions next time I see that prof, or any of the others who were there with me yesterday. But I don''t have to deal with any of that stuff till next week."


    Kelly suggested, "Now why don''t you get some more rest, Tegan? I think that''s enough stressful conversation for you today."


    I sighed but nodded as I settled back into the pile of pillows behind me.


    PurpleCatGirl

 110. Enflamed

    It was Wednesday afternoon when I finally got bored enough to venture out of the bedroom.


    Kelly and Keira had me up and moving about by Tuesday evening, but the furthest I''d gone was our ensuite bathroom. Not that there was anything wrong with my legs, or at least, nothing new wrong with them, but I was still feeling weak and fragile after nearly dying on Monday.


    After two days in bed I finally got up and got dressed. I had my fuzzy slippers on, a pair of dark leggings, and an oversized comfy tunic top. I carefully made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen, where I put on the coffee machine.


    Kelly was back at university today but Keira took the day off. Despite my protests the twins wanted at least one of them here with me incase of trouble. She was currently in the living-room, she had her laptop with her and a movie playing on the TV.


    I thought it was silly, I was more or less fully healed by now. I still had the scars though, and they bothered me more than I liked to admit. At least the one I could see bothered me, I didn''t really think about the one on my back.


    I wasn''t sure why it bugged me so much. Maybe it was a vanity thing. My boobs were no longer ''perfect''. Or maybe it was a stark reminder of just how close I''d been to death.


    Except the scars on my leg didn''t bother me and I''d been just as close to dying when I got them. After five and a half years they still looked fresh. I knew the scar on my chest would fade much faster.


    Of course the difference was I got the scars on my leg while trying to save my father. I''d willingly put myself into a dangerous situation. They were more like badges of courage or something. The scar on my boob didn''t have an heroic story behind it. I was minding my own business doing work I enjoyed for the two women I loved, and somebody came along and tried to murder me for reasons unknown.


    "Well look who''s finally up and about."


    Keira''s words interrupted my train of thought, as she joined me in the kitchen while I was waiting for the coffee machine to finish.


    I smiled, "Yeah I finally got bored laying around in bed. I think that was a sign that I''m fully healed."


    Her expression became serious as she asked, "You''re feeling ok? No weakness, no trouble breathing or anything?"


    "I''m fine," I replied. "Apart from the scars, everything''s healed up ok."


    "Good," Keira stated. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug as she whispered, "I haven''t been that scared since granddad got his hands on Kelly. We thought we were going to lose you, Tegan."


    I hugged her back, and we wound up just standing there holding each other for a minute or two. When we eventually let go of each other, I realized she was blinking back some tears.


    "Thanks Keira," I said softly as I gave her a warm smile. "I''m sorry I gave you and Kelly such a scare."


    When the coffee machine was ready we both fixed up mugs for ourselves, then I joined her in the living-room. She''d turned off the TV already, and the two of us sat together on the sofa.


    She had a sip of her coffee then asked, "Are you going to send word to Maeve about what happened?"


    I sighed, "I''ll have to tell her eventually. I''m not going to make a special trip over there though. The king would be a fool not to suspect I''m secretly visiting my parents now and then. If he knows anything about the assassination attempt he''ll probably be expecting us to want to contact my mother immediately, so he''ll have people watching or scrying for me."


    Keira frowned, "You don''t think he''s involved in it though?"


    "I don''t think he''s behind it," I replied as I shook my head. "But that doesn''t mean he isn''t aware of it. Even if he''s not, even if Prince Odhran did it all on his own, the prince might also have people monitoring to see if we rush to contact my mother."


    She nodded slowly as she thought that over. The two of us continued sipping our coffee in silence for a little while.


    Eventually I said "It''s only about a month till the next scheduled courier visit. I''ll explain everything in my regular letter."


    Since the three of us started living in exile, mom set up a regular correspondence exchange. Eight times a year she''d send her courier over to us with letters and sometimes gifts, then we''d send him back with letters for my parents. To keep the schedule simple, the courier came a day or two before each of the four big festivals, and a day or two before the equinoxes and solstices. So we''d see him roughly every six or seven weeks.


    "Maeve won''t be happy when she hears about it," Keira pointed out.


    I shrugged, "No, but whether she hears now or next month won''t make any difference. She''s not going to be happy regardless, and there''s nothing she can really do about it."


    "What about Elise and Sue?" she asked. "Actually what about this weekend? Are we still going to have Elise over?"


    I shrugged, "I can''t think of any reason to cancel? And I''m not going to tell either of them anything about the attack."


    Keira smirked and teased, "You know Elise will demand answers if she sees the scar."


    I felt my cheeks colouring as I replied "Well she''s not going to see it!"


    "I don''t know cutie," she said as she continued grinning at me. "We all know how you get after your third hard lemonade."


    My cheeks were bright red now as I grumped, "That''s inappropriate. She''s my cousin!"


    After a moment I added with a smirk, "But if Elise does happen to see it, I''ll just tell her it was an accident after our last archery practice? I was cleaning my bow and it went off."


    I timed it just right, and Keira nearly choked on her coffee. She coughed and giggled and gave me a friendly little smack on the arm as she chided me, "You shouldn''t joke about that Tegan!"


    I grinned, "Anyways, last time I spoke with Elise she said she might be bringing a friend this time. So she''ll probably be focused on them."


    Keira just smiled and shook her head as I finished my coffee.


    As I went into the kitchen to pour myself another, I called back to the living-room "Did Kelly say when she was coming home? Would you two like me to cook something for dinner tonight?"


    Keira joined me in the kitchen after a half minute. She started fixing herself a second cup as well, and replied "I just asked. Kelly says she''ll be home by four o''clock, and she said she''ll pick up a pizza on the way. She says you''re not allowed to cook yet, you''re still convalescing."


    I rolled my eyes, but I didn''t complain.


    The two of us returned to the living-room and sat together on the sofa again. We both got comfy, and for a few minutes we just sat and cuddled quietly as we enjoyed our coffee.


    We''d both nearly finished when I sighed, "I guess tomorrow morning I''ll head back to the workshop and see about cleaning things up."


    Keira was quiet for a few more moments, then suggested "Maybe you should just leave it? Kelly and I can go over and deal with it on Saturday."


    "I appreciate the offer Keira, but it''s ok. I can handle it."


    She seemed unconvinced, then after a few moments she said "Kelly will take tomorrow off and help. We don''t want you to have to face that on your own, Tegan."


    "Thanks Keira," I replied quietly. "And tell Kelly thanks too. I hate seeing you both having to keep missing days here and there because of me though."


    "It''s fine," she shrugged. "We''re so close to the end, it''s not like we''re missing lectures and important foundational stuff. It''s more practical hands-on stuff now, and that''s a lot less structured and rigid? I mean worst-case scenario but both Kelly and I could drag it out another few months if we had to. Like if we had to take time to deal with the prince or something like that? We''re just sort of putting in the hours and ticking the final checkboxes before the whole thing''s finished."


    I sighed, "I know. I''d still like to see you both graduate on time, just so it''s finally done and out of the way."


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Thursday morning I was up early and made the three of us bacon and eggs for breakfast. Then Keira set out alone for the city, while Kelly remained at home with me despite my protests.


    We sat together at the table a little while longer and enjoyed another cup of coffee, then we both went upstairs and got dressed.


    "You''re sure you won''t let me take care of this babe?" she asked as we left the house.


    I shrugged "It''s fine Kelly. I can handle it. I appreciate the offer, and I appreciate you insisting on taking the day off to stay and help. But I''m ok, and I can handle it."


    The walk from the house to the workshop only took a half minute. As we got to the front door, Kelly looked a little stressed.


    She warned me, "We didn''t clean anything at all after it happened. We were too freaked out and upset? We teleported you straight home, we were focused on looking after you, we didn''t really think about cleaning."


    She sounded guilty as she added, "Then we kind of forgot all about it, until you told Keira you were going to come and deal with it."


    "It''s ok Kelly. You don''t have to keep apologizing."


    She nodded slowly but she still looked worried.


    There wasn''t any evidence of trouble on the outside of the building. Nothing to indicate anything happened a couple days ago. I reached up and took hold of the door, turned the knob then swung it open.


    Inside was a whole different story. It absolutely looked like someone did a murder here. I was actually a little shocked at amount of dried blood on the floor.


    The shirt and bra I''d been wearing on Monday were crumpled up in a blood-soaked ball on the floor a meter from where I''d been laying. And the arrow was laying on the floor next to them. It was intact, which surprised me. And it was as big as I remembered it. The shaft looked to be almost half an inch thick, and the broad-head point was a large vicious-looking thing with swept-back barbs on either side.


    I stood there in the doorway and stared for a few moments, then finally asked "How''d you get the arrow out in one piece?"


    Kelly replied softly, "I teleported it out of you. I was afraid it would hurt you too much to snap it and pull it out."


    "Good thinking. It probably would have been too much."


    I stood there staring for another minute or so, then we finally got to work. We got the mop and bucket out of the storage room at the back, and I took a moment to put away all my drawings so they''d be hidden out of sight.


    As we cleaned we found the cardboard courier envelope, it was completely coated in blood but I insisted on opening it anyways. Inside was a single sheet of parchment. It was stained, but still legible.


    There was a royal seal at the bottom, but rather than the king''s name it was signed by Prince Odhran. The note was written in fae of course. There was just one line, which read "This is the price of refusing a royal marriage."


    I sighed "I guess I must have hurt his feelings when I refused to marry him."


    "And he wanted us all to know who was behind it," Kelly said with a scowl.


    I pointed out, "I''m sure he knows there''s nothing any of us can do about it. It''s not like we can just go after the king''s son. The most we can do is get mother to formally complain to the king."


    Kelly was still scowling as she said "We''re going to do just that. Send this letter back to Maeve as proof. It might not do anything in the long run, but we can''t just let that prick get away with it."


    It took us the rest of the morning to finish the clean-up. There was still a stain outlined in the floor that we couldn''t get out. Kelly fretted about it, she suggested getting a contractor in to replace the floorboards. I wasn''t that worried about it though.


    I figured I''d get back to work next week, and if it did start to bother me I''d just get a throw-rug and put that overtop.


    When we''d done as much as we could do, I said "C''mon. Let''s go home, I''ll make us something for lunch."


    PurpleCatGirl

 111. Entrapped

    It was just about three o''clock Friday afternoon as I pulled the car up and stopped out front of the college''s main building. I was parked on the side of the road about fifty meters from the front doors, in easy view of everyone as they came out.


    I figured Elise would be out any minute. I''d take her over to her place so she could drop off her books and grab her overnight bag, then we''d head back to the house. The twins picked up sushi fusion when they came home from university earlier, and the fridge was all stocked up with food and lots of booze.


    Everything was ready, all I had to do was bring Elise back home and we''d be set for the whole weekend.


    I still wasn''t as much of a drinker as the others, but ironically it was Elise who''d been gradually convincing me to loosen up and enjoy myself more. She turned out to be quite the party girl, which was a detail that continued to amuse me.


    As I waited, I noticed traffic in front of the college''s main doors was lighter than usual. There were normally a lot more cars coming and going at this time of day. Especially on a Friday. Especially on a Friday of a long weekend.


    A car pulled up behind me, and I frowned as it came too close for comfort. I hated how some drivers seemed to want to almost touch bumpers when they parked next to you.


    I was just about to move the car up a little, to put some space between me and the driver behind me, when another car coming from the other direction cut across the centre line and pulled up directly in front of me, blocking me in. Then a split-second later a big black van came screeching to a halt a couple meters to the left, completely boxing me in.


    By now I knew the situation was bad. My first thought was to just teleport clear and abandon the car, but I was in full view of the two guys in the car in front of me, and the guy behind me. A moment later it hit me, they were all in uniform.


    So were the half dozen cops who came pouring out of the van. There were two dash-cams pointed at me, and a half dozen body-cams on me. Not to mention eight or nine sets of eyes. And that was above and beyond however many college students were now staring from a safe distance.


    This wasn''t something I could just charm-spell my way out of. And I couldn''t use any other obvious magic without it being seen by countless people.


    My heart was pounding as I sat there staring. I''m sure my eyes were wide, my face was pale. I had no idea what they wanted with me, I''d done nothing wrong.


    I glanced around as someone outside the car shouted, "Hands on the steering wheel where we can see them!"


    There weren''t any guns pointed at me yet, but the half-dozen cops standing next to the car had their weapons drawn. All were pointed at the ground, but it was obvious they were ready for trouble.


    I kept my hands on the wheel like they said as I quickly ran through my options. I knew a spell that would fry any electronics around me, that would take care of all the cameras. But I still couldn''t teleport away without everyone seeing. I could start hitting the cops with magic, but there were too many to get them all at once. If they started dropping from sleep spells or whatever, someone would probably freak out and start shooting.


    Considering I only just narrowly escaped death on Monday I wasn''t in any hurry to risk that again. The only other thing I could do was the one thing I would not do. I could have used mind magic to find out who was in charge, then used mind-control to have him order the rest to stand down. But that was a line I didn''t want to cross.


    I had my ring of course, but I decided not to contact my girlfriends yet. I didn''t want them to suddenly appear in the middle of this mess. So in the end I decided to just do what the cops wanted. I''d let them arrest me, and let them haul me off somewhere. I figured I''d get the chance to escape later on, when there weren''t so many eyes on me.


    I followed all the directions they shouted at me, and eventually they hauled me out of the car.


    Despite me cooperating completely they still threw me face-first to the pavement and someone''s knee was pressed into my back. Then when I let out an angry yelp at the pain, my arms were wrenched back and the cuffs ratcheted down tightly.


    Finally I was hauled back up to my feet, and as they roughly dragged me to one of the cars I felt at least two or three of them grope my boobs and grab my ass.


    I bit back my anger. I was still in view of the public, and I was positive a dozen college students were filming the cops'' behaviour with their phones. It was tempting though, with all the magic I knew and what I was capable of. I could have done some pretty horrific things to them, but I didn''t want to be like that.


    Once I was locked in the back of the car I tried to get comfortable. My arms ached, my wrists hurt, my back hurt, my boobs hurt from when I was thrown to the ground, and my chin was bleeding a little from my face-first encounter with the asphalt.


    I kept my mouth shut though as two cops got into the front. It was only about a ten minute drive and we were at the station. They hauled me out of the car and into the precinct, and I was taken to a small interrogation room.


    It was a lot like you see on TV actually. There was a small table bolted to the floor and the wall, a chair bolted to the floor behind the table, and a pair of normal chairs sat on the other side of the table. A camera was mounted in one corner of the ceiling, and there was a two-way mirror on one wall.


    I was sat on the bolted-down chair, the cuff was released from my right wrist but the other side stayed on my left wrist. Then the loose end was locked to a ring welded to the table, so I couldn''t go anywhere.


    Nobody had searched me yet, not that I had any weapons or anything. I still had my spring jacket on though, my phone was in one pocket and some money and ID in another pocket. I was surprised that hadn''t all been taken.


    Once I was secured to the table, the two guys in uniform left but I wasn''t given any time alone. As soon as they were out, two plain-clothes guys came in, and closed the door behind them.


    One sat down across from me, the other stood leaning against the wall by the door.


    The standing guy was tall, at least six feet, maybe six-foot-one. He looked sort of slim and wiry. He had short brown hair and a very short moustache and beard. I figured he was somewhere in his mid- to late-forties.


    The guy sitting across from me was a little shorter, maybe about the twins'' height. He had some extra weight on him, especially around his middle. He looked about a decade older than the other guy, his dark hair was greying and he had a bald spot on top. He had a bushy moustache but no beard.


    I looked back and forth between them as the two just stared at me with grumpy expressions. Finally I asked, "Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?"


    The seated guy asked, "Who or what is ''Clan Brah-day''? Is that an organized crime syndicate? Is ''Lady Maeve'' the boss? What about the ''Key-ah-lay family''? Another organized crime group?"


    I scowled at his attempts to pronounce the names, but I was also concerned that he even knew those names at all. I was positive the guy was human though. If he was fae he''d have known how to pronounce them.


    After a few moments I shrugged, "I don''t know anything about organized crime. You''ve got me confused with someone else."


    The tall guy asked in a sarcastic tone, "You figure there''s a lot of short purple-haired girls running around town? Are you Tegan Vale, age twenty-eight?"


    I looked at him and nodded, "Yeah that''s me. Are you going to tell me what this is really about?"


    He kept his eyes on me and stated, "You don''t look twenty-eight. You look like a college freshman."


    "So I have good genetics," I shrugged again. "Is that a crime?"


    The seated guy said "Five years ago you bought a million-dollar property. Two years ago you spent nearly two million more buying up more land, and you added a fancy cottage and a workshop. Yet you''ve never worked a day in your life. Coincidentally, a little over two years ago your parents Erik and Laura Vale vanished without a trace. They sold their home, cashed out all their investments, and poof. Disappeared off the face of the Earth."


    The standing one added, "Two and a half years ago you witnessed two police officers die in a mysterious shooting just down the street from your house. Yet you were never even questioned."


    "So here''s what we think," the sitting one said. "You''re with some sort of organized crime family. You''re in deep with them. They''re paying you well, set you up with your nice cosy property. Then a couple cops turned up, wrong place, wrong time. Maybe you got rid of them, maybe your friends did. Someone did a good job covering it up though. And maybe your folks started asking questions, got a little too curious where the money was coming from, so you had your friends get rid of them too."


    By now I had a cold feeling in my stomach. Even though their speculation was all completely wrong, I couldn''t tell them the truth about anything. And from the sound of it, they''d been doing a lot of digging into my past. I had no idea how long they''d been looking into all this stuff.


    After a few moments I decided I had to know what they knew, what they were up to.


    I sighed and slumped back a little in my chair as I brought my right hand up to rub my forehead and cover my eyes as if I had a stress headache.


    It was honestly the stupidest trick in the world but it was surprisingly effective. If either of these guys were fae, or if there was a fae on the other side of the two-way mirror they''d see my eyes flash when I used magic. So I just covered my eyes, and nine times out of ten nobody would catch on.


    First I cast the spell to take care of the electronics. The fluorescent lights flickered for a second, that was the only indication anything happened. But I knew that everything with a microchip within twenty-five or thirty meters of me was now fried and completely useless. Cameras, microphones, phones, computers, digital watches, radios, even cars, would all be scrap now.


    Then I used a mind-reading spell, on the tall guy first.


    He was Detective Scott MacRae, human, aged forty-seven. Not only was he not fae, he didn''t know anything about the fae, or magic, or even the shadow economy. He was just a human cop. He and his partner were assigned to this case three months ago.


    They''d been watching me, investigating me, digging into my past, and looking for any suspicious activity. They hadn''t found any crimes yet but a lot of stuff looked suspicious to them. They decided to scare me and rough me up today to see if that would prompt me into talking, or doing anything else to incriminate myself.


    Then I found something else, which sent a chill through me as I realized what was really going on.


    Both these guys had seen the body-cam and dash-cam footage from when that cop tried to kill me and Kelly a couple years back. Body-cam footage that Sir Colm Mac Cionaoith told me he destroyed. Both these two detectives saw and heard exactly what happened that day.


    They saw me raise my hand up and somehow stop a dozen bullets fired at point-blank range. They saw me use healing magic to save Kelly''s life. And they saw me teleport Kelly and myself away.


    Neither of them understood what they saw, they both assumed the videos had been doctored or something. But they heard what that cop said. They heard him call me Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh, and they heard him say the Ceallaigh family sent him.


    My heart was pounding again and my stomach felt like lead. Rather than destroy the videos Colm obviously kept them. And now they''d been given back to the humans, along with the idea that I was involved in organized crime. And since then, these guys had been investigating me, and all my ''known associates''.


    It only took a second to put it all together. I had a nice cosy life here on Earth, and I was content to stay here. King Cathal had no real power or control here, there was no fae law on Earth. He couldn''t force me or order me to return to Otherworld.


    But he could stir up trouble for me, he could ruin my cosy perfect human life. He could make it too difficult, too uncomfortable for me to continue living here. I was sure by now he knew how I felt about using magic, he''d know I wouldn''t want to hurt a bunch of human cops, and I wouldn''t use mind-magic to control them or anything like that either.


    So by getting me in all kinds of trouble with the law here, the king would know I''d either have to go on the run here on Earth, or I''d have to return to Otherworld. He was forcing my hand, forcing me to return home, by making it impossible for me to stay here.


    I continued rubbing my forehead. The stress headache wasn''t just an act anymore.


    PurpleCatGirl

 112. Exacerbated

    "What''s the matter?" the older detective asked. "Nothing to say?"


    I still had my hand over my eyes, but I wasn''t pretending about the headache anymore. My head hurt, and I felt sick to my stomach. After being roughed-up and groped by a bunch of uniformed cops, now I knew the authorities were digging into my affairs and my life on Earth was probably coming to an abrupt end.


    My mood was bad to begin with after the way the uniformed guys treated me, now it was positively sour.


    I cast another mind-reading spell, this time on the seated cop. I was pretty sure he was human but I needed to be positive. And I was right. Detective Howard Bernier was a fifty-five year old human. I didn''t get anything else from him that I hadn''t already learned from MacRae.


    They were both still talking at me but I ignored them as I used a clairvoyance spell to check behind the two-way mirror.


    There was one guy in the darkened room behind the glass. He was some kind of technician and he was panicking about all the dead equipment. He was trying to reboot a laptop, while the camera monitor and recording equipment next to him were also completely dead.


    I hit him with a sleep spell and watched him slump back into his chair and start snoring, then I finally let my hand drop down from my face. Now it was just me and these two human cops. Nobody else was watching or listening.


    The two men were staring at me, and I finally sighed and shook my head. "I don''t know what to do with you two. I know who''s pulling your strings, but I really don''t know what to do about it."


    The men glanced at each other, and MacRae asked "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "You wouldn''t believe me if I told you," I replied.


    Bernier stated "Try us."


    I looked at him, then shrugged "Sure, why not?"


    After a deep breath I explained, "I''m Lady Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh. I''m fae nobility. Lady Maeve Br¨¢daigh is my mom, she''s a fae countess. We''re not human. I come from a place known as Otherworld. I live on Earth because I like it here and I have friends here. My money comes from my rich parents, not from any criminal activity. Everything you saw on the body-cam footage of that shooting was real. The cop was under a mind-control spell, he was forced to try and assassinate me."


    "Right now the fae king has a problem with me and he wants me to return to Otherworld. One of his knights gave those videos to your bosses, and probably fed them the idea that I''m involved in some kind of crime. The king knows I''ll have no choice but to go home if it''s impossible for me to live peacefully here on Earth."


    The detectives gave each other another look, then MacRae rolled his eyes "Nice try but there''s no ''insanity defence'' here. Acting like a nut isn''t going to help you."


    I just shrugged again, "I said you wouldn''t believe me."


    Bernier started talking at me again but I ignored him and used my ring to contact Kelly and Keira. I sent them a brief warning, "Cops after us. Will explain soon. Stay home, stay safe."


    I used a simple spell to unlock the handcuffs and freed my left hand, then rubbed my wrist as I commented "You guys are lucky I''m one of the nice ones. I''m still pretty upset about being roughed-up and groped by your uniformed cops."


    The two men stared in surprise as they realized I''d freed myself from the cuffs, but before either could respond I hit them both with paralysis spells. They remained completely still and silent, but both were fully conscious, they could see me and hear me.


    I got to my feet and frowned at them. I stepped closer to MacRae and checked his jacket pockets till I found what I was looking for. I pulled out the wallet with his badge and credentials, and stuffed it into my jacket pocket. I figured it would serve as a focus for clairvoyance, so I could keep tabs on him later if necessary.


    "You''re probably wondering what''s going on right now," I said quietly. "It''s magic, I cast a paralysis spell on you two. Don''t worry, it''ll wear off in a little while. I doubt you''ll listen but I''m going to say this anyways. Leave me and my friends alone. We haven''t done anything wrong, and I don''t want to hurt anybody."


    I added, "Here''s something to think about while you''re waiting for the spell to wear off. I could have done this any time. Everything that''s happened since your uniformed cops surrounded my car only happened because I allowed it. Because I didn''t want anyone to get hurt."


    They could both still see me, but of course neither could respond, neither could say anything. I made sure I was in full view of both of them when I teleported away. I wanted them to see it, in hopes between that and the paralysis they''d realize I was telling the truth about magic, and maybe they''d back off.


    Rather than head straight home, I teleported to Elise''s apartment. I needed to make sure she was ok. I appeared in the middle of her living-room and was immediately greeted by her shouting at me.


    "Tegan!"


    At the same time, some guy gasped "What the fuck?!"


    Elise jumped up off her sofa and wrapped her arms around me, "What happened to you?! I saw the cops drag you out of your car and take you away!"


    I gave my cousin a hug and replied, "I''m fine, long story, who''s that?"


    There was a guy sitting on the sofa, his arm was around Elise when I appeared. He was about the same age as her, he looked tall, slim, and sort of handsome. He had shoulder length dark blond hair, hazel eyes, and an olive complexion.


    "That''s Ray," she replied. "My new boyfriend."


    She glanced back at him, "And Ray, this is my cousin Tegan."


    He was staring wide-eyed at me as he replied to Elise, "Yeah you pointed her out to me an hour ago as she was taken down by a dozen cops. How the fuck did she get here?!"


    I could feel my headache getting worse, and silently cursed myself for not scrying Elise''s place before dropping in on her.


    "Elise I don''t have a lot of time to talk," I said to her. "Me and the twins might have to disappear over there for a while. Maybe a long while. I''ll be in touch when I can."


    She stared at me, "What''s going on Tegan? Why''d the cops arrest you?"


    "Short version is someone''s convinced them I''m involved in organized crime, and I''m not sure I can prove I''m innocent without exposing the real truth. Stay safe ok? And don''t come by the house, it''s probably not safe for you to come anywhere near us." I glanced at Ray then asked her, "Is he going to cause any trouble?"


    She looked back at him and said "Ray you never saw any of this, got it?"


    He gulped and nodded "Got it."


    Elise looked back at me and said "No trouble. You be careful Tegan!"


    "I will," I replied as I stepped back from her.


    I used my ring to focus on my girlfriends. Kelly and Keira were at home, which was about eleven leagues from Elise''s place. It was pushing things, but the enchantments on our rings made it possible.


    The twins were both in the kitchen, Kelly was at the table and Keira was near the fridge. I appeared in between them both, and a moment later I was in the middle of a group hug.


    "Tegan what the fuck is going on?!" Keira demanded.


    Kelly asked, "Are you ok? What happened to you?"


    I sighed, "We may as well break out the sushi and the drinks. It might be our last chance to enjoy this stuff."


    The three of us wound up sitting in the living-room. Kelly and I were sipping hard lemonade while Keira had wine, and we were all eating sushi while I filled them in on the situation.


    I told them about the cops grabbing me out of the car in front of the college, and I told them about how they roughed me up and groped me. I told them about being taken into the interrogation room at the station, and everything I learned from the two detectives. And I told them how I left the two at the end.


    At the end I fished my phone out of my pocket and sighed as I set it on the table, "So my phone''s dead, but that''s the least of our worries. I lost the car, it might just be impounded but if it was anywhere near the police station it''ll be dead too. And I''m sure that despite my little demonstration, the police will be turning up at our doorstep sooner or later. They''ve been watching us for three months, they know all our financial information. They might have already frozen all our bank accounts and other assets."


    The twins both had very dark expressions on their faces.


    "So we''re probably all wanted criminals now?" Keira asked. "If we try going back to school on Tuesday they may even be waiting for us. Assuming they don''t come and storm the property over the weekend."


    Kelly sighed deeply, "It sounds like there''s no longer any choice. We have to go back to Otherworld and confront the king."


    "Yeah," I nodded. "I''m not happy about it, but I don''t see any other option. Even if I was prepared to cross all my lines and break all my own rules, it still wouldn''t be easy to stay here. It''s not just those two detectives, it''s their bosses, anyone else who''s been involved in the investigation. Making this problem ''go away'' might mean practically taking over half the government or something."


    "That''s probably an exaggeration babe," Kelly pointed out. "But we understand what you''re saying."


    Keira drained her wineglass and asked, "So what do we do?"


    I had a sip of my hard lemonade as I thought it over. Finally I decided, "After I finish this drink, I''m going outside to strengthen all the wards. I won''t cover the whole property, just the central bit with the house, the cottage, and my workshop. I''m going to boost the trees too, because it doesn''t matter anymore if anyone notices that. Don''t eat all the sushi, I''ll be hungry when I''m done."


    I added, "After that we''ll be pretty well secure here. We don''t have to flee immediately but we''re going to have to think about heading back to Otherworld before the weekend is over."


    The twins exchanged a glance, then Kelly said "We''ll come out with you, to keep an eye on things while you''re working."


    Keira added, "It''s not just humans after us remember. After Monday, we know there''s fae assassins to worry about too."


    "Right," I sighed. "Good idea."


    Kelly and I finished our drinks, then all three of us had another couple bites of sushi. Finally Keira hurried up the stairs while Kelly disappeared into the storage room.


    A moment later Kelly returned with her and Keira''s bows, and two quivers of arrows. And Keira came back downstairs carrying all three of our swords.


    I sighed as the three of us got ready. Soon we all had our swords at our left hips. Kelly and Keira had quivers at their right hips. They both had bows in hand, and arrows set on the strings. If not for our modern clothes, people might assume we were LARPers.


    It all felt wrong, almost like a nightmare. We weren''t trying to blend in and live normal quiet human lives anymore. Right now we were three fae on Earth, and we were under threat and seeking to safeguard our home and property.


    The three of us emerged out the front door and followed the driveway towards the road. Kelly and Keira were acting like my bodyguards. They were Knights of Cathasaigh and they were ready for trouble.


    We began moving clockwise along the property line, with the two of them watching out for any sign of danger while I started casting spell after spell.


    Four or five hours later it was dark out as the three of us finally returned to our starting-point. We hadn''t covered the entire hundred and twenty acres, just the middle part. It was roughly twenty acres, with our house in the middle, and the cottage and my workshop. The protected area extended back far enough to cover both sides of the ravine, including the glade with the waypoint.


    The trees out front were already visibly larger from all the growth magic I''d showered them with. In another day or two none of the buildings would be visible from the road or the neighbouring farms. And now nobody could set foot into the protected area without being invited first.


    Happily we hadn''t run into any trouble. I had no doubt it was coming, but I figured those two detectives would need time to regroup and rethink their strategy before they''d be willing to confront me again.


    "Ok," I sighed when we completed the loop. "Let''s go back inside. I''m ready for another drink and some more sushi."


    PurpleCatGirl

 113. Evacuated

    "It doesn''t look like any of our accounts have been frozen yet," Kelly said as she looked up from her tablet. "And the fact that we still have power and internet is a good sign too, isn''t it?"


    Keira pointed out "They''re probably monitoring all our email and web activity and everything. That''s the only reason to leave it all turned on, so they can see what we do with it. If they think we''re part of some organized crime thing, they''re probably monitoring all our communications to see who we talk to and examine everything we say looking for secret messages or something."


    I sighed, "I think Keira''s probably right. I know most of the websites and all our email is supposed to be encrypted but I wouldn''t be surprised if they have some way to crack that. And there''s not much we can do with our bank accounts if we can''t leave the property. I mean, we could order stuff but nobody will be able to deliver it. They''ll have to leave it at the end of the driveway then we''d have to step off the property to collect it."


    Kelly asked, "How long are we going to wait here to see if they try something? We can''t live forever like we''re under a siege."


    "I know Kelly," I replied. Then I sort of smirked, "Sooner or later we''ll run out of coffee."


    It was Saturday, about half past one in the afternoon. We''d eaten the last of the sushi for breakfast, now the three of us were sitting in the living-room discussing our options. We still had lots of food in the house, including lots of coffee.


    Kelly rolled her eyes, but she pointed out "Going back to Otherworld won''t solve that problem. They don''t have coffee over there."


    "We could always teleport over to the grocery store to load up on coffee," Keira pointed out with a smile. "Then we can pop over to the liquor store to get more wine and hard lemonade before we teleport back home."


    Kelly got serious as she stated, "Joking aside, we can''t just hide out here forever. Even though the place is secure, and soon enough we''ll have complete privacy from the trees."


    We could barely see the road now from our front windows, there was a thick stand of evergreens about three or four meters tall out at the end of the lawn. A bunch of hardwood trees were mixed in with the cedars and pines, they were filling in and getting taller now too.


    The same was true to either side of the house, all the young trees we''d planted two years ago were going through a rapid growth spurt. I figured the people on the neighbouring farms were probably a little freaked out, but we hadn''t heard anything. Kelly''s and Keira''s phones still worked but nobody had called them, and nobody emailed any of us.


    "You''re right Kelly," I sighed. "I don''t think we have any choice. We have to go to Otherworld and deal with the king."


    I didn''t bother hiding how much I hated the thought as I added, "Even if we do get things sorted out with him and the prince, I don''t know if we''ll ever be able to just get back to our normal lives here. We''ve been under investigation for three months, and even though we haven''t actually committed any crimes they''ve uncovered too much to sweep it all under the rug. Even just the financial stuff, the three of us have money and no way to explain where it comes from. To them that means crime."


    Kelly sighed, "Actually I''m pretty sure the money thing really is a crime? I mean, using secret bankers to exchange foreign gold for local cash? There''s laws against that sort of thing. And who knows where the shadow-economy gets the local cash from. I doubt it''s all a hundred percent legitimate."


    "Crap," I frowned. That''s stuff I''d never thought about before. Maybe because I didn''t really want to know it.


    Finally Keira pointed out "If they''ve been monitoring our phones and email and stuff for three months, there''s a lot of inexplicable stuff they''ll have been exposed to. They''ll know you''re close to Elise and Susan. They''ll have heard us refer to Kaitlyn as our granddad. Who knows how many times we''ve mentioned stuff like Otherworld or magic just talking to each other?"


    Kelly said quietly, "They''ll know the three of us went out east in March, and we didn''t take a plane. And they''ll know you went out there alone two weeks ago. I wonder what they thought of that."


    I sighed again and shrugged "No idea. Maybe they think we have access to a private jet or something? They don''t believe in magic, they believe in criminals."


    "They might believe in magic now," Keira suggested. "I mean, after you hit them both with a paralysis spell then teleported away right before their eyes."


    "Maybe," I frowned. Then I shook my head, "Doesn''t really matter and we''re avoiding the topic at hand. We need to return to Otherworld."


    I took a deep breath then said "I think we should keep our return quiet as long as we can. We''ll cross over to the western woods, then teleport directly into the castle. We''ll meet with my mom and dad and bring them up to speed on everything that''s happened here, then start figuring out our next step. They can keep us hidden from the men the king has stationed at the castle, at least for a few days anyways."


    Kelly asked, "Why not just let the knights know we''re back? I mean, we''re going to have to see the king anyways, why not just do it the easy way?"


    I shook my head, "I don''t trust the king. I agree we''ll have to see him sooner or later, but I want that to happen on my terms and not until I''m ready for it. In the meantime I don''t want to bring any more grief on my parents. So I don''t want the knights to know we''re back. I don''t want there to be any excuses for the king to lash out at my parents or our clann."


    "Are you expecting a fight?" Keira asked. "Are we going to wind up at war with the king?"


    I frowned, "I hope not. But we''re not taking any chances. We have to be prepared for the worst I think."


    The two redheads looked at each other and sighed.


    "When are we going over?" Kelly asked.


    I replied "Either tomorrow at dawn, or Monday at dawn. I think tomorrow''s the better choice though. No point sitting around waiting until after things get worse."


    Kelly sighed again, "Do you think it''s safe for us to email the university, to let our profs know we''ll be away?"


    I shrugged "I don''t think it would hurt any. The cops must know you''re both legitimately enrolled at university."


    Keira warned, "If they know we''re going to try and ''flee the country'' at dawn, they might try and stop us somehow. They might try something tonight."


    "I doubt there''s anything they could do," I pointed out. "But if you want to play safe, then don''t send the emails till just before we go."


    Kelly nodded, "Tomorrow morning''s fine. I doubt we''d hear anything back tonight anyways."


    "You should email Sue," Keira said. "Elise might have already told her, but you should make sure she knows cops might be looking into her affairs."


    "Right," I agreed. "I''ll do that in the morning before we go."


    I sighed and added, "I hope Sue and Kaitlyn will be ok, I hope the cops aren''t going to mess things up for them. Same with Elise. The cops will know both Elise and Sue are close friends of ours."


    Keira frowned, "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."


    "There''s not much we can do to help though," Kelly said sadly. "We can''t take them to Otherworld. And they probably won''t want to give up their new lives and go into hiding or start over again with new identities."


    I shook my head, "I just have to hope we can get things sorted out with the king, and he''ll call off whoever he''s got here stirring up trouble."


    Neither Kelly or Keira commented on that. We all knew how much of a long-shot that was. The king wanted me over there and under his thumb, there''d be no reason for him to want to make it easy for me to return to Earth.


    The rest of the afternoon was fairly quiet. None of us felt like talking much, and we certainly didn''t feel like celebrating anything. All our plans for a fun May long weekend were completely forgotten.


    After dinner I decided to look in on Detective MacRae. I still had his badge and credentials, and I used them as focus for a clairvoyance spell.


    "Well they haven''t given up and left," I sighed. "They''re practically just down the road. They''re in the little town, near where we shop for groceries. Looks like they''ve rented a house, they''re using that as their base or something?"


    They were around the corner from our grocery store, in a little old house. They were just over a league away from us, they could practically sit in the front room and watch us do our weekly shopping trips. MacRae was sitting at the kitchen table with a laptop, and Bernier was in the living-room talking on a landline phone.


    "Maybe we should go pay them a visit?" Keira suggested.


    Kelly asked, "And do what? Ask them nicely to give up and leave us alone?"


    Keira shrugged, "I don''t know sis. I hate feeling helpless though, I want to do something."


    I shifted my focus slightly to get a look at what MacRae was typing.


    He was in the middle of a report to his bosses, from the look of it. I didn''t see the word ''magic'' anywhere but he wrote that I escaped custody, and he speculated I had help. He was currently explaining how the entire police precinct was shut down after some sort of targeted EMP destroyed all the electronics in the building, as well as several cars in the parking lot.


    "It looks like they''re ignoring the possibility of magic," I said as I let the spell end. "They figure someone helped me escape. Maybe they think someone drugged them or something, I''m not sure how they''ll explain away the paralysis or me teleporting."


    Keira scowled, "So let''s go give them another demonstration."


    I sighed, "I don''t think that''s a good idea. Anyways it''s not like they''re in charge, if we scare those two off someone else will take their place. And until we resolve things with the king, he can always find more ways to mess with us here."


    There wasn''t much more to say after that.


    We got our backpacks out and packed some clothes and other essentials. We each packed a supply of fae coins and human cash, just incase. We were basically fugitives both here and in Otherworld, so it seemed like a good idea to be prepared.


    If we had to come back to Earth for any reason, we had lots of options. I knew a half-dozen waypoints on Earth in addition to the one in our ravine. From Vancouver to Toronto to Cape Breton.


    After packing, we all just wound up going to bed early. Like Friday night, none of us slept well. There was too much stress, too much uncertainty.


    In the morning, Kelly''s alarm clock roused the three of us from a fitful sleep. She had it set for two hours before sunrise, so we had plenty of time to get ready. None of us said anything, we all just quietly got up and got started. We showered, then dressed for travel.


    We were all in similar outfits, with black stretch-jeans and black spring jackets. I had a pink t-shirt, Kelly and Keira both wore green t-shirts. And all three of us had hiking boots on our feet.


    I made us a quick breakfast, and the three of us ate quietly and had some coffee. Afterwards we all did the dishes, then the twins emailed all their profs and I emailed Sue.


    We had about ten minutes left before sunrise as we made our final preparations. We had our swords, bows, and each of us had full quivers. Kelly and Keira had more arrows bundled up and strapped to their backpacks, we weren''t leaving any behind.


    We got our backpacks on our shoulders, my bow was over my left shoulder but Kelly and Keira kept theirs in hand and had arrows set. They were ready for trouble, but I''d be relying on magic first if we ran into any problems.


    We took another minute or two and checked through the house, we made sure everything was turned off, windows closed, that sort of thing. Then we all stepped out the kitchen door into the backyard.


    I locked the back door with a spell, and felt a little wave of sadness. I had no idea when we''d be back. Or if we''d be back. As much as I hoped we could resolve things, I knew it was possible we''d never be able to return.


    Finally the three of us turned and set off across the yard. We made our way into the woods and down into the ravine, and soon enough we were at the little glade.


    I quickly found the spot, and Kelly and Keira took their places to either side of me. They each looped an arm around mine and waited for me to cast the spell.


    All three of us were still quiet, and I could tell the twins were feeling as sad and anxious as me.


    As the sun started coming up over the horizon, I took a deep breath then sighed once more. Finally I cast the spell and pulled the three of us across to Otherworld.


    PurpleCatGirl

 114. Explained

    The three of us emerged into another small glade, surrounded by dense forest. The sun had just come up here as well, though barely any sunlight was making it through the thick forest to the east of us so we were in the shadows.


    Kelly and Keira were disoriented as usual, but I hadn''t had that problem in years. I had my shield spell ready just in case, but the area was deserted. This forest was still off-limits, the only fae who frequented it at all were Feichin and his family.


    While my girlfriends were recovering from the trip I used a scrying spell to check on my parents.


    They were still in bed, asleep from the look of it. I let my focus expand slightly and verified that there was nobody else around in their private chambers within the castle. The three of us could teleport straight to my mother''s sitting room, without anyone detecting us.


    "Babe?" Kelly suggested once she recovered, "Maybe me and Keira should wait out here, while you go first? So you can warn Maeve that we''re coming. Rather than all three of us dropping in unexpectedly at once."


    Keira said, "That''s not a bad idea, considering the situation. We''ll be safe waiting here, and we can stay in touch with you through our rings."


    I shook my head, "My parents are still in bed, so they''re not going to notice us. I''ll jump to the sitting room and you two follow, ok? We can wait in there for my mom to get up."


    Both redheads nodded their agreement, and I focused on my destination as I cast the teleport spell. A few seconds later the twins were with me again. We left our backpacks, bows and quivers on the floor next to the sofa.


    Kelly and Keira got comfortable on the sofa. I closed the door to the room first, so any servants who happened to come by wouldn''t see us. Then I joined my girlfriends and the three of us relaxed as we waited. We didn''t talk much as we waited, there wasn''t really anything to discuss. I was actually a bit excited though, I hadn''t seen my folks in almost six months.


    It was about an hour later when the sitting room door was suddenly opened. My mother must have been going past and noticed someone had closed it.


    She looked startled as she realized the three of us were here sitting quietly on the sofa. And I''m sure the twins were as surprised as I was as we all got a good look at her.


    My mother was wearing a loose shapeless ankle-length dress kind of thing, which was probably comfortable but definitely not her usual style. The reason for the unusual outfit was obvious, her belly was huge.


    "Tegan!" she gasped as a wide smile appeared on her face. "What are you doing here? And Kelly and Keira, what brings you all here?"


    I got to my feet and went straight to her, to greet her with a hug. "Hi mom! Something''s come up and we need to talk when you can spare us some time today."


    The hug was a little awkward with her tummy in the way, but seeing her again brought my mood up higher than it had been in the past couple days.


    I added, "You''re looking good by the way. You look almost ready to burst though, when are you due?"


    Mom held me for half a minute before she let go again. She blushed slightly, "Some time around Lughnasadh. Or perhaps right on Lughnasadh itself, if she has your sense of timing."


    Kelly and Keira both got to their feet to greet my mother, though they were both still staring at her. Neither of them knew she was expecting.


    My mom greeted them back with a smile, then she looked to me again and asked "What''s happened? I see you''ve all brought full packs, and your weapons. You aren''t here for a quick one-day visit then off to Earth again."


    I sighed, "It''s a long story. If you haven''t eaten yet, maybe you should get breakfast first. Then we can discuss it."


    She looked worried. "You''re all still fugitives here, the warrants for the three of you are still in effect. I can keep you hidden in the castle for a day or two, but if anyone is scrying for you they''ll likely find you."


    "Good point," I frowned. "I should have enchanted some anti-scrying charms for us."


    My mom asked, "Are you still training to be a jeweller? Perhaps you could craft something."


    I grinned, "I actually graduated that course a couple months ago! And yes, I could craft something, if I had access to a workshop."


    Mom finally said, "All right Tegan. I''m going to take breakfast with your father. I''ll leave you three here for now, and be back to see you in a little while."


    She turned and exited, and closed the door behind her.


    I moved back to the sofa to sit down with my girlfriends again. As I did, they both turned and swatted me on the upper arms at the same time.


    "Ow!" I complained. "What was that for?"


    Kelly demanded quietly, "Why didn''t you tell us Maeve was expecting!?"


    "You must have known," Keira added. "You didn''t act shocked when she came in."


    I pouted as I rubbed my arms, "She told me the last time I was here, back before the winter solstice. And she asked me to keep it to myself, that''s why I didn''t say anything."


    The twins seemed to accept that, they were both quiet for another minute or two. Then Keira commented with a grin, "Well that''s pretty exciting. In another two months you''ll have a little baby brother or sister."


    "Sister," I replied. "Mom already told me it''ll be a girl."


    I added, "She needed a spare heir, since I keep getting into trouble. You know, pissing off royalty and risking my life and hanging out on a different planet and all that stuff. And she needed to guarantee someone will keep the family name going, since I won''t share a bed with a man."


    Kelly frowned, "I''m sure that''s not why your parents decided to have another child, Tegan. Maybe after all the recent hardships and all the time they spent apart had something to do with it?"


    "Maybe," I shrugged. "But she actually told me back in December it was because she needed a back-up heir, and she needed to guarantee another generation of Br¨¢daighs since she couldn''t rely on me to have kids."


    Kelly looked a little shocked my mother would tell me that.


    Keira grinned, "Maybe seeing the miracle of birth with your mom will inspire you. Who knows, maybe in another year or two you''ll be ready to squeeze one out for the clann."


    I made a face, "Not likely. Maybe ask me again in two or three centuries."


    Keira teased me a bit more about the topic while Kelly stayed quiet. Eventually the conversation died out and I took a moment to cast some anti-scrying protection spells on the three of us. That would last a few hours but I''d have to keep renewing them as long as we were in the castle, just to be safe.


    Eventually mom returned and took a seat in the chair across from us, while seneschal Owen followed her in with a tray of refreshments. There were some drinks, a plate of snacks and a bowl of fruit. He set it all down on the table then exited, closing the door after him.


    "Help yourselves," mother said, gesturing towards the table.


    I grabbed a glass of juice, but was more interested in getting down to business.


    "The three of us were forced to return to Otherworld, because someone has set the human authorities after us. They''ve been given information that Sir Colm claimed he destroyed two and a half years ago, and they''ve been led to believe Kelly and Keira and I are involved in some sort of criminal enterprise. I''m positive the king''s behind it. He''s made it impossible for us to continue living on Earth."


    My mom''s expression grew dark as she I continued to talk.


    "Obviously there''s a lot of secrets involved in living on Earth. They don''t know about fae or Otherworld, they don''t know about magic. There''s no way we could have convinced them we''re innocent of the stuff they suspect, without revealing the truth."


    I sighed and added, "The only other option would have been to use some significant magic against a lot of influential or important humans, to force them to stop the investigation and leave us alone. Which I''m sure you know is something I don''t want to do. I bet the king knows it too, which is why he knew this ploy of his would probably work."


    "So what do you intend to do?" mother asked. "You''re fugitives here too Tegan. Unless you mean to surrender yourself to the king or his knights, you won''t find a quiet peaceful life here either."


    I shook my head, "I don''t know. We''re not going to just give up and surrender, not yet at least. What I''m hoping is we''ll figure out some way out of this. Some way to fix things."


    My mother sighed, "Tegan I know you''ve imposed some strict rules on yourself regarding what you do with your power, but you may have to consider breaking those rules. It''s not safe for you here, and between confronting the king or confronting some humans, you know it will be infinitely easier for you to deal with the humans."


    Her voice took on a warning tone as she continued, "If you go up against King Cathal, you could have all of Otherworld against you. And it would put me in the position of either following you into a war against the king and the rest of Otherworld, or I''d have to completely disown you. That means taking away your title and rank, leaving you with nothing."


    "I know mother," I replied sadly. "That''s why I wanted our visit to remain secret as long as possible, so nobody would know we''re back here. I don''t know yet how to deal with this, but I do want to deal with it. I can''t live my whole life as a fugitive, neither can Kelly or Keira."


    My mom was quiet for a few moments. She looked stressed, and I was about to add to that.


    "There''s something else," I said. "Six days ago, a fae assassin made an attempt on my life. He very nearly succeeded, too."


    Mom''s eyes widened and her face went pale. "What?! What happened?"


    I told her the details of the attack last Monday, at least the parts of it I was conscious for. Then Kelly and Keira took over and finished the story. When the three of us were done, mother knew how close to death I''d been, and that the assassin was sent by Prince Odhran. I even had the prince''s note in my backpack, and I pulled it out and handed it over.


    My mother was upset, relieved, and livid. I could almost hear her teeth grinding as she glared at the parchment, before she set it aside.


    She took a few deep breaths then sighed, "Unfortunately there''s very little we can do about this. I will send a formal complaint to the king. I''m afraid the best we can hope is he''ll have some stern words for his son. After all the king doesn''t want you dead, he wants you under his roof and under his control."


    I nodded, "We figured there wasn''t much you could do. Still, a complaint is better than nothing."


    Mom slowly got to her feet. She said "I''ve instructed seneschal Owen to prepare your room, it should be ready now. You''ll have to teleport there and back, to stay out of sight. And it won''t be safe as a long term solution. I''m afraid I just don''t have any safe way to let you three stay here for any length of time."


    Kelly asked, "It''s not going to cause you trouble is it, having us here?"


    "Not right away," mother replied. "The longer you''re here though, the higher the chance you''ll be found. And the longer you''re here, the less believable it would be for me to claim I didn''t realize you were hiding in my castle."


    "Can you give us two days?" I asked. "We''ll try and figure out our next move in the next forty-eight hours. If we have to, we can just stay on the move for a bit. Bounce back and forth between here and Earth."


    Mother nodded, "Very well Tegan."


    She continued on her way out of the sitting room, while me and the twins gathered up our things then teleported directly to our room.


    PurpleCatGirl

 115. Evaluated

    "Your mom might be right, you know?" Keira said as she lay on the bed.


    The three of us were in our usual room now. The door was locked, servants couldn''t come and go, and the three of us would teleport in and out. Our backpacks were next to the wardrobe, our weapons leaning against the wall next to our backpacks.


    Kelly and I were sitting at the little table by the window. Before the room was locked, seneschal Owen brought a tray of refreshments in for us. We had a pitcher of juice, another of water, some fresh fruit, a loaf of bread and bowls of honey and jam.


    I frowned at Keira and asked, "About what? Can you be more specific?"


    Keira smiled "Sorry. I was thinking about what she said, that you might have to break some of your own rules. And what she said about it being easier to deal with the humans, than trying to confront the king."


    "I don''t want to start using mind magic," I stated. "You''re talking about not just two detectives but also their bosses, and anyone else involved in making those kinds of decisions. That''d involve reading minds, tampering with memories or outright erasing things. Maybe even mind control. That''s too many lines I don''t want to cross. And we could be talking about a dozen or more people involved. I don''t actually know how many."


    "I know Tegan," Keira replied. "But I mean, technically nobody would actually be hurt. Nobody would be killed. We''re just talking about a few little pushes here and there. Even if it is a dozen people. At the end of the day they''re all still going home to their families, getting on with their lives."


    She sat up as she continued, "Going against the king could drag our whole clann into a war. It could see your mother stripped of her titles and rank, it could cost your family everything. Not to mention thousands of lives lost if it becomes an actual battle or something. Clann Br¨¢daigh versus the rest of Otherworld... Even with your magic on our side, it''s still not great odds."


    I shook my head, "For almost six years I''ve been told how evil mind magic is. For all this time I''ve refused to do it. I''ve been forced to break that rule and use mind reading, and I hate to admit that''s become a tool I''ve used more often. It really is a slippery slope, and I absolutely don''t want to get started doing anything worse than that."


    After a moment I added, "Anyways even if I did break all my rules to ''fix'' things with the human cops, the king could just find some other way to mess with us. He could threaten Elise or Sue. He could even threaten you two. It''s me he wants. Heck he might even see you and Kelly as obstacles, maybe getting rid of you two would leave me open to hooking up with his daughter or something."


    Keira pointed out, "You know even if we do somehow fix things with the king, you''ll still need to fix things with the humans if we ever want to return to Earth. The king won''t have any reason to help. And just calling off his agents or whatever won''t make our problem with the cops go away."


    "Yeah I know," I sighed. "I guess we''ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it. I''d still rather resolve things here first, then at least we won''t be trying to fix one thing while two more problems crop up."


    "I guess," Keira said.


    Kelly had been quiet through this conversation, just watching and listening while Keira and I talked.


    I looked to her and asked, "Do you have any input on this stuff, Kelly? I know you''ve been opposed to me using any kind of mind magic at all, right from the start."


    She nodded slowly, "You''re right. It''s evil, and it''s a slippery slope. I don''t like it, it''s too easy to abuse."


    I could tell from the tone of her voice she had more on her mind. She was quiet for another few seconds though as she seemed to be thinking something over.


    Finally she continued, "Having said that, we might have to do it anyways. Like Keira said, even if we resolve things with the king somehow, we''ll still need to deal with the human authorities. I still want to finish my education and set up a practice like I''ve been talking about for years. Keira wants to continue working at the museum. I know you want to go take another course at college. And we all want to see Elise again, and Sue. We don''t want to just turn our backs on all that and never return."


    Kelly shook her head and sighed, "We can''t do any of those things if the cops are trying to arrest us."


    I stared at Kelly for a few moments as that sank in. I was expecting her to agree with me that mind magic was something to be avoided at all costs. The last thing I expected was to hear her actually considering it might be necessary.


    After a few moments I just sighed again, "Like I said, we can worry about that when the time comes. For now we need to figure out what to do about the bigger problem. Do I just surrender and face the king, or do we try and figure out another way to deal with him, that doesn''t involve going to war?"


    Keira said, "If you just surrender to the knights, they''ll probably treat you as a prisoner. They''ll know how dangerous you are, with your magic and everything. That means they''ll stick one of those collars on you, and maybe put you in chains too."


    The collars Keira mentioned were treated with magic-suppression spells, and were used on mages or other prisoners who were known to have magical skills.


    From what I''d been told, the effect was a little like what we''d all experienced at Lord Aengus''s private chambers at castle Faol¨¢in, but localized to the fae wearing the collar. Having one of those locked around my neck would cut me off from the world''s magic. The difference was only the wearer is effected, so while I''d be unable to cast spells, I''d still be vulnerable to any magic thrown my way.


    It was a scary prospect, though I was pretty sure there were ways to get out of it. Mother said as much, when we first discussed going after Kaitlyn. She said it was almost impossible to keep powerful mages imprisoned, because they always found a way out. Considering how powerful I was compared to even strong mages like Kaitlyn used to be, one of those collars might not be as effective on me as people would expect.


    The prospect was still frightening, but I wondered if I should see about getting my hands on one. I knew I could trust my girlfriends to unlock it, but I figured it might be a good idea to get some experience with it and see if I could break free.


    I was still thinking about that when Kelly spoke up again.


    "Then they''d haul you off to the royal court, and possibly toss you in the dungeon for a while. Whatever they ended up doing with you, you know it wouldn''t be pleasant."


    "The king wants me to marry into his family," I pointed out. "He probably thinks once I''m part of his family, he''ll be able to use me for my magic. It doesn''t do him any good to stuff me in a dungeon."


    Kelly sighed, "Babe you''re fae and you''re only twenty-eight years old. He could leave you in a dungeon for a century and you''d still have another nine hundred years or so for him and his son or daughter to exploit you. And if they left one of those collars on you they could potentially mess with you all that time too."


    "Crap," I sighed. I hadn''t thought about that side of things. Of course I knew how long my lifespan would be, and I knew fae can afford to be patient. But having been raised on Earth, continuing to live there and having human friends, I still occasionally thought about time in human terms.


    I was quiet for a bit as I started feeling trapped again. It was the same every time I thought about it really, there were no easy answers. No way out that didn''t involve fighting, breaking my rules and crossing lines, or just giving up and letting the king do what he wanted with me.


    After a few moments Keira spoke up. "So let''s rule out surrender for now. And it sounds like we''ve all agreed going back to Earth and dealing with the humans is on the back-burner until we''ve dealt with the king. So that kind of leaves us with only one way to proceed."


    She paused a moment, then said "So lets talk about treason. If we kill the king, Prince Odhran will take over and we already know he''s trouble. Maybe Princess ¨¢ine won''t be so bad? We should find out how many kids the king actually has and who''s next in line, but assuming it''s just the two, if Cathal and Odhran were to meet with accidents that would make ¨¢ine the queen."


    Kelly and I were both staring at Keira.


    I stated, "I don''t want to kill anyone. I really don''t want to go assassinate the king and the prince."


    "The prince nearly had you assassinated," Keira pointed out. "You going after him is just self-defence in my book."


    "I don''t think the king will see it that way," I sighed.


    Keira shrugged, "Ok so instead of killing them, you crush them with your magical might. Do what you did to Kaitlyn. Or do something else. Leave them both unfit to rule, so ¨¢ine has to take over. Or, I know you''ll hate this suggestion, but use mind control and just make them leave us all alone. Cathal gets to keep being king, Odhran stays a prince, everyone goes home alive."


    I just sighed and shook my head as I slumped back in the chair. "I can''t even consider that Keira. It''s too much. It''s too wrong."


    "It''s survival," she stated. "You have all the power in the world, and I think it''s honourable that you don''t want to use it like that. But you can''t expect everyone else to play by your rules unless you''re prepared to enforce them. You want everyone to be nice and leave you alone, but that''s not going to happen Tegan. Whether human or fae, people are greedy, stupid, selfish, whatever. There''s always going to be someone who wants to use you, exploit you, or just wants to kill you because they''re jealous of what you''ve got."


    I wound up slouched way down in the chair, with one hand sort of covering my eyes and rubbing my forehead. I was stressed, and Keira''s words hit a little harder than I expected. On the one hand it almost sounded like she was pushing me to go pick a fight with the king, but I knew she was right. And I hated it. I really did just want to be left alone, to have a quiet happy life. And I hated to admit that it probably wasn''t going to happen, unless I actually fought for it.


    "Hey Keira?" Kelly said in a quiet but firm voice. "I think that''s enough for now."


    My emotions were churning with that struggle inside, and Kelly must have realized how uptight I''d suddenly become. I kept my hand over my eyes for now as if I had a headache. The truth was a little more embarrassing. I''d almost started to cry. From the frustration, the helplessness, the unfairness of it all.


    And the worst thing was I couldn''t just get up and go for a walk to clear my head. I couldn''t wander along the castle walls, or go down to the study and lose myself in a book. I was stuck here in this room with Kelly and Keira. We may as well have been locked in a tower. Our cell was nice and comfortable, but we were still basically prisoners here as we hid from the two knights who had the run of the castle.


    Keira was quiet now, she either realized I''d hit a limit or maybe Kelly told her through their link.


    Kelly suggested in a gentle tone, "Babe why don''t you lie down for a bit? Have a little rest, try and unwind."


    "Ok Kelly," I nodded. "Good idea."


    PurpleCatGirl

 116. Extrapolated

    It turned out there was one place I could go to walk and clear my head. I teleported myself out into the western forest. And I came alone because I was hoping for some quiet time to think, rather than simply repeating the same stressful conversations in a different location.


    I was still in Earth clothes, I had my jeans, a t-shirt, my spring jacket, and hiking boots. I was wearing my sword, but left my bow behind.


    The dense trees and brush made it more of a hike than a walk, and made it hard to let my mind wander as I had to stay focused on the terrain around me. After an hour or so of fighting my way through the thick woods, I happened upon a small stream, and spotted a little beach of pebbles on the far side.


    I wound up sitting down there. The idea was to try and clear my head, meditate or whatever. To let the gentle sound of the creek wash away some of my stress.


    Yesterday evening the twins and I teleported back down to my mother''s private chambers. We had dinner with my parents in their private dining room. My dad was happy to see me of course, and worried for all of us. He wasn''t much help in terms of coming up with ideas or figuring out solutions, but I appreciated his kind, gentle concern.


    My small size and my looks and my name all came from my mother, but I had a feeling I got my kindness and my compassion from my dad.


    After dinner Kelly and Keira and I teleported back to our room for the night. We were back with my folks again for breakfast this morning, then back to our room again afterwards.


    I already hated it.


    I almost thought we''d be better off back on Earth. At least there we had the run of our house and our property. Here we were stuck in one room, albeit a big luxurious room, and only allowed out for meals. We could do better than that on Earth, visit with Elise or even pop out to Cape Breton for a day here and there and stay with Sue and Kaitlyn.


    And I wasn''t getting anywhere in terms of figuring out what to do. I kept circling around the same handful of options, and none of them were palatable to me. Give up and be the king''s prisoner and his daughter-in-law, go to war with the king, use my gift to defeat or destroy the king some other way, and / or return to Earth and use my gift to mess with a bunch of humans.


    Keira''s advice was to use my magic and crush the king and his son. Kelly wasn''t as enthusiastic about it, but she was leaning in that direction too. And both twins felt the same about handling things on Earth. My parents were careful not to suggest or endorse any particular plan of action regarding our challenges here. I was sure they were staying out of it for their own protection. The twins and I were absolutely talking treason and my mother was already in a precarious position just knowing we were considering this stuff.


    On the other hand mom did support the idea of going back to Earth and doing whatever was necessary to sort things out with the human authorities.


    To make matters worse, we were on limited time here. We had less than a day left before we had to leave the castle like me and the twins agreed up front. So I really needed to make a decision today about where we were going next. Either back to Earth, or somewhere else in Otherworld.


    I''m not sure how long I sat there, as I continued circling around the same options over and over. In the end, I decided what I needed most was some guidance. I needed to talk to someone I could trust, who could bring an outside perspective to the problem.


    I felt awkward doing this but I closed my eyes and tried to relax. Then I whispered, "Taralynn, Aisling, I don''t know if you can hear me. I prayed to you once before, when I was at a crossroad and had no clear path ahead of me. You spoke to me and gave me some guidance then. I could really use that again now. Maybe even more than last time. I don''t know what to do, where to go, how to proceed. I''m afraid I''m going to be forced to break some of my own rules again, but I don''t want to do that. I don''t see any other option though. Please help me. Thank you."


    Afterwards I sat there quietly for a while longer, before I finally got to my feet. I focused on my girlfriends, and teleported myself back to our room in the castle.


    Kelly was laying on the bed, Keira lounging in a chair. They were both dressed in casual comfy clothes, matching t-shirts and yoga pants. When I returned they both got up and moved to my sides to give me a hug.


    Kelly asked, "How was the walk?"


    "Did you come to any decisions?" Keira asked.


    I shook my head, "No decisions yet. No progress at all, I guess. And it wasn''t so much a walk as a hike. I forgot how thick those woods are."


    "So what do you want to do now?" Kelly asked.


    "Actually I was thinking about taking a nap," I said as I gave them both an apologetic look. "I kind of tired myself out a little, and my leg''s not happy after all that."


    I wasn''t exactly being honest with them. My leg was a bit unhappy but the real reason I wanted a nap was I hoped to hear from my great-grandmother. Last time she appeared to me in my sleep, I was hoping that would happen again now that I''d tried to contact her.


    "Ok babe," Kelly said. She gave me a kiss and added, "Me and Keira will keep quiet."


    Keira kissed me as well and suggested, "Actually maybe Kelly and I can pop out there for some fresh air and stretch our legs too?"


    Kelly agreed, and they both quickly put on more appropriate clothes. They took their bows as well as their swords, then they both teleported out to the waypoint there, as the starting point for their hike.


    While they were getting dressed I got undressed, then gave them both a hug and kiss before they left. After they were gone, I slipped into bed and closed my eyes to try and sleep.


    As I lay there I continued to think about Taralynn, as if I could somehow force a meeting to happen just by thinking about her and wanting it really hard.


    I did eventually manage to drift off, but I didn''t get another audience with my ancestors. I dreamt of Duma D¨¦, but that was about the only noteworthy thing that happened.


    When Kelly and Keira returned I was awake again, but still laying in bed. I was frustrated, but I realized it was probably foolish of me to think I could just demand an audience with my ancestors.


    "I hope you two enjoyed the woods more than I did," I commented as I sat up in bed.


    Keira shrugged as she and Kelly set their weapons down in the corner, "It was ok. We did some hiking, and some talking."


    "How was your nap?" Kelly asked. "Did it help any?"


    I shook my head, "Not really."


    Kelly looked a little concerned, but Keira just grinned and suggested "I can think of something else the three of us can do in bed that''ll clear your mind for a while."


    I smiled while Kelly rolled her eyes.


    "Not a bad suggestion Keira," I replied. "But we''re supposed to join my parents for dinner in an hour or two, and I''d rather not be all hot and bothered when we do that."


    Keira pouted, "Tonight then? It''ll be our last time in this great huge bed for a while, we promised to leave tomorrow morning."


    "Maybe after dinner," I replied. Though from my tone I was sure she knew I wasn''t really expecting my mood to improve by then.


    The three of us ended up cuddling and relaxing until it was time. I got dressed again, and the three of us joined my parents in their private dining room.


    I knew time was running out, we had to leave in the morning and I hadn''t even decided yet where we were going. We could return to Earth, either to our home or someplace else. Maybe out east, we could check on Sue and make sure she was ok. Or go out west, we didn''t really have any contacts or friends out there. Kelsey still lived out there as far as I knew, but we hadn''t seen or heard from her in a few years.


    Or we could stay in Otherworld and do... What? I had no idea.


    As usual mother sat at one end of the table and I sat across from her at the opposite end. Kelly was to my left, Keira sat to my right. And dad sat beside Keira, on my mom''s left. And as always the food was divine.


    Conversation tonight was lacking though. None of us had anything new to say, we''d said it all yesterday. As the five of us ate, I wound up lost in thought.


    My mind wandered back to my attempt to contact Taralynn. I figured I might hear from her tonight as I slept. My nap hadn''t been successful but perhaps I wasn''t asleep long enough. I dreamt of Duma D¨¦, maybe I needed to sleep longer for the rest of the dream to happen. Except the dream this afternoon wasn''t even close to how it went a couple years ago.


    When I met my ancestors that first time, I found myself suddenly atop the Duma. This afternoon I''d just dreamt of the Duma as if seeing it from a distance, sort of like the first time I saw it when we approached on horseback.


    I was still thinking about that when my mother''s voice brought me back to the dining table.


    "Tegan?" she asked, "I said, have you decided yet where you''ll be going tomorrow?"


    I blinked at her a few times, and blushed as I realized I''d missed part of the conversation. I glanced around at the others. Dad was smiling, he knew I''d been caught daydreaming. Kelly looked concerned, she was probably worried I was getting overwhelmed again with stress. Keira just looked curious, she wanted to know the answer as much as my mom did.


    For a few seconds I sat there just staring back at my mother. Then all at once it came to me. My nap wasn''t a failure, it was a message after all.


    "Yes," I nodded. "We''re going to Duma D¨¦."


    My answer caught all four of them by surprise. Kelly and Keira glanced at each other, mom frowned, dad looked slightly confused.


    "Babe?" Kelly asked me. "Why there of all places?"


    I took a deep breath then explained, "I need to talk with Taralynn. I need her guidance again. Last time she brought the Duma here to me while I slept. This time I have to go there in person."


    The others were all quiet again for a few moments, until my mom spoke up. "You won''t be making that voyage alone. None of you have enough travel experience here."


    Her tone made it clear there''d be no room for argument. Not that I was planning to complain anyways, I knew we''d need help and I was actually hoping she''d send someone along with us.


    PurpleCatGirl

 117. Embarked

    After dinner, me and the twins joined my mother in her sitting room. Mom summoned seneschal Owen and had him go and fetch captain Siobhan.


    I knew she wouldn''t be sending the captain with us, Siobhan''s primary responsibility was to keep the clann leader safe. So she stayed at the castle with my mother, or when mom travelled Siobhan accompanied her. But as guard captain, Siobhan would know who would be best suited to accompany the three of us on this trip. Though I assumed Lieutenant Gaelen would be one of the soldiers assigned to us.


    We didn''t have to wait long, it was only a minute or two before the captain entered the sitting room with Owen.


    Siobhan looked startled to see Kelly and Keira and I. That surprised me, I figured mom would have at least told her guard captain the three of us were here. But it seemed only Owen had been entrusted with that knowledge.


    The captain quickly got over her shock and bowed, "M''lady, you wished to see me?"


    Mother dismissed Owen then addressed Siobhan, "Three young members of our clann have expressed an interest in making a pilgrimage to Duma D¨¦. Circumstances require they travel incognito, but their inexperience also demands that they are accompanied. I would like you to find a small number of volunteers who can be trusted with this delicate task."


    The captain glanced at me and the twins then looked back at my mother. There was something in her expression I couldn''t quite place. For a moment I wondered if she was going to refuse, or suggest mom hand us over to the knights. Maybe that''s why she hadn''t been told earlier of our return. Except I couldn''t believe Siobhan would have loyalties to anyone above my mother. Not even the king.


    When she did finally respond, what she said surprised us all. Especially my mom.


    "M''lady, with all due respect I wish to volunteer for this assignment myself. And I already have in mind two others who I know will be eager to make the trek, and who I know to be completely loyal and trustworthy."


    My mother stared at her captain for a few moments before she finally said "I won''t be going on this trip, Siobhan. My duties require my presence here at the castle. And even if I could take time away, my condition makes it unwise for me to go on such a journey."


    Siobhan bowed her head slightly "I understand m''lady. Nonetheless I would very much like to accompany your, er, pilgrims on their quest."


    Me and the twins exchanged a glance. I wasn''t really sure what this was about, but I thought back to when we travelled to the Duma five and a half years ago. I got the impression back then that Siobhan believed in the legends. I realized maybe she just wanted to visit Duma D¨¦ again herself, maybe it would be a pilgrimage for her too.


    Mom finally came to a decision. She stated "Very well Siobhan. You are relieved of your duties, and Gaelen will be promoted to captain. Your journey begins tomorrow at dawn, so I suggest you go and make your preparations immediately."


    "Thank you m''lady," Siobhan bowed then turned and hurried out to get started.


    I stared at my mom, "Did you just fire her? What just happened?"


    My mother actually looked a little uncertain about the situation herself. She replied quietly, "Let us say, Siobhan offered her resignation and I''ve granted her a leave of absence. Whether that becomes permanent or not remains to be seen."


    She added, "Before you ask, I have no idea what her reasons are. Whether she''s decided her loyalties lie with you rather than me, or if there''s something about the Duma which is calling her. Whatever it is, she obviously feels strong enough about it to want to abandon her duties here. And to be honest, you won''t find anyone more capable than her to accompany you on this voyage."


    "So what should we do now?" Kelly asked. It wasn''t clear if she was talking to me or to our clann leader.


    Mom answered, "I suggest you return to your room and sleep well. Come back here at dawn to see me. By then Siobhan and I will have figured out how to get you all out of the castle unseen so you may start your journey."


    ? ? ? ? ?


    It wasn''t a bad night, but it wasn''t a great one. The three of us made the most of what would be our last night in the big comfortable bed for at least a few weeks. And that in turn helped us all relax and sleep better when we were done.


    In the morning we were all up just before sunrise. We dressed in our Earth travel clothes again. Black jeans, hiking boots, t-shirts, black jackets. And we had our backpacks all packed up and ready again.


    I refreshed the anti-scrying spells on the three of us once more, I''d been keeping them going the whole time we''d been here. By the time they wore off later today we''d be well clear of the castle, and I figured it would be relatively safe after that. Even if someone did detect me or the twins, we wouldn''t be anywhere they could easily reach us, and neither my parents or the rest of our clannmates would be involved.


    With all our gear packed and ready, the three of us teleported back to my mother''s private chambers.


    My parents were both up and waiting for us.


    I greeted them both, "Good morning mom, dad. What''s the plan?"


    "Good morning Tegan, Kelly, Keira," mom replied. "Siobhan is making the final preparations as we speak. Right now, there is time for us all to have breakfast together."


    She led us into the dining room where the meal was already waiting for us.


    Once we were all seated and eating, my mother started to fill us in on the details. "When we''re finished eating, the three of you will teleport to the meadow in the south forest. Captain Galen has cleared out most of the garrison, leaving only a handful of trusted soldiers there for today. Siobhan and the others will be waiting for you there. They already have all the supplies ready, and horses. So you can set out immediately from there."


    She added, "You''ll have to go past the castle, but I suggest you give it a wide berth. I''m sure Siobhan will pick the safest route."


    Kelly asked, "How many will be accompanying us?"


    "Only three," my mom replied. "Sending a column of soldiers and bearers would attract too much attention. Siobhan assures me the two she''s picked are capable and loyal. And we don''t really expect you to run into any opposition. As you and Tegan know, this trip is mostly through wilderness. You will have to use glamours to conceal your identities when you pass through the village, and if you encounter anyone else on the way."


    "I guess we''re going to get a crash course in travelling light and camping rough," I commented.


    My mother nodded, "Yes Tegan. I hope you haven''t forgotten everything you learned on your first journey to Duma D¨¦, but this will be a different experience. You''ll all be expected to work. I''m sure Siobhan and the others will teach you what you need to know, but they will expect you all to pull your own weight."


    That didn''t bother me, I''d expected as much and would have wanted to help even if there were servants or bearers to take care of everything.


    Kelly and Keira both nodded as well, they weren''t put off by the prospect of doing some work.


    The rest of the meal was eaten in silence. Soon enough we were finished, and me and my girlfriends were ready to go. I hugged and kissed my mom and dad and bid them both farewell. Mom looked worried, dad looked hopeful.


    Then we got our weapons and our backpacks and everything, and finally the three of us teleported ourselves out of the castle.


    The garrison in the south forest was quiet, but the meadow was a little busy. Siobhan was there along with another man and a woman, and with them were eight horses.


    Six of the horses were set up with saddles and riding tackle, the other two were already loaded with packs and gear.


    "Good morning," Siobhan greeted me and the twins. She gestured towards the young man, "That''s Padraig. And she''s Laoise," she nodded towards the woman. "And of course we all know who you three are. We can talk more once we''re away from the castle and the farms. For now just bear in mind that on this trip there''s no titles, no ranks. We''re all civilians, pilgrims, travelling to Duma D¨¦ for personal spiritual reasons. If anyone tries to talk with us, let me handle it."


    The man looked familiar to me but I couldn''t quite place him. I assumed he was one of mom''s soldiers, and I''d probably met him before on one of my earlier visits. He looked young, probably somewhere around two hundred. Or in human terms, in his early twenties. He also looked strong and capable. He was a few inches shorter than the tall amazonian ex-captain, with short brown hair and broad shoulders.


    The woman was tall and slim. She had short black hair. She actually looked a little like Siobhan, and I wondered if she was related. She was a little younger than the ex-captain, I''d guess her age at about three hundred to three-fifty. In human terms that would put her at about mid- to late-twenties. She looked very fit as well, but I was sure I''d never seen her before. If she was one of my mother''s guards, she''d been assigned somewhere else.


    Siobhan was somewhere past her fourth century. In human terms she looked to be in her early thirties. She was the tallest of our group of course, and in excellent shape as always.


    All three of them were dressed in typical travelling clothes. None had any insignia, and for the first time I''d be riding without someone carrying a Br¨¢daigh pennant in front of me.


    Everyone except Laoise was armed with a sword, and all six of us had knives on our belts. Me and the twins had our bows from Earth, Siobhan and the young man had fae longbows. Laoise didn''t have a bow, but I noticed one of the horses had a loaded crossbow and a quiver of bolts hanging from its tackle on either side of the saddle, I figured that was hers.


    Me and the twins said a quick and quiet hello to Padraig and Laoise, then I looked back at Siobhan and asked "I take it you want to get us going immediately?"


    "Yes," she replied. "The sooner the better."


    Siobhan and Padraig helped me and the twins load our backpacks onto one of the pack horses, then Siobhan helped me up on my horse while the others mounted up as well.


    I noticed Laoise was leading both of the pack-horses, lengths of rope connected their bridles to the back of her saddle. Between the lack of a sword, the crossbow rather than a normal bow, and her leading the pack horses, I figured she might be serving as a bearer or something on this trip. Though the way she carried herself she seemed more like a soldier than a servant.


    Siobhan took the lead and had me alongside her. Then Kelly and Keira followed us, and Padraig and Laoise were at the back, with the packhorses behind them.


    It was about ninety minutes past sunrise as we set out away from the garrison, heading north back towards the castle.


    None of us spoke for now as we rode north through the woods. Before we emerged from the forest I glanced back at the twins and suggested quietly, "Glamours, to be safe while we''re in view here."


    While it was unlikely anyone would recognize our faces at this distance, I knew our hair stood out. One short girl with bright violet hair and two tall girls with fiery red hair was a bit of a giveaway.


    All three of us cast glamours on ourselves, disguising our appearances and hiding our Earth clothes. So when our little group emerged from the forest, we were all just typical fae civilians. I was still short but my hair was brown and my appearance different. Kelly and Keira had blonde hair and nondescript appearances.


    Despite our disguises, Siobhan had us turn to the east to give the castle a wide berth as we went around it.


    The former-captain had us moving at a good pace. Not a gallop, but it was no gentle walk either. I hadn''t had much time in the saddle over the past few years and I knew my behind would be sore tonight. Siobhan actually had us speed up when we neared the village, and we wound up going through almost at a gallop. Nobody waved, nobody even really looked at us.


    I got the feeling having six fae come thundering through on horseback with weapons in full view was something the locals knew had nothing to do with them. Like the less they knew about whatever we were up to, the better.


    Our pace slowed a little about fifteen minutes after we passed the village and farmland. As we reached the rolling grassy hills, Siobhan finally let us slow to a calm pace. Me and the twins also let our glamours drop now that we were past all the people we expected to see on this trip.


    The ride continued in near silence though, until we came across that little stream running in the dip between two of the rolling hills.


    Siobhan brought her horse to a halt and looked at the rest of us, "Ok folks, this is where we''re stopping for the night."


    PurpleCatGirl

 118. Encamped

    "Tegan, you and Keira will be tending the horses tonight. Kelly, you and Padraig will set up one of the tents. Laoise and I will set up the other tent."


    Siobhan glanced at all of us to see if anyone had any complaints. Nobody said anything, we all just nodded and got to work.


    I still remembered how to do this, and I was sure Siobhan expected me to teach Keira what to do. The six of us got all the stuff off the pack horses, then Siobhan took one large bundle and the young man took another large bundle, then along with Kelly and the brunette they went to set up the tents.


    "So what do we do?" Keira asked me. "I have a vague idea but I''m assuming you''re the expert on this."


    I shrugged, "I''m no expert, and I''m way out of practice. I''m pretty sure I won''t hurt any of the horses, but that''s about all I''m sure of."


    Dealing with the horses wasn''t actually that bad. It was hard work though and it took Keira and I over an hour to get all eight horses taken care of. I was a little distracted though by the pain in my backside that had me walking funny. Keira was doing about the same, and Kelly looked just as stiff as she moved around.


    When me and Keira finished with the horses, we moved to join the others.


    One tent was already up, and Siobhan was helping Kelly and Padraig get the second tent up. Laoise was getting ready to do something with food. I wasn''t sure what exactly, she didn''t appear to be making a fire or anything but it looked like she meant to do some cooking.


    A few minutes later the second tent was up. Siobhan, Kelly, and Padraig got bedrolls out from the gear and set three in each tent. That seemed to be the last of the work to be done for the evening. The sun was almost set so our timing was pretty good.


    With that, Siobhan moved to sit down on the ground next to Laoise. As she did, she said "I suppose we can continue with the introductions now."


    I sat across from them, and as usual Kelly sat to my left and Keira sat to my right. Padraig took a seat as well, so all six of us were sort of sitting around where I figured a campfire should be.


    The former captain nodded towards the young man sitting to her left. "Padraig here is an excellent archer and good at tracking and hunting. He normally serves Clann Br¨¢daigh as a corporal in the guard." Siobhan looked at me and added, "Padraig was with us last time we made this voyage."


    I smiled to him, "Nice to see you again Padraig. I recognized you but wasn''t sure where we''d met before."


    He bowed his head to me and replied "Thank you ma''am. It''s an honour to be working with you again."


    Siobhan added, "Padraig''s job on this trip will be security. He may also do some hunting once we get into the forest, to supplement our supplies."


    Then she nodded to the brunette woman on her right, "Laoise is retired now, but she used to serve as an officer in the guard. She held the rank of lieutenant before she left the service. Laoise''s main job on our trip will be taking care of the meals, but she can handle herself in a fight so if we run into trouble she''ll be helping out just like the rest of us."


    I knew there had to be more to her story than that. She was far too young to actually retire, I figured she''d been forced to quit for some reason. It couldn''t be anything about her loyalty though, or Siobhan wouldn''t have brought her on this trip.


    "Hello Laoise," I greeted her. "It''s nice to meet you."


    She gave me a brief smile and replied "Thank you ma''am. It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    I glanced to either side of me then said to her and Padraig, "I''m sure you already know, but I''m Tegan. This is Keira on my right, and Kelly on my left."


    "Hello," Kelly said with a smile.


    Keira nodded, "Hi."


    After a moment Keira added, "I''m curious to see what you''re going to do about dinner, since I don''t see any firewood or anything like that."


    Siobhan pointed out "No trees around here, so no wood for fires. We''d have needed another pack-horse just to haul wood."


    "Are we eating cold rations then?" Padraig asked, although Laoise had some pots out, like she meant to do some cooking.


    I figured out the answer before Laoise revealed it. She was obviously going to use magic. A moment later she cast a spell. Her eyes flared briefly, and the two pots began to heat up on their own. It was kind of fascinating to watch, the cookware behaved as though it was over a fire or on a stove.


    The brunette soon had water boiling in one pot while she put some diced meat and vegetables in the other pot along with a chunk of butter and some seasoning. Soon the air was filled with the smell of dinner.


    Wine-skins were passed around to drink. I still wasn''t a fan of wine but over the past couple years I''d been trying to get a little more used to it.


    As I continued watching Laoise prepare the food, I asked "Was that spell you used something specific for cooking? I don''t think I''ve come across anything like that before."


    She smiled, "No ma''am. It''s a spell I originally learned for combat. Meant to roast enemies. I have something of a talent for fire magic I suppose? I''ve learned to modify it so rather than delivering overwhelming heat all at once, it''s a slower more manageable heat delivered over a longer period of time."


    I smiled back at her, "I''m impressed."


    Laoise just shrugged, "It saves me having to pay for firewood, or having to go out and gather it myself."


    Dinner took about an hour to cook, and it was dark out by the time the food was ready. Without a campfire we mostly had to rely on starlight, the moon was only about half full. The food was worth the wait though, it was tasty and hearty, the meat and vegetables were combined with rice.


    As the six of us sat and ate together, I asked quietly "Siobhan, Laoise, Padraig? I''m curious why you three volunteered to come on this trip. You don''t have to say if you don''t want, I don''t want to pressure you at all. But if you don''t mind sharing, I''d like to know?"


    For a few moments all three of them were quiet. Then Padraig broke the silence.


    He spoke softly, almost a whisper as he said, "M''lady, what you did at Duma D¨¦ was the stuff of legend. I was honoured to be there with you last time. Whatever''s going to happen this time, I want to be there for it again. Beyond that, you''re the heiress of the clann, and great-granddaughter of Taralynn herself. I''ll follow you to the end of the world and back."


    I was glad for the darkness, so nobody could see me blushing. "Thank you Padraig... I don''t really know what to say."


    There was a faint smile on Laoise''s lips, I realized she probably knew how embarrassed I felt. She said quietly, "I volunteered for a few reasons. It was likely my only opportunity to meet you ma''am, and your companions. It was also likely my only opportunity to visit Duma D¨¦. And it''s nice to be working with Siobhan again, and working for the clann. Even if it''s all unofficial."


    I commented, "Well I''m glad to have you along, Laoise. And I''m not just saying that because the food''s delicious."


    Siobhan remained quiet for a bit longer. When she finally spoke, she just said quietly "With all due respect, I''d prefer to keep my reasons to myself."


    She added, "I am curious though, as I''m sure Laoise and Padraig are too, what your purpose is on this trip? Why did you need to return to Duma D¨¦ now? If you don''t mind telling us."


    "Of course," I nodded. "Like I said Siobhan, I didn''t want to pressure you. As for my own reasons..."


    I paused a moment as I debated whether or not I should tell them. In the end I decided to be honest. "I''m sure you all know the king has ordered my arrest, there are warrants for Kelly and Keira and me. He''s also started meddling in our affairs on Earth, so it''s difficult for us to remain there. I need some guidance, some advice on how to deal with the situation. I need to speak with Taralynn herself, and I believe I can do that at Duma D¨¦."


    The others were all quiet for a few moments as that sank in.


    Then Kelly broke the silence as she added, "And where Tegan goes, Keira and I go as well."


    Padraig asked her, "Are the three of you married then?"


    From his tone I realized it was a genuine question, he wasn''t joking or teasing. I knew on Earth three-way marriages didn''t really happen, or at least they weren''t legal, but from the way he asked it made me wonder if they were a real thing here.


    Before I could reply, Keira answered with a grin "Yes, we are."


    She held out her left hand, though it was almost too dark to see the ring on her finger.


    Padraig seemed to accept that as fact. He smiled, "Congratulations. It''s a shame it happened while you were all in exile, I''m sure there would have been a fantastic feast and celebration at the castle if it were possible."


    "That is why you''ve refused the king''s offers?" Laoise asked.


    I was blushing again but nodded "That''s one of the reasons. I don''t want to marry his son or his daughter, but I also don''t want to have to live under his roof and his rules. I don''t want him controlling me or thinking he can take advantage of me and my magic."


    Everyone was quiet again for a few minutes after that, until Siobhan spoke up next.


    "It''s late, and we''ve all finished eating. I suggest we get some sleep. We''ll be up with the sun, and we''ve many long days ahead of us."


    She added, looking at me and the twins "We have supplies for eighteen days. We could stretch that a bit, and perhaps supplement it with fresh meat if Padraig has success at hunting. But the bottom line is the quicker we can get to Duma D¨¦, the more time you''ll have there. If it takes us eight days to arrive, that will leave us just two days at the Duma before we have to start back."


    "Understood," I nodded. "Thanks Siobhan."


    The dishes and pots were rinsed out in the little stream, then we finally headed into the tents. Kelly and Keira and I had one tent to ourselves, while Siobhan and Laoise and Padraig were in the other one.


    It wasn''t anywhere near as comfortable as the accommodations on our first trip to the Duma, but it was a lot nicer than sleeping on the ground under the stars like we did with Feichin back on our first visit to Griofa.


    The three of us quickly got undressed and cuddled together under blankets atop the bedrolls, and it wasn''t long before we were all asleep in each others arms.


    PurpleCatGirl

 119. Empathized

    We were all up with the sun in the morning. Laoise started making breakfast while Keira and I were put to work with the horses again, and Kelly helped Padraig and Siobhan take down the tents and pack everything up.


    Breakfast was a few strips of bacon on a crusty toasted bun, washed down with a little wine. Then we all helped properly clean the pots and pans and dishes, before they were put away with the gear and loaded on the horses.


    In all it was only about an hour after sunrise before we were on the move again, continuing our way north east towards Duma D¨¦.


    Siobhan kept us moving at a good pace. We weren''t pushing the horses but we weren''t taking it easy either. And for the twins and I it was definitely another crash course in how to ride a horse.


    There wasn''t much talk through the day. For me at least most of my attention was on getting comfortable in the saddle so I might not be so stiff and sore when we stopped this evening.


    When we did finally stop at the end of the day, Siobhan had Kelly and I switch jobs. I was helping the captain and Padraig with the tents this evening, while Kelly and Keira tended the horses. Things went fairly smoothly I thought, mostly because I just did what I was told and otherwise stayed out of the way.


    I was still curious about Laoise, and once we had the tents and bedrolls set up I sat down and watched as she went about preparing our dinner. The meal looked like it would be a repeat of last night, which was fine. As I observed, I started to pick up little details that soon had me thinking she''d been forced out of the clann guard because of an injury.


    She seemed to be favouring her right hand or right arm, from what I could see. Any lifting or anything requiring strength she did with her left hand, while lighter work or precision work was done with her right hand.


    Soon enough she had a pot of water boiling for rice while meat and vegetables were cooking in a second pot. She glanced at me and smiled, "Tell me ma''am, is it my cooking that fascinates you? Or is it something else?"


    I blushed at having been caught staring.


    "Please just call me Tegan," I said, then replied "And I''m curious about that spell you use for cooking. But I''m also curious about you. Siobhan said you were retired but you seem a little young for retirement."


    Laoise nodded slightly as she stirred the meat, then admitted "My ''retirement'' was not by choice, but due to necessity."


    I frowned, "You were forced out? Why, if I may ask?"


    She hesitated, then unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it off. Underneath she was wearing a dark green silk blouse. She pulled up the right sleeve, revealing a set of three large thick scars a little below her shoulder.


    My stomach lurched slightly, I knew those scars well. Now I knew why she didn''t carry a sword, why she couldn''t draw a bow. The crossbow made sense, she could hold the weight of it with her left hand while firing with her right hand.


    "I''m sorry Laoise," I sighed. "If I''m not mistaken, you''ve had those scars for twenty-eight years now?"


    She let her sleeve drop back into place and her attention returned to the food. She nodded, "Yes Tegan. From the look on your face, I take it you know what sort of creature leaves marks like that."


    "I know them all too well," I replied. I patted my right thigh, "I have a matching set. Kelly and Keira take care of the ongoing healing spells for me."


    Laoise stared at me in shock as that sank in. She finally asked, "Does it not hinder you, m''lady? Do you not experience the weakness and the pain?"


    "Sure," I shrugged. "Every other day it aches. Sometimes it''s worse, sometimes it''s better. I can walk a couple leagues, but I can''t march any distance, I can''t climb too many stairs, and I can''t carry much. I can''t even run more than a couple paces. I''ve never seen the view from the north tower of castle Br¨¢daigh. Luckily I can work around it. I can teleport, ride horses, and on Earth we have vehicles to travel around in."


    She looked thoughtful as she listened to me, then said "Thank you for trusting me with that information. I had no idea... I assume it happened when you rescued Lord Connor?"


    I nodded, "Yeah, it''s been about five and a half years now. Still looks and feels like it was just a day or two ago though."


    "It will start to improve some time after the first decade," Laoise said. "Though I don''t believe it will ever fully heal. It''s nearly three decades for me and it remains a distinct liability."


    I sighed, "I''m sorry Laoise. I''ve been trying to figure out a cure, and if I ever do come up with a solution I will share it with you."


    "Thank you m''lady," she smiled slightly. "If there is a cure to be found, I am sure you will be the one to find it."


    "Please call me Tegan," I reminded her as I smiled back at her.


    I felt like the two of us had sort of bonded over that shared experience. By now everyone else had joined us, and the food was just about ready. Laoise handed each of us a bowl of the meat and vegetables and rice, and of course the wine skins were passed around again.


    As we ate, Laoise commented "Tomorrow morning we''ll have the last of the bacon and bread, and tomorrow evening will be the end of our fresh meat. So please enjoy it, the day after I''ll be making do with preserved meats."


    Padraig volunteered, "If we come across any game trails in the woods, I could try and get us some more fresh meat."


    "We''ll keep that in mind," Siobhan said. "It would mean stopping a day for a hunt, yes?"


    He nodded, "Yeah, that''s why I wouldn''t suggest it unless we actually find a fresh trail or some sign of game in the area."


    I knew there were some spells that would help with hunting. Ways to lure animals closer, and to keep them from taking flight. I kept quiet though, since it wasn''t a priority. I didn''t want to kill some cute bunnies or deers or foxes. And I had no interest in finding out what squirrels or badgers tasted like.


    Once we''d all finished eating the pots and bowls were cleaned then we turned in for the night. As usual I was cuddled up between my girlfriends, and all three of us quickly fell asleep.


    Our second morning on the road was more or less a repeat of the previous. Five of us broke camp and started packing things up on the horses while Laoise got breakfast ready. Then we all ate, and finally the cooking gear was packed away and we got moving.


    Siobhan had us maintain a fairly good pace, but today there was more talking. Kelly and Keira and I got to know Padraig and Laoise a little better, and the two of them learned a bit more about the three of us.


    We found out that not only were Laoise and Siobhan related, they were actually sisters. Siobhan was about eighty years older than the brunette. Out of the six of us, the captain seemed the least interested in talking and she almost looked embarrassed when her younger sister revealed that the two of them were family.


    I still had no idea why Siobhan volunteered for this trip but now I sort of wondered if it was for her little sister''s benefit. Maybe she felt guilty that Laoise was injured and forced to retire, or maybe she knew her sister wanted to visit Duma D¨¦ and wouldn''t otherwise get the chance. Or maybe she just wanted to give her little sister some adventure. Whatever the reasoning, it was unlikely Laoise would have been in a position to accompany us if Siobhan wasn''t here.


    Padraig''s story wasn''t as exciting. His family had served my family for a couple generations, he joined the clann guard as soon as he was of age. He was skilled with the bow like Siobhan said, and he was also pretty good with the sword. He was an excellent rider and tracker. That''s why he was selected for our first trip to Duma D¨¦, and apparently I made enough of an impression on him that he was eager for the chance to travel with me again.


    The twins and I told our fellow travellers a little more about what happened recently on Earth, how the king made it more or less impossible for us to continue our quiet peaceful life. We also told them about the assassination attempt the prince arranged. That shocked and upset all of three of them.


    Fortunately we hadn''t run into any trouble or resistance on this trip. Like Laoise warned, the fresh food ran out on the third day. She still had some root vegetables, but dinners were mostly boiled salted meat and rice or barley, and breakfast was boiled salted meat and oatmeal. At least the meals were hot, and boiling the meat softened it. Plus Laoise had some herbs and seasoning that added some flavour to the food, so at least it was palatable.


    Still, once we got into the forest Padraig kept his eyes open for any sign of game.


    We were lucky to have good weather again. The nicest days were warm and sunny with a bright blue sky. The worst it got was a stiff breeze and partial cloud cover. Travelling through the woods shielded us from most of the wind though, so it worked out ok.


    In the end we didn''t stop for a hunt, Padraig didn''t see any trails that were fresh enough to make it worth the time. And Siobhan kept us moving at a good pace, so we were ahead of schedule when we emerged on the north side of the woods shortly after we got moving on the seventh morning.


    The terrain beyond the trees was flat with low rolling hills, but instead of tall grasses it was rugged and rocky, and the grass was short and scruffy. And just like on our first trip, the weather had turned by the time we got here. Like last time, the sky was now grey and overcast. There was even a slight chill in the air now, despite it being the end of May. Or maybe it was the beginning of June, I''d lost track of the days again.


    Siobhan kept us moving at the same pace. There was no way to get a good idea of time, with the overcast sky we had no way of knowing where exactly the sun was. It felt about midday though when the Duma came into view ahead of us. The cloud cover reminded me of something else. When I met my ancestors, the stars were out. I wasn''t sure if that was an important detail, but it was a noteworthy distinction between that visit and the two times I''d been here in person.


    Just like I remembered from almost six years ago Duma D¨¦ sat in the middle of a large relatively flat clear space, a kilometre or so across. It rose from the ground like a large, perfectly circular hill with a flattened top. A hundred meters across at the base, thirty or forty meters across at the top, and some fifteen or twenty meters high.


    And like before, I could see small points of light dancing around at the top. The pixies were still here, still guarding the Duma.


    As we approached, Siobhan said "We''ll set up camp at the base, same as last time. Laoise, how are we for supplies, how long can we stay?"


    The brunette replied "We''ve gone through the preserved meat a little faster than I bargained for. I think three days is about it, if we want to guarantee food all the way back home."


    "Understood," I said. "I hope it''ll be quicker than that, but I have no idea."


    As soon as we reached the base of the Duma we all got to work. We''d been shuffling jobs every day of the trip, except Laoise who only did the meals. I understood why of course, she couldn''t really help with any of the other work. Even I struggled with some of the heavy lifting, between my leg and the fact that I was just generally weak to begin with.


    After the camp was set up and the horses taken care of, it felt like we still had an hour or two of daylight left. Everyone seemed eager to visit the Duma so all six of us climbed the slope together. We didn''t bother leaving anyone to guard the camp, there didn''t seem to be anyone else around.


    Apart from Keira and Laoise, we''d all been here before. That visit was all business though, we weren''t really here for the Duma D¨¦ and we didn''t hang around and appreciate it.


    Once we got to the top the six of us spread out a little, though Kelly and Keira wouldn''t go too far from me. And I noticed Siobhan stayed sort of close to her younger sister.


    "Eileen never came back up to take care of her men," Kelly said quietly. She''d just noticed the remains of the two men where our confrontation happened.


    The remains were like I''d seen them last time I was here, when I met Taralynn and Aisling. One was more or less intact, dried bleached bones inside chain and plate armour. The other was scattered fragments of bone and twisted metal.


    Siobhan replied, "Anything that''s left up here belongs to the Duma. The stories vary, some say things left here are claimed by the pixies. Others say anything left behind is an offering to the Gods. Either way, it''s considered very bad form, very unlucky, to try and remove anything that was left here. Unfortunately that includes bodies."


    I was glad to finally understand why they were abandoned here, but I still felt bad for the men. And I still didn''t like to have that constant reminder. Like before, I said a little prayer for their souls.


    We were probably up there an hour, with everyone having some quiet time to themselves to pray or just contemplate the location and the stories. Or enjoy the view, such as it was.


    Eventually Siobhan suggested, "We should return to camp and take dinner."


    As the six of us started to make our way back down the slope towards camp, the captain looked at me and said, "I''m not sure it''s wise for you to spend too much time alone up here, especially not at night. If you don''t mind saying, what is it you plan on doing here?"


    I shrugged, "Just sort of sit and pray? I want to try and commune with my ancestors, the Gods, whoever else around here will listen."


    Siobhan nodded quietly. She seemed to accept that explanation, and perhaps she even respected it.


    Laoise commented, "It''ll be full moon in a day or two I think. Hard to tell because of the clouds. I wonder if that might make a difference?"


    Neither I or Siobhan knew the answer to that.


    PurpleCatGirl

 120. Entreated

    By the end of the third day my mood about as low as it could get. I was so sure I''d hear from Taralynn, I was positive something would happen. Instead I''d dragged my girlfriends and our other companions on this long uncomfortable trip and it felt like the whole thing was going to turn up empty.


    And while Padraig and Laoise might not care, they seemed happy enough to be out on an ''adventure'' with the Great and Powerful Tegan Vale and they enjoyed visiting Duma D¨¦, I felt really bad about Siobhan. She''d volunteered to accompany me at the potential cost of her job.


    I was also still worried about Elise and Susan back home. I could only hope the cops weren''t harassing them, but while I was here there was nothing I could do to help them. And even if I was there, I couldn''t really help them without breaking my rules and messing with the human authorities.


    Once again it felt like there were no right answers.


    As it grew darker, I made another decision that I hoped wouldn''t get me in too much trouble. I decided to stay alone atop the Duma for the night. I focused on my ring, and on Kelly and Keira as I sent them a brief message.


    "Staying here tonight. See you all in the morning."


    "Be careful!" Kelly responded through the ring. After a minute or so she added, "Siobhan says it''s a bad idea."


    Keira''s message came a moment later "Stay safe, we''ll wait up for you."


    As it grew darker I became more aware of the chill in the air, and realized I should have brought a blanket or something. I could have gone back down and got one then returned, but for some reason I felt that wouldn''t be a good move. Maybe the others wouldn''t want me to climb back up in the dark. Or maybe I''d lose my resolve and join my girlfriends in our tent.


    So I stayed where I was, sat on the cold hard ground as I tried for the hundredth time to contact my ancestors.


    I had no way of knowing how late it was. Without any view of the stars there was nothing but darkness, and apart from the constant light breeze that played with my hair there was no sound either.


    Then at some point, the darkness was broken by dancing lights. I blinked as I looked around, and realized the pixies had come out of hiding. They were flitting about at the edge of the plateau. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands of them dancing in a huge circle around me. It struck me I was basically trapped now atop the Duma.


    I tried not to let myself get too worried. They were keeping their distance, and I figured as long as I didn''t bother them they probably wouldn''t bother me. That theory only lasted a minute or so, when I noticed one of the small points of light broke off from the others and started flitting inwards towards me.


    As it approached, the point of light wobbled left and right, up and down, but its course inevitably brought it right up in front of me. It finally settled on the ground before me, and as it did so it resolved into what appeared to be a very small person with wings.


    The pixie stood about four inches tall. I couldn''t tell if it was a man or woman. It occurred to me that perhaps pixies didn''t even have binary genders. I had no idea how pixie age worked either, but in human terms I''d guess this one looked about eighteen. They had shoulder-length metallic blue hair, bright purple eyes, and perfect unblemished alabaster skin. They didn''t have much of a bosom, but what I could see of their figure hinted at a slight narrowing of the waist and subtle hips. The pixie had four dark translucent red wings, who''s shape reminded me of dragon-fly wings.


    The pixie wore a knee-length tunic-like garment, made of what looked like dark green silk. They were barefoot and their bare arms and legs appeared smooth and supple, but I could also see some lithe muscle under their skin. The outfit had an open back so as not to obstruct the wings. There was a belt over the tunic, and tucked through the belt at the pixie''s left hip was a sword. It was a slightly curved single-edged weapon, like a miniature samurai sword.


    I stared down at the tiny person as they looked up at me. I had no idea what to expect or how to react. I knew to be respectful, and I knew I wasn''t supposed to stare at them but considering this one had approached and revealed themself to me I figured it would be wrong to look away or try and ignore them.


    The pixie stared up at me for a few more seconds, then to my shock they bowed. As they straightened up they said "Greetings, Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh. I am Tempest Merryweather. Did your companions not warn you against staying here alone into the night?"


    Their voice was as androgynous as their appearance, but it was clearly audible. And while it didn''t sound like a high-pitched squeak or anything, the pitch was on the high side which I assumed was due to their small size.


    I got over my shock after a moment or two and bowed my head, "Greetings Tempest Merryweather. I was warned, but our time here is short and I haven''t been able to achieve my goals yet. May I ask, how do you know my name?"


    Tempest smiled, "On your first visit here you told the whole world your name."


    Their expression became serious again as they continued, "Some would think you a fool to ignore the warnings. Or perhaps some would see it as bravery. What do you think? Are you brave, or foolish, to spend a night alone atop the Duma D¨¦?"


    "I would say neither," I replied. "I''m not here seeking fame or fortune or glory. I just want guidance. I spoke with my ancestors once before, and I''m hoping to do so again."


    The pixie tilted their head to one side and gave me a curious look. "Why come here? Taralynn did not die here, her ashes were not brought here. This place is not part of your clann''s land, nor is it under your protection."


    I blushed slightly but answered, "When she appeared to me the first time, it was here. This exact spot. And I know the Duma D¨¦ are important to the Gods. I know there are lots of stories and myths about them. And I believe this Duma is important to Taralynn for some reason. Or maybe all of them are? But this is the one she chose as our meeting place, the first time she spoke to me. Not her home, not her castle, not anywhere on her own lands, but here."


    I shrugged as I finished, "So this is where I''ve come to seek another audience with her."


    Tempest smiled, then seemed to look past me, over my shoulder. Then they bowed again.


    When they straightened up, Tempest was still looking over my shoulder as they said "My Lady you were right. She is clever for one so young."


    My eyes widened as I turned to look. Standing there a few paces behind me was my great-grandmother. She looked exactly like she did the first time I met her.


    I scrambled to my feet while being careful not to accidentally disturb the pixie, then faced Taralynn and bowed to her.


    "Lady Taralynn," I said as I straightened up again. "I''ve come to ask for your guidance."


    I sighed as I continued, "Things have gotten out of hand. The king wants to control me and exploit the gift you gave me. He''s put me in a position where I''m a fugitive both here and on Earth. And his son tried to have me killed, because I refused to marry him. I don''t know what to do. I don''t want to hurt anyone, I don''t want a war. But I also don''t want to control people. I just want my quiet peaceful life."


    Taralynn watched me quietly for a few moments. I couldn''t read her expression, I couldn''t tell if she was angry or upset or amused or anything else.


    When she did finally reply, her tone seemed to carry a hint of disappointment. "Sometimes we can''t have what we want, Tegan. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices, or do unpleasant things. And sometimes we have to fight, for our safety and for what we believe in."


    I sighed, "It''s not fair. I''m being manipulated all over again into doing stuff I don''t want to do."


    "Tegan when has anyone ever told you the world was fair?" My great-grandmother frowned at me as she asked "Tell me, have you ever considered the king''s point of view?"


    "How do you mean?" I asked. "He wants me to marry into his family, so I''ll be under his thumb."


    "And he has every right to do so," Taralynn stated. She sounded almost like she was giving a lecture as she went on, "He is king, you are one of his subjects. He even relented when you refused to wed his son, and offered you his daughter instead. You''ve declined his invitations and you''ve disobeyed his orders. You ran off and exiled yourself to another world to avoid your rightful duties. You''ve brought dishonour to your parents and your clann. To the king, and to many of the royal court Tegan, you are nothing more than a petulant child who''s actions began with dishonour and have now ventured into treason."


    She concluded, "That is what I mean by the king''s point of view. In his eyes, in the eyes of his courtiers, King Cathal has been gracious and obliging, while you''ve been rude, dismissive, and disrespectful. It is no wonder he''s become impatient with you."


    My face was pale and I had a cold feeling in my stomach as my great-grandmother''s words sank in. I gulped and asked, "Are you saying I should just give up? I should submit myself to the king, and just do whatever he wants?"


    "No Tegan," she stated. "But I am saying that you will not convince the king to change his mind because he does not believe he is in the wrong."


    Taralynn sighed and added, "Like a child cowering in her wardrobe or under her bed, you believe that hiding from your problems will resolve them, that they will go away on their own if you avoid them long enough. In truth it''s only making things worse, for yourself and your family and your loved ones."


    I blushed again at that comparison. She was right, and I felt foolish for not seeing it before.


    "I''m sorry," I sighed. "But I still don''t know what to do. The only way I can think of to placate the king is to just give up and let him use me. I understand what you said about him being king and me being his subject? But that''s not how I was raised. I don''t believe someone should have that kind of power over anyone, to dictate who they marry and decide what to do with their life. Whether a parent or the king of all Otherworld, those decisions shouldn''t be made by anyone else. I think it''s just plain wrong."


    I added, "And the thing with the prince, he sent an assassin to Earth to kill me, just because I wouldn''t marry him?"


    Taralynn was quiet for a few moments as she looked at me. I realized that Tempest Merryweather was still here too, they''d moved to stand a little to my left, and were watching and listening to the whole conversation.


    Finally my great-grandmother responded, "That brings us back to what I said earlier, Tegan. Sometimes we have to fight for our safety, and what we believe in. If the prince threatens you, threaten him back. And you have strong ideals that challenge the status-quo, yet you''ve done nothing to uphold them. You''ve simply gone into hiding and complained that the rest of the world doesn''t agree with you."


    She kept her eyes on me as she stated, "The time has come Tegan for you to decide what''s more important. Is your freedom to choose your own path worth fighting for? Is your safety and security worth defending? Or is it more important for you to remain passive, even at the cost of your freedom, and perhaps the lives of your family and friends?"


    Taralynn shook her head, "You have avoided the problem long enough child. You cannot run from it or hide from it anymore. If you continue to do nothing, you will certainly lose everything."


    I sighed again, "So what do you think I should do? I don''t want to start a war, I don''t want to drag my family and my clann into battle against the king and the rest of Otherworld. And I couldn''t live with having so many deaths on my hands."


    "Then don''t go to war," she replied, stating the obvious. "That leaves you two other options. Surrender and submit yourself to the mercy of the king. Or take advantage of the gift I gave you and confront King Cathal yourself, and if needs be, end him."


    I felt a chill go through me as I thought about that. Yet I knew she was right. It''s what Keira said right from the start, it''s what I''d been avoiding, but it was either stand up and fight for what I believed in, or surrender.


    I gulped and asked, "So how would I even do that? Just march up to the royal court and challenge him or something?"


    Taralynn looked at me with a little smile and suggested, "Why not invite him to meet you at one of the Duma D¨¦? After all, the legends say they''re meeting places for Gods and kings. There is one some thirty leagues west of the royal palace."


    "I''m not a king or a God," I pointed out. "And you said as far as the king''s concerned, I''m just a petulant child."


    My great-grandmother still had that smile on her face as she replied, "I understand Tegan. But if you''re going to confront King Cathal, I believe that is a meeting the Gods would like to witness."


    Before I could respond to that, she changed the subject and asked "Tegan when we last met you learned that I gave you my gift. Have you ever wondered where I got it from in the first place?"


    I was surprised by the question, and shook my head "Uh no, not really?"


    Taralynn''s smile widened slightly, "Then let me tell you a story..."


    PurpleCatGirl

 121. Enlightened

    "And now you know the truth," Taralynn said with another little smile. "You know the source of our gift, and you know a little more about the origins of our clann. And you know that you can count on the fingers of one hand how many generations separate you from Ruad Rofhessa."


    She added after a moment, "You are also the only fae alive to know this Tegan. And I suggest you keep it to yourself."


    I was silent, my eyes were wide and my jaw slack as I stared at my great-grandmother. She hadn''t actually explained who Ruad Rofhessa was, but every indication in her tale suggested he was a God. She was telling me that her father was a God. That I was the great-great-granddaughter of a fae God.


    It seemed unbelievable, and in fact I wasn''t sure if I did believe it. And I knew absolutely nothing about the fae Gods. I was pretty sure there were some books on the subject in my mom''s study, but I''d never read them. I read all her books on magic, but little else.


    I started to think I needed to remedy that. I needed to check out a few books on fae mythology. And it suddenly struck me that some of the names I might find in books on fae mythology could well be part of my family tree.


    After another minute or so I finally took my eyes off Taralynn and glanced around. Tempest Merryweather was standing nearby watching me, and by the wide smile on their face I realized they probably already knew the story Taralynn just told me.


    They continued smiling up at me as they said "Lady Tegan, you told me earlier you didn''t know why this Duma D¨¦ was so important to Lady Taralynn. Now you know the truth of it."


    I nodded slowly, "Yeah..." I didn''t know what else to say.


    My attention returned to Taralynn as she stated, "Tegan it will soon be dawn. Have you any other questions, before I take my leave?"


    I thought quickly. I wanted to know who her father really was, but I figured I could find that answer in books. Saoirse recognized the name from legends so I just needed to read up on the legends to get that information.


    Instead I came up with two other questions that I figured wouldn''t be found anywhere else but here.


    "What exactly is our gift?" I asked her. "I mean, I know it means I''m a powerful mage, but how exactly does it work? Is my power truly unlimited, or is there something else going on?"


    My great-grandmother smiled, she seemed to approve of the question. "A fae''s strength in magic comes down to two factors, Tegan. How much power they''re able to store within themself determines what number or types of spells they may cast. Some fae command vast reserves of magic and can cast many demanding spells, others have only modest reserves and can cast only a few simple spells. The other factor is how quickly those reserves are restored after a fae has exhausted themself. Some fae take in magic quickly, others replenish their stores more slowly."


    She continued, "You have tried once or twice to ''find your limit'' Tegan, but you haven''t yet discovered it. That is because our gift allows us to draw magic in from the world around us faster than we can use it. You''ve never once had to call upon your own internal reserve, you simply tap into the power of the world around you."


    The pixie spoke up again and added, "Or put it another way, your limit is literally all the magic in the world. You won''t run out until there''s no magic left in all Otherworld."


    My eyes were wide and my mouth hanging open again as I looked back and forth from Taralynn to Tempest.


    It took me a little while to process that, but it eventually led me to another question. "So I''m truly helpless in a place without any magic? Or if a magic-suppression collar is put on me? That would block me from accessing the world''s magic."


    "Perhaps," Taralynn replied. "Since you''ve never had to make use of your own internal reserve of power, you don''t know how much is there. It''s possible you have none since you''ve never needed it. It''s also possible your internal reserve of power is greater than any other fae alive."


    "I was in a place with magic-suppression spells on it a couple years ago," I said with a frown. "There was no magic there, I couldn''t see auras, I couldn''t feel any magic."


    My great-grandmother asked, "Did you try and cast any spells?"


    I shook my head, "No, because I couldn''t sense any magic."


    She smiled, "Then you still don''t know the answer. You may well have had all the magic you needed at your fingertips."


    "Crap," I sighed. That whole situation with Lord Aengus would have been a lot easier if I''d known I could still use magic. Keira almost died because I assumed I was helpless.


    Taralynn asked "Was that all Tegan?"


    I realized I was running out of time with her and shook my head, "I have one more question. What are the Duma D¨¦? I mean, what are they really?"


    She raised an eyebrow, "Why do you ask?"


    "They''re special, important, legendary," I replied. "They''re where you speak to me, they''re where your mother came to seek help. This one is where you were conceived. They''re obviously something special, something important to the Gods. I want to know what they really are."


    I added, "I''ve already heard the legends, what I want to know is the truth. Places become legendary for a reason, I want to know what it is."


    The pixie was looking intrigued now. I was sure whatever the answer was not even they knew it.


    Taralynn appeared thoughtful for a few moments, then finally she gave me a slight knowing smile. "Very well Tegan, we have time for another little story..."


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The pixies kept circling the top of the Duma through the night, but they all went back into hiding when the first hints of dawn appeared in the grey clouds overhead. Now the sky was starting to get lighter as I finally headed back down towards our camp.


    I had my answers, and with Taralynn''s guidance I''d made my decision. And I had a gift my great-grandmother and the pixies gave me, but it was currently rolled up and stuffed in my jacket pocket. It would remain out of sight for now, until the time was right.


    As I made my way back to our camp I saw my five companions were all up, all watching me with a mix of worry and relief.


    "Are you ok?" Kelly demanded as soon as I was in earshot. "Did you get what you came for?"


    I nodded as I got to the base of the Duma and rejoined them, "Yeah I''m fine. And I got my answers. Why, is everything all right here?"


    Keira stated "Something woke us last night, and we saw the pixies were circling."


    "They only do that when they''re upset," Siobhan explained. "It''s like a threat, it meant we couldn''t approach at all. We couldn''t see what was happening, or if you were under attack."


    "Oh," I blushed. "Sorry. I''m fine, I wasn''t under attack. And I don''t think they were actually upset. Excited maybe, but I don''t think they were angry."


    "Yeah trust me," a small voice near my left ear stated. "If we were upset, you''d have known it."


    Everyone else took a couple steps back as they stared wide-eyed at me.


    Siobhan warned me, "Don''t move. Don''t panic, just stand still."


    I glanced at my shoulder and asked "Uh... Tempest? What are you doing there?"


    The blue-haired pixie was sitting on my left shoulder looking fairly relaxed.


    "It''s Merryweather," they stated. "Tempest is my family name. My name is Merryweather."


    I blinked a few times then apologized, "I''m sorry I didn''t realize I had that backwards. So um, Merryweather, what are you doing there?"


    The pixie rolled their eyes, "Waiting for you to introduce me to everyone?"


    After a moment they added, "Oh you mean why am I riding on your shoulder? It''s so I don''t get stepped on or swatted at. It''s also a lot more convenient than flying. There''s no way I''m going all forty leagues back to your castle under my own power, any more than you fae plan on walking that distance yourselves."


    I continued to stare at them for a few moments, then finally looked at the others. Kelly and Keira looked wary but they seemed less alarmed after overhearing the strange conversation I was having with my unexpected passenger. Laoise looked about the same, wary but not worried. Perhaps even mildly amused. Siobhan and Padraig both still looked worried, if not slightly scared.


    "Uh, ok." I took a deep breath then announced, "Everyone, this is Tempest Merryweather. Merryweather, that''s Kelly and that''s Keira. They''re my girlfriends, or perhaps my wives depending on who you talk to. And that''s Siobhan, she''s captain of the guard. And Laoise, a retired lieutenant. And that''s Padraig, a corporal in the guard."


    The blue-haired pixie stood up on my shoulder and bowed slightly as they said "Hello Kelly and Keira and Siobhan and Laoise and Padraig. I''m Merryweather."


    Siobhan and Padraig stayed quiet as they continued staring nervously at the pixie on my shoulder.


    Keira seemed to recover first, she bowed her head and replied "Hello Merryweather, it''s nice to meet you."


    "Yes, it''s a pleasure to meet you." Kelly said as she bowed her head too.


    Then Laoise added, "Sorry we all acted so shocked Merryweather. None of us were expecting to meet a pixie."


    While I didn''t think the situation would go bad, I was still a little relieved that it seemed to be going well. Everyone was a little surprised and a little taken aback, but it looked like nobody was going to do anything rash or say anything to offend the pixie. Until Padraig spoke up.


    His alarm had given way to confusion, and as he continued staring at my tiny passenger he asked "Are you a man or a woman?"


    "Neither," Merryweather replied with a frown as they sat back down on my shoulder.


    Padraig looked more confused and asked, "Huh?"


    Kelly asked "Sorry if this is offensive Merryweather, I don''t know very much about your kind. Do pixies not have different genders?"


    The pixie gave Kelly a baffled look, "What?! Of course we do. There''s men and women, same as fae. I''m just not one of them."


    I commented, "On Earth they call that ''non-binary''. Or ''enby'' for short."


    My passenger''s eyes lit up and a wide smile appeared on their face. "Ooh I like that! I had no idea humans were so enlightened."


    Kelly and Keira and I all sort of fought to suppress eye-rolls at that comment. Granted some humans were enlightened, but unfortunately not enough of them. Still, I was actually glad that question had been answered, and even happier someone other than me had asked it. I was also a little pleased with myself for having guessed correctly, even if my guess was based on an incorrect assumption.


    At long last Siobhan spoke up. She didn''t address the newest member of our group, instead she stated "We need to get moving. I know we''re all tired, nobody got enough sleep last night. But our supplies are limited, so we need to break camp and get going now."


    With that we all got to work. Merryweather finally moved off my shoulder and just flitted around watching while the rest of us packed everything up.


    Siobhan and Laoise were about to leave an offering of food and wine when the pixie darted in next to them and said "Ugh don''t bother! Nobody likes that sour wine and salty meat. If you really want to impress us, bring us some mead and sweets next time. And don''t just dump it on the ground like garbage, leave us a bottle or a skin of the mead, and put the sweets on a plate or something."


    The captain sort of froze as she stared at the little enby fluttering in the air in front of her. Laoise bowed her head slightly "We will do that next time, Merryweather. I''m afraid we haven''t got any mead or sweets with us today."


    Kelly looked at me and smirked, "Now I''m wondering if you''re part pixie, babe. You''ve always had a sweet-tooth. And we should get you some mead instead of trying to make you drink wine."


    I just blushed at Kelly''s comments.


    As for the captain, I could see she really wanted to leave some sort of offering, though she clearly didn''t want to offend the pixies by pouring out some wine or leaving food on the ground, now that she knew they didn''t want that.


    Instead, I dug into my backpack and pulled out a gold coin and a hundred-dollar bill from Earth, and I set them both down on the ground. I had no idea if the pixies liked gold, but I figured it was the thought that counted. And they might like the Earth money, it was definitely something they wouldn''t have seen before.


    And with that, the six of us mounted our horses and set out on the long ride back home. Merryweather was still flitting around in the air but quickly darted in and landed on my shoulder again. I felt a little tug as they grabbed a handful of hair to keep them steady, since I was sort of bouncing along with the movements of the horse.


    PurpleCatGirl

 122. Enlisted

    Siobhan was keeping us to the same pace as we made our way back south again. The weather got nicer once we were in the woods and further away from Duma D¨¦, so we had sunshine and clear skies rather than the dull grey overcast.


    We were about halfway home now, it was four days since we left the Duma. I figured we''d probably emerge from the forest some time tomorrow, back out onto the rolling grassland.


    It was getting near dusk when we happened upon a small stream, and Siobhan had us stop there for the night.


    By now me and the twins were pretty well-versed in the whole camping and travelling thing. It really had been a crash-course after all. One other achievement I was especially proud of was I''d finally mastered the art of getting into the saddle unaided. After almost six years I didn''t need a boost anymore when mounting my horse.


    Working together we had camp completely set up in under an hour. The horses were all taken care of, the two tents set up, a small campfire was burning, and Laoise was working on dinner.


    While me and the twins and Padraig went out into the woods to gather up some more firewood, Merryweather hung around Laoise and watched her cook. And Siobhan just sort of stayed near her sister, to guard our camp and the horses.


    I wasn''t sure if she was still expecting trouble from our newest friend or if she was worried we''d run into other fae out here in the woods. I didn''t think the pixie was any danger though. Taralynn seemed to trust the pixies just fine, and that was good enough for me.


    Finally we all settled down around the campfire while Laoise prepared the meal. As she cooked, she commented "We''re going to have to start rationing the food I think. We''re running low on pretty much everything."


    "Well don''t look at me," Merryweather joked. "It''s not my fault."


    The pixie hadn''t eaten so much as a grain of rice. We offered to share our food with them but they declined, and instead they went off at night to hunt while we slept. So while we all sat around and ate dinner they just picked a friendly shoulder to sit on. So far their favourites seemed to be me and Laoise, though they''d spent some time riding on Keira''s shoulder a day or two ago.


    Padraig offered, "I could try and get us some fresh meat? It''s a bit of a gamble though, we''d lose a day while I was hunting, and if I wasn''t successful that would leave us worse off than before."


    Siobhan nodded slowly, "I was thinking the same thing. Might be better to just keep moving. Even if it means the last day we have to go hungry, at least we''ll be fed when we reach the castle."


    Dinner tonight was the same as every night the past nine or ten days, boiled salted meat and rice or barley. And I was confident breakfast in the morning would be the same as we''d had every morning since the third day, more boiled salted meat in porridge.


    It was filling but by now it was also very boring, and it wasn''t terribly satisfying. I was just about sick of the watery wine too. I was almost tempted to jump back to Earth for a few days just to get some hard lemonade, and maybe pick up some sushi.


    The captain pulled me out of my reverie as she asked, "Tegan how are you planning to handle our return? Padraig and Laoise and I can just ride up to the main gates, but if any of you three try that you''ll be spotted."


    After a moment she added, "I''m not sure how anyone will handle er, Merryweather there either."


    I sighed and set my bowl aside for now. "I guess it''s as good a time as any to talk about this. I know you''ve all been curious what happened up on top of Duma D¨¦, what sort of guidance or advice I got. I appreciate that nobody''s pried about it."


    I looked at Siobhan, then Padraig, then Laoise, and said "Before I go on, I have to warn you three. Kelly and Keira and I are already fugitives, we''re already wanted." I glanced at the pixie who was on Laoise''s shoulder, "And Merryweather, correct me if I''m wrong but you don''t really consider yourself a subject of King Cathal right? You don''t have to worry about your standing in fae society?"


    "That''s right Lady Tegan," they replied with a nodd. "Pixies don''t care about fae laws or fae kings, we do our own thing and we mostly keep to ourselves."


    "Thanks, that''s what I thought."


    I addressed the other three fae again, "So before I answer your question Siobhan I have to warn you three up front. You can either stick with me and see this through to the end, or we can part ways before we reach the castle. If you choose the latter, I won''t say another word about my plans. I appreciate all your help in getting me to Duma D¨¦ and back. You can return to the castle, hopefully return to your positions and jobs and lives there, and that will be the end of it."


    I paused for breath and for effect, then continued "However, if you want to stay with me and see this through, I''m warning you up front you will probably become fugitives as well. If everything goes as planned then in the end it won''t matter, and you''ll all be very well rewarded. If not, we might all wind up dead. I know I''m not doing a good job selling this, but that''s all I can say till you''ve decided if you''re in or out."


    Keira asked with a grin, "How come you''re not giving me and Kelly a choice?"


    I knew she was teasing but I didn''t smile. I just gave her a serious look and replied, "You two are already in, whether you like it or not. You''re already wanted. Unfortunately I can''t offer you a choice."


    Everyone was quiet for a bit after that. The three soldiers all had thoughtful looks on their faces and I figured they were considering my words.


    Finally it was Laoise who spoke up first. "I''m in. I''m honoured you''d even ask me, to be honest. But I''m in and I won''t let you down."


    "Me too," Padraig stated. "I already told you once m''lady, I''d follow you to the end of the world and back."


    After Padraig, we all sort of looked at Siobhan to see what she''d say.


    The captain had a thoughtful look on her face, but she looked at me and asked "Can I trust that you won''t turn against Lady Maeve or the rest of the clann?"


    "Of course," I nodded. "I''m going to do my best to not involve the clann at all, but I''d never turn against my parents regardless."


    "All right then," Siobhan replied. "I''ll see this through with you, Lady Tegan."


    I smiled slightly and said "Thank you Siobhan, and Laoise, and Padraig. As of this moment, you are part of the Vale sept of Clann Br¨¢daigh. You as well, Tempest Merryweather. At least until the dust settles, the seven of us are part of the clann, yet separate from it. Our actions will not reflect on my mother or Clann Br¨¢daigh in general."


    I added, "Considering Kelly and Keira and I are already ''outlaws'', I think the Vale sept is going to be something of a renegade group for now."


    The others stayed quiet. Some were slowly eating, others just staring at me. I saw some nods of agreement and some thoughtful looks among my tiny clann-within-the-clann.


    While they finished their dinner, I opened my jacket pocket and pulled out the tightly wrapped bundle I''d been carrying since I climbed down from the Duma. Then I started to unroll it as they all watched.


    Everyone was staring now with a look of surprise on their faces, except for Merryweather who had a wide smile on their face. They already knew what was coming.


    It was a silk pennant, and it was similar but not identical to the Clann Br¨¢daigh standard. It was a long skinny triangle, made up of three smaller aqua-blue triangles around one purple triangle. Where our clann pennant had one large black star in the centre, this one had four smaller black stars, one in each of the triangles.


    As the flag was revealed, Siobhan commented "That''s not a Br¨¢daigh pennant."


    I nodded to Siobhan, "You''re right. This is my personal standard, though perhaps we''ll adopt it as the Vale pennant."


    Then I addressed everyone as I said "To answer the earlier question, we''re going to return to the castle by riding up to the front gates with our banner flying proud. The king may not be happy with me, but we will not be treated as criminals on our own clann territory, and I will not skulk around hiding my face any longer."


    Finally I asked, "Padraig, will you be my standard bearer?"


    He was still staring at the pennant in my hands as he asked, "Where''d you get it? Have you been carrying that this whole trip?"


    The pixie spoke up. They were still smiling widely as they said, "Lady Taralynn designed it, and my troop of pixies crafted it."


    "Babe?" Kelly said quietly. "I get that you want to ride back home with the banner flying and all that, but what about the two knights? They''re going to try and take us prisoner and haul us off to the king."


    I stated, "They may try, but they won''t succeed. I''m going to send them back to the royal court with a message. I will meet the king in person at the Duma D¨¦ near his palace. It''s some thirty leagues west of the palace, so we''ll have to give him some time to get there. When he arrives though, the seven of us will already be there waiting for him."


    For the next few minutes my companions were all silent as they stared at me.


    Finally Laoise commented, "If he comes, he won''t come alone. He''ll bring soldiers, maybe even an army. And he''ll have mages. What will you do once you''re facing all of that?"


    I replied calmly, "I will apologize to him for the disrespect I''ve shown him, and I will ask him to drop whatever charges he''s placed against us. I will ask him to call off his agents making trouble for us on Earth, and I will ask him to forget any plans of me being part of his family and under his control. And I will ask him to absolve my mother and our clann of any wrongdoing, because my actions have always been my own responsibility. And finally, I will ask him to leave us all in peace."


    "Ok," Keira said slowly. "And you know he''s not going to agree to any of that, right? So what happens when he refuses all of your requests and tries to have us all thrown in chains. Or just orders us all killed on the spot?"


    I took a deep breath and let out a long deep sigh. "Then I will crush him and his son. I will bring Cathal''s reign to an end. I will make it clear to all of Otherworld that it''s not worth it to try and mess with the great-granddaughter of Taralynn. And I will hope that Queen ¨¢ine will be a little more reasonable than her father was."


    The others were all quiet again after that, but I could see in their expressions what they were thinking. It looked to be about one part ''probably going to die'' and one part ''this is high treason''. And perhaps one part ''this is going to be epic''.


    Everyone was quiet for several minutes this time, until finally Padraig was the one to break the silence.


    He got to his feet and said with a wry grin, "I''ll be back in a moment, Lady Tegan. I need to cut a pole so I can hold our banner high."


    I smiled back at him, "Thank you Padraig."


    PurpleCatGirl

 123. Eliminated

    "You''re already familiar with the first one," Siobhan replied. "Sir Colm Mac Cionaoith."


    "Of course," I groaned. "I should have guessed he''d be assigned to us."


    We were nearly home, and I''d asked Siobhan to tell me what she knew about the two knights who''d been stationed at our castle. My mother hadn''t told me any details about them, and I hadn''t thought to ask before now.


    Padraig was riding up front. He was holding a long pole he''d fashioned from a tall sapling, with my banner aloft and flowing in the wind as we made our way south. Siobhan and I rode side by side behind the young man so we could talk. Kelly and Keira were behind us, listening in on the conversation. And Laoise was at the back, leading the two pack horses.


    We ran out of food last night, so none of us had eaten today. Except Merryweather, I assumed they went hunting overnight again so they were probably well fed. The pixie was riding on my left shoulder today, and listening in as well while the captain and I talked.


    Kelly commented, "At least with Colm, we all know where we stand."


    "And he already knows not to mess with you," Keira added.


    I frowned, "Maybe. I''m sure he doesn''t like me though, and I wouldn''t be surprised if he''s happy for the chance to show me up if he can."


    Siobhan sighed, "Unfortunately Sir Colm isn''t the one I''m worried about. The other knight is a mage."


    I stared at her, "What?"


    She elaborated, "Sir Niall ¨® Cuinn is about seven hundred years old, and he is a mage in addition to being a knight. I have no idea how powerful he is, but I know he''s the one who brought himself and Colm through the veil so he''s strong enough to cross worlds."


    That left me with a bad feeling in my stomach, "I wish someone warned me about that sooner. If I''d known there was a mage in the castle I''d have been a lot more careful. Crap."


    Kelly pointed out, "Nobody tried to arrest us or even stop us when we left."


    "Yeah," I nodded. "Good point."


    "So how do we handle things when we get to the castle?" Keira asked.


    I thought a moment, then said "We''ll stick with the plan. Ride straight up to the gates and in. I''ll handle the knights and send them back where they came from. If there''s any kind of confrontation, let me take care of it. Stay alert and wary, but don''t get involved yet."


    "What about me?" Merryweather asked. "What should I do?"


    I thought a moment, then replied "At first just stay hidden if you can? I have no idea how people will react to you, but we''ll introduce you to everyone when it''s safe. So probably not until after we''ve dealt with the two knights."


    They nodded "Very well Tegan, I will stay out of sight until then."


    A few minutes after our conversation we rode through the village. This time, with our banner flying and my purple hair on display several of the locals smiled and waved. I waved back, though I was too uptight to smile much.


    Knowing I''d likely be going up against a mage very soon left me a little worried. I was confident I could beat any mage in Otherworld, but it changed the dynamic. It put my companions at greater risk. And I worried for my parents. There was only so much a pair of knights could do against an entire castle, but I already knew what a mage could do in that position.


    Not long after we passed the village, the spires of castle Br¨¢daigh came into view. I wanted to feel happy, elated to be returning home after our voyage. Instead I just felt apprehensive and worried. I also felt a growing unease, knowing very soon I''d have to start breaking my own rules.


    "Kelly, Keira," I glanced back at them. "Be ready with shield spells, and magic defence spells. If I have to fight the mage, I need you two to keep everyone safe."


    "Understood," Kelly replied.


    Padraig kept my banner flying high, and I knew the lookouts must have seen us by now. I could even see guards along the tops of the wall watching us. Nobody was waving though. And I hadn''t spotted my mother yet, or my father. I was sure they''d have been notified as soon as we were seen approaching.


    "They might be wary," Siobhan suggested. "It''s not a Br¨¢daigh pennant, so they may not be sure who exactly we are."


    I could hear the uncertainty in her voice, she didn''t quite believe what she was saying. The banner was very close, and the fact that me and the twins were highly recognizable from a distance made me think at least someone on the castle wall would know us.


    The main gates opened as we approached, so the six of us could ride straight in.


    We passed through the gates and came to a halt in the middle of the courtyard. Once we were all in, the gates were closed again behind us. There were no soldiers and bearers to greet us. No-one helped us dismount or took care of the horses. The six of us sat on our horses alone in the middle of the courtyard.


    Across from us, standing between us and the main doors of the castle were the two knights. I recognized Colm of course. I didn''t know the other man, but I knew he was a knight thanks to the royal blue patch on his jacket. He was a little shorter than Colm, and older of course. He looked to be in his fifties, in human terms. He had short reddish-brown hair, brown eyes, and fair skin. He was clean-shaved, and looked very sure of himself.


    Colm was exactly like I remembered. He was tall, slim, sort of attractive in a ruggedly handsome way. His short dark blond hair had a slight curl to it, and he had some stubble on his face.


    Both knights were armed, with swords and knives on their belts.


    The only other people in the courtyard were Captain Gaelen and two dozen Br¨¢daigh archers, arranged to the right of Colm and Niall. The archers all had bows in hand, arrows set on the strings. It was obviously meant to be a threatening display, we were outnumbered three to one, facing two knights of the realm and twenty-one of our own clannmates.


    There was no sign of my mother or father at all.


    I moved my horse forward a couple steps so I was in front of my companions. Padraig was behind me on my right, still holding my banner high. Siobhan was behind me on my left. Kelly and Keira directed their horses out to either side so they had a full view of the situation. Keira was to the right of Padraig, Kelly to the left of Siobhan. And Laoise was at the back. I had no idea where Merryweather was, they''d vanished entirely before we came in through the gates.


    "That''s quite a bold entrance Lady Tegan," Sir Colm stated. "Considering when you were last here you were very careful to stay out of sight."


    Before I could respond he continued, "Tegan Vale by order of the king we are here to take you into custody. In a show of mercy, the king has offered to spare your girlfriends and any other conspirators, if you surrender yourself without incident."


    After another brief pause he ordered, "Give up now Lady Tegan, and all your friends go free. If you resist, then their lives will be forfeit."


    I forced myself to remain calm as I glanced around the courtyard. I switched on my sight and my magical sense though, just in case. There were more guards on the top of the walls, but they seemed to be just watching. They were armed, but they didn''t appear to be part of the group here to challenge us.


    Both Colm and Niall had several dark stains in their auras. I figured they''d both had to do a lot of questionable things in their line of work. Niall''s was darker though and I wondered if maybe he enjoyed his job a little too much. They were both glorified cops after all.


    I fixed my attention on Captain Gaelen next. It was hard to tell from this distance, Gaelen and the archers all stood about twenty meters away from me and my group. I was worried he might be under some sort of control spell but I couldn''t see any evidence of magic on him. I couldn''t believe he''d attack me or any other clannmates.


    "Captain Gaelen," I called to him, "Where are my parents?"


    Rather than the captain, it was Sir Niall who answered.


    He was almost sneering as he stated, "Maeve, Connor, and the seneschal have all be imprisoned in the castle dungeon. They are guilty of aiding and sheltering wanted fugitives. You were wise to shield yourself from scrying Lady Tegan, but I expected you might. I was watching your mother instead, and witnessed her welcoming you into her castle and conspiring to keep your presence secret."


    He added, "If you surrender now, your parents will be released. If not, they will be executed along with the five traitors behind you."


    I''d managed to stay relatively calm up until that point. I was tense, it was a dangerous situation, but I''d been mostly calm. Now my heart was racing and my stomach churned. I knew my mother wasn''t some fragile delicate flower, but right now she was very pregnant. In her current state I worried any rough handling could harm her child, or at least put her at risk.


    Beyond that was the sheer audacity and disrespect of sticking her in her own dungeon. She was a countess, a noblewoman. If they meant to lock her up she should have been placed in a comfortable room in the tower.


    I had no doubt everyone could see my emotions play out over my face as I stared at Sir Niall.


    There was an uneasy silence in the courtyard, and almost everyone was looking wary as they watched me. Except Niall, who just looked smug.


    He stated, "Lady Tegan you know you are in an untenable position. I''ve heard the stories, I know you are a strong mage. I also know you refuse to use your power for violence. You might be thinking of some peaceful way you could escape, and perhaps that would work. Maybe you''re even contemplating a rescue attempt for your parents."


    He shook his head, "Whatever it is you''re thinking of doing, know this. The moment you try something, your companions will die. I have no qualms about using my magic to kill, and my first targets will be those two pretty redheads behind you. So give up now, and spare the lives of your friends and family. Fight or flee, and their heads will be decorating poles around this castle''s walls before the day is out."


    I was already prepared to cross my lines, but knowing they put my parents in the dungeon and hearing him threaten to kill my loved ones like that honestly just made it easier. The man sounded almost happy at the prospect.


    Sir Niall had barely finished talking when I let my spell go. Black ripples flashed through the air towards him. Not just a handful or a dozen, but thousands of them. Rather just fly in a straight line, the darkness spiralled and arced and closed on him from every angle. From either side, from in front and behind, and even from above.


    The dark streaks were on him in a heartbeat, but Niall had been ready. He got his magical shield up just in time to see it blasted to oblivion. A fraction of a second after his defences shattered into a million shards of light, Sir Niall ¨® Cuinn was no more.


    It wasn''t even like a normal thousand-blades spell. He wasn''t shredded or torn apart, it was more like he simply exploded. One moment a seven-hundred year old fae mage stood there sneering at me, the next moment there was a large irregularly-shaped red stain on the cobblestones with a small crater in the middle where some of the stones had been torn apart by my spell. Even his sword and dagger were gone.


    Sir Colm stood a couple meters away from where Niall had been, and he staggered back several more paces in shock. His entire left side was now soaked with what remained of his colleague.


    Everyone else was completely motionless, shocked by the ferocity of my spell. My heart was still racing, from adrenaline as well as a dozen emotions all swirling together. For now I let anger be the one to take the forefront.


    My eyes stayed on Sir Colm, but I addressed Gaelen first as I shouted "Captain Gaelen! Get my parents out of the dungeon! NOW!"


    "Yes Lady!" The captain bowed then scrambled to rush off and release my parents.


    Colm finally got over his shock. He glared at me as he opened his mouth to say something.


    I cut him off, "Sir Colm if you''ve left so much as a bruise on my mother, I swear you''ll beg for a death as quick as the one you just witnessed."


    PurpleCatGirl

 124. Enfettered

    I slammed down my empty glass with a little more force than I intended, then demanded "Why didn''t anyone tell me about this stuff before? I could have been enjoying mead the past six years!"


    "It''s good, yes?" Merryweather grinned up at me. The pixie was holding a thimble full of the sweet amber liquid like it was a giant mug as they sat cross-legged in the middle of the table.


    Kelly cautioned me, "Just remember to pace yourself babe. You don''t want to get drunk before you see your parents."


    "Yeah I know," I sighed. Then I picked up the pitcher and poured myself a second glass.


    I was trying not to let it show, but as soon as the crisis was over I had a serious attack of guilt and nerves. I just murdered a man, and even though he made it pretty easy to hate him I still felt bad about it.


    I didn''t really want to get drunk, but I did want to dull my senses a little and maybe let the memory of that violent death get a little blurred.


    All seven of us were in the study. We were all sitting around one of the tables and we''d had an early dinner brought to us here. I hadn''t seen my parents yet but Gaelen released them from the dungeon, along with seneschal Owen. The captain told me my parents wanted to spend some time in their private chambers, to get cleaned up before seeing us. And he assured me my folks were both ok.


    Colm was still out in the courtyard, under guard. He''d been disarmed and I personally locked the shackles on his wrists. I''d be sending him off at dusk, but first I needed to write a letter to the king. I didn''t trust the knight to deliver a verbal message without embellishing it in one way or another.


    I wasn''t actually eating that much but the others were enjoying their meal, and the wine and mead. As the others ate, I looked around the table and asked "So how much time do you think I should give the king? The Duma D¨¦ where we''re going to meet him is about thirty leagues away from the royal palace."


    "We covered forty leagues in a week," Padraig pointed out. "We could do thirty leagues in about five days I think?"


    Laoise scoffed, "Royalty won''t move anywhere near as fast as we did."


    Siobhan agreed, "If you''re sending Colm back tonight, maybe the king will get your message tomorrow. Maybe not till the day after. Then it could take him another day or two to make a decision and start planning. He won''t be travelling light as we did, he''ll be bringing porters, servants, and at the very least some sort of honour guard."


    Her sister nodded in agreement, "Once they''re actually moving it might take them a week to cover that range."


    Kelly pointed out, "Our first trip to Duma D¨¦ took us about eight days didn''t it? And that was pretty comfortable for some of us."


    I asked, "So how about I offer him two weeks from today? That''s seven days to dither around, and seven days to actually get there."


    Siobhan and Laoise seemed to be the most knowledgable on this subject so I was looking to the two of them for their feedback.


    The tall blonde thought it over, then nodded "I think that''s a good number, m''lady. It''s reasonable and realistic, but it''s also soon enough that it doesn''t leave much room for delays and distractions. It would show you''re serious and you expect him to take you seriously too."


    Laoise pointed out, "Just because you want him there in two weeks doesn''t mean he''ll actually do it though. He could drag his feet and delay things. He might not even show up at all. Or he could send soldiers, while he waits at his palace."


    I nodded, "Good point. I''ll try and phrase it like a personal challenge or something maybe? Or just make it clear I''ll speak only to him, any lackeys he sends in his place won''t be returning intact."


    "Tegan?" Keira asked. "What''s your plan for getting the seven of us there on time? I''m assuming magic will be involved, it''s something like a five or six-week journey on horseback to get to the royal palace."


    I smiled, "Yes, magic will be involved. We''ll go early, just incase. I want to be there long before the king or any of his scouts turn up. We''ll pack food for a week or so, and plan to arrive four days early. That should give us lots of time to talk with the local pixie troop and enlist their help."


    Siobhan and Padraig both looked a little uneasy with that idea.


    After a few moments, Siobhan asked "What if they refuse to help?"


    I smiled and nodded to Merryweather who was just drinking the last few drops of their mead, "I''m quite confident our friend here will convince them. They''re our pixie ambassador."


    Two small purple eyes opened wide as Merryweather stared up at me. Their expression was a mix of shock and confusion.


    "After all, that''s why they accompanied us. Isn''t that right, Merryweather?" I was trying not to smirk as I added, "I mean, I know you didn''t just run away from your troop so you could join us on some big exciting adventure."


    Now the wide purple eyes were joined bright red cheeks, as the tiny enby coughed and sputtered. They finally settled down and nodded, "Yes, very right Lady Tegan. Pixie ambassador, that''s me."


    Almost everyone was grinning now as they all looked at our little diplomat. Merryweather tried to look proud and dignified, and especially tried not to look like they wanted to sink into the table and hide.


    Siobhan just nodded slowly and asked, "And on the off-chance that doesn''t work, what''s our back-up plan?"


    I replied, "Bribery. We''ll be bringing a lot of mead and sweets with us. We''ll share that with the pixies either out of friendship and gratitude, or as payment or bribery. One way or another though, we''ll get their help and we''ll give them what they want."


    "That''ll work too," Merryweather said with a grin.


    Merryweather and I both got ourselves some more mead, and the others continued enjoying their meal.


    "So in two weeks we''ll be challenging the king himself, at one of the Duma D¨¦," Laoise said. "You mentioned we''ll be there four days early. That gives us about ten days to get there. How long do you figure we''ll be on the road?"


    "Like I said, I''ll get us there with magic," I replied. "I don''t imagine it''ll take us more than an hour to get there. So we have about ten days to rest, relax, and prepare. Then we''ll travel at dawn, and when we get there we''ll set up camp and make friends with the local pixies."


    Keira asked, "What about horses? I assume you''re going to get us there by going through the veil? Take us out at the meadow in the southern forest, then back in somewhere near the Duma? How close can you get us to it?"


    I shook my head "We won''t need horses. I suppose we could borrow some to get us to the meadow, or we can just teleport there. Yes we''re using the veil to get us there. Not just close, I can get us directly to the Duma. We''ll arrive right ontop of it."


    "Babe?" Kelly asked with a frown. "How will we get back home afterwards? Or are you saying the veil is thin at that particular Duma D¨¦?"


    I smiled, "I don''t want to reveal all the secrets just yet. I suppose I''m asking you all to trust me on this. And bear in mind, the Duma D¨¦ are special places after all."


    Merryweather was grinning again as they had another gulp of mead. They already knew the answers of course, they were there with me when I learned the truth about the Duma D¨¦ from Taralynn.


    Everyone was pretty much finished eating when my mother came into the study. She was wearing a long loose dress. I noticed her hair was a bit damp, I assumed she''d had a bath and gotten cleaned up after her time in the dungeon. She looked ok, I didn''t see any evidence she''d been hurt or anything.


    We all got to our feet, Siobhan Laoise and Padraig all bowed.


    "At ease," my mother said, "Relax, take your seats. Except you, Tegan."


    She motioned me to sit with her at the table off to the left. I poured her a glass of juice, then I moved to sit with her.


    "Are you ok?" I asked her quietly. "They didn''t hurt you at all did they? Is everything ok with the baby?"


    My mom accepted the juice and replied "I''m fine now Tegan. Muireann checked me and made sure nothing was wrong. As for being mistreated, I''m not very happy about spending two weeks in my own dungeon. But I''ll live."


    I sighed, "I''m sorry about that. I didn''t realize one of the knights was a mage. He told us he''d been monitoring you, since he knew I''d be shielded."


    She just nodded, then replied "Captain Gaelen told me what became of Sir Niall. What do you intend to do with Sir Colm?"


    I explained, "I''m going to write up a letter to the king, then send Colm back to the palace to deliver it."


    Mom sighed, "You know there''s no longer any chance of a peaceful resolution?"


    "I know," I replied quietly. "I''ve been avoiding that fact and hiding from it for two years. But you''ve been telling me, Kelly and Keira have been telling me, and now Taralynn has told me. I have to stand up and fight for what I think is right. I''m sorry I didn''t listen to any of you before. I''m sorry my childish behaviour led to you and dad being treated as criminals."


    She watched me for a few moments, then asked "So you spoke with your great-grandmother again? Another prophetic dream?"


    I shook my head, "I was awake this time. And I wasn''t hallucinating, someone else witnessed it."


    "I assume that was one of your girlfriends?" she asked. "Kelly, or Keira?"


    That made me grin but I shook my head again, "Neither in fact. I made friends with one of the pixies."


    I glanced over at the other table and asked, "Merryweather? Would you come here for a moment please?"


    The look on my mother''s face was priceless as the pixie buzzed over and landed on my shoulder. They were a little wobbly in the air, and had to hang on to my hair to keep their balance. I had to suppress a grin, I figured two thimbles-full of mead was about their limit.


    "Mother, I present Tempest Merryweather. And Merryweather, I present Lady Maeve, leader of Clann Br¨¢daigh and Countess of Cathasaigh."


    The tiny drunk pixie bowed deeply and nearly toppled over. Their hold on my hair kept them on their feet, if only just.


    My mom was staring wide-eyed as she just nodded slightly, "Hello Tempest Merryweather..."


    After a few awkward moments mother got to her feet again and said, "I''ll leave you to it, Tegan. I believe you have a letter you need to write."


    "Thanks mother," I replied as she made her way back out. Then I looked at the little passenger on my shoulder and suggested, "I think two thimbles is enough for you, my friend. I hope pixies don''t get hangovers."


    Merryweather just giggled as they took flight, and wobbled back to the table with the others. I suppressed a smirk, then got myself some parchment and a pen and ink.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    It was about five or ten minutes before dusk when I walked back out of the castle. Colm was sitting on the ground in the middle of the courtyard, watched by four of our guards. His hands were shackled behind his back and his sword and dagger were gone.


    "On your feet Colm," I said as I approached. "Time to send you home."


    He glared at me as he struggled awkwardly to his feet. "How do you plan on doing that?"


    I ignored his question as I stood before him. I had my letter in hand, the parchment was folded up and sealed with a blob of wax.


    As I tucked it inside his jacket I said, "This is for the king, see that he gets it."


    Then I teleported him to the meadow in the southern forest. I followed a moment later, and started walking around till I found where the veil was thinnest.


    Colm watched in surprise and asked, "You''re going to take me yourself? You''ll be arrested the moment we arrive."


    When I found the spot I looked at him and asked in a pointed tone, "You think anyone else will have more luck than you and Niall did?"


    That shut him up for now. I motioned him to me, and got a firm grip on his arm as I cast the spell.


    I pulled the two of us out through the veil, then pushed back into Otherworld again about two hundred leagues north at the waypoint nearest the royal palace. I got the information about this spot from my mother''s courier. I also knew about the guards who were stationed here, and I was ready for them.


    I hit them all with paralysis spells, then told Colm "They''ll thaw in about a half hour. Make sure the king gets my letter."


    He was still disoriented but he slowly turned and asked, "Where do you think you''re going? You''re stuck here till dawn."


    I smiled, "I''m going back home. It''s still dusk, remember?"


    As far as I knew the only reason nobody else ever did this was because the spell was too tiring, and it took too long for most people to get over the dizziness. But I didn''t have to recover, and I had all the power in the world. So there was no reason why I couldn''t make two jumps in a row.


    Colm stood there staring at me in surprise as I cast the spell again, then slipped back out through the veil.


    PurpleCatGirl

 125. Educated

    I had another sip of juice, then my attention returned to the old book I was reading. I was alone in the study today, with a small stack of books on the table in front of me. A full week after returning to the castle I finally had some time to relax and read.


    I thought after I got rid of Niall and Colm we''d all have ten days to relax and take it easy, then I''d take us to the other Duma D¨¦ and prepare for our meeting. And maybe if I''d put my foot down and made it an order or something, we would have.


    Instead, Siobhan decided we should take the opportunity for some rigorous training and drilling. So for the past seven days, dawn till dusk, we were out in the courtyard practicing with sword and bow and dagger. And to be fair, Kelly and Keira and I all actually needed the training. Especially me.


    Siobhan knew it too, and she made sure my training was intense. Now I had the callouses on both hands to show for the week of heavy practice. I was still nowhere near ready to get in a sword fight, but the captain was satisfied I wouldn''t embarrass myself if I actually had to draw my weapon.


    And she was mildly pleased with my archery skills, considering I had less than two years of experience with the bow.


    Laoise and Merryweather weren''t excused from the exercises either, though they both had very different regimens. In the few moments I had to spectate, I was impressed with the ex-lieutenant''s skill with her crossbow. She was deadly accurate with it of course, and she had a technique for loading it that didn''t strain her right arm at all.


    She utilized a peculiar metal claw thing on her belt. She''d slip her boot into the crossbow''s stirrup then crouch and hook the claw on her belt onto the string. Then when she straightened up, it meant she was using her leg muscles to draw the bow. Then she''d raise it up with her left hand, while her right hand slipped the bolt into place.


    She was also pretty ferocious with her dagger in her left hand, and of course she was an expert with fire magic. As much as I hoped we wouldn''t get into an actual battle, I was confident if we did Laoise wouldn''t let us down.


    Merryweather was another surprise. On the one hand you wouldn''t expect a four-inch-tall person with a two-inch sword to be all that effective. Their sword looked like something you''d expect to see holding an olive or two at the bottom of a martini.


    On the other hand, there''s a reason why some fae are scared of pixies. The little enby revealed why when they demonstrated their skills and technique.


    I already knew they flew rather slowly and erratically, at least when they were visible. But pixies could turn themselves invisible and when they did, they could fly like a hawk rather than a dragonfly. And the little sword was less like a cocktail skewer and more like a pointy razor-blade.


    Their small size meant they could easily find the gaps in even the best armour, and they tended to go for the most-vulnerable areas like eyes and throats. Merryweather demonstrated on a row of a dozen targets. They left my shoulder and vanished in a burst of speed only to return seven or eight seconds later, and in the interim all twelve targets received a slash at throat level.


    Siobhan and Padraig were almost over their fear of the tiny enby but after that demonstration they were both a little wary again. Laoise and the twins and me were just as impressed, but we all knew Merryweather was a friend and an honorary clannmate.


    One other interesting detail I discovered was when Merryweather turned invisible I could still see them if I used my sight. Or rather, I couldn''t see them but I could see their aura, which was a bright indigo colour.


    So the past week had kept me very busy, but this morning I''d finally put my foot down. The others were all at it again, but today I needed to do some research. And I had plans for tomorrow as well.


    I was finally reading up on fae mythology, to see what I could find out about the name Ruad Rofhessa. I''d already gone through three books and was partway through the fourth. I wasn''t reading them cover to cover, I mostly just glossed them and only stopped to read slowly and carefully when I found sections or passages relating to my great-great-grandfather.


    What I''d found so far had me feeling a mix of awe, anxiety, and wonder.


    Ruad Rofhessa was known as ''the mighty lord of great knowledge'', and he was said to be the God of druidry and magic.


    That sort of fit of course, considering the manifestation of his gift was Taralynn''s famous magical talent, which I''d inherited. And he appeared to Saoirse in robes and holding a tall wood staff, which sort of fit my mental image of a druid.


    He was depicted as a large, tall man with red hair and a red beard, and that matched how he looked in Taralynn''s story. It left me questioning where my great-grandmother got her purple hair from. It didn''t come from Saoirse, she was a blonde. I''d been told purple hair was rare among fae, and I''d never even seen anyone else who had it.


    I also wondered about our family''s stature. I had no idea how tall Saoirse was, Taralynn didn''t mention that in her tale. And while Taralynn was probably as tall as my girlfriends, Aisling was a few inches shorter. And my mother and I were both tiny.


    It was probably nothing, but the height and the hair were a couple details I was curious about. I''d originally assumed they were long-standing family traits. I was surprised the first time I met Taralynn to find she wasn''t small, and now I''d been surprised again to discover our purple hair seemed to come out of nowhere four generations ago.


    As I continued looking through the fourth book, I finally found the next big revelation. In Taralynn''s story, Saoirse knew that the name Ruad Rofhessa was an alias, she knew who he really was. Now I knew as well, and with that knowledge came another dose of awe and anxiety.


    Ruad Rofhessa was one of many names that were attributed to another fae God known as The Dagda.


    Apparently The Dagda was one of the strongest Gods in the mythos. He was considered a king among the Gods, and was a father-figure or perhaps actually father to several other Gods. He was supposed to be incredibly powerful, and his name was supposed to mean ''The Good God'' or ''The Great God''.


    As I read on, I learned he was married to a Goddess called The Morrigan. And she was said to be a jealous wife. That made me nervous, I didn''t like the idea of some Goddess having it in for our family because her husband slept with my great-great-grandmother.


    I decided to look her up next, and what I found did not make me feel any better.


    Apparently The Morrigan was a triple-goddess, she was sometimes described as one woman and sometimes she was referred to as three sisters. She was associated with war, fate, and sovereignty, and her symbol was the crow. I came across a couple particularly ominous things about her that seemed relevant.


    She was said to be able to foretell either doom or victory in battle, and some stories suggested rather than just predicting those things she actually took an active role in combat to make sure her predictions came true.


    And as a Goddess of sovereignty, she was thought to be involved in the affairs of kings. Though the stories didn''t say she would always be on the side of kings, just that she could get involved.


    I finally sat back in my chair and had a few gulps of juice as I thought through what I''d just read.


    Assuming all the legends and stories were true, my great-great-grandfather was a God of druidry and magic. He was also king of the Gods, and many other Gods saw him as a father, or at least a father-figure.


    And his wife was potentially a jealous woman, and was Goddess of war, fate, and sovereignty. She might be on King Cathal''s side because of his royal heritage. And she might consider me and my clann as enemies because her husband cheated on her.


    Or maybe she didn''t care about her husband granting a mortal woman''s prayers, and maybe she''d be neutral in regards to King Cathal''s rule. Best-case scenario, she''d be like a friendly great-great-step-mom or something, but I sure wouldn''t count on that.


    In the end I decided I wouldn''t try and invoke or call upon any Gods.


    Taralynn suggested a Duma D¨¦ as the venue because the Gods would want to witness the meeting, but she didn''t say anything about them getting involved. And now that I knew what the Duma D¨¦ really were, I planned on using that to my advantage.


    I wasn''t sure yet exactly how I''d do it, but I had some ideas. I had a bit of a reputation for breaking magic and doing the impossible, and I wanted to capitalize on that in such a way as to make a lasting impression on the King and everyone else present.


    I continued working through the last couple books but none of them added anything further to what I knew about the divine branch of my family tree.


    After finishing my juice I put all the mythology books back where I''d found them, then started searching for history books next.


    What Taralynn told me about the Duma D¨¦ surprised me at first, but the more I thought about it the more sense it made. I knew I wouldn''t find that information in books, but I was curious to learn what the fae had to say about our ancient past.


    I knew every culture on Earth had some kind of origin story, some way to explain or describe where they came from. I figured the fae would have something like that too, but I hadn''t heard it yet.


    For a race with a thousand-year lifespan I originally thought they''d have some detailed historical records that went back almost forever, but to my surprise they didn''t seem that interested in the subject. Most of what they called history was what humans would call tradition, and the fae didn''t seem to care about when their traditions started or why they began.


    The fae I''d asked about the subject over the past six years all seemed to view ''history'' as a subject that only covered about four generations. Stuff that happened when their great-grandparents were in their prime was history, and whatever happened before that was too ancient to contemplate.


    That translated to about two thousand years, if you counted generations as being about five hundred years apart. It varied of course, but most fae children were born when their parents were between three hundred and six hundred years old, so it was a fairly good approximation.


    Thinking of it in human terms, it felt especially odd.


    If humans were like that, ''history'' would be whatever happened a hundred years ago and anything older than that was just forgotten. That kind of mindset would leave people believing the airplane had always existed, along with automobiles electricity and the steam engine.


    In the end I didn''t find any books about fae history. It seemed odd, but also fit with the theory I''d been developing since my meeting with Taralynn.


    Combining the truth about the Duma D¨¦ with various other clues and random facts I''d come across over the past six years, I figured I had a pretty good idea where the fae really came from. And why we had such an aversion to that subject.


    I sat back down at the table and poured myself another glass of juice as I thought about everything I''d read, and what I hadn''t found. I put my theory aside for now, it was a curiosity but wasn''t actually helpful at the moment.


    What I''d learned about The Dagda and The Morrigan was more pertinent to our current situation. I wouldn''t be trying to summon or contact them, but if I could avoid accidentally angering either of them that would be a good start.


    Finally I turned my thoughts ahead to my plans for tomorrow.


    I''d lost track of the days again, but I knew it was at least three weeks since me and the twins left Earth. I needed to check in and make sure Elise and Susan were ok. So at dawn I''d cross back over for one day so I could follow-up with them.


    Kelly and Keira were a little unhappy about the fact that I''d be going alone. It would just be twenty-four hours though, and I promised to stay out of trouble.


    PurpleCatGirl

 126. Effaced

    I pushed through the veil and emerged into the woods overlooking the large pond. The sun was higher up in the sky here than it was where I just left.


    I wasn''t sure exactly what day it was, but I knew it was mid June. The high-school was only a few hundred meters away through the trees, but it was pretty early. Probably around half past six in the morning, so I wasn''t worried about anyone seeing my arrival or departure.


    I focused on Susan''s kitchen then cast the teleport spell, and a moment later I was there.


    Things were quiet when I arrived, the coffee machine wasn''t started and nobody was up and about preparing breakfast. Though it was a bit early yet, according to the wall clock it was twenty minutes to seven. So my estimate wasn''t far off.


    Rather than make some noise and wake people up I just pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and sat down to wait. Fortunately I didn''t have to wait long.


    Less than ten minutes after my arrival, Sue came into the kitchen. She looked surprised to see me, but she was fully dressed. As usual she was in jeans and a blouse, and had comfortable shoes on her feet.


    "Tegan!" she exclaimed as she entered the kitchen. "You didn''t call, you didn''t email, we had no idea you were coming. Is everything ok?"


    "Good morning Sue," I greeted her. "Sorry I didn''t call or email first. I came straight here from Otherworld, so uh, no access to phones or email until I was already here."


    I added, "Things are progressing. I actually came to check on you and the kid, to see if things were ok with you two."


    As she moved to get the coffee machine started she replied, "I assume you mean, have we been approached by the local authorities regarding our relationship with you?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. "I''m sorry I didn''t get a chance to speak with you in person about that, but the whole thing happened kind of quickly and we all wound up heading over there. I wasn''t even sure if it was safe to contact you or visit you."


    With the coffee machine running she sat down at the table across from me.


    She shrugged slightly, "We had a visit from a pair of unpleasant men with poor fashion sense. They asked a great deal of questions about you and our relationship with you. As far as I''m aware, nothing came out of it. They took note of our answers, then they left."


    She added, "I assume they haven''t found any improprieties in our finances or our records either. Though it''s possible they''re still watching us."


    I sighed, "Sorry. I hope the one interview is all they''ll bother with."


    When the coffee was ready Sue got up and fixed me a mug, but didn''t bother making one for herself. She set my coffee down in front of me, then got herself some orange juice instead.


    I thanked her, and asked "How are things with the kid? Is she still spending all her spare time with her girlfriend?"


    Susan gave me a hard look and stated "Kaitlyn and Claire are just good friends. You already know all about that."


    "Yeah, sorry." I had a sip of coffee then asked "So is she still spending her free time with her friend?"


    Sue replied "I suppose so, yes. They''re very close."


    She added, "They''re writing their exams next week but that should go smoothly. And in September they''re both going to attend Dalhousie University together."


    I felt my eyebrows going up, "Really? You managed to talk the kid into going to university? Last time I was here she seemed pretty reluctant."


    Susan smiled slightly, "It''s possible her decision was affected in some small way by the knowledge that Claire would be leaving town to attend university."


    I rolled my eyes, "Well whatever, I''m sure you''re glad she''s going to continue her education."


    After another sip of coffee I asked, "Where is she anyways? Usually she''s the one who''s up first, making coffee and breakfast and everything."


    Sue seemed to hesitate. She frowned slightly, and looked a little awkward as she replied "I''m sorry Tegan, I''d rather not answer that."


    Naturally that set off my alarm bells.


    I frowned "Why not? Where is she, what''s she doing?"


    She frowned back at me, "I just told you, I''d rather not say."


    I took a deep breath then sighed, "Sue I''m not going to interfere. I thought we already sorted all that out last time I was here. You made it clear I wasn''t allowed to meddle in how you raised her, and I agreed with you. I still need to know what''s going on though. I know she''s a teenage human girl now, but she used to be a six hundred year old fae mage who did some pretty horrific things."


    Susan was still frowning as she said "You know she''s not like that anymore, and I don''t think it''s fair you keep throwing that back at her."


    "Sorry," I sighed, then I pushed on. "I know you don''t like to think about it, but she made a lot of enemies over the years. This isn''t about me trying to control her or interfere with how you''re raising her. It''s about keeping the two of you safe. So please, will you tell me where she is, what she''s up to?"


    Sue looked unsure. After a few moments she finally replied, "Only if you promise you won''t get upset. Ok?"


    I rolled my eyes slightly, "Fine."


    "Say you promise, Tegan." she insisted.


    It was like dealing with a kid. Or a lawyer. I rolled my eyes again and sighed "Ok I promise I won''t get upset. Now where is she?"


    Susan looked uneasy. She grimaced slightly and almost looked embarrassed. Then her eyes flashed with magic and her appearance flickered and changed as the glamour was dispelled.


    "I''m right here Lady Tegan," Kaitlyn said. "I apologize for the deception."


    I just stared at her. Several emotions ran through me at once. Shock, confusion, anger, anxiety. I''m sure the feelings played out over my face too as Kaitlyn watched me.


    "You promised you wouldn''t get upset," she reminded me.


    She was in a pink nightgown, her long red hair was messy. It looked like she was probably still in bed when I arrived, she didn''t have a chance to brush her hair or get dressed.


    As I stared at her I noticed something else. Her eyes had always been blue-green. Even after I changed her, they were still blue-green. Now they were a bright emerald green, exactly like Kelly''s and Keira''s eyes.


    She looked like Kelly and Keira''s little sister before, but now she looked like a miniature duplicate of them. Like a third twin, but a couple years younger and a lot smaller.


    I continued to stare at her as I did my best not to get too angry or upset. I had an awful lot of questions, and I was struggling to prioritize them.


    Finally I asked in a level but uptight voice, "Where is Susan?"


    "She''s in Halifax," the teen replied. "She went yesterday and had to stay overnight, but she should be back early this afternoon. Perhaps by one o''clock."


    I asked, "She left you here alone?"


    Kaitlyn replied "I''m not alone. Claire stayed here with me, we''re celebrating her eighteenth birthday."


    She added, "There''s no guests here right now, if that''s what you mean."


    I took another deep breath then let it out in a long sigh, before asking "Does Sue know Claire spent the night with you? What about Claire''s parents?"


    "Yes Lady Tegan. Maddie said it was fine," Kaitlyn replied. "And Claire told her parents we were helping each other study for our exams next week. May I invite Claire downstairs to join us?"


    "Not yet," I stated. I realized I couldn''t see her crystal necklace on her, and asked "Where''d you get the power to cast that glamour?"


    The kid sighed slightly and looked down at the table. "As I explained when you visited last month, Claire and I have been collaborating on ways to raise more power."


    I nodded slightly, "I remember. So how did you get the power to cast the glamour?"


    She seemed reluctant to answer me, but I was pretty sure she wasn''t going to try and lie. It took another few seconds before she finally gave in and replied.


    "I reversed part of the spell you cast on me back in Griofa," Kaitlyn replied quietly as she stared down at the table. "I am once again fae."


    My first reaction was disbelief. I was about to say that was impossible, but I caught myself. I''d done enough so-called impossible things myself over the past few years. Instead I cast the identification spell.


    To my shock her eyes flared brightly as the harmless magic hit her. It was true, she was fae. My heart started racing as the implications of that sank in.


    "How?!" I half demanded. "And what else did you dispell?"


    I had defensive magic on the tip of my tongue now, along with the mind-control counter-spell just incase she tried any of her old tricks.


    I was also cursing myself, I should have known she''d be working to reverse what Keira and I did to her. And I was worried about Sue. I couldn''t believe I let myself think it was safe for my adoptive human mother to go off alone with a fae mage criminal.


    Kaitlyn sighed, "I haven''t dispelled anything else Lady Tegan. As you can see I haven''t reversed the rest of what your magic did to me, I am still a small girl. I haven''t dispelled anything Lady Keira did to me at all. Nor do I intend to. I just wanted to be fae again, so I could keep Maddie and Claire and myself safe."


    Once again my initial thought was disbelief. Though I could see with my own eyes she was still a small girl. I also realized, if she was evil again she probably wouldn''t be sitting there squirming while she answered my questions. I wasn''t ready to trust her yet, but I got another idea and switched on my sight.


    Her aura had changed significantly since the last time I was here, but it hadn''t gotten worse. That dark stained core was still there, but it hadn''t grown at all. The pink had shrunk though. Instead of making up about three quarters of her aura, the pink had retracted back to a thin outer veneer like it was in the start.


    Between the pink outer layer and the black inner core, the rest of her aura was now shades of deep red and purple. It actually looked like a blend of Kelly''s aura and Keira''s.


    I finally sighed, "How did you do it?"


    Kaitlyn replied, "I figured out what you did in the first place. I figured out the spell you used to make me a teenage human girl, and from there I figured out how to undo the human part. And at the last full moon, with Claire''s help, I did just that."


    "Why just that part?" I asked. "Why not make yourself completely back to normal?"


    She replied in a firm tone, "Because I am Kaitlyn Connolly. This is who I''ve been for over two and a half years. I don''t want to be a man again, and I will never ever go back to being the monster that I used to be. I''ve put all of that behind me."


    She added, "You told me once that all I had to do was be the best Kaitlyn I could be. That is what I am doing, Lady Tegan. I just want to make sure Maddie and Claire and I are all safe. I couldn''t do that as a human girl. But as a fae girl, I can."


    I leaned back in my chair as I looked at her. I still didn''t trust her, but she sounded sincere. I finally asked, "Are you planning to stay here on Earth?"


    Kaitlyn nodded, "I want to stay here, yes. As I said earlier, Claire and I are going to university together in September. I don''t know yet what I''ll do after university, but that''s a few years away."


    I stared at her for a few more minutes, then asked "Does Sue know what you''ve done?"


    "Yes Lady Tegan," she replied. "I told Maddie what I did. I couldn''t hide the fact that my eyes changed, and I would never lie to her. Claire knows too, she was with me at the time, she helped me perform the ritual."


    "And why the glamour?" I asked. "Why try and trick me?"


    She blushed and looked down at the table, "I wasn''t sure what to do when I realized you were here. Claire suggested it, and it seemed like a good idea at the time."


    "Ok," I sighed. I was still uneasy and I knew my girlfriends wouldn''t be happy, but for now it seemed like the kid was sincere. I changed the subject and asked, "What''s Sue doing in Halifax?"


    "She went to pick up Elise," Kaitlyn answered. "Your cousin had a late flight from Toronto. Maddie met her at the airport and rather than drive back overnight they booked a hotel room in the city. They''ll have breakfast at the hotel before they get on the road. They should be here by one this afternoon."


    That surprised me, though it was a pleasant surprise. I would have been going to visit Elise next, but having her come here was even better. I could be back in Otherworld at dusk tonight.


    "Did Elise say why she was coming here?" I asked. "Is she ok?"


    The kid shook her head, "I don''t believe anything''s wrong. I think it''s just a friendly visit. Since she couldn''t come see us at spring break, now she''s got time off for summer so she''s coming to see Maddie."


    After a moment she added, "If you''ll excuse me Lady Tegan, I need to start getting ready. I have to be at school by nine o''clock."


    PurpleCatGirl

 127. Exculpated

    "I can''t believe you''re ok with this," I said as I shook my head. "You don''t know what she''s capable of. You don''t know what she''s done."


    Sue frowned at me, "Tegan we''ve already had this discussion. I know all I need to know about Katie''s past, and I don''t care. She''s not like that anymore, you and Keira saw to that. As far as I''m concerned she''s paid her debt to society and this is her second chance."


    It was early afternoon and Kaitlyn was still at school. Susan and Elise got here about a half hour ago, now we were sitting in Sue''s living-room having a light lunch with some cold drinks and a heated discussion.


    Elise was sipping a vodka cooler and kept out of the conversation so far. I hadn''t really had a chance to talk with her yet, apart from saying hello and exchanging hugs.


    I shook my head, "You can''t compare her to a human ex-con. It''s not a matter of ''paying her debt to society'' Susan. If it was, she''d be dead."


    Sue glared at me and I realized I shouldn''t have said that. She held back most of her anger as she responded in a tense voice, "Tegan if you ever say anything like that again, that will be the last time I speak to you, and the end of your visits here."


    "I''m sorry Susan," I sighed. "If you knew what she''s done, you might feel differently. Anyways I''m just worried about you. Honestly I''m worried about everyone in Cape Breton, knowing she''s managed to make herself fully fae again."


    She gave me another warning look then pointed out, "Tegan do you know where your ''evil fae mage super-villain'' is right now? She''s at high school. She regained her power at the full moon, that was two weeks ago. Since then, she''s been at school every weekday. She spent last weekend helping me do laundry, and she''s made coffee and breakfast for me more times than I can count. She does the dishes every evening after dinner, and after that she does her homework and studies for her exams. Those don''t exactly sound like the actions of an evil monster."


    I sighed once more but I had to admit she had a good point. Those really didn''t sound like the actions of a six-hundred-year-old fae mage, evil or otherwise.


    My cousin finally spoke up, "Tegan I remember you told me once you were hoping Kaitlyn would do one good deed or help one person, then you''d know you made the right choice with her. It sounds to me like she''s done that, and a whole lot more."


    "You''re right. You''re both right." I slumped back in my chair, then looked at Sue and said "I apologize for panicking. It''s still a huge shock to me that she managed to reverse part of my spell. But I concede she hasn''t done anything evil, and as near as I can tell she hasn''t tried to undo anything else I or Keira did to her."


    I added, "I''m sure Kelly and Keira are going to be unhappy when they find out Kaitlyn has access to her power again. But if you''re confident she''s not going to cause any trouble, I''ll leave her with you."


    Susan glared once more, "Don''t you dare think about separating us Tegan. You left her with me over two years ago, Katie and I are family now. You won''t be splitting us up."


    "Sorry," I apologized. "Look can we leave this topic and move on? Kaitlyn said you and she were interviewed by some cops?"


    Sue sighed, "Yes. A couple detectives came to see us three weeks ago. They were here for about two hours, they asked a lot of questions. How did we know you, where did we first meet, how often we heard from you, if we knew where you were, if we had any way to contact you, that sort of thing."


    "Do you remember their names? Were they MacRae and Bernier?" I added, "MacRae''s a tall guy in his forties, Bernier''s a bit heavyset, in his fifties?"


    "Yes," she nodded. "That was them."


    Elise piped up, "Those are the two who talked to me as well."


    She looked at Susan and added, "You and Kaitlyn are lucky they came and talked to you in your own home. I got dragged into a precinct and stuffed in an interview room for an afternoon."


    "Crap," I sighed. "Sorry about that Elise."


    My cousin shrugged, "It''s ok Tegan. At least I didn''t get the high-risk takedown, and they didn''t rough me up or anything."


    She continued, "They asked me the same sort of things. How we met, how often we talked, did I know where you went, all that stuff. I don''t know if they believed everything I told them, but they didn''t challenge me on anything."


    "Katie suggested they''re probably still watching us," Sue said. "If that''s true, they''re probably keeping tabs on you too Elise."


    "Yeah probably," Elise agreed. Then she grinned, "They''re not gonna learn much, other than I have a lot more fun than they ever will."


    I rolled my eyes, "Still partying every weekend I take it? How''d things go with Ray?"


    She scowled, "I dumped his ass. He was a twerp. He was with me when the cops turned up and he totally caved. They didn''t even ask him any questions and he was blabbing about how you appeared out of thin air then vanished again."


    I facepalmed, then a minute later I grinned. "Actually that''s ok. I have no idea what the cops think magic really is, but sooner or later I''m going to give them a demonstration they won''t be able to ignore."


    I added, "Sorry your boyfriend turned out to be a jerk though."


    "It''s ok. We probably wouldn''t have lasted very long anyways," Elise replied. She added with a sly grin, "He was pretty terrible in bed."


    I just rolled my eyes again, then I caught the look on Sue''s face.


    She was staring at Elise with an expression somewhere between shock and curiosity. "You''re uh, dating men now?"


    "Yeah," Elise nodded. "Not just guys, I still see women too. I guess I never mentioned it before, but I''m bi. How about you Susan? It''s been almost two and a half years, I hope you''re getting out there and seeing people?"


    Sue blushed, "This isn''t the sort of conversation I ever imagined having with my ex er... Ex-spouse."


    Elise suppressed a giggle, then forced herself to get serious. "Ok Susan, sorry if I''m making you uncomfortable. I just wanted to know that you''re happy. I''d hate to think you''re lonely or missing out on some companionship."


    The tall blonde was still blushing, but she said "I''m fine Elise. I''m not really interested in discussing my sex life, or yours either for that matter. So let''s just leave it at that."


    She looked at me and changed the subject, "So you came back to check on Katie and I, and to check on Elise, to make sure we''re all safe. I take it you''re going back over again soon?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. It was a lucky break Elise was here to visit, otherwise I''d have gone to see her this evening. Then at sunrise I''d go back over there. Now I can just head straight back at dusk tonight."


    "And how are things going over there?" she asked me.


    I sighed and rubbed my forehead, "It''s been up and down. A lot of stress and tension, then some slow monotonous travel. Then some excitement. More boring travel, then a brief fight. Now we''re sort of waiting for the next step? We''ve been training pretty hard for a week, and in a few more days we''ll travel again. Then there''ll be more waiting, then a lot more excitement."


    Susan and Elise both frowned. Sue asked, "Are you staying safe?"


    I actually laughed. Then I shook my head and replied, "No, not at all. I''m at the top of Otherworld''s Most Wanted list right now. Soon I''ll confront the king, and he might bring an army with him. On my side I have five fae and a pixie."


    Elise looked worried, Sue just continued frowning at me as she scolded, "Tegan you shouldn''t joke about that sort of thing."


    I sighed again, "Sorry Susan. I''m not actually joking. Last week I killed a royal knight then sent his partner home in chains, with a letter challenging the king to meet me face to face. He''s got soldiers, armies, mages, maybe armies of mages, and pretty much all of Otherworld backing him up. I''ve got me, the twins, a captain, a corporal, and a retired lieutenant, and a four-inch-tall pixie. And I''m probably going to win. I just hope I can keep the death-toll to a minimum."


    Sue and Elise both just stared at me. They both looked a little pale now.


    After a few moments Elise finally said, "I guess it''s kind of pointless saying it but uh, be careful Tegan."


    "I''ll try," I replied.


    Then Susan gave me a hard look and said "So Katie is a straight-A student with perfect attendance who helps me around the house with chores, while you''re a wanted fugitive who''s off killing people and toppling governments. But Katie''s the one we should be worried about?"


    I felt my cheeks go bright red, "Uh... Yeah. When you put it like that it sounds kind of bad I guess."


    "Just a little Tegan," Sue replied as she continued giving me that look.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    At dusk I pushed through the veil near Kaitlyn''s high-school in Cape Breton, and emerged in the ravine behind my house in Ontario. Jumping one time-zone west meant I was ahead of the sunset, and had about an hour before dusk caught up to me again here. Plenty of time to check on things around the property.


    Rather than tiring my leg with a walk I just teleported to the house. A wide grin settled on my face when I looked out the windows. Our property was surrounded by a thick forest. In only three or four weeks the trees had matured with the equivalent of about twenty years of growth.


    The house was fine, but there was no electricity. That would be an issue once me and the twins came home, but we''d deal with it then. I had a seat in the living-room and picked up MacRae''s badge from where I left it on the coffee table. I cast a clairvoyance spell while using his ID as focus.


    It looked like MacRae was in the city, back at his own home. I assumed he and Bernier were still investigating me, but since I''d disappeared off the face of the Earth and they couldn''t access the property, they''d scaled things back for now. I figured once I ''resurfaced'' they''d be trying to get at me again. Another thing to deal with after we came back home.


    Next I went into the storage room and grabbed a duffel bag, then went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. All the food had spoiled, but the booze would be ok. I started loading the bag up with all the wine and hard lemonade we''d bought for the long weekend last month.


    Then I emptied the spoiled food out of the fridge and freezer and into a garbage bag, and teleported that out to the end of the driveway so it would be there whenever the next pick-up happened.


    Finally I teleported myself and my duffel bag full of booze back to the ravine to wait for dusk. There was one more stop I wanted to make on Earth before I returned to otherworld, and by travelling further west I could catch a third sunset.


    I''d have a longer layover at the next stop, heading out to Vancouver would put me three hours ahead of dusk. Unfortunately I didn''t know any other waypoints that were closer to here while still being far enough west to get me ahead of the sunset. And I knew I could find what I wanted in Vancouver, so it was fine.


    My girlfriends and clannmates back in Otherworld would be surprised when I showed up after dusk, but I hoped they''d appreciate what I was going to bring them.


    PurpleCatGirl

 128. Exposited

    It was probably close to midnight when I returned to Otherworld, in the small glade in the western forest.


    I was struggling under the weight of the heavy duffel bag over my left shoulder, and I had a large insulated bag hanging off my right shoulder. It wasn''t that heavy, but together the two bags were bulky and I was a small girl. I was also a bit of a weakling. To top it off my right leg was in pain from trying to carry too much.


    Rather than take a break and put the bags down I focused on my girlfriends and cast the teleport spell.


    A moment later I was in our room in the castle.


    Kelly and Keira were already in bed, but both were startled awake when I set the heavy duffel bag down on the floor with a thump, accompanied by the clinking noises of the bottles inside. I set the large insulated bag down on the little table, and finally slumped into one of the chairs with a heavy sigh.


    "Sorry," I apologized as I started massaging my thigh. "That stuff''s heavy."


    "What is all that?" Kelly asked.


    Keira added, "And did you just cross over now? Sunset was hours ago."


    "I had a bit of a busy day but got an idea and it took a little extra time to take care of it."


    I got back to my feet and moved to the duffel, then opened it and tilted it so they could see inside.


    With a grin I announced, "I stopped by the house and grabbed all the hard lemonade we had in the fridge. I also picked up a couple bottles of wine for you Keira."


    My smile faded as I added, "Power was off so everything else in the fridge and freezer was spoiled. I threw it all out, but we''ll have to deal with that when we''re done here."


    Kelly got out of bed and pulled out a bottle of hard lemonade. She twisted off the top and took a sip. "Not bad. Too bad they''re not chilled."


    I grinned again. It was one of the easier spells I knew, almost like a parlour trick really, but a moment later her drink was perfectly chilled. So were the rest of the bottles. I pulled one out for myself and offered Keira one as well.


    Soon the three of us were sitting at our little table, sipping vodka lemonade in the dark. The twins were both naked, I was still dressed for now.


    "How did it go with Sue and Kaitlyn?" Kelly asked. "And did you have time to talk to Elise? Actually how did you visit both out east and our place and still get back here tonight? I thought you wouldn''t be back in Otherworld till dawn?"


    Keira asked, "And what''s in the other bag?"


    "Sue and Kaitlyn are ok. More on that later because it''ll be a discussion, believe me. Elise was out east too. Bit of luck there but she just flew out yesterday for a week-long visit, since she didn''t get to see Susan at March break."


    I continued, "At dusk I left Cape Breton and jumped to our property in Ontario, which put me an hour before sunset again. So I had time to check the property and load up on the booze. Then when dusk came, I jumped all the way out to Vancouver."


    I nodded at the insulated bag, "That''s full of the best take-away sushi I could find in downtown Vancouver. Tomorrow we''re going to introduce our sept to the joys of sushi and hard lemonade. Anyways, when the sunset caught up to me out west I crossed back over here."


    My girlfriends were both staring at me, and Keira commented "I never thought about using time-zones like that. We could pop out to Vancouver for a few hours then jump back home again. Like we could go out there for dinner or whatever."


    "I guess?" I shrugged. "Maybe if we were on speaking terms with Kelsey it''d be worth it, or if we had other friends out there. Too bad Sue and Kaitlyn went east, that makes the time-zones work against us."


    We were all quiet for a bit as we enjoyed our drinks, then Kelly asked "Ok so what did Susan and Elise have to say? I take it they''re both all right?"


    I nodded, "Those same two detectives dropped in at Sue''s place three weeks ago and interviewed her and Kaitlyn. And they hauled Elise into the station and talked to her. But nothing''s come out of it, they haven''t bothered anyone since then. I scried for MacRae and he was at home in the city. I assume the investigation is on hold right now, since we dropped off the face of the Earth and they can''t access our property."


    "That''s not so bad," Kelly said. "I mean, we figured they''d talk to your cousin and to Sue. I''m glad they aren''t making life difficult for anyone."


    I agreed, then added with a smirk "I used my bank-card a few times in Vancouver. It still worked so they haven''t frozen our accounts. And it''ll probably make the two detectives rush out west to follow up on that lead. I figured it would give them something to do, so they didn''t feel like I''d forgotten about them."


    The twins both rolled their eyes, then Keira asked, "You said there was something we''d have a discussion about. I assume our granddad''s to blame again? More magic at the high-school?"


    I sighed and had a gulp of my drink then warned them, "Brace yourselves for this one."


    Kelly and Keira exchanged a glance, then both frowned as they looked at me.


    "Kaitlyn figured out how to break part of the spell I put on her two and a half years ago. She''s made herself fully fae again."


    Both twins'' eyes went wide in surprise. I turned my sight on in time to see their link buzzing with communication.


    "What?!" Kelly gasped.


    "How?!" Keira demanded.


    I grimaced, "I know you''re both probably freaking out but try not to get too upset alright? I freaked out too when I found out, but Susan''s adamant that Kaitlyn isn''t dangerous. She did it two weeks ago at the full moon. Since then she''s still going to school every day. She''s doing her homework, and studying for her exams. She helps Sue with the chores around the house. And she''s planning to attend university in September. She''s still a teenage girl. She''s just fae instead of human."


    "Kaitlyn said she did it so she can protect Susan and Claire and herself. She didn''t reverse anything else. She''s still a small young girl. She didn''t reverse any of the stuff you did Keira. She told me she doesn''t want to be a man again, and she told me she never wants to be the sort of monster she used to be. So she''s fae, she has access to magic, but she''s not using it for anything."


    I sighed and concluded, "As near as I can tell, human or fae she''s still doing her best to be a good girl, at least according to what Susan says is good. And she''s keeping out of trouble. I think she was being honest when she said she just wanted to be in a position to keep herself and Sue and Claire safe."


    The twins were quiet for another minute or two as they stared at me, but their link was still buzzing.


    Finally Kelly asked "Babe? How the hell did she manage to make herself fae? I mean, you''re the most powerful mage alive, I understand how you can break magic and do the impossible. But she was just a normal human girl when she reversed your spell."


    That left me quiet for a few seconds, before I finally admitted "I don''t actually know the details. I didn''t ask her for the exact mechanics of it? She said she figured out my spell, what I did to change her in the first place. Then she figured out how to undo it, but she only reversed the part that made her human. She wanted to stay a girl, she said she didn''t want to change how she looked. She said that''s who she is now."


    They looked at each other again, then Keira stated "When we''re done everything here, me and Kelly are going out east to see her for ourselves. We''re going to have some words with her and make sure there''s nothing going on that you''ve missed or overlooked."


    Kelly nodded, "Sorry babe but Keira''s right. You saw her in May and you had no idea she was working on this. If she managed to do this without you noticing what was going on, who knows what else she''s been up to that you haven''t caught on to yet."


    I sighed but nodded, "Ok, yeah that''s a good point."


    I added, "Just don''t say anything to Susan about not trusting the kid, and definitely don''t say anything about separating them or doing anything harmful to Kaitlyn. I said the wrong thing once or twice and nearly got myself tossed out of the house."


    The twins exchanged another glance, and Keira asked "You''re sure granddad hasn''t been up to her old mind-control tricks? She could have been manipulating Sue over the past few months, you know?"


    "I actually checked that at dinner," I replied. "As discreetly as possible of course, but I did check to make sure Sue wasn''t under any kind of control spell. There was nothing. She honestly and genuinely likes the kid, and she considers Kaitlyn to be family now. They think of each other as sisters, and they''re both highly protective of each other."


    My girlfriends both frowned. Like I expected, neither of them were happy with this turn of events. There wasn''t anything more we could do about it at the moment, but I knew they''d follow through as soon as we got back to Earth. They''d be out there confronting Kaitlyn and getting to the bottom of the whole thing.


    "Oh," I added, "One more thing I should warn you about. Kaitlyn''s appearance changed slightly when she made herself fae again. Her eyes changed colour, they look exactly like yours now. Emerald green instead of blue-green. She actually looks almost identical to you two now, apart from looking a few years younger and a lot smaller."


    Neither Kelly or Keira were very happy to hear that.


    Keira muttered, "If she tries changing her last name to Vale I''m going to kill her."


    I grimaced, "She seems pretty happy to be a Connolly. Though I wouldn''t be surprised if she started using Shaw as a surname. She and Susan really are that close."


    Kelly sighed and drained the last of her lemonade, "Ok. We''re really unhappy and uncomfortable knowing Kaitlyn is fae again, and confronting her is going to be pretty high on our to-do list after we get back to Earth. But there''s nothing we can do about it now, so we may as well get back into bed and try to get some sleep."


    "Yeah," Keira sighed as well. She finished her drink too, then smiled "I can''t wait to see how Merryweather handles hard lemonade. I don''t think they''ve invented carbonated drinks over here, it might be pretty funny watching all of them try it."


    I grinned slightly, "I hope they like it. If the other fae don''t like it, that''s ok. More for us. But I hope Merryweather likes it, since they like sweet drinks."


    I added, "As for sushi, I mostly got that for us. I know most fae are wary of human food, so if nobody else wants to try it that''s fine. I also got some sweet things for Merryweather, so they wouldn''t be left out when I offer the Earth food to everyone else."


    Kelly smiled, "That''s very thoughtful of you babe. But enough talk, it''s time for bed."


    "Right," I smiled back. I quickly drank back the last of my lemonade then got myself undressed, and let my girlfriends lead me into our huge comfy bed.


    PurpleCatGirl

 129. Enjoyed

    "You''re sure this is safe?" Siobhan asked. She eyed the fizzy bubbling pale yellow liquid in her glass suspiciously, as if it might be some kind of poison.


    I grinned, "Totally safe. I''ve been drinking it for years, so have Kelly and Keira."


    Laoise sniffed hers then shrugged and drank it back. Her eyes widened, and she gasped "The bubbles are um, an interesting sensation! It''s rather tasty, perhaps a bit sweet for my liking though."


    Padraig looked warily at his glass, while Merryweather sniffed at their thimble-full of hard lemonade.


    It was mid-afternoon now. The seven of us spent the morning out in the courtyard drilling and training again, but I finally called a halt to that so I could share my Earth treats with them. We were all back in the study sitting around a table. I''d opened a couple bottles of the hard lemonade and poured a small measure for everyone. It was chilled of course, thanks to a little magic.


    Me and the twins also had glasses, and we''d already drank ours. Partially because we enjoyed it, but also to demonstrate it was safe. Not that I worried any of my companions thought I''d poison them, but it was a strange beverage from an ''alien'' world after all. And the carbonation was something they''d never experienced before.


    I hadn''t opened the thermal bag yet but I''d already told them all I brought food as well. We were sort of doing this one step at a time.


    "Please don''t feel obligated," I reminded them. "I just wanted to share with you some of the things we enjoy on Earth, but if you''re not comfortable with it that''s quite all right."


    Padraig went next, he took a deep sip from his glass. The expression on his face told me he wasn''t impressed. Something put him off, either the bubbles or the taste. Or maybe both.


    He set the glass back down and shook his head, "Not for me. Thank you for offering though, m''lady."


    Siobhan wound up not even trying hers, which was fine. Perhaps it was the wise thing to do, considering Padraig''s reaction. I found it interesting though that the brave and capable guard captain was a lot more cautious and reserved, while her younger sister seemed to be the more adventurous one.


    My line of thought was broken by the sound of a tiny hiccup followed by a little burp. Merryweather''s thimble was empty, they had a wide smile on their face and their little purple eyes were alight.


    "This," they announced as they held up the empty thimble, "Is really good stuff!"


    Padraig suppressed a smile as he offered, "You''re welcome to the rest of mine, Merryweather."


    I was glad Padraig seemed to be getting over his fear of the pixie again. Or perhaps he figured offering our small friend booze would keep him on their good side.


    Merryweather didn''t need a second invitation, they darted over and wound up halfway inside the large cup as they leaned in to dunk their thimble, refilling it with hard lemonade. Meanwhile Laoise helped herself to her sister''s glass. It looked like she''d decided to give the drink a second chance after all.


    I smiled as I started opening up the insulated bag. I was happy Merryweather enjoyed it, and maybe Laoise giving it a second chance was a good sign.


    The contents of the insulated bag had been kept cool thanks to a bag of ice and a few applications of the same spell I used to chill the drinks.


    Kelly and Keira helped, and the three of us set out a couple large plastic containers full of a wide variety of sushi. There were all our favourite kinds of course, along with some other common popular varieties. There were also some little containers of wasabi and a bunch of little soy sauce packets and disposable chopsticks.


    The twins and I each had a couple pieces of sushi, to demonstrate that it was safe. And because we really enjoyed it. After more than half a day in the cooler bag it wasn''t quite as nice as if it were fresh, but it was still pretty good.


    I left Kelly and Keira to talk the others through the sushi while I got the last two items out of the bag. They were for our pixie friend, and I was excited to share them. The first was a package of mini-marshmallows and the second was a bottle of pure maple syrup.


    "Merryweather," I smiled at the tiny enby, "I brought these two things especially for you. They''re Earth sweets."


    They drained their second thimble-full of lemonade then set it down and flitted over. There was another little hiccup as they examined the bag of marshmallows, then the syrup.


    "Is this another drink?" they asked as they stared at the bottle. "If it''s anything like the lemonade, I''m already sold."


    I grinned, "It''s not meant to be a beverage, though I suppose you could just drink it. It''s a syrup, meant to be poured over something else? Like a sauce I guess, for sweet things."


    I opened the package of marshmallows first and offered them to the pixie. They drew their sword and stabbed it into the bag, then pulled out one of the tiny marshmallows stuck on the tip of their weapon. After a curious sniff, they took a bite of it.


    A few moments later Merryweather nodded, "It''s not bad. It''s sweet, but there isn''t actually much flavour to it?"


    "Try it toasted," I suggested. "It might be nicer once it''s got some colour on it."


    The fireplace wasn''t lit since it was summer, but I took one of the disposable chopsticks and broke it up then put it on the hearth. After a little dose of magic, there was a very tiny fire burning.


    I warned, "Just don''t let it catch fire, it''ll turn into a nasty gooey mess."


    With most of the marshmallow still at the end of their sword, Merryweather roasted it over the fire until it started to caramelize.


    Then they took another bite of it and grinned, "That''s much nicer!"


    I glanced at the others and saw they were still experimenting with the sushi. Or at least, Laoise and Padraig were. I had a feeling Siobhan was going to abstain from all the Earthly treats I''d brought.


    Finally I opened the bottle of syrup and poured some into the bottle cap then set it down on the table.


    "See if you like that, Merryweather? It''s very sweet but it does have a distinctive flavour."


    The pixie flew up onto the table and dipped a finger in the syrup and tasted it. Then they picked up the bottle top and took a swig from it like it was a drink.


    Their eyes were as wide as their grin as they looked up at me, "Lady Tegan, if you offer a few bottles of that bubbly lemon drink and a bottle or two of this maple nectar, you''ll have every pixie on the Duma as your friend for life!"


    "I''m so glad you like it," I replied as I smiled at them. Then I caught Kelly smirking at me, and asked her "What''s so funny?"


    She rolled her eyes, "I still think you''re part-pixie, babe. Maybe we should invite Merryweather back to Earth with us after all this is over, so they can try Belgian waffles with you. I''m sure they''d love it smothered in all the unhealthy stuff, just the way you always order them."


    I blushed, but she had a point. She''d been teasing me for six years now about my sweet tooth. The idea of bringing Merryweather into a restaurant for waffles had me grinning though. Not that we''d ever be able to do it, but it was an amusing thought.


    As I suspected, Siobhan didn''t actually try any of the food. Laoise on the other hand sampled everything, including the marshmallows and the maple syrup. Even Padraig tried a couple pieces of sushi as well as the sweets.


    In the end though, we wound up calling a servant to bring ''normal'' food and drink for the three fae soldiers while me and the twins enjoyed the rest of the sushi. Merryweather did their best to finish Padraig''s glass of hard lemonade, then passed out on the mantle above the fireplace.


    I didn''t want to be disrespectful, but there was something incredibly cute about the small inebriated enby and the little snoring sounds they were making.


    Kelly and Keira and I each had another bottle of hard lemonade as we ate with our friends, but none of us wanted to get drunk so one each was our limit today. As the six of us ate and the seventh slept, we discussed our plans for the days ahead.


    "We have two more full days here," I said to Siobhan, "Then at dawn on the third day we''ll travel to the Duma D¨¦ so we''re there a good three or four days ahead of the meeting. So maybe tomorrow we should start focusing on what we''re bringing, and the next day we can do our packing and final planning. I think we should basically pack like we did for our trip to the other Duma? The only difference is we won''t be bringing horses on this trip."


    The captain looked thoughtful, "Without horses we''ll have to carry everything ourselves. That will limit how much we can bring."


    I pointed out, "We won''t be marching or anything like that. We can teleport from here to the meadow in the south forest, and from there we''ll be going directly to the top of the Duma D¨¦. So really the only travel we''ll be doing is carrying things down from the top of the Duma to its base, and we could do that in a couple trips."


    "I suppose," she nodded slowly. "And you want to bring a week''s worth of food and drink?"


    "At least a week. As much as we can, I guess." I sighed, "I''m hoping the king will show up around the requested date, but like Laoise said, he might drag his feet or whatever, he might be slow."


    The brunette spoke up, "Will you be returning to Earth to get more of of the drinks and syrup like Merryweather suggested?"


    I shook my head, "No. We''ll bring what we have, but we''ll also bring fae sweets and mead. It''s what the pixies there will be familiar with. I don''t actually know how they''ll react to Merryweather, since they''re from a different troop, a different Duma? Maybe they won''t be able to convince these other pixies that the Earth stuff is safe. So I figure, better to offer them local fare first. We can offer the exotic goodies afterwards, once we have their trust."


    Siobhan and Laoise both seemed satisfied with that answer, and my reasoning.


    Padraig had been listening quietly, but he finally chipped in and asked "Do you really believe the king will come in person?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. "I''m not a hundred percent sure, but I give it better than fifty-fifty odds he''ll come. He''s wanted to meet me for almost three years now, and the Duma D¨¦ are neutral locations. I think his advisors or whatever might argue about it but ultimately they''ll decide it''s not dangerous."


    I added, "Having said that I''m sure he''ll probably bring an army. He''ll definitely bring a bunch of mages with him, as a counter to me. Colm will have told him what I''m capable of, I bet the king brings a dozen mages to keep him safe."


    The others were silent for a few moments, till Siobhan asked "And what''s your plan? How will you deal with a dozen mages?"


    I shook my head and replied quietly, "My plan hasn''t changed from what I told you all back on the road. I''m going to apologize to the king, offer him a chance to back down and leave us alone. And if he refuses, I''ll destroy him."


    "What about the dozen mages?" Padraig asked. "What if he brings an army?"


    "I''ll destroy them too if I have to," I sighed.


    Siobhan asked "And what''s our job going to be through all this?"


    "All of you will be there to back me up," I explained. "Look threatening, keep your eyes open, speak up if you spot any trouble that I haven''t seen. Siobhan, Laoise, you''ve both got your bows, your swords. You''ll be ready to act if necessary. Padraig, you''ll be armed as well of course. I''d like you to continue being my standard bearer, but if we end up in an actual battle drop the damn thing and use your weapons. I know that''s not ''proper protocol'' or whatever but I don''t care. No flag is worth more than anyone''s life."


    I looked to my girlfriends and continued, "Kelly, Keira, same thing. You''ll be armed, you''ll be with me watching out for trouble. I''d also like you both to be ready with shield spells, to keep all of us safe from enemy archers. And be wary of magical attacks too, but I''ll be ontop of that myself."


    Everyone was quiet again as all that sank in.


    Siobhan broke the silence once more as she asked "Are you expecting a fight?"


    "Yes," I sighed. "I''m not expecting a battle or a war, but I''d be naive to think I can pull this off without any bloodshed at all."


    PurpleCatGirl

 130. Equivocated

    "I''m sorry mother," I sighed. "I just think the less you know about my plans the better."


    Mother frowned, "Why? What have you to gain by keeping me in the dark?"


    I shook my head, "If you knew what I was up to, it could be used against you. This way I''m keeping you and the clann out of it. This is just me, just the Vale sept doing things without your knowledge or approval."


    After a moment I added, "It''s for your own protection."


    Me and the rest of my little sept spent yesterday planning and organizing. And today the seven of us gathered up all the gear and supplies we''d need and got it all packed and ready to go. Tomorrow we''d all be up before dawn. Me and the twins would teleport the seven of us to the waypoint in the south woods, and from there I''d handle the rest of the transportation details.


    Now the twins and I were back in my parents'' private chambers for one final meal with my folks.


    As usual mom and I were sitting across from each other at either end of the table. Kelly and Keira were on either side facing each other, with Kelly to my left and Keira to my right. And my dad sat at my mom''s right, next to Kelly.


    Another excellent meal had been served, the five of us were eating as we discussed the matters at hand. Though at the moment it was mostly me and my mom doing the talking.


    She frowned at me and shook her head, "Tegan you murdered one of the king''s knights in the courtyard in full view of dozens of guards and staff. And you sent the other one home in chains with something of an ultimatum for the king. Colm will report that your father and I disobeyed direct royal orders, that we sheltered you and kept you hidden from the knights. I think there''s not much point now in trying to claim that we''re not involved."


    I sighed when she mentioned the knight. It still bothered me to think about what I did to Sir Niall. I knew it had to be done though, and he certainly made it easy for me. I also hadn''t forgotten him threatening to put my family and friends'' heads on pikes, which was a mental image I really could have done without.


    My attention returned to the present and I finally replied to my mother, "I still don''t want to say too much. We''re going to meet the king on neutral ground. I''m going to offer him a peaceful option, but I don''t think he''ll take it. After that... We''ll see how it all plays out."


    She continued frowning, then stated "I could order Siobhan to tell me what it is you''re up to. where you''re all going."


    That gave me pause as I had to stop and think what the captain might do in that case.


    After a few moments I had to admit, "That might actually work. I honestly don''t know where her loyalties lie. I don''t even know why she wanted to accompany me, so she might still regard you as outranking me in her own personal hierarchy."


    My mother gave me another worried look, "Tegan do you know how foolish that sounds? You''re about to head off into battle of some sort, and you don''t know if you can trust your captain? What of the rest of your little band? Do you know if you can trust any of them?"


    She glanced at the twins and added, "Present company excepted, of course."


    Mother focused on me again and asked "What about the pixie? You don''t know anything about their kind, you have no idea if it''s loyal to you or the king or anyone else."


    I sighed, "I know Siobhan''s loyal to the clann. And I know Padraig and Laoise are loyal. And not that I doubt Siobhan at all, but I also know she wouldn''t jeopardize her sister by betraying me. As for Merryweather, I''ve never asked. I assume they''re loyal to their troop and their family. I know they''re not loyal to the king, that''s good enough for me."


    Kelly added, "And as you already know m''lady, Keira and I are with Tegan a hundred percent."


    My dad finally spoke up, "You mentioned a peaceful option Tegan. Can you tell us about that?"


    "Yeah, I guess." I took a moment to have some juice, then answered "I''m going to apologize to him for my behaviour. For acting disrespectful and all that. If he listens, I''ll try and point out it''s a cultural thing, like I was raised with really different values and stuff? I''m also going to explain that my actions were all my own, that nothing I''ve done was approved or whatever by you two or our clann. Then I''m going to ask him to drop all the charges, to agree to leave me and Kelly and Keira alone, along with you two and all of Clann Br¨¢daigh."


    Dad listened, then commented "I can see why you don''t think the king will go for that. What if he counter-offers? Like, offers to drop the charges if you go ahead with an arranged marriage, or asks you to accompany him back to his palace?"


    I shook my head, "Not going to do it. I wouldn''t rule out ever visiting his palace but I''m not going to agree to anything right now. And I''m not interested in marrying someone I don''t know."


    After a moment I pointed out, "I get that he sort of made a concession offering me Princess ¨¢ine, but what are the odds she''s gay? If she''s straight, then forcing her to marry me is as bad as trying to force me to marry a man. I mean, I think arranged marriages are wrong regardless, but that would be even worse. He''s just using her as a pawn or whatever."


    "I''d be surprised if the king took that into consideration," my mother pointed out. "As I explained to you once Tegan, arranged marriages between noble houses are almost always about securing an heir. Forming or cementing an alliance between houses would be the other main reason of course. Offering you his daughter was a significant sacrifice on King Cathal''s part. His daughter would have been a very valuable bargaining chip he could have offered any other noble family with an unwed son."


    That brought a frown to my face and I sighed, "I guess. I mean, I get that it''s a big deal for him to make that offer? But that''s not really addressing the problem. We''re not bargaining chips. Me, ¨¢ine, and my baby sister. We''re people. We''re not pawns to be played or traded for favours or points or whatever."


    Before mom could respond I added, "And yes I know that''s ''how it is'' here or whatever. That''s the way you and the king and ¨¢ine were raised, and I''m sure that''s how you plan on raising my sister. That doesn''t make it right though. I still don''t get how you can''t see that. You got to marry for love, but you would have denied me that option."


    I hadn''t forgotten she nearly arranged my marriage to Aodhan Ceallaigh. If he hadn''t been killed as part of Aengus and Eamon''s scheming, I''d have been expected to take the guy as a husband. For a moment I wondered how much compensation Ois¨ªn would have demanded for his son after I''d got through with him.


    "And you think you''re going to change all that?" mom asked in a skeptical voice. "Even if you defeat the king, you''re not going to convince all of Otherworld to change what''s been tradition for thousands of years."


    I sighed but kept quiet on that point. Thousands of years might just mean four or five generations, but I didn''t want to get into that argument with my parents. I already knew the fae had a huge blind-spot when it came to our own history. Heck I even knew Saoirse wasn''t part of any arranged marriage. She was out there figuring out her own destiny.


    I had a feeling my mother didn''t even know that story. She''d told me a lot about Taralynn, but she''d said almost nothing about her own mother. And she''d never said a word about her own great-grandmother. I realized she might not even know Saoirse''s name, or anything else about her.


    Then it struck me, that was actually another odd thing about our family. In addition to the purple hair and me and my mom being so small, at least the last two generations never knew their grandparents. I never met Aisling, and my mother never met Taralynn. It seemed like more than just bad luck, considering fae lived so long. I started to wonder if Aisling ever knew Saoirse, or if Taralynn''s mother died before Aisling was born. I had no idea where I could find out though, if that sort of thing was written down someplace.


    "Babe?" Kelly''s voice brought me back to the dining table.


    I blinked and looked around, then blushed, "Sorry, I got lost in thought for a bit there."


    Both my girlfriends smiled, and Keira looked like she wanted to make a witty comment. My mother wasn''t looking as amused, and I think Keira knew it wasn''t a good time to make jokes so she stayed quiet.


    My mom repeated herself, "I said Tegan, it''s going to take a lot more than defeating the king to change traditions that are thousands of years old. And you know even if you do kill him you''ll still have to contend with his son."


    I sighed, "Ok nobody is talking about killing the king. That''s some kind of high treason stuff there. I don''t know where you got that idea mom but you shouldn''t say stuff like that."


    She gave me a hard look but I think she understood, I didn''t want to discuss this with her and dad. I wanted to keep them out of it and separated from it.


    Dad asked, "Will you at least tell us where you''re going?"


    I shook my head, "No. I''m sure we''ll have some long conversations afterwards, when it''s all over and we''re back home. That should be in ten days or less. Maybe two weeks at the most? I keep telling you two, I want to keep you both out of it, as far away from this stuff as possible."


    Mom just sighed and shook her head, but it seemed she''d run out of arguments.


    In an attempt to change the subject, I asked "Have you two been thinking about names yet, for my little sister? Got any ideas what you''re going to call her?"


    My parents both shook their heads as mom replied "No Tegan. I think it''s bad luck to name a child before they''re born."


    "Oh, sorry," I apologized. "On Earth I think it''s kind of a thing, like some parents spend all kinds of time thinking about names, coming up with options and stuff."


    "Assuming you survive your confrontation with the king," mom asked, "Will the three of you stay here and wait till she''s born, so you can meet your sister?"


    I thought for a few moments, then shook my head "No. That''s about a month and a half away. Once we''ve resolved things here the three of us need to return to Earth and take care of the problems there. But after that, we''ll come back. We''ll make sure we''re here for Lughnasadh, and we can come a little early. So assuming little sis is on schedule, we''ll be here to meet her."


    "Assuming that''s ok with you two?" I added, as I glanced back and forth at my girlfriends.


    Keira nodded, "Works for me."


    "Same here," Kelly agreed.


    Mother nodded, "Very well Tegan."


    That was the end of the difficult conversations, and the five of us finished our meal in relative peace. Then the twins and I bid my parents a good night, and my folks wished us all good luck for tomorrow and for our meeting with the king.


    PurpleCatGirl

 131. Established

    "Ok," I said as I looked around at my colleagues. "Everybody hold on tight. It''s my first time doing this, and I have no idea what it''s going to be like."


    Siobhan responded quietly, "No offence m''lady but that does not fill me with confidence."


    I grimaced, "Yeah, sorry. I''m sure it''ll be fine. Probably."


    We were in the meadow in the south forest, and the sun was just starting to come up behind the trees. Merryweather was on my left shoulder again, both their hands had a good grip on my hair to keep themselves steady. My other five companions were standing hand in hand with me, so we were all in a tight circle. We were all weighed down with gear, including myself.


    Siobhan and Padraig had the heaviest packs, they were each carrying a tent as well as a load of food and drinks. Padraig also had the pole with my banner tucked through his pack so the flag was sticking up above us. The twins were similarly encumbered, with packs full of more food and drink. Even Laoise and I had full packs, though hers wasn''t as heavy as the others. And mine was probably lightest of all, though I could handle heavy loads for a little while.


    We all had our own packs and weapons too of course, in addition to the camping gear and the food. If there was trouble when we arrived, it would take us a few moments to drop everything so we could fight. I''d be ready with shield spells of course so I wasn''t too worried about that.


    As soon as I felt the veil weaken I told my friends, "Hold tight, here we go." Then I cast the spell and pulled all seven of us through.


    The first part of this trip was the same as always. I used magic to pull us out between worlds through the weak spot in the veil. The meadow, garrison, and the woods around us sort of distorted, the colours shifted, and reality melted away into dazzling light and swirling colours. As I liked to describe it, it was like going into hyperspace without a ship.


    Normally I''d direct us to another point where the veil was thin and we''d be sort of ejected back out into reality again. It was hard to describe how I actually did that though. It wasn''t like navigating in the real world, it wasn''t like following a map or looking for familiar landmarks. It was more about feelings or emotions in a way. It was almost more about intuition than anything else.


    This time I was not only going somewhere completely new, I was aiming for a place where the veil wasn''t thin at all. I wasn''t looking for a natural weakness, we were going someplace where the veil was actually quite strong and naturally impenetrable. I was looking for a door. And when I found it, I opened it.


    Reality snapped back into place around us. My companions all looked a little uneasy, but Kelly and Keira looked surprised.


    "Babe that was..." Kelly''s voice trailed off.


    Keira let go of my right hand as she looked around. She finished what her sister started to say, "That was different, and we''re not dizzy or disoriented."


    The seven of us were atop one of the Duma D¨¦. At first glance it could have passed for the one we were already familiar with. We were on top of a flattened circular hill, rising alone in the middle of a flat plain. The terrain was rocky, the vegetation was sparse tufts of grass and weeds.


    We were in the centre of the Duma, and as I looked around the differences quickly became apparent. This one was larger than the one we knew. The top was at least fifty meters across, and it felt like this Duma was taller than the other. The other difference of course was there weren''t any bodies on top of this Duma. It actually looked like nobody had visited here in ages.


    Just like our two visits to the other Duma, the sky here was a thick dull grey overcast. I couldn''t remember if that was part of the legend or whatever, if Siobhan had mentioned anything about it on our first trip to confront Eileen. I was starting to think it had to be a permanent thing about the Duma. It might explain the sparse vegetation, if the weather was always overcast.


    "Let''s get moving," Siobhan stated. She indicated "We should set up camp at the base of the Duma, on the west side I think. The king''s group will be approaching from the east, that will keep us out of sight from them."


    "Agreed," I nodded and we started heading towards the west edge. "Merryweather, are you ok to approach the local troop of pixies on your own? Or would you rather have me with you?"


    They rose up off my shoulder and announced, "I will do my ambassador job, Lady Tegan. I''ll come and speak with you after I''ve made contact with the local troop."


    "Thank you," I smiled as they dissolved into a little spark of light and flew off to the north.


    We got another indication of the size difference when we reached the edge. This Duma was probably twice as high as the other. I estimated it was a good thirty meters tall. The sides had the same slope to them so it wasn''t any more challenging than a steep staircase, but it also meant the Duma overall was that much bigger. Probably two hundred meters across at the base.


    By the time we all got to the bottom both my legs were sore, though the right one was complaining loudest. We all dumped our gear and took a few moments to stretch and flex and move around. Then it was right back to work getting our camp set up.


    Like before, me and the twins would be in one tent while Siobhan, Laoise and Padraig shared the other.


    After the tents and bedrolls were ready, Padraig set up my banner so it was standing upright between the two tents, to sort of declare our little campsite as temporary Vale territory.


    Finally, I went through the packs and got our offering ready for the local pixies. I had two bottles of hard lemonade and the bottle of maple syrup for them, but first I''d offer them two wineskins full of mead and a pound of dried candied fruit I got from the castle Br¨¢daigh kitchens.


    With the work all done, Siobhan commented "I suppose now there''s nothing much to do but wait? We''ll want to post a watch, probably at the southern end of the Duma D¨¦, to keep an eye out to the east so we''ll know when the King''s party is approaching."


    I replied, "We''re not quite done yet. We still need to make friends with the local pixies, so let''s not get too relaxed until Merryweather reports back. And I''m hoping we can rely on them to let us know when the king arrives, so we don''t need to have someone standing around looking east all day long."


    Padraig and Siobhan were both still uncomfortable about getting friendly with pixies. They''d gotten used to Merryweather, more or less. I had a feeling though they weren''t keen on the idea of a bunch of pixies all hanging around us.


    Laoise seemed more relaxed about it. She was definitely more adventurous than her older sister, and she seemed ready to explore. She looked to me and asked, "Now that the work''s done, can we climb back up and have a look around the Duma?"


    "Not yet," I replied. "Like I said, I want to meet the local pixie troop first. Once we''re on good terms with them, then we can do some exploring or sight-seeing. Assuming they say it''s ok."


    "Why did you want to come here so early?" Padraig asked. "I''m not complaining, just curious. It''s another three days to go before you wanted the king to be here. That''s three days of doing nothing, assuming he''s on time."


    I replied, "Like I keep saying, I want to meet the local pixies and make friends with them. Beyond that, I wanted some time to get a feel for the place, get the lay of the land. And I wanted to make sure we were established and comfortable here when the king arrived. I didn''t want to appear here and find ourselves suddenly in the middle of things without any time to prepare."


    Siobhan seemed to approve of that, she nodded "And coming early meant we''re here first, even if by some miracle the king''s on time. As you said, it gives us time to get established and become familiar with the territory. Even though the Duma D¨¦ are neutral ground, getting here first gives us a small advantage."


    "Right," I smiled.


    In truth I had another reason for being here early. Taralynn told me what the Duma D¨¦ really were, but I didn''t have time to do anything with that information before we had to leave. I wanted a few days here so I could study the place and understand it better. I was positive I could use it to my advantage, I just needed to figure out how.


    Keira gestured towards the Duma and commented, "Looks like it''s diplomacy time."


    There were about a dozen little points of light sort of dancing down the side of the Duma towards our little camp. I hoped their relaxed movements indicated this was indeed a friendly group, rather than a small team sent to attack us. I switched my sight on just to be sure. I wasn''t really worried, but I knew it was possible the dozen visible pixies were a diversion and a thousand invisible ones could be storming down the side of the hill to wipe us out.


    Happily the coast was clear, there were no legions of invisible pixies surrounding us. The dozen or so dancing lights reached the base of the Duma and approached our camp. One of them broke off from the rest and approached me while the others held back for now.


    The point of light resolved into Merryweather, as they flitted up to hover in front of me. There was a wide smile on their small face as they announced, "I have met with the leaders of the local troop, and we are all friends."


    "That''s excellent work Merryweather," I smiled back. "Would you like to introduce us?"


    They nodded, and turned towards the group of lights still hovering at the edge of our camp. They waved and gestured for the other pixies to approach.


    The lights moved forward, as they did so they all resolved into small winged figures. I counted ten of them. Rather than buzzing around my head, they came to rest atop one of the tents, so we could all sort of face each other at eye-level.


    The group consisted of both males and females. Their ages were a mix of young and old, I''d guess the youngest were in their teens, the oldest in middle-age. I had no idea what pixie lifespans were like, but in human terms I figured the ages of this group spanned from about fourteen to mid-forties.


    The other interesting thing was they all had colourful hair. Where all the fae I''d met - other than my family - had ''normal'' human hair colours, pixie hair seemed to come in every colour of the rainbow. They all had colourful eyes too, from what I could see.


    Finally I noticed their wings. Merryweather''s wings were a dark translucent red colour, but most of the local pixies'' wings were dark translucent blue. There was one here with dark red wings like Merryweather''s, and another with dark orange wings.


    The locals were all dressed like our small friend, in colourful tunics made of what looked like fine silk. And all were armed too. Their weapons varied, some had small swords, some had little daggers, one had a miniature axe. The tiny swords were different from Merryweather''s too. They looked like the other fae swords I''d seen, sort of traditional ''knightly'' swords with a straight double-edged blade.


    Merryweather flew over to join the group of locals and to do the introductions.


    They smiled to the other pixies as they gestured back towards me and announced, "My friends, this is Lady Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh. She is the great-granddaughter of Taralynn Br¨¢daigh."


    All at once the local pixies bowed towards me.


    As they straightened up again, Merryweather looked to me. They were still smiling as they gestured towards the older male pixie next to them, and announced "Tegan, this is Hawthorn Greenleaf. He is chief of the local pixie troop, and..."


    Their smile grew wider as they finished, "King of all pixies in Otherworld."


    PurpleCatGirl

 132. Ennobled

    I stared in surprise at Merryweather for a second, then looked back at the pixie king and bowed. My companions all seemed equally shocked, but they all followed my lead and bowed as well.


    When I straightened up I said, "Your majesty, it''s an honour to meet you."


    The tiny king smiled, "The honour is ours, Lady Tegan! It''s been a very long time indeed since we had any visitors here at all, let alone one so esteemed as yourself."


    King Greenleaf looked to be in his mid-forties, in human terms. He stood just over four inches tall, maybe four and a quarter inches. His hair was a rich forest green and his eyes were yellow. He was dressed in a red tunic.


    He gestured towards the rest of the pixies with him and continued the introductions. "This beautiful creature next to me is my lovely wife, Queen Paisley. And beside her is our eldest daughter, Rosebud. Then our eldest son, Nettlesting. Our daughters Roseblossom and Petunia, our youngest son Heathgreen, and our youngest daughter Lavender."


    I noticed all the pixies he''d just introduced had dark blue wings. I figured the one with orange wings and the one with red wings weren''t part of his immediate family, as they had yet to be named.


    Paisley looked about the same age as Greenleaf, perhaps a tad older. She was slightly shorter than the king, at about four inches. Her hair was purple and her eyes were pink, and like her husband she was wearing a red tunic.


    Rosebud and Nettlesting both had red hair, she had blue eyes while his were green. She looked like she was in her late twenties, he looked mid-twenties. They were both about the same height as their mother, and both were in purple tunics.


    Roseblossom and Petunia both had pink hair, the former had yellow eyes and the latter pink eyes. Roseblossom looked to be in her early twenties and also wore a purple tunic, while Petunia looked to be eighteen or nineteen and wore blue. Roseblossom was just a tad shorter then her older siblings, while Petunia was even smaller, at only about three and a half inches tall.


    Heathgreen had green hair like the king, and pink eyes. He was another teen, maybe sixteen or seventeen I figured. He was a little taller than Petunia. Lavender had purple hair and pink eyes like her mother. She was the youngest pixie in the group, and by far the smallest. She looked about fourteen and was barely over three inches tall. Both her and Heathgreen were in blue, same as Petunia.


    King Greenleaf gestured to the remaining two pixies, "These are two of my courtiers. That is Aurora Peregrine," he gestured towards one of them.


    Peregrine had orange wings and bright orange hair, and his eyes were pink. He was dressed in a bright yellow tunic, and I''d guess his age at about mid-thirties. He was easily the tallest pixie here, at nearly four and a half inches high, and he was the one with the tiny axe.


    The last pixie was a woman in her mid-forties, and she looked rather familiar. She was the one with dark red wings. She also had metallic blue hair, and her eyes were red.


    The king gestured to her as he said, "And that is Tempest Summerwind."


    Merryweather was still standing next to the king, and looked like they were trying very hard now not to smile.


    I politely greeted each member of the tiny assemblage before me, then ran through the introductions on our side.


    I decided to be formal since I was dealing with royalty, so I used everyone''s rank and title. My girlfriends were introduced as Ladies Kelly and Keira, Knights of Cathasaigh. Then Captain Siobhan, Lieutenant Laoise, and Sergeant Padraig. I knew he was a corporal for the clann, but I decided to promote him for my sept.


    "And of course you''ve already met our ambassador, Tempest Merryweather," I finished with a smile. I glanced at Summerwind and added, "Something tells me you already know Merryweather quite well, ma''am."


    The small courtier gave the tiny enby a very fierce glare, then she looked back at me and replied with a slight smile of her own, "Oh I know them very well indeed. I also know they''ll have an awful lot of explaining to do very shortly, m''lady."


    Merryweather blushed and cringed then flitted over to land on my shoulder, as if they thought they''d be safer with me.


    There was a bit of an awkward silence on both groups, then I said "King Greenleaf, we have brought some gifts for you and your troop, as a gesture of goodwill."


    Kelly and Keira took the cue and quickly gathered up our offerings.


    "Your majesty," Kelly said as she stepped forward and bowed. "We''ve brought you two skins full of mead."


    Keira approached and bowed as well and added, "And a pound of candied fruit."


    Greenleaf grinned, as did some of his children. The small king said "Your gifts are most appreciated. Young Merryweather mentioned you''ve also brought us some rather exotic offerings from much further afield?"


    "Indeed we have," I responded with a smile. I quickly grabbed the three bottles, and held them up as I said "Two bottles of an alcoholic beverage we call hard lemonade. And one bottle of maple syrup. It''s not really a beverage, but it can be taken as one."


    "Excellent!" he announced with a wide smile. The king turned and looked up towards the top of the Duma as he made a gesture, and suddenly we were swarmed by hundreds of small dancing lights. The wineskins, the bundle of candied fruits, and the three bottles all quickly disappeared.


    Even with my sight on it was hard to follow them, but each gift was taken by at least a dozen pixies. Everything became invisible as the pixies hauled their treasure back up towards the top of the Duma.


    Both Siobhan and Padraig kept very, very still during that experience. Laoise was fairly relaxed around Merryweather but even she was a little nervous at the sudden invasion of pixies. In fact both Kelly and Keira looked a little jumpy too, while they were surrounded and relieved of their offerings.


    King Greenleaf looked to me and said "Now we will take our leave for a time, Lady Tegan. We will speak with you again, perhaps this evening. If not then, in the morning certainly."


    His children took flight first, blurring into points of light as they headed back up the Duma. The king added, "You and your party have the run of the Duma D¨¦, as long as you''re respectful of the Duma and its legends."


    "Thank you," I replied as he and his wife took flight.


    Peregrine followed, leaving only Summerwind behind. She gave Merryweather another hard stare and stated, "I''ll see you atop the Duma in one hour!"


    With that she flew off as well, and both Siobhan and Padraig let out deep sighs of relief. I almost worried they''d been holding their breath all that time.


    Then there was another sigh of relief from my left shoulder as my little ambassador relaxed.


    I looked at the pixie on my shoulder and asked in a slightly stern voice, "So Merryweather. I take it you knew all along we''d encounter the king of the pixies here? And if I''m not mistaken your mother is one of his courtiers?"


    They blushed but nodded, "I''m sorry I had to keep that from you, Lady Tegan. We don''t speak of such things to outsiders, so I had to get permission from the king before I knew it would be ok to tell you."


    Kelly asked, "Merryweather did you come all this way with us just so you could visit your mom?"


    Their blush grew brighter and they replied, "No! I mean, that''s not the only reason. I mean it sounded like you were going to have a grand adventure or something and I thought I could tag along... And since I knew Lady Tegan was going to be coming this way, it also seemed like a good opportunity to come see her."


    "All right," I said with a smile. "Apology accepted. Are you going to be in a lot of trouble? Your mom sounded a little cross with you."


    They shook their head, "I''ll get a big lecture and she''ll threaten to ground me for a year or two, but there''s not much she can do while she''s here and I''m with you. Just don''t leave me behind here when you''re all done, and I''ll be fine."


    "If your mother is a courtier, does that mean she''s nobility?" Kelly asked our small friend. "Are you nobility?"


    Merryweather blushed again and admitted, "Yeah, my parents are I guess. My father is chief of our troop. I''m not a noble though, I''m the youngest of five kids so it''s not like I''ll inherit a title or anything."


    They actually sounded relieved about that, though I had a feeling they''d still be considered pixie nobility. And suddenly I was wondering about the non-binary equivalent of ''lord'' or ''lady''. I hoped someone else would ask before it came up.


    Laoise spoke up next with a different question, "If I may, how would your mother get here from your home Duma? Did she fly all this way herself?"


    "Oh Gods no!" Merryweather seemed shocked at the suggestion. "She came here the same way we did. There''s pixie mages just like fae mages. They can cross worlds and they know the secret of travel between the Duma D¨¦."


    Keira nodded, "Speaking of travel between the Duma, I was wondering about that."


    She looked at me and asked, "Any other time you''ve taken us through the veil we''ve come out dizzy and disoriented. This time there was none of that. It also felt really different how we arrived here, compared to arriving anywhere else."


    I nodded slightly, "Like Merryweather said, travel between the Duma D¨¦ involves secrets. So I can''t really say much more about it."


    Both twins frowned and Kelly commented, "You''ve been keeping a lot of secrets lately babe. Now we''re here and we''ve made friends with the locals, I hope you''ll start sharing a few more details with us."


    "Sorry," I apologized. "I mean that to all of you, by the way. Sorry for keeping some things from you. And I still can''t reveal everything yet. Not that I don''t trust you but I honestly don''t know what stuff I''m allowed to discuss and what I''m not. I have a feeling it''s all going to come out in the end, but until then I''d rather be safe than sorry."


    Siobhan just nodded, "We understand Lady Tegan. And I understand why you wanted to confront the king here. The Duma D¨¦ are neutral ground after all, and legends say they''re places where kings and Gods once met. It''s a perfectly auspicious location for your meeting."


    "Why''s this one so much bigger than the other one?" Padraig asked. "I assumed the Duma D¨¦ were all the same."


    "Me too," Laoise said.


    I actually thought that as well, finding out this one was so much bigger was a surprise to me too.


    "This is the royal Duma D¨¦," Merryweather stated.


    Keira asked, "It''s the biggest because King Greenleaf lives here? Or King Greenleaf lives here because it''s the biggest?"


    The pixie clarified, "The pixie king holds court here because it''s the royal Duma. The fae king''s palace and court is also near this Duma because it is the royal Duma. The Duma D¨¦ were here first, the pixie kings and fae kings came here because it''s the royal Duma."


    Siobhan sounded a little wary as she asked, "What makes this Duma D¨¦ royal then? Is it simply because it''s the biggest?"


    "None of the other Duma D¨¦ are associated with any God in particular," Merryweather explained. "But this one is. It''s said to be the home of the king and queen of the Gods. This Duma D¨¦ is said to be home to The Dagda and The Morrigan."


    From the looks on my companion''s faces, I could tell Siobhan and Laoise both knew those names. Padraig and the twins did not. And while I knew the names from my research, I certainly had no idea we''d be coming to their own personal Duma.


    Finding out this Duma D¨¦ was perhaps my great-great-grandfather''s home, and that of his jealous wife, actually topped meeting the pixie king on my list of unexpected surprises.


    I hoped that would be the last shock for a while.


    PurpleCatGirl

 133. Elaborated

    "You know babe, in all our trips to Otherworld over the years we''ve never met anyone else with purple hair? I mean, other than your mom. Then yesterday we met Queen Paisley and Princess Lavender, two pixies with purple hair."


    "So?" I asked as I turned to look at Kelly. She and Keira and I were standing at the top of the Duma, at the centre of the circular plateau.


    It was around noon of our second day here, and so far things had gone almost perfectly. King Greenleaf and the local pixies were friendly, they absolutely loved the gifts we brought them, and they agreed to inform us if they saw any other fae approaching. The seven of us were welcome to explore the Duma as long as we stayed respectful of the place, and today we were doing just that.


    Siobhan, Laoise, and Padraig were atop the Duma with me and the twins, though we weren''t all in a group together. Padraig was by himself near the edge of the plateau to the north-west. As far as I knew he was just enjoying the view as he sort of wandered slowly along the perimeter.


    The captain and her sister were together, they were sitting on the ground at the edge of the plateau facing south. I wasn''t sure if they were enjoying the view or if there was something else they were up to. I wouldn''t pry but I almost wondered if this was a spiritual experience for them. Although it may have been something as simple as facing south since that''s the direction of home.


    Merryweather wasn''t up here with us because I''d ordered that at least one of us had to remain with our camp. I didn''t really have a good reason for it, but it felt like the right thing to do and nobody questioned me. For today our pixie ambassador stayed with the camp to do guard duty.


    They weren''t alone though, Princess Petunia turned up in camp to visit. As the rest of us started climbing up the Duma I could hear the two pixies talking as they sat side-by-side atop one of the tents. It might have been nothing, but of all Greenleaf''s children Petunia was closest in age to Merryweather.


    Kelly continued, "I asked Merryweather this morning, they said purple is a fairly common hair colour among pixies. Their own dad has purple hair, apparently. They also said pixies'' hair comes in all sorts of different colours. But ''normal'' fae hair colours like blonde, brown, black, are almost unheard of in pixies."


    I frowned, "Ok? Where are you going with this?"


    She smiled, "I''m just saying, it''s another piece of evidence towards my ''Tegan is part pixie'' theory. You''re tiny, you like sweets, you have pixie-hair..."


    Keira grinned and added "You know cutie, even your eyes are a little pixie-like. That aqua-blue shade is kind of unusual among fae, but I bet it fits right in among the pixies."


    I was blushing hard by that point, and half-muttered "I''m sure there must be a clann rule about not bullying your sept-leader."


    Both twins giggled, then they leaned in and kissed me on the cheeks.


    Kelly added, "Sorry babe. You know I''m just teasing."


    "I''m pretty sure there isn''t any way for a fae and a pixie to uh, you know." Keira said with a smile. "I mean, just from a physics or mechanical point of view, never mind the biology. On the other hand, there''s magic so who knows?"


    Kelly and I both rolled our eyes. I was about to respond when I suddenly felt a lurch in my stomach. Ever since my second meeting with Taralynn I''d been wondering where our purple hair came from. And why my mother and I were so small.


    I knew Taralynn''s father was a God, and her gift for magic came from him but as far as I could tell none of her looks came from him. As Ruad Rofhessa he was described as having red hair. She might have got her height from him, she was as tall as the twins, but Aisling was a few inches shorter, and my mom and I were tiny by comparison.


    Suddenly I couldn''t shake the idea that somehow a pixie was involved between the god and Saoirse. It hit me Kelly could actually be right, Maybe I really was part-pixie.


    "Hey babe?" Kelly said. She sounded concerned now. "Are you ok? You know we''re just teasing, right? I didn''t mean to upset you."


    I realized my face had gone pale, but I tried to laugh it off with them. I grinned and asked, "And what if I was part-pixie? Would your love for me be diminished?"


    "Not at all," she replied, then gave me another kiss.


    Keira gave me a sly smile and asked "Does that mean there''s a tiny little secret in your family history? If there is I think you need to share. You''re keeping enough secrets as it is."


    I knew she was still teasing but I got serious again. "I''m sorry I''m still keeping secrets from you both. Like I said yesterday though, I don''t know what I''m allowed to share. Taralynn told me things, and some of them she was clear I had to keep secret. Other things, not so much."


    "We understand babe," Kelly replied. "We want to help, but we can''t really do much when we don''t know what you''re up to."


    "I know," I sighed. "Like I told you and the others a few days ago back at the castle, I''ll be relying on you two for shield spells, and to keep an eye out for trouble when we''re facing the king."


    I added, "When it comes down to it and I''m actually challenging the king, I have to do that alone. And until he gets here, I''m afraid it''s going to be pretty boring for all of you."


    Keira asked, "Boring for us, but not for you?"


    I nodded, "Yes. I need to study the Duma, I need to understand it better."


    She frowned, "What do you mean, understand it?"


    "It''s the legends," I replied. "Places become legendary for a reason. I need to figure that out, I need to understand it. That''s all I can say right now though. I''m sorry."


    "Ok babe," Kelly said. "I''m sure you''ll have an easier time studying it without me and Keira distracting you. We''ll leave you to it."


    I gave them both a warm smile, "Thanks Kelly, thanks Keira."


    They each gave me another kiss, then the two of them walked off to the eastern side of the plateau while I stayed in the centre.


    Alone now, I sat down on the ground and switched on my sight and my magical sense. To start with I stared down at the Duma, as if staring harder might somehow let me see inside it, or let me see its magical workings. That didn''t really get me anywhere though.


    Next I tried just staring at the air around me, and up into the sky above me. I let my eyes go unfocused and tried to pay more attention to my magical sense, but I still couldn''t find what I was looking for.


    Finally I lay down and stretched out flat on my back in the middle of the Duma. I closed my eyes and just let my mind start to wander while I kept my magical sense active. I suppose it was sort of like a combination of meditation and magic. I wasn''t even sure what I was looking for exactly. It was one of those situations where I assumed I''d know it when I saw it, but until then I couldn''t even begin to identify it.


    I quickly lost track of time, but I probably didn''t doze off. I have no idea how long it took, but when it happened it sort of happened all at once. Like those hidden-image pictures where you have to stare at them just right before the image reveals itself, the Duma kept its secrets until I inspected it from just the right angle. Then the information was suddenly revealed to me.


    For just a brief moment it felt like a shock of energy going through me, like my body had been connected to a high-voltage line. Rather than being painful or destructive though, it was invigorating, energizing.


    I quickly pulled my mind back from it and a smile formed on my lips. I sat up, then got to my feet.


    Taralynn told me what the Duma D¨¦ were, and now I understood how they worked. And with that knowledge, I was already putting together a plan that I knew the king would not be able to counter.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The seven of us were back in our camp, watching as Laoise prepared dinner. We had fresh food for another day or so, then it would be back to the salted preserved meats.


    Merryweather still didn''t eat with us, but they sat with us while we ate. I didn''t actually know what pixies ate, and it seemed like there wasn''t much around here to hunt. Kelly was gently teasing the tiny enby about spending the day with Princess Petunia instead of guarding the camp.


    "I wasn''t ignoring the camp," they protested. They had a deep blush as they said "I did both! I can talk and keep watch at the same time!"


    I smiled, "She''s just teasing you Merryweather. Don''t let her get to you. She was teasing me earlier, I suppose it''s your turn now."


    They were still blushing, but before they could respond Siobhan spoke up. "Heads up. Might be trouble."


    We all looked, in time to see two points of light coming down the hill at high speed. They streaked into our camp and through, then sort of twisted around and back into the camp then finally resolved into a pair of pixies.


    "Hello Nettlesting, Petunia," I greeted them. "Is something wrong?"


    They both hovered in the air in front of me. Prince Nettlesting faced me, while his sister looked around till she spotted Merryweather then smiled at them.


    "Lady Tegan, my father asked me to inform you that we have spied six riders approaching from the east on horseback."


    All of us were on alert with that news. Siobhan got to her feet, "I''ll go around the Duma and check them out. Six on horseback wouldn''t include the king, but it could be a scouting party."


    "Thank you Nettlesting," I told the pixie, then nodded to Siobhan "Please be careful and don''t go too far."


    Their news delivered, the two local pixies started flying back up the Duma. Merryweather watched them go with a wistful look on their face.


    The captain took her bow with her as she moved quickly and quietly away from us. She set off heading south around the Duma while the rest of us stayed in camp and we quickly lost sight of her.


    There was a tension in the air now. The smiles and relaxed attitudes were gone, things were potentially about to get serious.


    Laoise continued cooking dinner, but I could see she was worried for her sister.


    About a half hour later the food was ready and Laoise started serving it up. She kept a portion warm for her sister of course. We all just started eating when Merryweather announced, "There''s Captain Siobhan."


    The tall blonde captain looked fine, and she wasn''t moving in any hurry as she made her way back to the camp. Her expression was hard to decipher. About the only thing I was confident about was something happened.


    "I kept dinner warm for you," Laoise said as Siobhan rejoined us.


    "Thanks," she replied, then she addressed me. "They were six knights of the realm scouting ahead of the king. Three are setting up camp on the west side of the Duma, the other three have turned to ride back to report back to the king. They said King Cathal and his retinue will arrive in four or five days."


    Laoise scoffed, "Late, just like I said."


    "Thank you Siobhan," I replied. "You spoke with them?"


    She nodded, "Three were riding around the Duma, they were looking for our camp. I intercepted them and we exchanged words."


    I thanked her again, then commented "At least we know the king is coming. And now we know when we can expect him."


    The others agreed quietly.


    "We''ll need to stay on guard now," Siobhan pointed out. "With three knights camped on the other side of the Duma we can assume we''re being watched. They may have other plans too."


    "I''ll talk to our friends," Merryweather said as they fluttered up into the air. "The knights might be watching us, but pixies are definitely watching them."


    With that, they blurred into invisibility as they raced up towards the top of the Duma.


    PurpleCatGirl

 134. Embattled

    Despite Siobhan''s concerns, the knights didn''t cause us any problems. They were here to keep an eye on us, but that just meant twice a day one or two of them came riding around the Duma to look at us, then they turned around and rode back to their camp.


    Apparently they were just keeping an eye on our numbers, to make sure we didn''t have more reserves showing up while we waited. We also found out they were confused by our lack of horses. They assumed we must have rode here with friends who then led the horses away again. The knights speculated that was so we didn''t have to spend time looking after horses, and didn''t need to have food and water here for them.


    We got all this information courtesy the pixies of course. Their small size combined with being able to fly and turn invisible meant they were excellent spies. They could just fly into the knights'' camp and hang around for hours at a time listening to everything the men said to each other.


    Whenever the local pixies had news for us it was delivered by one of King Greenleaf''s children. Usually one of the older ones. I wasn''t sure but I found it hard to believe the king let his children do the actual spying. I assumed he was sending them to deliver the reports rather than a soldier or whatever, as a sign of respect.


    And regardless which of his children actually delivered the news, Petunia almost always accompanied them. She rarely spoke but was always there to exchange looks and smiles with Merryweather. The two of them were adorably awkward and I was positive they both thought they were being completely discreet and keeping their little ''affair'' secret.


    The latest news was delivered by the eldest daughter Rosebud, who arrived in the evening while Laoise was preparing our dinner. The pixie princess looked and sounded serious as she gave us the latest update, while her younger sister hovered nearby making eyes at our enby ambassador.


    "The knights haven''t spoken of any specific numbers, but they were overheard discussing the column that is approaching in the company of their king," Rosebud told us. "They made mention of an army of mounted soldiers, and they believe this army will have numbers to overwhelm any reinforcements you have waiting nearby. They also indicated the king has several powerful mages with him, and they believe the mages will be able to neutralize any magical advantage you might have."


    She added, "The conversation came up in context of the men placing wagers with each other on the outcome of the encounter. In the end no wagers were placed, they all believe you and your friends will be quickly defeated."


    "Thank you Rosebud," I replied. "That''s good to know."


    The red-haired pixie looked confused, "It''s good? Why is that good?"


    I smiled, "If they''re all convinced of an easy victory, they''ll be more relaxed. They won''t be as careful or cautious."


    "I see," she was still frowning slightly. Then she bid us all a good evening. She and her sister retreated back up the Duma as Laoise served up dinner.


    So we weren''t too worried about the trio of knights on the far side of the Duma, and we were confident the local pixies would warn us when the king or his army arrived.


    Still, we knew better than to relax or lower our guard. We mostly kept to our own camp, and if we did leave we went in groups of two or three.


    Siobhan and Laoise made a point of going up onto the Duma together every day. They''d go up there for an hour or so, and I came to the conclusion they were praying. I figured Siobhan didn''t want to say anything because it was personal and private, which was fine with me.


    I went up each day as well, accompanied by Kelly and Keira. I was still examining the Duma. Despite my breakthrough on our second day here, it felt like I still had more to learn about the place and its magical interactions.


    And to be honest, I did a little praying of my own. I thanked Taralynn for her guidance and the information she gave me. And I prayed to The Dagda and The Morrigan, to thank them for letting us visit their home. I also apologized to them in advance for what I was planning on doing. There weren''t any answers to my prayers, which was perhaps for the best. I really wasn''t looking for any divine encounters.


    Kelly and Keira and I were atop the Duma again at about mid-day. We''d been here almost a week and the king was due any day now, and the three of us were anxious. We were standing in the middle of the plateau as usual and I''d just started to do my ''meditation'' when Keira said "Pixies incoming."


    I opened my eyes in time to see three sparks of light moving to us at speed. They resolved into Nettlesting Heathgreen and Lavender. The two younger siblings had wide eyes and looked nervous. Nettlesting was frowning and looked uneasy.


    "Lady Tegan, an army approaches from the east."


    I took a deep breath then said "Thank you Nettlesting. Would you mind informing my friends, and ask them to join us up here?"


    He replied, "Of course."


    I thanked him again as he and his younger siblings took off to the west. I got to my feet and said to my girlfriends, "Let''s go take a look."


    Kelly and Keira were both anxious, and so was I. The three of us walked slowly towards the eastern edge of the plateau. We didn''t go right to the edge, we just moved near enough to get a look.


    "Oh shit," Keira whispered softly. "They weren''t kidding."


    ''Army'' was no exaggeration. I didn''t know the military terms, but a phalanx or whatever of mounted soldiers was approaching. The lines were formed of ten soldiers across, and they were at least twenty lines deep, so a minimum of two hundred soldiers on horseback. From what I could see they were armed with spears, I saw bows slung over their shoulders. And I could see swords on the ones in the front row.


    Among the forest of raised spears, about a dozen of them had pennants flying. I assumed they were the king''s standard, they depicted a red dragon on its hind legs, inside a white circle, on a gold background.


    Behind the army we could see a couple horse-drawn carriages, which I figured probably held the king and whatever other important people he was bringing. Each carriage had that same pennant flying from a pole at the front.


    Beyond that were several horse-drawn wagons, then even more people on horseback. They were too far back to tell if they were soldiers or servants or whatever.


    That was maybe the most awesome detail in fact. The king brought so many people with him, we had trouble seeing the folks at the back of the column because they were so far away from the front of the column.


    I heard footfalls and turned in time to see Siobhan Laoise and Padraig arrive. All three were breathing hard, they''d come running once Nettlesting contacted them. Merryweather was there too, they buzzed in and landed on my shoulder.


    The seven of us stood there and watched as the king''s army arrived.


    The mounted soldiers sort of broke up into groups of ten and spread out around the plain, while the three carriages came to a stop in the middle. We could now see there were a dozen wagons, each fully loaded with supplies.


    We continued to watch quietly as the enemy started setting up their camp. They all moved with precision, everyone seemed to know what to do.


    Three rather large tents were quickly set up in the middle of the site, then a dozen medium-sized tents were set up around them. Towards the back of the site a few more large tents started going up. The wagons and carriages were moved about as gear was unloaded, then pulled back out of the way.


    "Each unit of ten troops will have one sergeant in charge and one corporal as second," Siobhan explained as we watched. "There''ll be two or three officers in charge of the whole army. The units will all camp together, probably two tents, five men in a tent. They''re already organizing themselves to form a protective perimeter around the whole site."


    The captain continued, "The three largest tents in the middle will house the king and whatever courtiers he''s brought. The dozen big tents around that will be for the officers and any other VIPs. His mages I suppose."


    Laoise added, "Those tents towards the back will probably be kitchens and mess tents for the troops. The bearers and servants will be housed in there too."


    I asked, "Would they have done this every night? It''s a wonder they got here at all, never mind being a few days late."


    Siobhan smiled "I doubt they did all this every night. The king and the important people would have had fancy sleeping arrangements each night, and the soldiers would have set up like they''re doing. But the bearers and servants would have slept under the wagons or under the stars, they wouldn''t have bothered with kitchen and mess tents. Each unit of troops would have been responsible for their own meals while travelling. All this is because they''re here and expect to stay a few days, I think."


    Padraig looked a little pale as he remarked, "There''s over two hundred soldiers, and another fifty servants and bearers. Another dozen officers, and probably a dozen mages and nobles, a half dozen knights..."


    "So probably close to three hundred of them in total," Laoise said in a half-whisper.


    Kelly looked at me and said, "Against just seven of us."


    I turned and looked at my companions, then gave them all a little smile. "Sounds about even."


    Kelly and Keira both rolled their eyes, and Keira asked "Didn''t you say something to Rosebud about overconfidence?"


    "Yeah good point," I blushed. "I don''t know if it''d make you all feel better or worse though, knowing how nervous I really am."


    From the looks on their faces, I figured that revelation didn''t really improve their mood after all.


    "Someone''s coming," Merryweather pointed out.


    Sure enough a half dozen fae had left their camp and were heading towards the Duma. They were on foot, and from what I could tell four of them were soldiers. I wasn''t sure if the other two were mages or courtiers or whatever.


    Siobhan said, "They''re probably coming to initiate contact and establish terms of the engagement. So when the king wants to meet you, that sort of thing."


    Still, we were all on alert as the six fae ascended the slope. I had us all move back towards the centre of the plateau so we were out of sight from the large encampment.


    When the group of six reached the top they continued to approach us. I let out an unhappy sigh as I recognized one of them. I didn''t know the other five. Four were definitely soldiers, they wore chain armour and carried longbows. They had swords and daggers hanging from their belts. The one I recognized was Sir Colm, who just kept turning up everywhere.


    The sixth was an attractive woman. She was tall, maybe an inch shorter than Kelly and Keira. Her hair was a rich golden blonde and was styled in a single long ponytail. She was dressed in travel-gear, but it was rather fancy. Leather pants, leather jacket, boots. What her clothes revealed of her figure suggested she was strong and athletic. There was a sword at her left hip and a knife at her right hip.


    I figured she was a knight, her outfit wasn''t that different from Colm''s. She was a lot younger than him though, so probably a junior knight or maybe she was his apprentice or something. I''d guess her age at about two hundred, or in human terms she''d be in her early twenties.


    The group came to a halt about five meters away from where my companions and I were standing. The soldiers looked wary, Sir Colm looked at me with thinly-veiled hatred, and the blonde woman just sort of studied me and my friends for a few moments.


    Finally the blonde fixed her eyes on me and announced, "Lady Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh, I am Princess ¨¢ine. My father will meet you here on this spot tomorrow at mid-day."


    She paused just a moment then added, "A word of warning, Lady Tegan. My father is very displeased with you, and very unhappy to have been dragged all this way to see you. And he can be quite vindictive when he doesn''t get his way. He will dictate terms of your surrender. Unless you are prepared for a violent and bloody war, I do suggest you accept his terms."


    It took me a few seconds to get over my surprise, she was nothing like I imagined a fae princess would be. I finally nodded, "Thank you Princess ¨¢ine. We will be here at mid-day tomorrow."


    The princess watched me for another moment or two, then turned away. She and her guards headed back towards their camp. Colm glared at me for another second or so before he followed the princess.


    PurpleCatGirl

 135. Expected

    "So are you having second thoughts about not marrying the princess?" Keira asked with a grin. "You had a kind of funny look on your face when she introduced herself, cutie."


    I blushed slightly but shook my head, "I was surprised, that''s all. I wasn''t expecting a fae princess to show up in travel gear and wearing a sword at her hip."


    "You met a bunch of princesses and a queen last week," Merryweather pointed out, "And half of them were wearing swords. The other half had daggers."


    My blush got a little deeper and I admitted "Ok, good point. I still wasn''t expecting Princess ¨¢ine to look like that though."


    Kelly asked, "What were you expecting, babe?"


    The seven of us were back in our camp again. The local pixie troop were keeping an eye on the huge encampment on the other side of the Duma, and I had no doubt they were sending spies in to snoop on the king and his retinue.


    I wasn''t sure if they''d actually formally approach the king, or if anyone on the king''s side would think to reach out to the pixies with some sort of offering or whatever. I still trusted King Greenleaf and his troop of course, especially knowing Merryweather''s mother was here. I figured in the worst-case scenario if the local pixies got a better offer or were otherwise encouraged to stop helping us, Summerwind would warn her child. And I was confident Merryweather would tell us.


    I finally looked at Kelly and replied, "I suppose I expected a storybook princess? I figured she''d be raised to be a prim and proper ''lady''. I thought she''d always wear huge fancy gowns with a dozen petticoats, she''d have a dozen maids and whatever. I certainly wasn''t expecting her to look like a knight. In fact I didn''t think she''d be here at all, I figured she''d be too sheltered and precious to bring on a trip like this."


    Siobhan commented, "To be fair that''s not an inaccurate description of many noble daughters. I wouldn''t have been surprised if ¨¢ine matched your expectations. On the other hand, not all fae maidens are quite so docile and easily manipulated. She may well have decided she didn''t like being a pawn any more than you do, Lady Tegan. Perhaps she insisted on entering military service as a way of empowering herself."


    That thought left me quiet for a few moments. I finally admitted, "Maybe I should have got to know her after all. Maybe I would have liked her."


    I sighed and added, "Still, it wasn''t that I flat out refused. It was about timing. I just needed a few years on Earth to wrap things up. If the king hadn''t been so impatient, we wouldn''t be here doing this now."


    "We get it babe," Kelly said as she put an arm around my shoulders. "You probably could have been more tactful dealing with the king, and he definitely could have been more patient with you."


    Keira added, "I bet Colm didn''t help either. Like when you declined the king''s first invitation? That prick probably didn''t make things any easier when he relayed your words to the king. Like he could have embellished or embroidered your refusal any way he wanted, if he wanted to make you look bad."


    "I know," I sighed again. "I''ve lost count how many times I''ve thought about that. I really should have written up a letter or something, so Colm couldn''t twist my words. If I''d sent a polite letter and explained everything right from the start, this all might have turned out very differently."


    "Water under the bridge," Kelly said as she pulled me a little closer. "So tomorrow the king''s going to dictate terms to you. And you have a little speech you want to deliver to him. Then I suppose things are going to get violent."


    "Maybe," I replied quietly. "I mean, it''s a long-shot but maybe he''ll back down. Or maybe his terms will be something relaxed and fair that we can all live with."


    Padraig quietly pointed out, "The princess said the king was really vindictive. I kind of doubt that means his terms will be very nice."


    We were all quiet again after that. I knew Padraig was right. The king and I would each say our spiel, neither of us were likely to back down, then things would get ugly and there would probably be some lives lost. I just hoped none of the losses would be on our side. I hoped there wouldn''t be too many deaths at all, in fact.


    "I wonder if Prince Odhran is here too," Keira said, breaking the silence. "I mean, if the princess came along, I''d expect the prince would too."


    Siobhan commented, "Possibly. If the king thought there was any actual danger here, I doubt he''d bring his primary heir along. If he expects an easy victory though, then it would make sense that he''d bring both his children. He''d want them to see him make an example of you."


    After a moment she added, "And depending how vindictive and angry he is, it''s possible he''s going to retract the offer of his daughter and go back to insisting you wed his son."


    I scowled, then shrugged. "Needless to say that''s not going to happen."


    As it got towards dinner time, Laoise started preparing our meal. It was boiled salted meat and rice again as usual. It almost made me want to confront the king tonight just so we could get it over with and go home. I really wanted proper food again. At least I had mead to drink, I didn''t have to drink the sour wine the other fae liked.


    My mind wandered a bit as I let myself daydream. After our victory here we''d return home to castle Br¨¢daigh. My mom could declare a feast, there''d be a big party. Then me and my girlfriends would go back to Earth where we could enjoy another feast of our own, with hard lemonade and sushi.


    Then I''d have to go deal with the human cops and the twins would want to go out east and confront Kaitlyn.


    I really hoped that worked out ok. Sue would never speak to me again if the twins did anything to the kid.


    I knew it was a delicate situation but Susan loved her step-sister, and I was reasonably sure Kaitlyn wasn''t really up to anything evil. Maybe I was naive about the whole thing, but I kind of believed what she said. She just wanted to be able to look out for Sue and her girlfriend, and she couldn''t do that as a small weak human girl. As a small weak fae girl though, she could.


    "Babe?" Kelly asked, shaking me from my thoughts. "You went a little quiet there. Everything ok?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. "I was just thinking about what we have to do next. Like, after we''re finished here."


    I gave her and Keira a smile, "We can return to the castle in triumph and maybe get my mom to organize a feast? Then the three of us can head back to Earth and treat ourselves to some sushi and hard lemonade."


    My smile faded as I continued, "Then I have to go deal with the humans. The cops, whatever other authorities have been getting into our business. And I know you two want to go out east to see Kaitlyn."


    Keira asked, "Have you decided how you''ll handle the authorities on Earth?"


    "Not yet," I sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, I''m actually thinking mind-magic might be the best option. Just force them to cancel the investigation and forget about us. That might be the least-disruptive option."


    Kelly and Keira exchanged a glance, then Kelly asked "What other options are you considering?"


    I shrugged, "I could try and scare them off. Give them a magical demonstration they can''t ignore? I don''t know if that''s worth the effort though. If they managed to rationalize me using a paralysis spell on them and teleporting away in plain view, they could probably come up with an explanation for anything else too."


    Keira frowned, "How about a temporary transformation spell? I''d like to see them explain that away."


    Kelly pointed out, "When it was over they could decide it was an hallucination or something? Maybe hypnosis- or drug-induced delusions. If they''re that desperate to believe magic isn''t real, they could probably come up with an explanation for anything, no matter how ridiculous."


    "Then forget the temporary part, make it permanent." Keira stated with a shrug.


    I pointed out "In that case why not just kill them? Turning them into something different enough to scare them and leaving them that way forever? That isn''t about scaring them off anymore, it''s about ending their current lives. Either way though there''s still two missing cops, and their colleagues will come looking."


    The rest of our group had been quiet while the three of us discussed our Earth situation, but Siobhan spoke up now. "We have guests coming."


    She nodded towards the Duma, where two pixies were coming down the slope towards us. Probably bringing more news.


    The points of light entered our camp and resolved into Greenleaf''s oldest children, Rosebud and Nettlesting. It was the first time in days that Petunia hadn''t come along to make eyes at Merryweather.


    I greeted them both, and asked "Have you come with more news for us?"


    Rosebud nodded, "Yes Lady Tegan. Our spies have been visiting King Cathal''s camp throughout the afternoon, and have been collecting information about the fae king''s plans."


    She continued, "When he ascends the Duma tomorrow for your meeting, he will be accompanied by many of his warriors and mages."


    Nettlesting took over, "Prince Odhran will be at the king''s side. Eight powerful fae mage nobles will be present to protect the king and prince from your magic. And a dozen knights including Princess ¨¢ine will be armed with bows and positioned atop the Duma, to counter your own knights and soldiers."


    Rosebud concluded with a sigh, "Once the meeting has begun, four units of mounted troops will be deployed from the camp. Two will circle north, two to the south. They will surround your camp here and eliminate anyone left here on guard detail. Our father believes the fae king intends a slaughter. Our spies have not been able to confirm whether or not you are meant to be taken alive, Lady Tegan. But we suspect none of your companions are expected to survive the day."


    I nodded slowly, "Thank you Rosebud, Nettlesting. I appreciate the information, and the warning."


    The pixie princess asked, "My father wishes to know if you would like to borrow any of his troops? He would be prepared to loan you some warriors, in return for certain favours."


    That brought a slight smile to my lips. "I appreciate the offer, but that won''t be necessary. Could you please let King Greenleaf know, I''m grateful for his help and his offer, but I have to do this alone. Further, I think it would be safest for everyone in his troop to remain hidden tomorrow during the confrontation. There is likely to be deadly magic in the air, and it would upset me greatly if any of his people were accidentally harmed in the crossfire."


    "Very well Lady Tegan, I will pass that along." Rosebud and her brother started back towards the Duma together. She paused long enough to add, "Good luck to you all."


    Then the two of them blurred into points of light as they dashed back up the slope.


    With the pixies gone, Siobhan looked at me and commented "I''m not terribly surprised by any of that news. It makes sense he''d want to crush any opposition, any hint of treason or sedition."


    Laoise asked, "Does this change your plan at all?"


    "No," I shook my head. "When we ascend the Duma tomorrow for the meeting, we''ll go early. We''ll all go together. Don''t leave anything in the camp that''s of personal importance to you. We can leave the tents, bedrolls, pots and pans, even the food. But take your personal things. Consider anything we leave here tomorrow as abandoned and lost, we won''t be returning to camp either way."


    I glanced at Padraig and added, "You''ll be carrying my pennant up the Duma tomorrow, and hold it high when we meet the king."


    "Yes m''lady," he replied. He was wearing a brave smile, but I was sure he was nervous.


    I had a feeling none of us would sleep well tonight. None of my friends knew exactly what I had planned, they were just going on faith and hope that I knew what I was doing.


    And while I knew what my plan was, even I didn''t know for sure how things would turn out tomorrow.


    PurpleCatGirl

 136. Exhorted

    "Merryweather, may I ask you a personal question?"


    The pixie looked up at me with a wary expression but nodded, "Yes Lady Tegan, what is it?"


    "How old are you?"


    Merryweather blushed slightly and grimaced, then finally set their shoulders and held their head high as they replied "I am forty-one years old."


    I nodded slightly and took a drink of my mead then asked, "Would you tell me at what age are pixies considered to be adults?"


    They blushed a little brighter but replied quietly "Forty."


    "Thank you Merryweather," I said before I took another deep drink of mead.


    It was morning now and we were finishing up our last breakfast here. As I expected, none of us slept well last night. We were all tense, and I''m sure everyone was thinking about the confrontation that awaited us.


    The pixie drained their own little glass of mead and asked, "Why did you want to know my age?"


    I shrugged slightly, "I remembered you said you were the youngest in your family, and I was worried you might still be a child. If you were, I''d have ordered you to join your mother and stay hidden with the local pixie troop, rather than risk your life with us."


    They looked a little surprised as they stared at me, then finally just nodded slowly "I see."


    Once everyone was finished eating, I suggested "We all may as well bring wineskins with us. Incase we get thirsty up there, or need a drink afterwards."


    The others were all silent as we finished getting ready. There were three skins of mead left and I brought all three, I figured Merryweather and I could share one, and I''d give the other two to Greenleaf. After the others each took a full skin of wine there were a half dozen left, but Siobhan took her knife to them.


    She must have caught my questioning look, and explained "We already know our camp is going to be overrun. No sense leaving them a gift of wine."


    "Right," I nodded.


    We all got our personal packs on our backs. Merryweather was seated on my left shoulder again, and together we ascended the Duma D¨¦ one last time.


    No-one else was atop the Duma yet, we were probably an hour early. I led the others to the centre of the plateau.


    Siobhan slipped her pack off and left it on the ground a few paces behind her then suggested the rest of us do the same. "If this is where we''re making our stand, no point trying to fight with extra gear weighing us down."


    We all followed her lead and left our packs on the ground behind us, then took up positions facing east as we waited for the King.


    Kelly stood about a pace behind me and to my left, Keira was a pace behind me to the right. Laoise stood to Kelly''s left, and Siobhan was next to her sister at the far end. Padraig stood to the right of Keira.


    The twins had their bows in hand, arrows set. So did Siobhan, while Laoise had her crossbow loaded and ready. Padraig and I both had our bows as well, but tucked over our shoulders. He was holding my standard up, and of course I was going to use magic. I had the shield spell on the tip of my tongue again, but the spell I was reviewing in my mind was something else entirely. I was planning on doing the impossible and breaking things as usual.


    With that in mind, I mentioned to my companions "Just a heads-up friends, I''m planning on doing some unusual stuff with magic. Kelly, Keira, I know I asked you two to be ready with shield spells, but maybe don''t worry about that so much. That goes for the rest of you. It might be better to just focus on using your bows, leave the magic to me."


    I got a few curious glances from my sept, but nobody questioned me. There were a few nods, and Keira said "Ok Tegan."


    Merryweather asked quietly, "Where should I go? What should I do?"


    "Could you take a position with Padraig? Perhaps you can sit or stand atop the pole with my banner, and keep watch from there for any trouble. If you see anything, let us know."


    "Yes Lady Tegan," they replied, then flew over to join Padraig.


    As we waited, I said to my companions "If ¨¢ine is present, try not to hurt her. I''m hoping she''ll take over from her father when this is over."


    "What about the prince?" Keira asked. "And Colm?"


    I replied, "Leave the prince to me. If Colm is present and this turns into a battle, then do what you have to."


    After a moment I added, "Actually if this turns into a battle, anyone on the other side is fair game except ¨¢ine. And I''d prefer the king and prince were left to me."


    My companions murmured their acknowledgement, then we were all quiet again as we waited.


    After about twenty minutes, Merryweather appeared hovering in the air before me. Their wings were buzzing and they looked agitated, as they spoke quickly. "Sorry I got bored and went scouting and they''re coming now!"


    "Thanks Merryweather," I replied. "Get in position, and maybe go invisible for now."


    The pixie nodded and vanished as they flew in Padraig''s direction.


    A few moments later the first of the king''s people came into view over the edge of the Duma. The first group was a dozen archers. Sir Colm was at the far left, Princess ¨¢ine was at the far right. The two men standing next to the princess were dressed like Colm, I figured they were both knights of the realm. The remaining men were outfitted like soldiers. All of them held bows in hand with arrows set and ready, and they all had swords at their belts, along with daggers and their quivers of arrows.


    Half a minute after the archers were in position, two more groups came into view. About three or four meters to the left of the archers were a group of four men. Then three or four meters further left of them was another group, of five men.


    These men were all slightly older, in the six-hundred to eight-hundred range, or fifty to sixty in human terms. Some of them were in fancy clothes with swords at their hips, others wore long robes. Three of them held staffs. I figured this was the group of mages. Eight of them had their eyes on me, and I had no doubt they had defensive anti-magic spells ready.


    I couldn''t tell if the ninth one was looking at me or not, he was in a cloak and had the hood up so his face was hidden. He stood at the far left, leaning against his staff as he faced towards my sept.


    Finally two more men came into view. They stepped into the gap between the two groups of mages. The one with the crown was obviously King Cathal, and the younger man next to him had to be Prince Odhran.


    The king was about seven hundred and fifty, or in human terms he looked to be in his late-fifties. He was a tall, slim man with short dark hair. I figured he was at least six feet tall, and looked like he kept in shape. He was clean-shaved, and the clothes he wore looked fancy without being too ostentatious. He was armed, with both a sword and dagger hanging from his belt. The crown on his brow wasn''t gaudy, it was a fairly simple gold circlet with some bejewelled ornamentation around the top at regular intervals.


    I wondered if I''d get a chance to take a closer look at it later, to see how it was made. I was curious to know how the gems were set and if the crown was made from a single piece of gold or if it was multiple parts welded together.


    Prince Odhran was a much less impressive figure. He was a few inches shorter than his dad, he wasn''t as fit, and his clothes were more gaudy and pompous. I knew he was around three hundred and fifty, to a human he''d look to be in his late twenties. He had slightly messy light brown hair. Like his father he had a sword at his belt. And like his sister, he was also holding a bow and had an arrow set on the string. But where ¨¢ine actually looked like a warrior, Odhran looked like a rich man''s son who liked to play soldier.


    There was about twenty meters of space between our group and theirs. It was a little far for any kind of comfortable conversation, but it was a good range for archery or magical combat.


    We all sort of stared at each other for another minute or two, before I decided to go first. I took a few deep breaths then raised my voice and began my little speech.


    "King Cathal, I apologize for the disrespect I have shown you. As you know I was raised on Earth as a changeling, and my knowledge of fae customs and protocols is lacking. I don''t wish to fight you, and as you can see I did not bring an army. All I want is to live my life in peace. I came here to ask your forgiveness, and to ask that you drop all charges against myself, my friends, and my family. I ask you absolve my family and clann of any blame, as my actions have always been my own. And I ask that you allow me to continue living my life in peace."


    I paused a moment, then added "I know you''re unhappy that I asked to meet you here. This meeting was not my choice either. I wanted to remain at my own home, as I''m sure you wanted to stay at your palace. Let''s both agree to leave each other in peace."


    The king seemed unimpressed by what I had to say. Prince Odhran looked even less impressed. The prince scowled as he and his father exchanged some quiet words, then the king took a deep breath and called out his terms to me.


    "Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh, I offer you one chance to surrender. You and your fellow traitors lay down your weapons and submit yourselves to my rightful orders. If you refuse, if you resist, you will all die. Not just the six of you, but your entire clann. I will see your mother and father put to the sword. Any fae with the name Br¨¢daigh or Vale will be executed. Your clann will be destroyed, all its territory will be seized."


    He paused for breath then stated, "Make your choice carefully Tegan Vale. It is not just your life which hangs in the balance, but the lives of everyone you know, every Br¨¢daigh in Otherworld."


    As he spoke I felt my blood turn cold, as my first reaction was fear for my family and friends and our entire clann. Then I relaxed again, as my fear gave way to my own cold resolve. Whatever happened here today, I wasn''t going to lose sleep over it afterwards. Whatever I had to do to the king or anyone else here, it would be self defence. I was looking out for myself, and my clann.


    Siobhan remarked quietly, "He didn''t use your title. That was a deliberate snub."


    "I noticed that too," I replied quietly.


    It was time for me to put my plan into action. I knew we weren''t going to resolve anything with talk, so the next step was an overwhelming demonstration of magic.


    "Well?" the king demanded, "Time is running out, child. Surrender, or I give the order and your entire clann dies!"


    I called back, "King Cathal, surely you''ve already been told what I''m capable of?"


    The king''s expression darkened, "I''ve heard the stories. I think you''ll find I''m a lot harder to impress. You''ll also find it a lot more challenging when you''re facing eight of the top mages in the realm."


    "We''ll see," I stated. My eyes flared brightly with magic as I unleashed the spell I''d been working on for the past week.


    Eight of the nine mages standing with the king deployed their anti-magic defences, but their defensive spells were all wasted. My magic didn''t target the king, or the prince. In fact it didn''t target anyone at all. Instead, it was directed downwards, into the royal Duma D¨¦ beneath my feet.


    A very slight shudder passed through the air. Kelly and Keira noticed it immediately, as did Laoise. All but one of the mages standing with the king looked alarmed. So did the king, and about half of the archers, including Colm and ¨¢ine.


    I couldn''t see them, but I knew the army camped on the plain below and the troops who''d gone around the Duma to our camp would feel it too.


    The king looked at me and demanded, "What did you do?!"


    I had a hard time acting calm. My heart was racing and my body was almost trembling. I hoped if anyone noticed they''d attribute it to fear or nerves. I took a few breaths and forced myself to sound calm as I replied, "I''ve just taken away the magic, your majesty."


    I saw his mages and the other magic-sensitive fae grow more agitated. Kelly and Keira both looked at me as well, they were almost as uneasy as the enemy.


    "Across the entire Duma?" the king called back. He was trying not to sound too shocked, but I could see in his eyes he was worried.


    "No," I responded. In as confident a voice as I could muster, I stated "I''ve taken away the magic in all of Otherworld!"


    PurpleCatGirl

 137. Eclipsed

    Almost everyone on the Duma looked anxious. There were murmurs among the king''s mages, and his archers. My companions stayed quiet but they looked a lot more uneasy now too.


    "Impossible!" the king shouted at me. "You''re but one fae, you can''t control the magic of the entire world!"


    I was still having trouble staying calm. My heart felt like it was going to burst the way it was racing, and I clenched my hands into fists to stop them from shaking. I glanced downwards and my eyes widened as I realized there were a dozen or so small pebbles levitating up off the ground around my feet. They were only floating a few inches up, and I hoped nobody else noticed them.


    After a few more deep breaths I looked back at the king and replied, "Oh but I can, thanks to the Duma. They''re connected you see, all the Duma D¨¦ in Otherworld. They''re part of the living force of the world. They connect Otherworld to all other worlds, and they''re the source of all our magic. And I''ve just taken that away."


    I watched them fret as I continued, "No magic, no spells. No crossing worlds, no teleporting. No magic to grow crops or guide the weather. No magic for war, no magic for healing."


    The king and his mages looked more and more upset as I spoke. Finally the king gestured and both groups of mages surrounded him as they all started to talk in hushed voices. Only one mage stayed put, the one with the hood hiding his features remained at the far left.


    While the others were convening with the king, that hooded mage moved a few paces further away from the others then stopped again. He seemed to be just watching me as he stood there leaning against his staff. I figured he was on magical guard duty or something, keeping an eye on me while the others were busy consulting with the king.


    I looked back at the king and his mages again. From their slightly frantic expressions, I assumed they were trying to figure out exactly what I''d done and whether or not they could undo it. Or maybe they were debating whether killing me would restore the magic or leave it gone forever.


    "Babe," Kelly asked nervously. "You know without magic, we''re pretty badly outnumbered?"


    "I know," I replied. I was trying to speak quietly but my voice wavered as I continued, "I''m hoping to scare them into cooperation."


    Keira asked, "And if you can''t? If they decide to attack without magic?"


    I glanced around at my companions, then said in a half-whisper "The demonstration isn''t over yet. But just in case, be ready to fight."


    Merryweather flitted up to me on my right and apologized "I cannot become invisible without magic, Lady Tegan. Without magic I''m not much help at all I''m afraid."


    My voice wavered more as I said, "I''m sorry. I didn''t consider how this would affect you and the other pixies. Perhaps just stay with Keir-"


    The tiny enby suddenly vanished as I was speaking, and appeared standing on Keira''s shoulder.


    "Uh yeah, that''s perfect." I said with a slight grimace.


    Merryweather looked startled as they glanced back at me. "Ok... I''ll just stay here then."


    Twenty meters away the king finally concluded his little conference with his mages. They moved back to their positions, four to the right and four on the left. That last mage remained on his own, further away to the left of the others.


    The king called to me, "Can you reverse this?"


    I was clenching and unclenching my hands now, and trying hard not to let the rest of my body shake or tremble. I could feel and hear quiet little snaps and crackles like static electricity coming off my fingertips, and there were more little stones starting to rise up from the ground around me.


    I called back, "Of course. Will you leave me alone? Will you drop all the charges against my family and friends, and swear to absolve my clann and leave them all in peace?"


    His expression shifted to a glare, he obviously didn''t like that I had this advantage. He and Odhran exchanged some more angry words.


    From their perch on Keira''s shoulder, Merryweather said quietly "Lady Tegan? There are three crows circling overhead."


    That wasn''t good news. I glanced up in time to see them all swoop down. They settled at the southern edge of the plateau, the three of them seemed to be just watching. Their position was about even between our side and the king''s. I hoped that meant they weren''t choosing sides, that maybe they were just here to watch.


    While I was looking at the crows to the south, Siobhan said softly "One of the mages is on the move, possibly to flank us on the left."


    It was the one who''d left the group earlier. His hood was still up and he was slowly moving further left away from the king and the other mages. He seemed to be heading to the north-most point of the plateau. I glanced back to the south, where the three crows were still resting.


    Apart from Merryweather and Siobhan, I wasn''t sure if anyone else even noticed the crows or the hooded man. Or if they did, maybe they didn''t understand the significance. For now I tried not to let them distract me from my plan.


    I did my best to keep my voice low and calm as I replied to Siobhan, "Ignore him. I''m pretty sure he''s not part of this."


    My attention was drawn back to the king again as he shouted, "You forget yourself child! Without magic you''re helpless. We may not be able to cast spells, but I still have an army behind me!"


    I finally allowed myself to smile, though it might have been a grimace. The energy was burning within me and I wasn''t sure I could contain it or hide it much longer.


    My smile grew wider as I shouted back at him, "Oh I''m sorry! You assumed because the rest of Otherworld is without magic, that I can''t access it either. But that''s not how it works. See, I took away the magic, but it had to go somewhere!"


    The first time we met, Taralynn told me I would one day eclipse her. That day was today. I just hoped what I was about to say wouldn''t get me in trouble with my great-great-grandfather or his wife.


    I took another deep breath and announced loudly, "It''s all flowing into me, Cathal! In a world without magic I''m not helpless. I''m a fucking goddess!"


    My eyes flared like the sun as I thrust my right fist upwards and let the magic out. The power punched upwards and the low grey overcast that had shrouded the Duma for millennia was blasted away. But instead of the plateau being flooded with sunlight, it actually went dark as the sun itself seemed to blink out. The sky overhead turned black and the only light came from the stars twinkling above us.


    Not that I actually removed the sun or anything like that. It was still there, just hidden behind a truly epic illusion. Nobody else knew that though, and I figured taking away all the magic then taking away the sun was probably enough to convince every fae alive not to mess with Tegan Vale.


    While everyone else was stunned into complete silence, I was actually able to relax a little. The spell I used on the Duma actually changed the way they worked. Instead of diffusing power out into the world, they were all just pumping it directly into me. So rather than struggling to maintain control over the Duma, I''d been struggling to control the enormous amount of magical energy that was flooding into me.


    I had no idea what that may have done to my body, but I figured the fact that I was still alive meant it wasn''t too bad. And with a large chunk of that power now being diverted upwards and out into space to keep the sun hidden, I was able to focus on other things. Like keeping us all safe.


    Not that anyone else knew it, but if the king or his men did manage to kill me right now it wouldn''t set the world right. I was almost sorry I wouldn''t get to see the look on their faces if that happened. Of course the Gods would likely intervene at some point and reverse my spells, but until then all of Otherworld would probably be freaking out.


    I was about to say the next part of my little speech when Prince Odhran suddenly stepped forward. He raised his bow as he shouted, "Let''s see if a couple holes in you will release the magic!"


    He loosed his arrow while I still had my right fist raised to the sky. He probably thought I was distracted, or that I couldn''t do two things at once.


    His arrow shattered when it struck my shield, and I let my right arm drop down by my side.


    I fixed a cold glare on him and stated "Odhran, that''s the second time you''ve tried to kill me. I still have the scars from your first attempt."


    The prince was scrambling to set another arrow on his string, while the archers took that as their cue as well. They all raised and drew their bows, which prompted my group to do likewise. Padraig didn''t bother with his bow yet, he just held my pennant high and trusted me to keep us all safe.


    Behind Odhran the king muttered a quiet command, I was pretty sure he was telling his son to stand down. Whatever Cathal said, the prince ignored it. His eyes were still on me as he drew his bow and took aim.


    Not that his second arrow would have any more success than his first, but I decided not to let him try again. It was time to spill some blood.


    I gestured at him and released another spell. I''d never used this one before, but I knew it was deadly. And with all the magic in the world flowing through me, it came out a little stronger than I''d expected.


    The entire plateau lit up brighter than the midday sun as Odhran''s body was consumed in a blinding incandescent glow. It only lasted a second, then the Duma was in darkness again. The king and his mages stumbled back a few paces from the light and heat, blinking and staring. All that remained of the prince was a small scattering of ash resting in a circle of blackened ground and next to the puddle of molten iron that was his sword.


    Then one of the mages caught my attention. He raised his staff and had it pointed at us as he attempted to cast a spell. I realized he might have some charged crystals with him, or perhaps his staff itself contained a reserve of power. Either way he didn''t stand a chance.


    My hand was still raised after eliminating the prince, I gestured towards the mage and released another spell. The result was similar to what I''d done to Sir Niall, but more.


    Rather than countless streaks of darkness, it was like a black cloud of death condensed out of the air as it contracted inwards on him from all angles, faster than the eye could follow. The guy with the staff and the other three mages next to him were instantly reduced to a thin red stain soaking into the rocky ground.


    Colm and ¨¢ine and the other archers didn''t wait for orders, they released a volley of arrows, and my companions responded in kind. A dozen arrows shattered before they reached us, while three arrows and one crossbow bolt all struck Sir Colm simultaneously. The knight was probably dead before he hit the ground.


    If the situation weren''t so serious I might have laughed. Apparently everybody hated him.


    ¨¢ine and the remaining archers quickly set fresh arrows on their strings, as did my girlfriends and Siobhan. Laoise reloaded her crossbow as quick as she could, but she was slower than the others.


    Then Merryweather shouted "Behind us!" as they took off from Keira''s shoulder. They drew their sword and dissolved into a point of light as they flitted back towards the western edge of the Duma D¨¦.


    I turned in time to see about twenty soldiers had just come up the Duma from our camp. They had bows ready, and obviously meant to strike at us while we faced the king. Our pixie friend couldn''t turn invisible or fly very fast without magic, but they''d rushed off alone to attack and distract the approaching soldiers.


    "Padraig," I ordered as I raised a second shield behind us, "Help them."


    He dropped my banner and grabbed his bow as he turned to face the group behind us. Keira and Laoise also turned to face the new threat. A moment later all three fired back at the soldiers behind us. Siobhan and Kelly continued facing the group before us.


    There was one more volley of arrows from both sides to which my companions responded in kind, before the fighting stopped. The enemy finally realized they couldn''t harm us, while they were all sitting ducks. The king looked like he was still in shock from the loss of his son, the surviving mages were more or less helpless, and neither archers or soldiers could touch us.


    It felt like the conflict was all but over. I just needed them to surrender.


    I fixed my eyes on the blonde archer and called, "Princess ¨¢ine, will you stand down and discuss terms?"


    She gave me a surprised look and responded, "Why are you asking me? My father''s the one in charge."


    I looked to the north then to the south, hoping for some feedback from the divine spectators.


    To my left, the cloaked man had let his hood down. I saw the face of a tall, handsome man with red hair and a red beard. He was watching me, and I saw a glint of amusement in his bright blue eyes as the corners of his lips twitched slightly upwards.


    To my right the crows were gone, and in their place stood a tall slim woman. She had long flowing black hair and was dressed in a black gown or robe. Her dark eyes were on me as well, but her expression didn''t suggest anger or disapproval. She didn''t look amused either, she just looked interested. Our eyes met and I felt a chill go down my spine. She gave me one very slight nodd of her head though.


    My attention returned to the princess and I shook my head, "Not any more. I may spare his life, but Cathal is no longer king of Otherworld."


    "What?!" Cathal roared angrily. He drew his sword and stalked towards me. He took a breath to shout something else, but his words were cut off by my spell.


    His body was engulfed in swirling light. A second later the light faded and he was gone. All that remained were his clothes in a pile on the ground, with his sword and his crown laying atop them.


    "Queen ¨¢ine," I called to her again. "I ask you to stand down so we may discuss terms."


    She looked to where her brother had been, then at her father''s clothes for a few moments. Finally she glanced up at the dark sky overhead, before her eyes returned to me. ¨¢ine replied, "Lady Tegan Vale of Clann Br¨¢daigh, I submit. I am ready to hear your terms."


    PurpleCatGirl

 138. Enthroned

    I watched as the four surviving mages turned and left the Duma, followed by all but two of the archers. The surviving soldiers behind us cleared the plateau as well, they went back down the west slope towards our camp where they left their horses. They''d all been dismissed and ordered back to their camp by their new queen.


    Soon enough the only ones left on the Duma were me and my sept, and Queen ¨¢ine and two of her knights.


    The two observers had also vanished at some point. When I looked to the north there was no sign of the druid. And to the south there was no trace of the woman in black, or her crows.


    I glanced around once more and took a quick tally. Six soldiers lay dead behind us. Four died by arrow, one by crossbow bolt, and the sixth had his throat cut. In front of us, Colm and three archers had also been dispatched by my friends. Odhran and four mages died by my own hand. And for now Cathal''s fate was known only to me.


    Thinking about Eileen''s men at the other Duma, I didn''t want this one to be littered with bodies for eternity. There wasn''t much left of Odhran and the mages, but the other bodies were intact. I focused on the six dead soldiers behind us, and Colm and the three fallen archers in front of us and cast another spell. The bodies all crumbled to dust.


    Merryweather returned to my left shoulder, I was relieved to see they appeared unharmed. And Padraig once again held my pennant high.


    ¨¢ine moved to where her father last stood and picked up the crown and the sword. She tucked her father''s sword into her belt next to her own, but hesitated to put the crown on her head. She wound up just holding it for now, as she and her two knights approached to within a few paces of me then stopped.


    There was one last thing I wanted to do before I let go of the world''s magic. After using it to threaten and kill, I wanted to do something positive with it.


    I turned to face Laoise and told her, "Just relax a moment," before I cast some divine-level healing magic on her right arm.


    Both she and Siobhan gasped slightly as the spell enveloped the brunette''s arm in a soft pink glow.


    With that done, I glanced downwards and reversed my spell on the Duma. There was another little shudder through the air. The clouds immediately reformed overhead and the light returned to the sky. As the power rushed out of me I was left with a pounding headache and a wave of nausea passed through me, but I fought to keep my discomfort hidden for now.


    ¨¢ine and her two knights along with all of my companions seemed relieved when both magic and sunlight returned to to world.


    The queen bowed her head and asked, "Lady Tegan, what are your terms?"


    I swallowed a few times then replied, "Queen ¨¢ine, my terms are simple. As I said to your father, I want to be left alone. I want the charges against me and my companions dropped. I want my family and my clann to be absolved of any wrongdoing. And finally, your father had agents on Earth stirring up trouble for me and my family and friends there. Please call them off."


    I finished, "In short, I just want to live my life in peace. That''s all I ever wanted."


    ¨¢ine was quiet for a few moments as if she was considering my requests. Finally she replied, "I accept your terms Lady Tegan. All charges will be dropped. You, your friends, your family, and your clann are absolved of any wrongdoing. And I will see that any agents my father had on Earth are recalled."


    "Thank you your majesty." I wasn''t sure what else to say, and I might have smiled knowing the whole thing was over but I didn''t want to jinx it. And I was still dealing with that headache.


    The young queen glanced back at the large red stain where four of her father''s mages once stood, and commented with a slight smile "I would have had a request for you, but you''ve already saved me the trouble."


    I wasn''t sure what to make of that. ¨¢ine must have seen the confusion in my expression and added "It''s nothing. Just a little court intrigue, a personal vendetta."


    "Ok," I said. I didn''t really know what else to say about that. I added, "It seems your brother took personal offence when I refused to marry him. I hope you aren''t as offended that I refused your hand as well. Where I''m from, arranged marriages simply aren''t acceptable."


    To my surprise ¨¢ine''s eyes sort of flicked up and down over me as if she was checking me out. I couldn''t decipher her expression, but I almost thought she looked amused as she replied "Not offended. Perhaps a little disappointed though. If my choices were between you and some overbearing entitled son of a duke, I think you''d have been the more interesting option."


    She glanced at Kelly and Keira standing to either side of me and added, "Arranged marriages aside, I can see you''re already taken."


    Once again I didn''t know how to respond to her, but I blamed that on the headache that was still throbbing just behind my eyes.


    Queen ¨¢ine spoke up once more before I could say anything, "Before I take my leave, I have a question Lady Tegan."


    "What''s that?"


    She asked, "What became of my father?"


    I considered for a moment, but in the end I decided not to tell her. Not yet anyways.


    "I promise he''s still alive, and I''ll try to ensure he''s treated fairly. But he will never be in a position to try and reclaim the throne. The crown and the throne belong to you, your majesty."


    ¨¢ine nodded slightly, "Very well. I believe that is all of our business concluded? I hope we''ll meet again Lady Tegan, and I hope next time it will be under much more... Pleasant circumstances."


    "Me too," I agreed.


    With that, the queen and her knights turned and walked back to the east, to descend the Duma and return to their camp.


    Once they were gone, it was just my sept and I atop the Duma. I moved to my pack and got out one of the skins of mead. I opened it and poured some into the cap and offered it to Merryweather then I took a swig from the skin. My head was still pounding and I was just about ready to collapse.


    My companions followed my example and enjoyed a bit of wine. Kelly looked at me and asked quietly "Hey babe, what did you do with the king?"


    After another mouthful of mead I replied, "He''s still here. He''s probably just hiding out of embarrassment or fear."


    I moved towards the pile of clothes on the ground and said, "Cathal, I know you''re in there. I suggest you plead with the local troop leader for asylum. Or if they won''t accept you here, there''s some guests visiting from other Duma, they might be persuaded to take you in."


    Merryweather was still perched on my left shoulder drinking mead, but they burst into laughter. "You didn''t! Did you?"


    "I did," I replied with a grin. "Why don''t you see if you can help him out, maybe he''s stuck?"


    They giggled as they flitted down from my shoulder, "My pleasure Lady Tegan!"


    The others followed and were now all standing around watching as Merryweather dug through the king''s clothes.


    After a half minute they announced, "Found him!"


    Another four-inch-tall figure slowly emerged from the clothes next to Merryweather. The former king was naked and blushing brightly. He was still recognizable as Cathal, but there were a few differences beyond his size. His eyes had become bright green, and his hair was bubble-gum pink. His wings were pink too, but a slightly darker shade than his hair.


    Merryweather flew back up to settle on my shoulder again as the plateau suddenly came alive with dancing lights. Cathal stayed half hidden in his clothes. He hadn''t said a word, and he looked very nervous as we were all surrounded by pixies.


    Four of the dancing lights came up in front of me and resolved into Greenleaf, Paisley, Rosebud and Nettlesting. At the same time a dozen pixies encircled Cathal.


    King Greenleaf was grinning widely as he said, "A most impressive display, Lady Tegan! Fae and pixies alike will be talking about that performance a thousand years from now!"


    I blushed, but smiled. I fished the two remaining skins of mead out of my pack and offered them, "A parting gift for you and your troop. I won''t ask you to take Cathal in, but I do ask you to consider it."


    Greenleaf motioned and the skins were taken from me, while the small king replied "He will be given a fair chance to earn his place here. If he''s unsuccessful, I''ll send him on to another Duma, another troop."


    "Thank you," I bowed my head again. "And thanks once more for your hospitality and your help. I''m sure we''ll meet again, King Greenleaf."


    "I hope so," he smiled back. Then he and the other pixies blurred into points of light and moments later they were gone. Cathal was gone too, vanished with the rest of them.


    My friends and I were alone once more.


    I looked around at them and said "I''m ready to head back to the castle now. I could use a drink, a nice meal, and a long sleep in a comfortable bed."


    There were nods of agreement all round, but Siobhan asked "May I have a few minutes here Lady Tegan, before we depart?"


    "Of course," I replied.


    The captain quietly walked away from our group, she moved to the north part of the plateau. Laoise followed, and the two of them wound up standing together not far from where the druid had been.


    I was certain now that they were both praying, and I figured that''s what they''d been doing here all along. I suspected that might have been why Siobhan volunteered to accompany me in the first place. And I had a feeling she must have realized who was standing there watching earlier.


    Once the two sisters were finished they returned to where the rest of us were waiting.


    "Thank you m''lady," Siobhan said. "Laoise and I are ready to leave."


    We gathered up our packs and got ready to go, then I looked to my shoulder again and asked "Merryweather are you coming back to castle Br¨¢daigh with us? Or do you want to remain here with your mom?"


    Keira added with a smile, "Or do you want to stay here with Princess Petunia?"


    The pixie''s cheeks went bright red but they shook their head, "I will return with you, Lady Tegan. I am your ambassador after all, and an honorary member of your sept like you said."


    "All right," I smiled. "Everyone gather round and hold tight. I''m pretty sure this will be a smooth trip, but you never know."


    My girlfriends and companions formed into a tight circle as we all held hands, and Merryweather got a firm grip on my hair. Rather than forcing my way out through a weakness in the veil, I simply opened the ''door'' and we all slipped through with ease. Returning to reality wasn''t as easy, but a moment later the seven of us were standing together in the meadow in the forest south of castle Br¨¢daigh.


    My companions were dizzy and disoriented again. Kelly and Keira weren''t as affected as the others though, and I wondered if they were starting to get used to travelling with me like that. The travel didn''t affect me, but my head was still throbbing from before and another wave of nausea passed through me.


    "Babe are you ok?" Kelly asked. "You don''t look so good."


    Keira added, "She''s right, you look a little pale."


    "I''m fine," I replied. "It''s just a headache. I''ll be fine after some rest."


    My girlfriends remained concerned as we teleported the lot of us back to the castle courtyard. Several Br¨¢daigh soldiers and servants moved to greet us and welcome us back. They were all very jumpy though and I worried something else had gone wrong.


    With another wave of nausea I decided food could wait. All I really wanted was to get to my room and collapse on my big comfy bed, but instead we all followed Captain Gaelen into the study.


    "Lady Maeve is on her way," he told us. "She wishes to speak with you."


    Merryweather flitted from my shoulder to the mantle over the fireplace for now, as I started pulling off my weapons and my backpack. The others followed my lead, though we all kept our swords and knives with us just incase there was more trouble awaiting.


    As I dumped my quiver of arrows on the floor next to my pack and bow I heard an indignant little "Oof!" sound from inside.


    We all turned to stare at my quiver, while Merryweather''s cheeks went red and they quietly said "Uh-oh."


    A moment later a pink-haired, pink-eyed, blue-winged pixie emerged from my quiver. She straightened her tunic then looked wide-eyed around the room. When she spotted Merryweather she grinned and flew up to join them on the mantle.


    I stared at Petunia for a moment, then face-palmed. I couldn''t help worry that Greenleaf was going to accuse me of kidnapping his daughter. At the same time the throbbing in my head got even worse, and I felt one more wave of nausea.


    Before I could react to any of that, my mom arrived.


    She shuffled in and took a seat as she demanded, "Tegan what in the world have you been up to?! All the magic vanished and the day turned to night! People thought it was the end of the world!"


    I turned around to look at her, but the room continued to spin as the floor came up to greet me. There were some distant sounds of voices as the day seemed to turn to night once more, then everything went black and silent.


    PurpleCatGirl

 139. Expounded

    I slowly drifted awake and took a deep breath. My eyes opened a crack and I smiled as I let out a contented sigh.


    Kelly and Keira were cuddled up on either side of me. We were in our huge bed in our room in the castle. Our bed was warm and comfy, sunshine was pouring in through the windows, things seemed quiet and peaceful. My headache was gone, and apart from being really hungry I felt pretty good.


    Still, I knew I was in for another lecture or two once my girlfriends woke up. I''d already endured one in my sleep, delivered by my great-grandmother.


    I also knew at some point I''d have to talk with my mom. I had a feeling there''d be a lot of questions I''d be expected to answer. For now, I just relaxed and enjoyed the peace and quiet as I cuddled with the gorgeous redheads on either side of me.


    That lasted another ten or twelve minutes, then Kelly started to wake first. She stirred, her eyes fluttered open, and as soon as she realized I was awake and smiling at her she gave me a smack on the arm.


    "Ow!" I protested. "What was that for?"


    Kelly kissed me then stated "You had us so worried!"


    Before I could respond I got a smack on the other arm, followed by a kiss from Keira.


    "Nobody knew what was wrong with you!" she said with a frown. "Muireann couldn''t figure it out, she said it had something to do with your aura being messed up."


    "Sorry," I pouted as I rubbed both my arms. "I didn''t mean to scare everyone. I didn''t know I was going to pass out or whatever. But I''m fine, I probably just needed a bit of rest after all the stress and everything yesterday."


    "Yesterday?" Kelly gave me a look. "Babe you''ve been out cold for three days!"


    My eyes widened and I cringed a bit. "Oh. Sorry. I''m fine though, so don''t worry."


    They both exchanged a glance then Kelly asked, "So do you know what happened to you? Why''d you black out? How do you know you''re ok now?"


    I rolled my eyes, "Ok, so apparently I''m ''not a goddess'' after all, and channelling the entire world''s magic through me was a ''foolish dangerous stunt'' and I''m ''not allowed'' to do it anymore."


    The twins both frowned and Kelly asked, "What do you mean, not allowed? Who''s not allowing you?"


    "While I was unconscious I wound up back at the smaller Duma D¨¦ and Taralynn gave me a big lecture," I explained. "But I''m pretty sure at least half the stuff she was telling me came straight from her father."


    They both looked confused as Keira asked, "Who''s her father?"


    I blushed slightly and replied, "He''s called The Dagda."


    "Who?" Keira asked, looking even more confused.


    My blush grew a little brighter and I replied quietly, "He''s um, the king of the Gods..."


    Kelly and Keira both responded in stereo as they demanded "What?!"


    I cringed, "Yeah. It''s a long story."


    "Then you better start talking babe," Kelly stated.


    Keira added, "You can''t just drop that on us and expect us to let it go!"


    I sighed, "Can we get breakfast first? I''m starving."


    Kelly got out of bed and tugged the bell cord, then when a maid responded she asked her to bring us breakfast.


    As we waited, Keira and I got up as well and the three of us put on nightshirts for now. We wound up sitting at the table together as I started relaying the story about Saoirse, and her pilgrimage to Duma D¨¦.


    I paused for a minute or two when breakfast was brought in, then after the maid left again I continued talking as we ate.


    Kelly and Keira both listened quietly as I told them about Saoirse''s encounter with Ruad Rofhessa, and how that was one of The Dagda''s names or guises or whatever. Finally I told them how Saoirse was expecting a son to save the clann but was surprised to have a daughter instead. And how she named the girl Taralynn as a reference to the ''hill'' where the girl was conceived, and to the father being from the stars or the heavens.


    I finished off saying, "He was there at the royal Duma when we confronted the king. Merryweather said that Duma was ''home'' to both The Dagda and The Morrigan, both of them were there watching."


    Keira looked surprised, "They were? How do you know?"


    "I saw them," I replied. "The Dagda was the tall druid-looking ''mage'' with the cloak and hood, who wound up standing at the north edge of the plateau. And The Morrigan was the three crows who sat at the south edge of the plateau. She also appeared as a tall woman in a black gown towards the end. Didn''t you notice them?"


    Kelly and Keira looked at each other then both shook their heads. Kelly said "We didn''t see them."


    I was a little surprised, "Really? Merryweather pointed out the crows. And Siobhan pointed out the mage."


    The twins shook their heads again, and Keira said "I don''t remember that at all."


    "Huh," I frowned. "I wonder if Siobhan and Merryweather remember? I''ll have to ask them."


    Kelly was staring at me again and asked "Anyways so you''re actually descended from a God? For real?"


    I blushed again, "I mean, I''m four or five generations removed... It''s like, The Dagda, then Taralynn, then Aisling, then my mom, then me. It''s not like I''m half God or anything like that."


    "Says the girl who switched off the entire planet''s magic then took away the sun," Keira said with a smirk.


    Kelly pointed out, "You got Taralynn''s gift babe. Maybe you''ve inherited more from The Dagda than you think."


    Before I could respond to that she added, "I guess that means I have to stop teasing you about being part pixie."


    This time I both blushed and cringed. "Well actually..."


    Kelly and Keira both stared at me wide-eyed, then Kelly half-demanded "Wait what? Really?"


    Keira added, "How?!"


    I grimaced and told them what else I learned from Taralynn last night.


    "According to the legends, The Morrigan is a jealous wife. The Dagda cheated on her in the past, and the stories say he''s used various tricks to hide his infidelity. So to try and hide the fact that he was Taralynn''s father, when she was conceived he had some of her looks come from a nearby pixie instead of himself. That''s how she got the violet hair and the aqua blue eyes."


    "Of course The Morrigan wasn''t so easily fooled, and when Taralynn''s gift with magic manifested The Morrigan knew her husband was responsible. In her anger she put a curse on our family. She made it so the deception that hid the infidelity gets stronger with each generation. Taralynn was as tall as you two. Aisling was several inches shorter. My mom''s tiny. I''m not any smaller than my mom, but I guess I got the sweet-tooth instead?"


    I finished with a sigh, "And if I have a kid, it''ll affect her too. Maybe she''ll wind up even smaller than me and my mother, or maybe the curse will come out in some other way."


    The twins'' expressions shifted as I spoke, from shock to amusement, but in the end they both looked serious.


    "I''m sorry Tegan," Kelly said quietly. "It was fun to tease you about that, but now I realize this is actually serious and kind of scary."


    "It''s ok Kelly," I shrugged. "It doesn''t change much, to be honest. I''m still me, same person I was last week or last year or whatever. It just answers some questions."


    I took a deep breath then sighed, "And honestly, the other curse is a lot more disturbing."


    The twins looked at each other, then Keira asked warily "What other curse?"


    I sighed again, "The Dagda''s price for helping Saoirse in the first place. No leader of Clann Br¨¢daigh will ever meet their grand-child. Saoirse died before Aisling was born. Taralynn died before my mom was born. Aisling died before I was born. And my mom will die before either me or my sister have a kid of our own."


    "Aisling was killed before she passed all this information on to my mom," I added. "I got all this from Taralynn last night, while I was unconscious."


    Kelly and Keira were both silent. They looked shocked and upset, and I couldn''t blame them. I felt the same when Taralynn told me.


    Finally Kelly asked, "Can anything be done? Are there any options?"


    I shook my head, "All we can do is hold off as long as we can? Mom will be over eight hundred by the time I''m five hundred. Same with my little sister. Past six hundred though it gets a lot harder to have kids, from what I understand? But if neither of us has a child at all, then the family line ends."


    I sighed again, "That''s the price Saoirse agreed to pay. Her own parents were already dead when she made the deal, but she knew full well she had to die before her own child would be a mother. She was willing to do that to keep the Clann alive."


    "Damn," Keira shook her head slowly. "And Maeve doesn''t know this?"


    "Taralynn said Aisling died before she could tell my mom all our family secrets. I don''t even know if mom knows about Saoirse."


    Kelly stated, "You have to tell her, Tegan."


    "I will," I agreed. "Not right away though. I''ll wait a year or two at least. Till after my sister''s born and things are quiet and settled down."


    Kelly nodded, "Ok babe, that sounds like a good idea to be honest."


    We''d all finished eating by now, and I drained my glass of juice then asked, "So hows the rest of our sept doing? And was it my imagination, or did Princess Petunia follow us here?"


    Keira grinned, "Petunia is very much here. She and Merryweather have been causing a bit of a fuss throughout the castle."


    That didn''t sound good, I cringed slightly and asked, "How so?"


    Kelly rolled her eyes, "Just being mischievous little pests. Imagine a pair of curious horny teenagers, who can also fly and turn invisible. They aren''t doing anything terrible, but they''re sneaking into places they''re not supposed to be, startling people, and generally acting like unsupervised teens."


    "Of course nobody wants to try and discipline them," Keira added. "Partially out of their fear of pixies in general, but also out of fear of you. Since Merryweather''s part of your sept and they''re a friend of yours."


    I groaned a little, "Great. That means it''s up to me to put my foot down and act like the parent or whatever."


    "Sorry cutie," Keira grinned. "You''re the leader of our sept though, so it''s your responsibility."


    I sighed but asked, "What about the others? Siobhan, Laoise, Padraig? All ok?"


    Kelly answered, "They''re all fine. They''re on ''leave'' I guess? Gaelen is still Maeve''s captain of the guard. Siobhan and Padraig haven''t returned to their duties. And Laoise hasn''t gone back to whatever her regular routine is either. All three have been given rooms in the visitors wing of the castle, they''re being treated as VIPs."


    "Thats a little confusing," I said with a frown. "I don''t really know what to make of that?"


    I''d assumed Siobhan would either get her old job back, or maybe she''d be demoted to Lieutenant or something. Same with Padraig, I thought he''d just return to his duties as a guard here. I didn''t actually know what Laoise did before, but I was pretty sure she didn''t actually work in the castle. Treating them like VIPs was nice, but I had no idea what it meant for them in the long run.


    Keira suggested, "You can ask your mom. I''m sure you''ll be spending all afternoon filling her in on the details."


    "Yeah," I groaned. "Didn''t you lot fill her in on everything while I was unconscious?"


    I added with a cheeky grin, "I mean, that was the plan right? I slept while everyone else did the debriefing."


    That earned me two more smacks on the arms, and Kelly stated "Babe you need to take this seriously. You deposed the king and killed the prince. You put ¨¢ine on the throne. You''ve single-handedly upended the whole political landscape of Otherworld. There''s going to be fallout, and your mom''s probably going to have to deal with it while we''re on Earth."


    I pouted, "This better not lead to even more trouble down the road. What else can I do to convince people to leave us alone?"


    Even Keira was serious this time, "Kelly''s right, Tegan. You need to grow up a bit and take some responsibility."


    Between the two of them I was reminded of what Taralynn told me earlier, about acting like a petulant child. I blushed but nodded, "Sorry Kelly, sorry Keira. You''re right."


    PurpleCatGirl

 140. Expatiated

    "Your girlfriends have told us what you did Tegan," my mother stated, "But not how you did it. So please enlighten us all. How in the world did you manage to do all of that?"


    We were in my parents'' private part of the castle again. Like we figured, my mom had a bunch of questions for me. It was early afternoon and we were in her private sitting room. Kelly and Keira and I were together on the sofa, mom and dad were across from us in comfortable chairs. There were refreshments and snacks on the coffee table.


    I had a sip of mead and replied, "It came down to what the Duma D¨¦ really are, what they''re for. Taralynn told me enough that I knew I''d be able to use them. And that''s why I wanted to be a few days early for our meeting, so I''d have time to study the Duma there and get a better understanding of them."


    "So what are they?" Keira asked. "What''s the secret?"


    "This will take a bit of explaining," I warned. Then I took a deep breath and got started.


    "They serve two purposes. They''re portals, and they''re where Otherworld gets all its magic from. When we travel between worlds, we''re pushing out through a natural weakness in the veil then coming back in through another natural weakness. What''s on the other side of the veil, the place we go when we''re travelling, is hard to explain. It''s not really a place, but whatever it is, it''s more or less pure magic. It''s where all magic comes from. Some magic leaks out in those locations where the veil is weak, but not much and it''s very localized. The Duma are places where the Gods created their own portals through the veil, and they also siphon off magic through those portals and spread it out across the world. They''re all connected to each other, and connected to the living energy of the world."


    I paused for a moment, and to make sure everyone was keeping up with my explanation. I could tell there were some questions waiting, but nobody wanted to interrupt so I kept going.


    "Using natural weaknesses to travel means it''s easiest to go at dawn or dusk when the veil is even weaker. The portals at the Duma can be used at any time and they allow really easy passage. The downside is you have to get to a Duma to use it, so it''s not really that much easier. I guess if you lived near one, but it''s not a good place to live. I don''t know why they''re always under an overcast sky, if the Gods did that on purpose or if it''s a side-effect of the Duma or the portals or the magic. Anyways, when we were at the royal one I had time to study it. It took a while but I eventually figured out how I could use it."


    "It took a lot of power to begin with, more than any normal mage could have managed, but I was able to modify the way the Duma worked. So instead of spreading magic evenly across all of Otherworld, they all just fed it directly into me. And like you all know, that meant there was no magic left for anyone else, so it felt like all the magic in the world was gone. Then to finish my demonstration I used an illusion spell to black out the sun."


    My parents and girlfriends just stared at me for a few more moments, before mom asked "How could an illusion spell cast over two hundred leagues north of here affect us? The sun was blacked out here as well."


    I replied, "Oh that''s because the illusion wasn''t cast locally at that other Duma. I cast it on the sun itself. Like, it wasn''t some darkness in the sky over the Duma. I actually surrounded the sun in a cloak of darkness."


    Everyone stared at me again for a few moments.


    Kelly had the next question, "If the Duma D¨¦ are the source of all magic in Otherworld, how is there magic on Earth too?"


    I grinned, "There are Duma D¨¦ on Earth as well. I don''t know where they are, or how many. There''s less magic there so I''m sure there''s fewer Duma. They''ve probably been destroyed or broken down over the years, or who knows maybe excavated by archaeologists. Or bulldozed to make way for housing developments and big box plazas. But there''ll be at least one or two Duma on Earth that are still functional."


    My dad spoke up, asking "Why would fae Gods build Duma D¨¦ on the human world?"


    "I really can''t say," I replied. "But that''s a very good question."


    In fact I had a theory, I''d been thinking about it off and on since my second meeting with Taralynn. I wasn''t prepared to talk about it yet though. And not with my parents. I might share it with my girlfriends, but I had a feeling my folks wouldn''t want to hear it.


    My mom was still thinking about the actual confrontation with the king, and asked "What would you have done if King Cathal ordered his army to attack? I know you were already facing a dozen archers and almost two dozen soldiers, but he could have ordered the rest of them forward as well."


    Kelly pointed out, "Tegan had shield spells around us, they couldn''t get through. I don''t think it would matter if it was ten or twenty or two hundred. Especially with the power she had at her disposal, I''m sure she could have kept us safe indefinitely."


    I sighed, "Yeah I could have kept them out forever. But we''d have eventually needed to eat, and sleep. Even if we were behind impenetrable magic walls, we weren''t prepared to withstand a protracted siege or whatever."


    "So what would you have done?" mom asked again.


    I replied quietly, "I had all the power of the world running through me. It was hard to control, and it was kind of frightening what I could have done. If the king ordered a full-scale attack, I could have killed them all. It would have taken little more than a thought. Close to three hundred people and I could have turned them all to dust in an instant."


    "And being connected through the Duma to the living world," I continued, "I wasn''t limited to just the fae who were present. I could have reached out and destroyed any fae anywhere in Otherworld. I could have had the ground open up beneath the royal palace, and had the whole structure swallowed whole, along with every fae inside it. For a few minutes that day, I literally had the power of the Gods at my fingertips."


    My parents and my girlfriends all looked a little pale as all that sank in.


    After a few seconds I shrugged, "Luckily the king didn''t order everyone to attack. And fortunately ¨¢ine agreed to stand down and accept my terms."


    "On the subject of our new Queen," mother stated with her eyes on me again. "Why did you select her? And how can you be sure she won''t cause more trouble for us?"


    I replied, "She saw first-hand what I''m capable of, I don''t think she''s going to want to provoke me. Beyond that, I don''t think she''s going to be like her dad or her brother. She struck me as more reasonable, and more pragmatic?"


    Keira added with a smirk, "I wouldn''t be surprised if Tegan starts getting invitations from the Queen to come visit her court. I''m pretty sure she was checking you out cutie."


    I blushed, while Kelly nodded "Keira''s right. She almost sounded disappointed that you were already spoken-for."


    Mother looked at me and asked, "And if you do receive an invitation to attend her court?"


    "I''ll seriously consider it," I replied quietly. "If it doesn''t interfere with anything I''m already doing, I''ll go. If I can''t make it, I''ll send her a proper letter of apology and ask if we can reschedule to another date. I won''t just laugh it off or ignore the invitation."


    "Good," mom stated. "I''m glad you''ve learned something from all this, Tegan."


    The others were quiet, and after a few moments I changed the subject and asked "Mother what will become of Siobhan and Padraig? I thought they''d both just return to their duties here."


    Mom sighed quietly, "That would be difficult Tegan. For them, and for their colleagues. Captain Gaelen would have to be demoted for Siobhan to return to her previous assignment. That would be a disservice to him, he''s done excellent work over the years and he''s handled his new responsibilities perfectly."


    She continued, "Perhaps Siobhan would accept a demotion and return to service as a lieutenant under Gaelen, but I''m not sure she''d be happy with that. And both she and Padraig would have some problems adjusting, I think."


    "Adjusting how?" I asked. "What sort of problems?"


    Mom explained, "They''ve both spent the past five weeks rubbing shoulders with the ''mighty Tegan Vale'', they''ve met royalty, they''ve been part of your sept and joined you on your adventures. I doubt Padraig will be satisfied returning to a routine of guard duty here, and I suspect his peers would treat him differently after all that. Same for Siobhan, after spending so long as captain, and after her experiences with you, she may find life as a lieutenant under Captain Gaelen to be unsatisfying."


    She concluded, "I think Tegan that Siobhan, Laoise, and Padraig are all going to remain part of your sept. If you and your girlfriends are going to continue spending most of your time on Earth, perhaps you can take the rest of your sept there with you. I know you have a place for them, the cottage where you quartered your tutors last year? I suggest you discuss this with your sept. They could serve as your honour guard, and they could continue your training with the sword and bow."


    I was surprised, but I understood her reasoning. I had some strong doubts about Siobhan going to Earth though. If she wasn''t willing to sample human food here, I couldn''t imagine her wanting to go there for a visit much less living there. I could see Laoise going though, or at least giving it a try. Maybe even Padraig too, he seemed like the adventurous type.


    "While we''re on the subject of your sept," mother added, "There are two others here who are your responsibility, and who have been disrupting my staff these past three days."


    I cringed slightly as she continued, "I understand one of them is a pixie princess? And Merryweather''s parents are a chief and a courtier? I hope you aren''t going to start another war, Tegan. I do not want our clann dragged into a conflict with pixies!"


    I was still cringing but I replied "Ok I definitely have to talk to the two of them. Merryweather wanted to stay with us but we can''t really take them back to Earth... Or if we do, they''ll have to stay out of sight I guess. I have no idea how that will work. As for Petunia, I don''t know what to do with her. We''ll probably have to take her back home, because I definitely don''t want to get into a war with Greenleaf and his troop."


    Mom stated in a hard tone, "Sooner rather than later, Tegan. I won''t be so nice to them next time, if I catch them hiding in my private chambers again."


    "Ok mom," I nodded as I tried to suppress a smile. "I''ll track them down and talk to them this evening."


    Dad spoke up again, "When do you figure you''re going back to Earth?"


    I glanced at my girlfriends, "I guess after we''ve spoken with the rest of our sept?"


    They both nodded, and Kelly suggested "Day after tomorrow? Talk with Merryweather and Petunia this evening, then if we''re taking Petunia home I guess that would happen tomorrow. Same with Merryweather, we need to explain how Earth would be difficult for them. Then either take them back to the royal Duma with their girlfriend, or take them to their own home Duma?"


    Keira added, "Either way, we need to make sure they''re both taken care of. Then talk to the rest of our sept and work out what''s up with them. But yeah, assuming it all goes smoothly the day after tomorrow would be earliest we could get home I think."


    I agreed, then added "This whole mess isn''t over with yet. Now that the king and the prince are gone, we still have to clean up the mess they made for us on Earth."


    "Have you decided how to handle that yet?" mom asked.


    I shook my head "Not yet. I''ve been thinking about it though. I hate to say it but mind-magic is probably going to be the easiest way to do it. Except it''s about the only line I haven''t crossed yet, and I''m not sure I want to do that."


    Kelly slipped her arm around my shoulders and said "You''re going to need to make a decision soon babe. If we''re going back in two days, we can expect to have to deal with the cops not long after we''re home."


    Keira''s arm wound around my waist and she added, "Especially since we''re going to want the power turned back on and we''ll need to stock up on food and drinks again. And Kelly and I are going to want to get back to school to finish our studies."


    "I know," I sighed. "The three of us are going to be talking about this when we''re not talking with the rest of our sept."


    Mom gave me a sympathetic look and said, "It sounds like you''ll be busy from now till you get back to Earth Tegan. Connor and I will leave you to it."


    It was a dismissal, and my girlfriends and I got to our feet. On our way out I commented, "Now I have to figure out how to find two tiny invisible flying teens hiding somewhere in a massive castle..."


    PurpleCatGirl

 141. Elicited

    "We''re sorry Lady Tegan," Merryweather stated.


    Petunia added nervously, "We meant no disrespect, and we didn''t mean to upset anyone."


    The two were standing before me on the table while I sat in one of the chairs. Merryweather was sort of standing in front, while Petunia was almost half-hidden behind their back. She actually seemed rather shy, and ontop of that I got the feeling she was scared of me.


    Kelly and Keira were both sitting on the edge of our bed where they could watch and listen, but they wouldn''t interfere. This was me doing my ''official leadership'' thing, such as it was.


    We were in our room, I''d asked the two pixies to join us here so we could talk in private. Finding them turned out to be fairly easy, I just had to scry for them. They were the only two pixies in the castle after all. And once I''d located them, I used a telepathy spell to order Merryweather to report to my room and to bring Princess Petunia with them.


    I really wasn''t very good at the whole leadership and discipline thing, at least not in this sort of situation. It was even harder since Merryweather was a friend. And while I didn''t know Petunia very well at all, I knew she and Merryweather were close. And of course she was royalty.


    "You aren''t in any kind of trouble," I stated, "So you don''t have to be worried about that. But if you continue popping up where you shouldn''t be and startling or disrupting the castle staff, you will wind up in trouble. And you''ll bring dishonour to yourselves and my sept."


    Merryweather apologized again, "Sorry Lady Tegan. When we were here before, I didn''t really get a chance to explore the castle at all since Siobhan kept us so busy. Now we''ve nothing to do, and Petunia and I have never been in a place as big as this so we wanted to explore the whole thing."


    I nodded, "I understand. And like I said, you aren''t in trouble. But if you keep it up, you will be. Ok?"


    The two pixies nodded quietly.


    With that out of the way, I moved on to the next topic.


    "Princess Petunia, I know you wanted to come along with Merryweather but we need to get you back home. I''m sure your family misses you and they''re probably worried about you. And both me and my mother want to stay on King Greenleaf''s good side, neither of us wants your father thinking I''ve abducted you. We don''t want a war with your troop."


    As I talked her eyes got bigger and her expression turned into a deep sad pout. I swear I hadn''t seen a pout like that since Kelly used to weaponize her pout against me way back when.


    The tiny princess replied, "My family know where I am Lady Tegan. Before I snuck away I told Rosebud where I was going, and she promised to tell my parents after we were all gone. So they''ll know you didn''t steal me away, they''ll know I''m safe with you and Merryweather."


    That surprised me a little, but I wasn''t quite sold yet. "May I ask how old you are, Princess Petunia? Are you of age?"


    I figured if she was still considered a child, I''d have to take her back home regardless. If she was an adult then maybe not. On the other hand, she was a princess and I couldn''t imagine any royal family being ok with one of their daughters just running off like that.


    Petunia blushed slightly and replied, "I''m forty!...almost."


    She stood up tall and added "But I''m old enough to make my own decisions! And I decided to come with Merryweather! And you."


    I sighed, then looked at the little enby. "We also have to talk about that. Merryweather, my girlfriends and I will be returning to Earth very soon. It''s possible the rest of my sept will be going there as well. Fae look enough like humans we can blend in, but... There''s no way for pixies to blend in. And there''s less magic on Earth, I don''t know if that might affect you in any way."


    A thoughtful frown settled on their face, but in the end they set their shoulders and stated "If your sept is going to Earth, then I am going with you. I stand with you Lady Tegan, and follow wherever you lead."


    After a moment they added with a hopeful smile, "Especially if you''re leading us to the land of the bubbly lemonade and the maple nectar. And I recall talk of introducing me to some delight known as a ''waffle''?"


    Petunia moved closer to the enby and slipped her arm around their waist and added, "And I''m going with Merryweather. So I will come to Earth too!"


    I glanced at Kelly and Keira, they both shrugged as they watched.


    "Ok," I finally sighed as I looked back at the pixies. "We''ll take you two to Earth, for a little while at least. A probationary visit, to see how it goes."


    Two little purple eyes and two little pink ones lit up as both pixies smiled happily.


    "Thank you Lady Tegan!" Merryweather stated. "You won''t regret it!"


    I tried not to facepalm as the phrase ''famous last words'' crossed my mind.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Siobhan, Laoise, and Padraig were all silent as they sat across from the twins and I. Merryweather and Petunia were sitting on the mantle over the fireplace watching quietly.


    We''d commandeered the study again so I could meet with my little sept, and deliver the news that we were returning to Earth tomorrow. None of them would be forced or ordered to accompany us there, but they were welcome to come. And I explained they wouldn''t actually have too many duties, mostly helping me and my girlfriends continue our training with sword and bow, at a relaxed pace. Like maybe one day a week or something.


    I also relayed what my mother had said, regarding Siobhan and Padraig. That they could resume duties here, but in Siobhan''s case it would be at a demoted rank. And I passed on her concerns, that they both might be dissatisfied with those duties after their experiences of the past several weeks.


    I didn''t actually know what Laoise''s life was like before she and her sister joined me. I knew she was forced to retire from her career as a guard because of her injury, but had no idea what she''d done since then.


    The three fae all had thoughtful looks on their faces as my words sank in.


    After a minute or so, it was Laoise who spoke up first.


    "Lady Tegan, I''d be honoured to accompany you to Earth. I can never repay you for all you''ve done for me, but I''m honoured to serve in your guard, or as a tutor. I''d even be happy to continue cooking meals for you, though I assume you already have a servant handling that at your Earth estate."


    I smiled, "Thank you Laoise. And we have no servants on Earth. Actually I do most of the cooking for Kelly and Keira and myself."


    That led to a lot of surprised expressions around the table.


    Padraig spoke next, "I said I''d follow you to the end of the world and back Lady Tegan. I''m not sure if another world counts as the end or not, but I will follow you there too. I know nothing of the place but I''m eager to learn."


    "Thank you Padraig," I gave him a smile as well.


    My smile faded though as I added, "It is a very different place, with very different customs. I have a feeling we''ll be spending a while teaching you all how to fit in there, but the biggest things to keep in mind are we won''t be wearing weapons in public, and we don''t address each other by titles. We''ll also have to figure out exactly what you''ll be doing, so you aren''t bored all day long."


    Padraig and Laoise both nodded quietly, they both seemed to understand it was going to be a very different adventure than the kinds we''d been on so far.


    Siobhan had remained silent so far, and she still had a thoughtful look on her face. She was looking at her sister now rather than me or the twins.


    Laoise looked back at her and her expression became sort of serious and compassionate. She said quietly, "You don''t have to come if you''re not comfortable, Siobhan. I don''t need you to look after me anymore."


    The brunette glanced at me then looked back at her sister and added, "I mean seriously, does anyone believe Lady Tegan really needs us as guards? If anything she''ll be keeping me and Padraig safe, not the other way around."


    I blushed a little at that, while Kelly and Keira both smirked.


    Laoise was still looking at Siobhan as she said, "You can go and follow your own dream now, sister. You''re free now of all your obligations."


    Siobhan was quiet for another minute or two. Finally she looked at me and asked, "Lady Tegan, if I accompany you now but change my mind later, would you allow me to return to Otherworld?"


    "Of course," I replied. "We''ll all be coming back for Lughnasadh, so our first trip to Earth will only be for a couple weeks. But if you decided you didn''t want to stay, I''d be happy to bring you back here at any time."


    The tall blonde bowed her head slightly, "Thank you m''lady. I will accompany you until Lughnasadh, then I will make my mind up whether or not to stay after that."


    "Understood," I stated. "Thank you Siobhan."


    Then I glanced around at the others and added, "That goes for all of you. Laoise, Padraig, Merryweather, Petunia. If Earth doesn''t work out for you, you may return to Otherworld. I won''t hold any of you to some sort of obligation to remain with me."


    They all nodded quietly, but for the moment all but Siobhan seemed confident they''d stay with me.


    Kelly took over, "We''ll be heading over at dawn tomorrow morning. So we''ll meet up in the castle courtyard some fifteen minutes before sunrise, and teleport to the south meadow. Like Tegan said, we''ll be there a few weeks so pack what you think you''ll need."


    Keira added, "You might want to pack some food and drink, a couple days'' worth should be enough. Our uh, property is under a sort of siege or embargo and food''s a bit of an issue. Though I expect Lady Tegan''s going to take care of that problem as soon as we''re back."


    Siobhan asked, "Should we be preparing for combat when we arrive?"


    "No," I stated. "It''s not the sort of siege where there''s an army outside our walls. And it''s something Kelly and Keira and I will be handling with magic. There will not be any combat at all, and I doubt you''ll even see any of our enemies."


    "Very well," the captain nodded slightly. "I imagine we''ll all need a great deal of education, to understand the culture and ways of the humans."


    Laoise asked, "I understand they speak a different language there? That''s something else we''ll need to learn."


    "Right," I nodded. "They speak several languages on Earth, but where we''re going there''s just one that''s used most often."


    I looked at Siobhan again and asked, "When Kelly and I were brought here the very first time, we were given enchanted necklaces that allowed us to speak and understand fae. Do you know where those necklaces came from? Do you know if we could get similar necklaces, enchanted so you could all speak English?"


    Before the captain could respond Kelly spoke up, "Can''t you do that yourself babe?"


    "Yeah," Keira added, "Isn''t that what the jewelry-making course was for?"


    I grimaced, "Sure, but if someone else has already made them, that''d be a lot easier. And those sound like complicated enchantments, I have no idea how long it would take for me to do that."


    Siobhan replied, "You would have to ask Lady Maeve. She procured the necklaces that you and Lady Kelly wore six years ago."


    After a moment she added, "Though I imagine if she has something enchanted to allow fae to speak Human, she would have given it to the tutors who lived with you last year?"


    "Right," I sighed. "They didn''t have anything like that."


    Kelly nodded, "They picked up some English while they were with us, but they didn''t have any magical knowledge of the language."


    "They also weren''t really trying?" Keira pointed out. "They never left the property, they didn''t go into town with us or anything like that. They just stayed in the cottage or hung around the property, and did sword lessons with us a few times a week."


    I sighed "Ok. So either I have to come up with enchanted jewelry, or we''ll all be teaching you English the hard way."


    Laoise asked, "M''lady, how long did it take you to learn fae? If I may ask."


    "About a year before I could maintain a conversation," I replied. "Kelly actually knew it pretty well to begin with, and we just worked at it every day at home."


    Keira gestured at the bookcases around us, "Surely there''s a spell in one of these books that would let you do it? I can''t believe The Great and Powerful Tegan Vale wouldn''t come up with a way for her loyal sept to learn a new language in a hurry."


    I rolled my eyes, "We''ll see."


    PurpleCatGirl

 142. Examined

    The eight of us all appeared in the glade in the ravine at the back of our property. Six fae in a circle holding hands, and I had two pixies on my shoulders clinging to my hair.


    Kelly and Keira and I knew this place well of course, but to our companions it was a very strange, very foreign land. Though to be fair the glade and the ravine weren''t that unusual. Earth trees and Otherworld trees were all basically the same, though there were regional variations of course.


    The sun had just come up and the weather seemed nice. As usual I had no idea what day it was, but I knew it was mid-June when I was here for a brief visit and saw Susan and Elise and that was just over two weeks ago. I figured it was early July now. I also knew Lughnasadh was about four weeks away, and we were planning to return to Otherworld in a little over three weeks.


    "This way," I said, as me and my girlfriends got moving. We were still speaking fae of course. Usually we''d switch to English when we came back to Earth but the rest of our sept didn''t know the language yet.


    All of us were still armed. Merryweather and Petunia both had their tiny swords with them. The rest of us had swords and daggers on our belts. Laoise carried her crossbow, the rest of us had our bows. And we were all wearing our packs.


    Merryweather and Petunia continued to ride on my shoulders, while Siobhan and Laoise and Padraig followed behind the twins and I. Soon we emerged from the woods into our backyard. The lawn was well overdue for a trim, but other than that everything looked fine.


    "Is that the cottage you mentioned?" Padraig asked.


    I grinned, "Nope. That''s the main house, that''s where Kelly and Keira and I live."


    That elicited some surprised looks from the three fae. I''m sure they expected me to live in some huge mansion or something, if not a little castle of my own.


    Laoise commented in a hesitant voice, "It''s ah, smaller than I''d expected."


    Kelly smiled, "It''s the right size for the three of us, and it''s comfy with a few guests. For now it will be fine for all of us, but we''ll be moving you three to the cottage soon enough."


    "What about us?" Merryweather asked. "Will we stay in the main structure with you, or move to the cottage?"


    I replied, "I don''t know yet. We have a lot of things that require our attention first, so in the short term we''re all just going to figure out how to fit in here."


    When we got to the back door I unlocked it with a spell and led our sept inside. The power was still out as expected. For the moment we all gathered in the living-room and unloaded our packs and things.


    We had some food and drink we''d brought with us, wine and mead in skins and some meat and fruit and vegetables to last a couple days. We gave our companions a very brief tour, opened some windows to get fresh air in the house, and also took stock of the situation.


    I cleared out the fridge and freezer of spoiled food last time I was home, but we still had some stuff in the pantry. Canned food, dry goods, jars, that sort of thing. And cooking wouldn''t be a problem. The stove ran on gas and we could light the burners with matches or magic. Plus we had a bbq in the backyard and a fire pit. And of course Laoise could cook without any fire at all.


    Water was a bit of an issue, we were on a well but the pump required electricity to run. There was the ravine though, so if we didn''t mind hiking and carrying buckets or whatever, we could bring water back to the house that way. And I knew a spell that would purify it so it was safe to drink.


    Still, one of my top priorities was getting the power back on. Which meant I had to deal with the human authorities.


    As our companions got settled in the living-room, I said "Kelly, Keira, I''m going out to the road to have a look around, make sure we aren''t barricaded in or whatever. And if there''s any mail I''ll bring that in."


    My girlfriends both got to their feet, "We''re coming with you."


    "Should we all go?" Siobhan asked.


    "No," I replied. "It''s not far and we''re safe as long as we''re inside the property line. If we see anything dangerous we won''t venture past the protected area."


    The three of us still had our swords with us as we stepped out the front door. I couldn''t help smile again at the forest that surrounded the house. The road, the cottage, my workshop, were all hidden from view now by the dense woods.


    "I bet people are freaking out about the trees," Keira said with a grin as the three of us walked along the driveway out towards the road.


    Kelly added, "I''m sure the neighbours have a lot of questions."


    As we got to the end of the driveway we could see the cops had been busy. The ground was torn up in places, it looked like they tried to drive some heavy vehicles onto the property but of course they couldn''t get into the protected area. Now there were a couple big concrete blocks at the end of the driveway to prevent access.


    Keira commented, "I wonder if they put up the barricades thinking that would keep us in? Or to make sure nobody else tried to drive in?"


    I shrugged, "Until we get a new car it doesn''t make much of a difference."


    Our mailbox was outside the protected area, and we couldn''t see anyone around keeping watch or anything. No cop cars on the side of the road or anything like that.


    The mailbox was full, and as we pulled out the contents Kelly said "I''m almost surprised they didn''t block our mail delivery."


    "They''ve probably already opened and examined everything before it got here," Keira suggested.


    I just shrugged, "It''s probably all just bills and junk mail anyways."


    As the three of us headed back to the house with the mail, Kelly asked "So what do we do next?"


    "I think it''s time to deal with those two detectives," I sighed. "I''ll scry for the one guy and we''ll go from there. He''ll know who else is involved up the chain of command, and I guess we just deal with them all till the problem''s solved."


    The twins both nodded quietly.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Detective MacRae was back in the little rented house in town again. I figured using my bank card out west a couple weeks ago got the two detectives back on the job, and maybe MacRae was back in this little house since then waiting for sign of my return. Bernier wasn''t around, but I''d find out where he was soon enough.


    MacRae wasn''t alone though, he had a younger woman there with him. She looked to be in her late twenties, and when I first looked in on them the two of them were sharing a bed.


    We waited till MacRae was up. He was dressed, sitting in the kitchen sipping a coffee and checking email on his laptop while the woman was still asleep in bed.


    I teleported into the front room of the little house, and a moment later Kelly and Keira were there next to me.


    "Good morning detective," I said as I walked to the kitchen door. "Did you miss me?"


    I had a shield spell up across the doorway, just incase the cop decided to start shooting or something.


    MacRae almost dropped his coffee, he was obviously startled and shocked. He quickly set the cup down as he got to his feet. His right hand moved to his belt where his gun was holstered, but he didn''t draw the weapon yet. He was ready though.


    "How the hell did you get in here?" he demanded. "How did you even find me here?!"


    I rolled my eyes, "Magic. That''s why I took your badge, so I could use it to find you with clairvoyance spells."


    He gave me a skeptical look then demanded "What do you want, what are you doing here?"


    I replied, "I''m here for information. You may as well sit back down and get comfortable."


    "I don''t think so," he stated.


    His hand was still overing near his weapon, and I knew better than to let my guard down while he was still in a position to fight.


    "Suit yourself," I replied, then hit him with a paralysis spell.


    The twins and I moved forward into the kitchen as I dropped my shield spell. I sat down at the kitchen table and cast a mind reading spell on him, to start looking for the information I needed.


    Kelly took the detective''s laptop and sat down beside me as she started going through it. Meanwhile Keira disarmed him, she took the gun from his holster and gave him a pat-down search, then relieved him of a second gun in a holster at his ankle.


    Keira tucked the two guns into her own belt for now, then commented "That coffee smells great. We need to get power back on so we can brew up a pot."


    I rolled my eyes, "We can go pick some up at the cafe before we go home. It''ll probably take a day to get the power back."


    My expression turned to a frown as I looked at MacRae again, "I thought maybe the brunette was your girlfriend, or possibly your wife. I suppose I should have guessed she''s your mistress. Are you just using this investigation as an excuse to cheat on your wife?"


    The woman was in fact a cop, but she had nothing to do with the investigation. She was just here sleeping with the detective. I shook my head, "So much for being one of the ''good guys''."


    As I continued digging, I added "So you''ve been at this for four months now. Beginning of March till today, and you''ve found nothing. No criminal activity, no connections to known criminals or criminal organizations. Know why you haven''t found anything? Because we haven''t done anything wrong."


    Of course the detective said nothing, he just stood there frozen. I could tell he was freaking out though, I could practically hear his train of thought as he kept trying to talk and move and react to what me and the twins were doing and saying.


    Kelly spoke up, "They still haven''t frozen our accounts, so at least we can stock up on food and stuff. It looks like they''re monitoring them of course. According to his emails, the investigation quieted down since we all vanished. Bernier''s been reassigned, so it''s just MacRae in charge now."


    "Yeah," I agreed as I continued digging up information in MacRae''s mind. "Oh here we go. Bernier recommended closing the case because they couldn''t find anything. MacRae wanted to keep it open. Not because he had any solid leads or evidence, but so he could get the taxpayers to keep paying for this quiet little vacation spot where he could hang out with his mistress."


    "Awesome morals there officer," I scowled at him then added, "Looks like his boss agreed to keep it open because of some pressure from above."


    Kelly was still looking through the cop''s emails and nodded, "Looks like the pressure is coming from the top? Ministry of the Attorney General. Oh, right from the minister himself."


    I found the same information in MacRae''s memories. "So Bernier''s out of the picture, we don''t have to worry about him. Just this guy''s boss and the minister. That might be where the king''s agents started? Like right at the top, influence or enspell the minister in charge of justice and legal stuff, then from there it''s all humans doing the king''s dirty work."


    A little more digging through the detective''s memories got me his boss''s home address, a posh place in Toronto. MacRae had no idea where the minister lived though, but I figured we''d work our way up the chain and get there sooner or later. At worst we could wait till tomorrow and visit him in his office.


    "So we have at least two more people to visit today?" Keira asked. "Assuming we can find them. And what are we going to do with this guy?"


    I sighed as I glanced at Keira, "I don''t know. I was feeling generous at first, but now that I know he''s basically just here to harass us and our friends as an excuse to set him up with a place to cheat on his wife, I''m feeling a lot less charitable."


    Kelly asked, "Does the mistress know what he''s up to?"


    "Yeah," I frowned at MacRae. "He told her. They laughed about it."


    Keira''s eyes flashed with magic as she glanced upwards, then she said quietly "She''s awake, coming down the stairs. And she''s armed."


    PurpleCatGirl

 143. Elegized

    "Hey cutie, how''re you doing?" Keira asked as she slipped an arm around my waist.


    I had another deep sip of my hard lemonade then shrugged, "I''m fine. I''ll be fine."


    Kelly leaned over and gave me a kiss and whispered, "For what it''s worth babe, I think it was the best choice. I mean, there weren''t any really good options? But I think that was the least harmful way to handle it."


    After another swig of my drink I shrugged again and said "I guess."


    It was evening now, and we found out this morning that today was Sunday. After the three of us wrapped up our visit with MacRae we did some shopping in town. We visited the grocery store then the liquor store, then teleported back home.


    Jumping from here to Toronto, to a location I''d never been before wasn''t easy or terribly smart but I didn''t feel like taking a bus, and using a ride-share or a cab seemed like a bad idea considering what I was up to.


    So I teleported to a place I knew in the city, and from there made a few smaller but riskier jumps till I got to the house of the detective''s boss. It was a big posh place in an expensive part of the city. Kelly and Keira tracked me through our rings and joined me there, and the three of us paid the province''s top cop a visit.


    After that we came back home again. The last person on our list was a government minister, but it would take us a little more time to locate and deal with him. We knew who he was and even found out where he lived, but he was off on vacation at the moment so we had to wait till he got back.


    With the dirty work done for now, me and my girlfriends spent the rest of the day helping our guests get comfortable and showing them around the property. Siobhan Laoise and Padraig already took their gear over to the cottage. Rather than squeeze everyone into our home for the first little while, they decided to just move in there from the start.


    We''d had it built with the idea that we might be housing fae guests. It wasn''t terribly luxurious but it was comfortable. There were three bedrooms and a bathroom on the upper floor, and on the ground floor there was one more bedroom, another bathroom, and a good-sized open-concept living-room-kitchen area. There was even a small storage-laundry room over there too.


    When the electricity was back on me and the twins would show them all the modern conveniences like lights and the TV and so on, and how to use all the appliances.


    The power would be back on some time tomorrow, so we wouldn''t have to wait too long. In the mean-time we were doing ok without.


    The eight of us were in the back-yard now having a quiet, somewhat relaxing evening. I showed Laoise how the bbq worked then she and I made dinner for everyone. Merryweather, Petunia, Kelly and I were drinking hard lemonade while everyone else enjoyed wine. They had fae wine, and they also sampled some local wine we bought this morning.


    We were sitting around the fire-pit now, and had a small fire burning there for the ambience.


    All of us were somewhat quiet this evening, and I wasn''t sure if that was because everyone was feeling it, or if it was just me bringing the mood down for everyone else.


    I was a little melancholy, and as I finished my second hard lemonade I found myself lost in thought.


    Next month would mark my six-year anniversary of being me. It was July second today, my faeversary would be August eleventh. That was the fateful night Kelly accidentally hatched my changeling egg. And my trans egg too for that matter. I couldn''t even remember what I was doing six years ago from right now. At the time I thought I was a guy, thought I was a human. I knew nothing of the fae or Otherworld or magic.


    Then my whole life changed in an instant. The first week was almost a blur, with so much happening around me and it was all out of my control. Then Kelly started teaching me fae stuff, and magic. Things almost settled down. Then three months later we wound up in Otherworld. I found out I was the daughter of a countess, great-granddaughter of the most powerful fae mage ever, and realized I''d inherited her gift.


    As I learned what I was capable of, what sorts of things I could do, I knew it would be too easy to abuse it. So I made myself some promises, set myself some rules. Established lines I wouldn''t cross.


    Kelly and I had a crazy adventure together, and I made a name for myself as the next great fae mage after Taralynn. That was also my first experience with death. Witnessing it, unintentionally causing it, and almost experiencing it first-hand.


    Then three years later me and Kelly and Keira were all drawn into another ordeal. And that''s when I broke my first rule, crossed my first line. I used mind-reading magic for the first time, and just like Kelly said it was a slippery slope. I went from using it reluctantly and under protest, to using it almost casually. It became just another tool.


    Last month I broke another of my rules when I killed Sir Niall. And a couple weeks later I did it again, I killed Prince Odhran and a couple of the king''s mages. The first time left me feeling bad, the second time I felt almost nothing. It wasn''t something I did lightly, but I worried it was now just another tool in my toolbox.


    And today I finally broke the last of my rules, crossed the last of my lines. I used mind control and memory manipulation spells on three humans. I really didn''t want to do it, but like Kelly said it was the least-harmful option. I knew she was right, I''d been thinking about the problem for weeks.


    Detective MacRae might have been an asshole, but he didn''t do anything bad enough for me to kill him. Nor did he pose enough of a threat in the future to justify killing him. But I had to do something, I needed to ensure he''d leave us alone.


    Keira had another suggestion, what she called the ''Liam option''. It was the same thing she''d wanted for Kaitlyn, and in that case the punishment sort of fit some of the crimes. For MacRae though, no. It would have got him off our backs, it would have ended his career, and he''d have still been alive. But it wasn''t right.


    The last option was to mess with his mind. The fact that Kelly endorsed that choice was a little surprising, she spent the first three years teaching me how wrong and evil it was. But I figured she thought it through and came to the same conclusion as me. It wasn''t worth killing the guy, and doing some sort of life-changing transformation wouldn''t have been much better.


    So I decided on mind magic. MacRae and his mistress had no memories of me and the twins visiting them this morning. Instead, the detective remembered being ordered to close the case immediately. He also felt a strong sense of guilt over abusing his authority, and in the next few days he''d submit his resignation and quit police work entirely. That guilt would also lead him to come clean with his wife about cheating on her.


    With MacRae''s boss, I really had no other options. He hadn''t done anything wrong, he was just doing his job. And killing him or making him disappear wouldn''t have helped us anyways. I needed him to order everyone else involved to drop the investigation, turn our electricity back on, stop spying on us, and just leave us all alone.


    So like MacRae, he had no memory of myself and the twins visiting him this afternoon. And when I was done with him, he knew the investigation needed to be called off and he was convinced that the three of us were innocent. He sent the emails and made some calls this afternoon, and that was that.


    I also learned from him as much as I could from him about the minister, the guy in charge of the office of the Attorney General. I was positive that''s where it all started. I expected I''d find the guy was manipulated by one of the king''s mages or something. But he was out of the country until the tenth, on vacation with his family. Once he was back, I''d pay him a visit and probably wind up using more mind-magic to tie up that last loose end.


    I worried it was going to get easier every time, and it would wind up being just another tool like everything else.


    So tonight I was quiet and I was drinking. I didn''t feel guilty, I just felt uneasy.


    As I opened a third hard lemonade, Siobhan spoke up.


    "Lady Tegan, what will our schedule be for the next few days? Now that your urgent business has been taken care of?"


    I figured she could tell I needed a distraction, something else to think about.


    After a swig of lemonade I replied, "Tomorrow we''ll continue helping all of you get settled in and comfortable. Electricity should be back on at some point, so we can start teaching you how the modern Earth stuff works. Then in a day or two we''ll have to take you all shopping, get you some Earth clothes so you''ll fit in better."


    I thought for a moment, then looked at my girlfriends and said "I''ll go buy us a car tomorrow. I also have to get myself a new phone. Then once power''s back on I guess you two will want to contact your profs and start making arrangements."


    Kelly nodded, "I''m a little worried what they''ll have to say about our absence this time. And if the police contacted them at all."


    Keira shrugged, "It''ll be fine. Even if there''s some awkward questions, we''ll be fine."


    "I also need to get in touch with Elise and Susan," I said. "To let them know we''re back and things are ok now."


    Keira stated "And we need to go out east to visit granddad."


    Kelly nodded, "Sooner rather than later, but we know there''s pressing stuff here to deal with first."


    "Right," I sighed as I thought that over, then started sort of making a list in my head. "Tomorrow we get a car, phone, electricity. Make some calls and emails. Tuesday we take our guests shopping for clothes, continue helping them get settled and comfortable. Maybe leave Wednesday open for whatever comes up after the phone calls and emails, and think about Thursday or Friday to go out east?"


    The twins glanced at each other, then Kelly nodded "Ok babe."


    Keira added, "When you''re talking with Susan, don''t tell her we''re coming. We''re going to drop in on them without warning, so granddad can''t get ready or stage anything. Or hide any incriminating evidence. Or better still, don''t talk to Susan at all before we drop in."


    I sighed. "Just promise me you''re not going to hurt Kaitlyn? Please promise me this is just a fact-finding mission?"


    They exchanged another look, then Kelly replied "We promise not to do anything without telling you first. We''re not..."


    She hesitated, then finished "We''re not going out there looking to attack her or whatever. But you know what she''s capable of, you know what she''s done in the past. Having access to that kind of power again just seems like a really bad idea."


    "I know," I sighed again. "I don''t think she''s like that anymore though. And Sue''s convinced she''s not like that."


    I frowned slightly and had another gulp of my drink as a thought crossed my mind. I decided not to mention it, but it was only this morning Keira was advocating I do something to the detective that Kaitlyn would have done in the past. And Kelly endorsed the use of mind magic, which was another of Kaitlyn''s old tricks. Of course the difference was Kaitlyn did those things for her own benefit or to line her pockets, in our case it was self-preservation.


    Finally I looked back at Siobhan, "Sorry I kind of got off-track there. Kelly and Keira and I still have a number of important things to take care of. But in the mean-time, we''ll continue helping you all settle in tomorrow. In a day or two we''ll get you some Earth clothes."


    "What about us?" Merryweather asked.


    They were a little tipsy, and Petunia looked even more so. I wasn''t even sure she''d be able to fly back into the house at this point.


    I apologized, "I''m still trying to figure that out, sorry. I think for now you and Petunia can stay in the main house with me and the twins. We''ll figure out a space for you that you''re both comfortable... I guess you''ll have to educate us a little on your needs?"


    Laoise drained her glass and teased, "I think right now Petunia''s needs involve a bed and a good night''s sleep."


    "Not a bad idea for all of us," Padraig suggested. "It''s been a long day, and for our sept-leader I think it''s been a stressful one?"


    Petunia didn''t respond to Laoise''s tease, she was sitting slumped against Merryweather. She might have already been asleep, in fact.


    I smiled slightly, "Thanks Padraig, I think you''re right."


    After we all finished our drinks, our three fae guests made their way back to the cottage. Merryweather got Petunia up and the pair of them wound up riding on my shoulder as me and the twins went into the house. I left the pixies on the recliner in the living-room, then headed upstairs with my girlfriends.


    PurpleCatGirl

 144. Enjoined

    Things actually went according to plan over the next few days.


    Monday the twins stayed with the rest of our little sept and got started teaching them about life on Earth, while I teleported myself down to the city to do some shopping. I had two dozen gold coins in my purse and my first stop was a certain car dealership that I knew was involved in the shadow economy.


    It took a bit of haggling but I managed to get a nearly new minivan, complete with licence plates and all the legal paperwork. It only cost me nineteen coins too, which wasn''t too bad all things considered.


    Then I dropped in at another fae-friendly store and one more gold coin got me a pair of brand new top-of-the-line phones. I only needed one, but I figured we could teach our guests how to use the other one, then leave it in the cottage incase they needed it.


    And when I got home with the mini-van I teleported those concrete blocks off our driveway and into the ditch on the other side of the road.


    Once that was done I pulled the new van in and parked by the house, then when I went inside I was happy to find out the power was back on. So me and the twins set about charging up our phones and checking our email and everything. Kelly and Keira talked me out of calling either Elise or Susan, they were still worried about tipping off Kaitlyn that we were back.


    Then we spent some more time with our guests, teaching them about light switches and showing them how the fridge and stove worked. Merryweather and Petunia figured out the TV remote all by themselves. Even though none of them understood English the two pixies were absolutely fascinated by the television, especially cartoons.


    On Tuesday me and the twins got our three fae guests into the mini-van and apologized to the pixies about having to leave them behind. We still had no idea yet how to handle pixies meeting humans. So Merryweather and Petunia stayed in the cottage and streamed anime on the TV while the rest of us went to the discount mart to do some shopping.


    That was an adventure in itself, with three fae dressed like medieval LARPers and not speaking a word of English. The six of us attracted a lot of stares, but happily there wasn''t any trouble and nobody got hurt. In the end Siobhan, Laoise, and Padraig all had a few outfits that would be suitable for going out in public.


    It was a sight I never thought I''d see, but Siobhan looked pretty darn good in skinny jeans and a tight t-shirt. And she rocked a pair of cowboy boots she picked out for herself.


    Language was going to be the next big challenge, and I was still debating whether or not to try and cheat with magic or let them all learn the language the hard way. I figured in the end it would come down to whether or not they wanted to actually stay here. If they did, they''d be better off learning English themselves. If this was just a short-term visit, then magic might be a good temporary solution.


    I was a little anxious about our plans for Wednesday and Thursday. We''d be leaving our guests alone for two days, and it was probably an over-reaction but I worried about them burning the place down because they did something wrong with the stove or an electrical outlet or whatever. Or they''d get bored and wander into town and wind up getting arrested or something.


    Not that I really thought those things would happen, but it would be their first two days alone on Earth and I was anxious.


    On Thursday me and the twins would be out in Cape Breton all day, so they could confront their grandfather. I had lots of concerns about how that would play out too, but it was still another day away.


    Wednesday morning after breakfast the twins took the mini-van and headed off into the city. They had to visit the university, they had meetings with their profs and so on. Both of them were anxious about how that would play out, and I was a little worried about it too.


    I stayed behind and spent the rest of the morning with our guests, but I used clairvoyance spells every now and then to check in on my cousin. I wanted to drop in and see her, but I wanted to make sure she was up and dressed and everything before I showed up.


    Around noon I checked on Elise again and saw she was finally up and dressed. I let the others know I''d be back later, then I was on my way. Her place was a little far to do it safely in one jump so I teleported partway there, then my second jump brought me into her living-room.


    "Tegan!" Elise greeted me with a shout, followed immediately by throwing her arms around me and pulling me into a tight hug.


    I hugged her back and smiled, "Hi Elise. How are you doing?"


    She eventually let go and said "I''m fine. Have a seat, can I get you anything?"


    I sat down on the sofa and she grabbed us a couple cans of soda then sat down next to me.


    "So are you back now? Is it over? You said you were going to take on the king and a whole army?"


    "Yeah it''s over," I replied. I probably sounded a little weary as I gave her the extremely short version, "Me and my little group faced off against the king, a bunch of mages, and a small army. And we won."


    Elise asked "Just like that? There must be more, how did it play out? Did anyone get hurt?"


    I shrugged, "Nobody on our side got hurt. There were a few deaths on the other side. Uh... a dozen maybe? I killed the prince and eliminated the king, I basically put Queen ¨¢ine on the throne. She seems cool though. She''s young, only about two hundred I think? But I think she''ll do well."


    She shook her head, "You say that so casually Tegan, like it''s no big deal. I''m trying to think of what it would be like if that sort of thing happened here? That must be big news over there. Won''t basically everyone there be reacting in one way or another?"


    That left me thinking for a few moments, then I finally shook my head. "They don''t have televisions or radios or anything. I don''t even think they have newspapers. News travels by word of mouth? ¨¢ine will return to the palace without her dad or brother, and between her and the other folks who survived the encounter they''ll tell everyone what happened. Word will spread through the courtiers and through the soldiers and stuff like that. And I doubt it''ll make any difference to the average fae. Like someone on my mom''s staff? Makes no difference to them who sits on a throne two hundred leagues away."


    Elise looked thoughtful again, "Right. You''ve said they''re basically medieval over there. That must be an adjustment too, going back and forth between the high-tech information-age here and the middle-ages there."


    "It was at first," I replied with a slight smile. "I guess I''m used to it now? Life there moves at a different pace and you just get used to it. No email or phones or texting, so if you want to communicate you dispatch a courier or you get on a horse and go there yourself."


    She smiled as well, but a moment later her smile fell as she asked "How can you be sure this new queen won''t come after you? Maybe she''ll want revenge for her dad or her brother?"


    "I don''t think so?" I responded. "She was there, and honestly she didn''t look all that upset when I killed her brother. Or when I got rid of her father. Her brother was an entitled arsehole and I''m guessing ¨¢ine knew that. And she actually warned me about her dad the day before the big showdown?"


    After a moment I added, "Even if she did change her mind though, I think I made a big enough impression that no fae in Otherworld will ever try and challenge me again."


    Elise raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why, what did you do?"


    "Oh, I just showed off a little," I replied with a smirk. "I took away all the magic in the world, then I blacked out the sun."


    She stared at me with wide eyes, "You what?!"


    I grinned, "Yeah. For a few minutes that day, I kind of had god-like powers. Fae all across Otherworld thought the world was ending or something? But word will spread that it was just me. Tegan Vale turned off the magic and turned out the sun."


    She continued staring at me in stunned silence for another minute or two.


    After she finished her drink Elise asked, "What about the problems here? I haven''t had any more run-ins with your detective friends, and last time I spoke with Susan she said she hadn''t heard any more either."


    "Yeah," I sighed. "Queen ¨¢ine is going to call off any agents her father had over here causing trouble, so we shouldn''t have to worry about any new problems coming up? And I''ve already taken care of the current police problem. There''s one loose end I still have to deal with next week, but the investigation''s over and nobody''s looking into our affairs or keeping tabs on us anymore."


    She hesitated, "Do I want to know how you handled that stuff?"


    "No," I shook my head. "You really don''t."


    We were both quiet again for a few moments, then she asked "So how are things at the house? Was there any damage? Did the police ransack the place or anything?"


    I shook my head again, "They couldn''t even get onto the driveway. I have about twenty acres heavily warded with protective spells. They cut the power though, but we got that resolved the other day. So the house is ok. We''ll have to invite you over for a visit soon. Me and the twins have the rest of our little group staying with us right now? We have three fae, Siobhan, Laoise, and Padraig staying in the cottage. And two pixies, Merryweather and Petunia."


    Elise looked surprised but interested, "Seriously? Pixies are real? Are they really four inches tall?"


    "Yeah," I smirked. "Well Merryweather is. Petunia''s like three and a half inches? Some fae are scared of them, pixies have a reputation of being short-tempered and murderous, but so far Merryweather''s only killed one person and that was an enemy in the battle? So I think that reputation is maybe a little exaggerated."


    She gave me a quizzical look, "I have no idea if you''re teasing now or being serious. But I definitely want to come and meet your friends, and these pixies."


    "Soon," I grinned. Then my expression became serious as I said, "Tomorrow me and the twins have to go out east. Kelly and Keira need to see Kaitlyn. They''re as worried as I was about the kid being fae again. Actually I think they''re even more worried than I was."


    Before Elise could respond I added, "Please don''t tell Susan we''re back or that we''re coming out her way? The twins don''t want Kaitlyn to know we''re coming, they don''t want her to have a chance to prepare or stage things. They want it to be a surprise."


    Elise was quiet for a few moments, and she had a very serious look on her face. She sighed, "Ok Tegan. I won''t tell Sue you''re back, and I won''t tell her you and your girlfriends are coming out her way. Just please promise me you and the twins aren''t going to do anything rash?"


    "I promise," I replied. "Kelly and Keira just want to talk to Kaitlyn. They want to find out what she''s been up to, what she''s planning now that she has access to magic again. And they want to know how she did it."


    "Get Kelly and Keira to promise too, ok?" she asked. "I know you three have a lot of misgivings about Kaitlyn, I know there''s loads of stuff she''s done that I don''t know about. But I spent a week there with Sue and Kaitlyn last month and all I saw was a teenage girl juggling homework, chores, and a really strong crush on her girlfriend."


    I sighed, "I know. And I''ve told my girlfriends that too. But they just don''t trust their grandfather? The sort of stuff Kaitlyn did before... It''s really hard to believe she''s changed so much."


    "I get it Tegan." Elise''s voice was sort of soft and serious. "But people can and do change. The bottom line is despite everything that''s happened over the past few years, despite all three of us going in different directions, and despite how we''ve all changed? You and Susan and I are still family. I still love her, she and I both still love you. And I don''t really say this anymore, but I''m still your father. And I''m asking you not to burn any bridges with your mom. Sue''s practically adopted that girl, she thinks of Kaitlyn like her own child now. If you or your girlfriends hurt the kid in any way, you know Susan will never speak to you again."


    Her little speech left me quiet for a few moments. I hadn''t heard her go into ''dad-mode'' in over two years. And it was even more surprising to hear her call herself my father after all this time. It was actually hard for me to picture the cute brunette party-girl college senior next to me as the same person I called ''dad'' for most of my life. But that sort of made her words hit even harder.


    I finally nodded, "Ok Elise. I''ll get the twins to promise me they won''t hurt Kaitlyn. And I promise I''ll do my best not to ruin things between Sue and me."


    PurpleCatGirl

 145. Exonerated

    I had another sip of coffee then glanced at the clock again. It was half past seven. They''d been up there with the kid for about a half hour now, but I had no idea how long they''d be at it.


    Kelly and Keira both promised they were just here for answers, they said they wouldn''t do anything to Kaitlyn. And I passed that promise on to Susan.


    If either of my girlfriends broke their word to me, this would likely be the last time my adoptive human mother ever spoke to me. The last time I''d see her.


    She was already pretty upset that the three of us showed up unannounced at the break of dawn so the twins could interrogate their grandfather. Kelly and Keira insisted on speaking with her alone, they refused to allow either Sue or Claire to stay with the kid. And they didn''t want me there either, since I''d been so easily swayed by her in the past.


    So while the redheads were upstairs in Susan''s and Kaitlyn''s private living-room, I was down here in the kitchen with Sue and Claire. They weren''t even dressed yet, Sue was in a long pink nightgown and fuzzy slippers and Claire wore a black nightshirt.


    There was a cup of coffee in front of Susan, and Claire had a glass of juice next to her. I was pretty sure neither of them had touched their drinks though. Claire kept shooting nervous glances towards the staircase as she sat restlessly on her chair. Susan just sat still, with her eyes fixed on me in what felt like a permanently-disapproving stare.


    I had another sip of coffee while the fingers and thumb on my left hand idly fidgeted with my ring. There was a strong temptation to send my girlfriends a little message. Just a quick question, like how''s it going up there, something like that.


    I didn''t want to distract them though. I knew it would take as long as it took. I was confident Kaitlyn wouldn''t resist, I felt sure she wasn''t going to fight Kelly and Keira. But I also had to admit it was possible she''d thoroughly played me. After all, I had no idea she''d been planning to break my spell. I had no idea she had that much power stored up in her crystals, or that she''d even worked out how I did it in the first place.


    So I just waited, sipped my coffee, and hoped that the twins would be finished soon and that everything would be ok.


    I didn''t want to lose my relationship with Susan. I didn''t even want anything bad to happen to Kaitlyn. I was hoping for the best possible outcome. Kelly and Keira would realize Kaitlyn wasn''t a threat. They''d find out how the kid broke part of my spell and it wouldn''t be anything too terrible. All three of them would come down the stairs in a good mood and agree everything was fine, then the six of us could have a nice friendly breakfast together.


    Until then, I was stuck with the uneasy silence here. Claire watched the stairs, Sue glared at me, and I kept glancing at the clock in between sips of coffee and fidgeting with my ring.


    It was another fifteen minutes before we heard footsteps and creaks of the stairs as people descended. My hopes for a nice friendly breakfast fell slightly when I realized it was just Kelly and Keira who''d come downstairs. Then I gave up on that fantasy entirely when I realized with a lurch that my girlfriends were upset. They looked sad, and they looked like they''d been crying. Of all the scenarios I''d imagined, the two of them being sad after interrogating Kaitlyn wasn''t something I anticipated.


    Kelly spoke up before either Susan or Claire could ask. "Kaitlyn needs you two. Go see her, please?"


    Claire didn''t hesitate, she was off like a shot and racing up the stairs.


    Sue fixed that glare of hers on my girlfriends and half-demanded, "What did you do to her? Is she ok?"


    Keira replied softly, "She''s ok. She''s just upset."


    Susan gave the twins both a sort of angry look, then she hurried past them and started up the stairs.


    With Claire and Sue out of the kitchen, the two of them moved forward and slumped into chairs on either side of me. They both slid their chairs in close so they could lean against me.


    I sighed and put my arms around both their shoulders. I kept my voice down as I asked "What happened? What did you do?"


    Keira answered first. She spoke softly, like a half-whisper as she confessed "Tegan, I fucked up. I did a bad thing... A few bad things."


    My stomach felt colder and heavier as I asked again, "What did you do?"


    "It wasn''t just Keira," Kelly added. "It''s both of us. We... You were right Tegan. Susan and Elise were right. Kaitlyn''s changed. She''s nothing like her old self. She''s a good kid, and all she wants is to keep her new family safe."


    Keira continued, "We went up there looking for trouble. Tegan both of us were looking for an excuse to break our word to you. We thought... We were sure Katie pulled one over on you. That she''d tricked you, that she was manipulating Susan and Claire..."


    I felt even more uneasy as I asked, "But what did you do? Is your grandfather ok?"


    Kelly shook her head "She isn''t... Please don''t call her that anymore. It''s not fair to her."


    "She stopped being him the night you brought her back from Vancouver," Keira said softly. "After you agreed not to leave her with Kelsey. She had a breakdown, an epiphany. She realized what sort of a person she''d been, and she knew she never wanted to be like that again."


    I sighed, "I remember. You two were in the living-room talking about university, and I heard her crying. I went to check on her, and wound up trying to help her work through it. So is she ok now?"


    Keira sighed as well, "She will be. She''s got Susan and Claire to look after her."


    "And me and Keira will help as best we can," Kelly added. "Assuming Susan doesn''t throw us out."


    "I used a mind-reading spell Tegan," Keira admitted. "Not the safe easy one you''ve been using. I used something a lot more brutal. I thought... I worried she''d try to block me, try to deceive me. The spell I used wasn''t gentle. But she didn''t try to resist, she just let me..."


    I held her a little closer as her voice broke and she had to stop talking.


    Kelly took over, "Katie didn''t try to defend herself at all. She didn''t even complain or comment on what we were doing to her. She knew what we thought of her, what we were worried about. And Tegan, we were so wrong."


    They still hadn''t really said what they did though, or why they looked so upset when they came downstairs. Or why Kaitlyn needed both Claire and Susan to rush upstairs to look after her. And I was getting more anxious about finding out the answers, but I had to know.


    "So what happened? Just tell me, what did you do to her?"


    Keira got her voice back and answered, "I forced her to relive some very painful memories. I found out what happened to her that led her to want to break part of your spell."


    Kelly finished, "And Tegan, she was completely justified. Someone hurt her last summer, hurt her bad. Then he threatened both her and Sue. Kaitlyn needed magic so she could keep the two of them safe."


    "What?!" I gasped. "Who? Why didn''t Susan tell me?"


    "She doesn''t know," Keira added. "Kaitlyn never told Sue what happened... That was part of the threat, if she ever told anyone, he''d come back and kill them both."


    I took a few deep breaths then through gritted teeth I asked "Who told her that?"


    The twins were silent for a moment, I didn''t need my sight to know they were talking to each other.


    After a couple seconds Kelly answered, "Katie doesn''t want us to tell you. And she doesn''t want Susan to know either. She just wants to forget about it."


    I frowned as I looked at her, "How do you know that? And when did you start calling her Katie?"


    Keira sighed, "Tegan, turn on your sight. Look at our auras."


    I turned and frowned at her but I did as she suggested. I blinked on my sight and looked back and forth between them.


    Their auras looked more or less like they did last time I checked. They both had a few more dark stains on them since the last time I really looked, but after everything the three of us did on our latest visit to Otherworld I figured we all picked up some more stains on our souls.


    Still, I wasn''t quite sure what they were getting at. I looked back and forth again, then I suddenly saw it.


    That fine golden thread was still stretched between them, but it was no longer a perfectly straight line. Now there was a slight upwards bow to it, like something was pulling it skyward. And streaming upwards off the filament was a third branch. Another thin golden thread stretched upwards and disappeared into the kitchen ceiling.


    I stared at that for at least ten or twelve seconds as the implication hit me. Their bond had expanded, the link that connected Kelly''s and Keira''s auras together now reached upwards to include Kaitlyn too. That meant they could communicate with her like they did each other.


    I finally looked at Kelly, then Keira. "What... How? When?"


    They sort of glanced at each other, then Kelly said "We''ll talk about it when we get home."


    Keira added, "The short answer is, she''s our sister. Not quite like another twin but... The three of us obviously have a lot in common, and it''s more than skin-deep."


    "Ok," I sighed. "Obviously a lot happened when you two were up there with her. I just hope Susan isn''t too upset about it."


    As if on cue Sue came down the stairs a half minute later. She was alone, and she looked angry. She moved to stand at the opposite side of the table so she could glare at all three of us.


    She took a breath then stated, "Kaitlyn asked me not to toss the three of you out. She doesn''t feel up to joining us for breakfast, and Claire''s going to stay with her while Katie recovers from what you put her through. And I''m a little too upset to eat, so how about the three of you head into town? There''s some restaurants that''ll be open at this hour."


    I took the hint, she wasn''t throwing us out but she definitely wanted us gone. I apologized as I got to my feet, "Sorry Susan. We''ll get out of your way. Is it ok if I call later?"


    "Much later," she replied coldly.


    Kelly and Keira got up as well, we picked up our purses then walked past Sue and out the back door.


    "At least she didn''t say ''never come back''," I said quietly as the three of us made our way down to the end of the driveway then turned north and started following the road into town.


    Kelly sighed, "Sorry Tegan."


    "I hope we haven''t screwed things up between you and Susan," Keira added.


    I shrugged, "From the sound of it we have some fences to mend with her? But it also sounds like Kaitlyn has already forgiven you two."


    Keira sighed but nodded, "She has. And she says she''ll try and help smooth things out with Susan."


    I realized she sounded emotional, and Kelly looked like she felt the same. I wrapped my arms around both their waists as the three of us walked side-by-side. They put their arms around my shoulders and both leaned against me as we kept walking.


    When we got into town we couldn''t find any open restaurants. I couldn''t help wondering if Sue knew everything was closed at this hour and lied about it just to get us out of the house. We wound up in the only place that was open, a chain coffee shop next to the ferry terminal.


    PurpleCatGirl

 146. Entangled

    "I had no idea." I almost mumbled the words. I was stunned. I was practically in shock, but at the same time I felt sick to my stomach. "Back when you two started playing up the twin stuff I was panicking about my spell doing something wrong, but I never even imagined..."


    It was evening, the three of us were back home now. Our sept were over in the cottage, and we made sure the pixies were there too. My girlfriends and I needed to discuss the Kaitlyn situation and they wanted that conversation to be private. And as much as I loved Merryweather and Petunia, I didn''t want them popping up while we were in the middle of a sensitive discussion.


    Kelly put a hand on my arm and said "Don''t beat yourself up over it babe. It never occurred to us either."


    I sighed and shook my head, "But I should have known. I should have thought of that. It was my spell. I could have... Crap I don''t even know? So much could have gone wrong. And I don''t even... I mean should I be apologizing? Are you upset? Angry? Horrified? What does this mean to you two?"


    The twins glanced at each other, but neither responded. And my head was still reeling over what they just told me, I hadn''t even fully absorbed it all yet.


    Kaitlyn was now part of their mental and emotional link. That connection between Kelly and Keira was an unexpected side-effect of me making the two of them fae while keeping them twins. And now their bond connected them to Kaitlyn as well, because of another unexpected side-effect.


    All three of them were tied together by a bond that was even closer than I could have imagined. It was something I''d overlooked, something Kelly and Keira didn''t realize either. And it was something Kaitlyn figured out on her own ages ago.


    Kelly and Keira''s mom was half-fae, their dad was human. Kelsey''s mom was also human, and her dad was Kaitlyn. Or rather, the fae man Kaitlyn used to be. When I made my girlfriends fully fae, I effectively erased their human heritage. I basically removed all the humanity from them, which left the man Kaitlyn used to be as their sole progenitor.


    If that was all my spell did, it might have made my girlfriends into clones of their grandfather. But I wanted to make sure they stayed identical, I wanted to be certain they remained twins. So part of my spell ensured their appearance wouldn''t change. They became clones of that evil fae man, but in pretty female packaging.


    And that in turn was the key to Kaitlyn making herself fae again. She''d already figured out their blood was her blood, they were duplicates of her former self, albeit with a different appearance. So she used blood she''d gathered from both twins as part of her ritual to break my spell. And that was why, in addition to making herself fae again, her appearance subtly shifted to match theirs. Kaitlyn was still smaller and younger, but apart from that she was otherwise identical to Kelly and Keira.


    They weren''t twins anymore, they were triplets. And that was how my girlfriends'' link expanded to include Kaitlyn.


    After I finally finished processing all of that, another thought occurred. I asked, "Ok wait. Why didn''t you notice the link before? We''ve been back on Earth for four days, wouldn''t you have noticed it as soon as we got back?"


    They glanced at each other then Keira answered, "I think we were subconsciously blocking her out. We still thought of her as who she was before. We were distrustful, hateful. I think that kept the link from forming?"


    "But this morning we realized we were wrong," Kelly stated. "We realized how much she''d changed. She wanted to be a better person, to keep being a better person. She wasn''t him anymore."


    Keira sighed, "And I realized what I''d done to her. What had happened to her because of me. And what I was still doing to her, with that mind-reading spell."


    Kelly sighed as well, "I guess it hit both Keira and me at the same time? We realized who and what Kaitlyn was now, and we realized how we were all connected. And somehow the link formed spontaneously as all that dawned on the two of us."


    I shook my head, "It''s hard to believe. And even now, two thousand kilometers away, you''re still connected."


    With my sight on I could see the thread between the two of them was bowed a little more sharply, the bend pointed to the east. And the third branch was still there, running off into the distance.


    "Yeah," Keira nodded. "We can still hear her, talk with her, just as easily as if she was in the room next door."


    Kelly added, "We''ve already spent some time talking with her this afternoon, while we were hanging out in that bistro. We need to get her trained as quickly as possible on how it all works."


    "Why?" I asked. "What''s the rush?"


    Keira smiled, "Do you remember when we first discussed it with you? When you first saw our link? We told you it let us share thoughts, emotions, and sensations."


    I shrugged, "Yeah I guess? That was almost three years ago."


    Kelly prompted, "Sensations? Like physical sensations?"


    I looked at her, then my eyes widened. After three years it finally hit me what they meant. "Oh..."


    "Yeah," Keira said with a grin. "That''s one of the reasons I wound up in bed with you two so fast. Kelly and I could feel what each other was up to, and... It didn''t make much sense to stay in separate rooms and separate beds when we were both feeling the exact same things regardless which one of us you were with at the time."


    Kelly quickly added, "That doesn''t change anything else about the three of us babe. It just sped things along over the first few days. It took me and Keira about a week to learn to control it better. With the most important lesson being, how to stop broadcasting every stray thought, emotion, and sensation back and forth between us."


    "So that''s why we need to get Kaitlyn up to speed as quick as possible," Keira concluded. "She''s a horny teenager experiencing her very first crush, and her girlfriend just moved in with her."


    I grimaced, "Oh. So if you two start acting a little strange, I can blame it on your connection to her?"


    Kelly smiled, "For now. Hopefully it won''t take long to teach her. She''s very clever, and she doesn''t have to figure it all out on her own like we did? We can just tell her how to do it."


    "Ok," I was glad to hear that. A moment later I frowned, "Wait, when did Claire move in with Kaitlyn?"


    I knew Claire was there this morning of course, but I just assumed she was sleeping over again like she did last month. That was probably some news I''d have gotten from Susan if we hadn''t been shown the door as soon as the twins were done with the kid.


    Kelly replied, "Last week Claire came out to her folks, and it went as poorly as she expected. Susan already had a room for her, so Claire''s going to spend the summer in one of Sue''s guest rooms. Then in September her and Katie will go into residence together at university."


    "Claire asked Kaitlyn to use mind-magic on her folks, so they wouldn''t be homophobic?" Keira added. "Katie refused. She also refused to teach that stuff to Claire. She didn''t want to do anything that her old self would have done."


    That surprised me. I remembered Susan asking me to use mind-magic on Claire''s folks so I knew she''d have been ok with Kaitlyn doing it. Like the twins said, it really did sound like Kaitlyn was trying to be good.


    I thought about that for a bit, before my mind drifted back to my girlfriends'' situation. I still had some questions about that.


    "So when I made you both fully fae... Is there anything else about that spell or the side-effects I should know about? Like I don''t know, do you think there could be anything else that comes up? Or does Kaitlyn? I feel kind of foolish asking, but at this point it almost seems like she has a better understanding of it than I do."


    The twins glanced at each other, then Keira shook her head "No Tegan. Hopefully that''s the last of the unexpected surprises. There''s nothing else Kaitlyn''s aware of, probably nothing else to worry about."


    "That''s good," I stated. I looked back and forth between them again and asked, "So you didn''t answer me earlier when I asked how you both feel about all this? I mean, the link with Kaitlyn, realizing how you three are practically triplets, what my spell did... Are you upset? Angry? Still in shock?"


    Kelly shook her head, "We''re not upset or angry Tegan. Maybe there''s still a little shock? But don''t worry. Actually you remember what you told us, about finding out you really are part pixie? Us finding this out now doesn''t change anything. We''re still the same people we were yesterday, last week, or the past three years. It hasn''t changed anything, but it has explained something."


    "What''s that?" I asked. "What did it explain?"


    She replied, "We''re pretty strong with magic. Nowhere near you of course, but we''re already stronger than the average fae. And we''re still young right? We''re only turning twenty-eight this month? At first we thought that strength was something you did on purpose? Like when you made us fae, we thought maybe you somehow gave us a little boost magic-wise? Now that we know we''re almost duplicates of Kaitlyn''s old self, it makes sense. She was one of the most powerful mages around, so we''ll probably be the same. In another hundred years or so when we hit our prime, we could be as strong as she was before."


    I frowned slightly as I thought about that. "What about her? I guess that means Kaitlyn will get that strength back again too?"


    Kelly nodded, "Probably. It''ll take time though, at least a hundred years. Maybe more, because she''s starting off even younger than us? In fae terms she looks barely seventy now. I''m not sure if all three of us will eventually have the same strength, or if it''ll be different for her compared to me and Keira? But either way, I''m sure it''ll take at least a century for all three of us to reach our peak."


    I was quiet for a few moments, then looked at Keira and asked "How about you Keira? How do you feel about all this?"


    She sighed, "I''m upset, but not about your spell Tegan. I feel guilty about what I did to Kaitlyn this morning. And I feel guilty for what happened to her last year. The things I did to her mind back in Griofa contributed to her being assaulted last July. Then I made the whole thing worse by forcing her to relive all that today..."


    Both me and Kelly pulled Keira into a hug.


    "Don''t beat yourself up Keira," Kelly whispered. "What happened last year wasn''t your fault. And Kaitlyn already forgave us for what we did this morning."


    We were all quiet for a few more moments, then I spoke up again. "I have one last question, and I''m sorry if this one''s upsetting. You''ve mentioned a couple times today that Kaitlyn forgave you. Have you two forgiven her?"


    Neither of them looked upset or angry with me for asking. Neither answered immediately though. Instead they both got thoughtful looks on their faces, which surprised me. They actually appeared to be considering it.


    They were both quiet for about a minute or so, then Keira responded. "No. I can''t forgive her for what she did to Amy. And what she was going to do to Kelly. Maybe someday I''ll be able to forget or let go of that, but not yet."


    Kelly agreed, "We''re not ready to forgive her. But we''ve both let go of the anger and the hatred we had for her. We''ve both embraced her as our sister."


    PurpleCatGirl

 147. Erased

    After all the upset and shocks from our trip out east, the remainder of the week and weekend went pretty smoothly. Me and the twins spent those days working with our sept, to help them adapt to life on Earth.


    On Friday Padraig watched with interest as I used the riding-mower to cut the front lawn. I wound up giving him some lessons on that, then watched as he attempted to cut the back lawn. It wasn''t great, but it wasn''t bad considering at that point he''d had exactly two rides in a car and had never driven anything apart from a horse. Still, it was nice to see him trying to learn Earth stuff, and he was eager to make himself useful.


    I was in a bit of a panic Saturday afternoon when I realized I hadn''t seen Merryweather and Petunia in over a day. I worried they''d flown off to explore the world, and I kept thinking of all the ways they could run into or cause trouble. Fortunately they turned up Saturday evening in the cottage, watching anime on the TV.


    When I spoke with them, I found out they hadn''t actually left the property. They were under the cottage floorboards, setting up a little home for themselves. I should have realized from all my visits to the Duma that pixies lived underground, since there wasn''t any indication of above-ground homes for them. Apparently they lived in burrows along the outer edge of the top of their Duma.


    Rather than digging something themselves here, Merryweather and Petunia just found a cosy little spot beneath the cottage, and used a stolen pillow and blanket to make it comfortable.


    I had some concerns about them living ''outdoors'' like that, and I warned them how cold it got around here in the winter. They seemed quite happy with their little home for now, and if it did get too cold they said they''d come inside. Assuming they ended up staying on Earth of course.


    By the end of our first week Laoise was pretty comfortable with the various appliances in the cottage, she was using the stove and microwave and oven to prepare meals for Padraig and Siobhan and herself. She thought the fridge was a fantastic invention, and she was happy doing laundry with the washer and dryer.


    At that point the only one I was worried about was Siobhan. She still seemed uncomfortable or uneasy most of the time. From what I''d observed she seemed to divide her time between hanging around with her sister, making use of our archery practice range, and doing solo training drills with her sword.


    We were still having our dinners out in the backyard, we made frequent use of the bbq and the fire pit. The weather was nice, it was relaxing, and even Siobhan seemed calm when we were sitting around the fire. The food we brought from Otherworld ran out after the fourth day so all our guests were eating Earth food now. There weren''t any complaints, though I had a feeling it would take a little longer before they were actually used to it.


    As usual I had no idea what the pixies ate, but they seemed to be doing just fine here. And of course they were always around to partake in the hard lemonade. And a bottle of maple syrup mysteriously disappeared from our kitchen at some point during the week.


    By Monday evening we''d been back on Earth for eight days, and things almost seemed to be getting into a routine. Kelly and Keira were planning to start going back into the city soon so they could get back to the last of their university work. They were both still looking forward to finishing their courses.


    We had one last bit of unpleasant business to take care of, and the time had come to address it. It was the tenth of July and that government minister was due back from his vacation late tonight. He lived in a fancy mansion in a gated community a little ways north of the city. I toured the area by car on Sunday to get a look at the place and familiarize myself with the location. It was about eight leagues from our home, so it was fairly easy to get there by teleporting.


    My girlfriends and I stayed up late to wait for his return, and I kept an eye on the guy''s home with clairvoyance spells.


    It was just past eleven when the minister and his family got home from the airport, and it took them another forty-five minutes to get themselves sorted out and into bed. I waited another ninety minutes or so just to be sure, then at at half past one in the morning I teleported into the upstairs hall of his mansion.


    As soon as I was there I used sleep spells on the two teens first, then moved closer to the minister''s bedroom and used another sleep spell on his wife. I put enough into the spells to ensure his family would stay sound asleep till at least eight in the morning.


    With that done, I took hold of the double-doors that led to the minister''s bedroom and swung them wide open. I turned on the light as I strode into the room.


    The minister sat bolt-upright in shock, while his wife remained asleep next to him.


    The right honourable mister Thomas was an average-looking guy in his fifties. He had short hair that was probably light brown or dark blond at one point but was now mostly grey around the sides and balding on top. He had some extra weight on him, especially around his midsection. He was wearing light-blue pyjamas, and there was a pair of well-worn brown slippers on the floor next to the bed.


    He picked up a pair of glasses from his bedside table and slipped them on, then grabbed his phone as he demanded "What the -"


    His eyes widened as he obviously recognized me. He gasped, "You! What the hell are you doing here?!"


    "I''m here to have a little chat," I replied calmly. "Put down the phone, you won''t be needing it."


    Thomas turned to his left and looked at his wife. He sounded nervous as he asked "What did you do?"


    "Just a sleep spell," I said. "Your wife and kids are ok, they''re going to sleep through our meeting. Now leave the phone and come with me."


    He hesitated a moment, before he set the phone back on his bedside table. He got out of bed and stepped into his slippers as he asked, "Where are we going?"


    I shrugged, "Your office will do fine."


    He turned out the light and closed the doors as we left the bedroom, not that his wife would have noticed. I had him lead the way as we went down the large staircase and across the spacious front hall. We wound up in a large wood-panelled room, with a big fancy desk and some plush leather chairs.


    Thomas turned the light on as we entered, then moved to sit behind the desk.


    "Nope," I stated. "You sit there."


    I directed him to one of the guest chairs. I wasn''t taking any chances of him having some sort of panic button or something back there.


    He glared at me but he sat in the guest chair. As I slipped into the large luxurious leather seat behind his desk I cast a mind-reading spell on the minister, then sent a message to my girlfriends through our rings, "All clear. Come on over."


    Kelly appeared standing next to me on my left, Keira appeared on my right.


    Thomas looked startled when the redheads appeared on either side of me, but he quickly got over the shock.


    "Breaking and entering is bad enough," he stated. "I''m a member of parliament, you know how serious this is? You''re already under investigation, this little stunt of yours will put you away for a long time."


    I ignored him for now, as I started looking for information. I expected to find he''d been coerced or maybe enspelled by some of Cathal''s agents. What I found was a lot more surprising.


    "So he wasn''t coerced," I said to my girlfriends. "He was bribed. A hundred fae gold coins, to organize the police investigation and harassment campaign against us. And he knew we''d done nothing wrong."


    Kelly looked surprised, "Is he fae?"


    "No," I replied. "He knows about us and the shadow economy though."


    Following that thread through his memories, I discovered he wasn''t alone in knowing about us. Several more top bureaucrats in his ministry knew about the fae. And outside his offices, he was aware of another half a dozen ministries who knew about us. They all just turned a blind eye to our kind though. They even orchestrated cover-ups to prevent knowledge of us getting out to the public.


    They knew fae were almost undetectable and usually dangerous, so the unofficial position was to just stay out of our way and let us do our thing. That was news I''d have to decide what to do with later, but I had a feeling I should relay it back to Queen ¨¢ine at some point.


    By now the minister knew I was reading his mind, but he still didn''t seem too worried.


    He stated calmly, "I know about your kind, and I know about you three. I know you''re a pacifist, miss Vale. You''re one of the ''good'' ones, I know you aren''t going to hurt me."


    Keira looked unimpressed as she asked him "Is that so?"


    Thomas sounded confident as he continued, "I don''t know why King Cathal wants to stir up trouble for you lot, but after this stunt I promise you''ll have more trouble than you can handle. Earth is not going to be a safe place for you any more."


    All three of us smiled as I replied "You obviously haven''t heard the news. Cathal is no longer king of Otherworld. I personally put an end to his reign, and I eliminated his son too. My girlfriends and I have already closed the police investigation. You''re the last loose end."


    The minister''s confident act faltered slightly. He shook his head, "I don''t believe you."


    Kelly glanced at me and asked, "What are we going to do with him?"


    I thought it over and compared this guy to MacRae or his boss. MacRae didn''t know about the fae, but he was a prick. The top cop wasn''t even that, he was just doing his job. Thomas though... He knew about the fae. He knew about Cathal. He was basically on the king''s payroll. I figured that was the difference between him being just an annoying human, and being an active and willing participant. He was an enemy agent. He was both an enemy to me, and a traitor to the humans he was supposed to serve.


    "I thought we''d be freeing him from some fae tampering," I replied to Kelly. "Then I guess I figured we''d just let him go. Now I think... Well, I''m going to have to do something else."


    Thomas looked less and less confident as I spoke. I was still in his mind and I poked around to see if he had any sort of contingency plan incase his dealings with the fae went bad. I couldn''t find anything though. He was basically just banking on his position as a public figure and a government minister, hoping that his position made him valuable enough to the fae he dealt with that they wouldn''t want to get rid of him.


    Keira offered, "Want me to handle this Tegan?"


    "No thanks," I replied. "I''ll do it myself."


    He looked at Keira then back at me again and gulped, "You''re not going to kill me. You don''t do that, you don''t hurt people."


    I shrugged, "I''m sure you know making deals with the fae is dangerous."


    Thomas started trying to offer me a bribe, but I used a sleep spell on him. He slumped down in the chair as his eyes fluttered shut and he started snoring softly.


    "Tegan?" Kelly asked softly. "What are you going to do?"


    I sighed, "I''m taking care of business."


    My first thought was to just end him. I knew a spell that would simply stop his heart, people would think it was a heart attack. But I didn''t like the idea of his wife or kids being the ones to find the body. So I''d leave him alive, but he wouldn''t be a threat anymore. Not to me, or anyone else.


    I figured, humans would call it an aneurism or something like that. He''d be alive, he''d be functional, but he wouldn''t remember much of the past fifteen years. That was how long he''d known about the fae, how long he''d been in public service. He''d know who his wife and kids were though, I wouldn''t take that from him.


    He''d probably wind up on medical leave, and I knew he''d have a good pension. His family would get to keep him, but his career was over.


    The spell only took a minute or two, then I got to my feet.


    "Let''s go home. I need a drink."


    My girlfriends just nodded quietly. I waited to make sure they both teleported home first, then I followed.


    With all three of us safely back at our place, I went into the kitchen and grabbed myself a hard lemonade. Keira opened a bottle of wine, and Kelly got herself a hard lemonade as well.


    PurpleCatGirl

 148. Educed

    July twenty-second was a Saturday, but not just any Saturday. It was Kelly and Keira''s twenty-eighth birthday, and our sept had a nice little celebration for the two of them.


    Dinner wasn''t that different than any other evening lately, Laoise and I used the bbq, but we got some fancier cuts of meat and I made some nice side-dishes to go with the main course. We also had a big fancy cake for dessert, along with ice cream. And there was plenty of wine and hard lemonade on hand of course.


    In addition to the eight of us in our sept, we had one more guest with us. Elise came down from her place for the weekend, to help celebrate the twins'' birthday and to meet our friends visiting from Otherworld. Of course there was still a huge language barrier, Elise couldn''t speak Fae and our three fae guests had yet to learn any English.


    On the other hand we were all surprised to find in the twenty days we''d been back on Earth Merryweather and Petunia had actually picked up a little of the language. They''d been watching a lot of TV and managed to learn some words and phrases. Of course, they''d mostly been watching anime so their vocabulary was slightly different. It was still impressive though.


    Elise was amazed by the two pixies, but she was polite and respectful of course. I still had no idea what would happen if a regular human encountered Merryweather or Petunia, and Elise didn''t quite count since she already knew about fae and supernatural stuff. And she already knew we had pixies staying with us.


    All in all it was a good evening. We ate a little too much and drank a little too much. I didn''t have any birthday gifts ready for my girlfriends, I hadn''t even finished their graduation gifts yet, so I just promised to surprise them both later on.


    After the food, Elise sat herself down in between Padraig and Laoise. She kept asking me to translate for her, but once I figured out she was trying to seduce them both I left her on her own. Not that I had anything against her trying to chat up two members of my sept, I just didn''t want to be in the middle of it. Plus I worried Padraig or Laoise might feel pressured if their sept leader was involved.


    So Elise did what she could, and it was honestly kind of funny watching her try. She''d talk in English, Padraig or Laoise would respond in Fae, and neither side had any clue what the other was going on about, so it was like two completely separate conversations.


    As the night wore on and the various drinks disappeared things eventually got quiet. Merryweather and Petunia turned in first, they were wobbling a little more than usual as they flitted away from the fire-pit and back towards the cottage. Then at some point Laoise and Padraig and Elise disappeared too.


    I didn''t see them go, I was probably talking with my girlfriends or something so I had no idea which one Elise wound up with. I was fairly confident she was with one or the other though, I doubted she''d have given up and gone to bed by herself.


    The fire was down to just a few orange flickers and a lot of red coals, and there were just four of us sitting together watching it. As usual Kelly and Keira sat to either side of me. Siobhan sat a little ways off to our right, on the other side of Keira.


    The tall fae captain had been nursing a glass of wine for the past hour, and she looked thoughtful as she stared quietly at the dying embers of the fire.


    I was still a little worried about her, and I had a feeling when we went back to Otherworld for Lughnasadh she''d probably end up staying there. Out of all our companions, Siobhan was the only one who didn''t really seem to have found a place for herself here. Though she might not have been trying.


    I had half a bottle of hard lemonade left, and I had another deep sip of it.


    Keira topped up her wine glass then offered "Siobhan? There''s some wine left if you''d like?"


    The blonde nodded and held her glass out, and Keira emptied the last of the bottle into it.


    "Thank you m''lady," Siobhan said quietly.


    Keira smiled, "You''re welcome. And we really don''t need to use titles here."


    The captain smiled back briefly, but she still didn''t seem very happy.


    She looked to me and said, "Lady Tegan, there''s something I''ve been curious about since we arrived here."


    "What''s that?" I asked.


    "When we faced King Cathal, you told him the Duma D¨¦ were the source of all magic in Otherworld?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. There''s a long explanation but the short version is, they act like portals, they draw magic from beyond the veil and spread it out all across the world."


    She frowned and asked, "Then how is there magic here? How does the human world get its magic?"


    I smiled, "There are Duma D¨¦ here. Probably not very many, there''s less magic here than there is back home. But I''m sure there''s at least one or two Duma here somewhere."


    Siobhan looked surprised. She asked the same question my dad asked, "The Duma D¨¦ were made by the Gods. Why would fae Gods build Duma on the human world?"


    Keira spoke up, "Yeah I''ve been wondering about that too. It doesn''t make any sense."


    I nodded, "I actually have a theory about that... But it might not be something any of you want to hear."


    My girlfriends looked curious, while Siobhan looked thoughtful again.


    "I would like to hear your theory, m''lady. You obviously know more about the Duma, and perhaps the Gods, than any other fae."


    "Ok Siobhan," I replied. I took a deep breath then started to explain.


    "So the main thing is, I don''t think the Gods are fae Gods. I think they''re just Gods. We have fae names for them, and if they were active here there''s probably various human names for them too. The thing with the Duma is they don''t just spread magic across the land? They''re also portals right? If you know the secret, you can use them to travel through the veil easily, at any time of the day."


    Siobhan and my girlfriends were all watching me and listening closely now. The captain looked very interested, while Kelly and Keira just looked like they were entertained by my story.


    "So once I knew the Duma are portals, it kind of fit into place with a lot of other things I''d noticed and questioned. Fae and humans look identical. We can even interbreed. The two biggest differences is we have a much longer lifespan, and we''re a lot more adept with magic than they are. That is, more fae have magical talent, and fae are better with magic than humans."


    Kelly frowned, "Babe? What are you saying?"


    I braced myself and stated, "I''m saying fae are human, or descended from humans. I''m saying we originally came from Earth. It would have been a long time ago, like maybe eight to ten thousand years? I don''t know why, but for whatever reason the Gods visited Earth. They built the Duma and introduced magic to the world. They found the humans who had the strongest connection with magic. Then they took those humans who were best with magic through the Duma portals, and brought us to Otherworld."


    I pointed out, "It''s even in the name of our world right? Otherworld, is literally another world. Not home, it''s somewhere Other."


    Before anyone could comment I continued, "So the Gods transported our ancestors to Otherworld. Then they gave us longer lifespans and enhanced our existing gift for magic. They taught us spells, they taught us language, reading and writing. They probably even set up the feudal system we still use today. Then they left us to our own devices."


    All three of them were quiet, and they all looked thoughtful.


    Keira spoke up after a few moments, "That''s not far off from the legend of Atlantis. At least part of it, like where the Gods rounded up the smartest people and took them somewhere to build an advanced society? Same thing except magic instead of smarts. And fae society is certainly advanced compared to where humanity was eight millennia ago."


    "Ok but if this were true," Kelly asked with a frown, "Why wouldn''t there be some record of it? I mean, eight thousand years is a long time, but if they taught us to read and write why wouldn''t we have records of this?"


    I shrugged, "Eight millennia''s actually not that long ago, only sixteen generations? But we fae are blind to history. I don''t know if the Gods did that on purpose or not, but think about it? There are no fae history books. We have an oral history, sort of, but we never hear anything beyond a couple generations. Like today everyone''s heard of the legend of Taralynn, but nobody talks about what happened further back than that? And in another couple hundred years nobody will even remember her."


    Keira smiled, "That''s because after last month everybody''s talking about you, cutie."


    I blushed, "Think about it though? If an average generation is five centuries, then four generations is two thousand years. That''s as far back as people talk about. If humans were like that, they wouldn''t know who invented the steam engine or the airplane. They wouldn''t know about the industrial revolution. They''d just assume electricity and cars always existed."


    "Ok that''s weird and creepy," Kelly commented.


    "What about pixies?" Keira asked. "Are they human too?"


    I nodded, "Probably. Again I have no idea why the Gods did all this? But think about it like this. Fae have very long lifespans, a feudal society, most of us have some talent with magic, and some of us are really good with magic. We''re well organized, and a lot of us are engaged in military occupations. We''re used to a hierarchy and class system. Pixies meanwhile are small, sneaky, just as magical in their own way, and they''re also militant in their own way. They can fly and turn invisible."


    Kelly sighed, "We''re warriors, pixies are spies. You''re saying the Gods took our ancestors from Earth and bred us to be magic warriors, and bred pixies to be magic spies. The next big question is why? Why would the Gods need a race of magic soldiers and a race of magic spies?"


    "It''s just a theory," I replied quietly. "I have no proof. And as for why, I really don''t know?"


    Keira shrugged, "For war. Why else would you want soldiers? Maybe they were preparing for a war, then it didn''t happen so they didn''t need us anymore?"


    "Or maybe it just hasn''t come yet," Kelly said softly. "After all, we''re talking about soldiers with a thousand year lifespan, and I''m assuming the Gods live much longer. They probably plan farther ahead than we can even imagine."


    "Maybe," I sighed. "Like I said, it''s all just a theory so please don''t get too upset."


    Keira asked, "How''d our language end up similar to some Earth languages? They came much later than when you''re saying we left Earth. And the whole feudal society and castles and things, how''d that happen on Earth so similar to what we have on Otherworld?"


    "Ideas travel with people, right?" I replied. "Humans and fae are both curious, though I think we''ve had some of it bred out of us. But some fae found their way back to Earth. Those fae explorers probably shared their language and knowledge with the humans they met. And of course there''s all the myths and folklore about the fae."


    Siobhan had been silent since I started to talk about this stuff, but she finally spoke up now. "So there would be Duma D¨¦ here on Earth? They''d be unknown? Lost, or missing?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. "Or they might be ''known'' but misunderstood. Like there''s lots of sacred hills, but none that you and I would recognize specifically as a Duma D¨¦. Perhaps they have a different appearance here."


    "Would they be far from your estate here?" she asked. "Or I suppose you don''t know."


    Kelly suggested "If I was looking for them, I''d start searching in Ireland, and perhaps parts of Scotland. If that''s where fae language came to Earth, then that''s where fae first came to Earth."


    I added, "Those lands are a very long way from here Siobhan. There are ways to get there, but it''s not a journey that would be possible by horse, or even by car."


    The captain just nodded slowly. She had another thoughtful look on her face, as she drained the last of her wine.


    She finally said, "I think I shall turn in for the night. Thank you Lady Tegan for sharing your theory."


    As she got up she added, "Good night m''ladies. And happy birthday Lady Keira, Lady Kelly."


    We all bid her a goodnight as she headed for the cottage. Then I looked at my girlfriends, "Let''s head to bed too? We can finish celebrating your birthdays in private."


    They both smiled as the three of us got up and headed into the house together.


    PurpleCatGirl

 149. Embraced

    "Are you sure?" I asked as I looked at Merryweather and Petunia. "We''ll probably be gone a week, maybe ten days."


    The small enby nodded, "Quite sure Tegan. We''ll be fine, and we''ll keep an eye on things here."


    All eight of us were gathered in the little glade in the ravine out back of our home. Six of us were carrying small packs and our weapons. I''d convinced Padraig we didn''t need to bring my banner with us, that was left hanging on the wall in the living-room of our home. Apart from that though, we had everything else we''d need for our trip back to Otherworld.


    Siobhan Laoise and Padraig had all their gear as well, everything they''d brought with them to Earth. I hadn''t asked any of them yet but I was certain Siobhan would be staying on Otherworld. I was sort of up in the air on the other two, they''d both made impressive strides already in getting used to life here but it was still a huge change from what they were used to.


    So far though, only the pixies had declared their intent to make this their new home. And next to Siobhan, they were the two I thought most-likely to want to get back to Otherworld. I thought Earth would be a bad fit for them, that they''d be bored and isolated here. We wouldn''t let them leave the property and explore, and the only human they''d met was Elise when she was here for a weekend.


    Now it was the last Friday of July, Lughnasadh was in just four days, and I was hoping my little sister would be born some time in the next week or so. I wanted to be there when she arrived, but the twins couldn''t stay indefinitely. They already made arrangements with their profs to finish up their studies and hopefully graduate soon.


    "What are you going to do while we''re gone?" Kelly asked them.


    Petunia replied, "We''ll tend to your estate here, while we continue working on our home. And there''s countless more ''animes'' we have yet to study. We''ll continue teaching ourselves the local language too."


    "All right," I said. "It''s nearly sunrise, so if you''re sure then I guess we''ll see you both when we get back. Just try and stay out of trouble, ok?"


    Both of them grinned, and Merryweather stated "Of course Tegan! Enjoy your trip."


    The two of them flitted back out of the way but stayed to watch us go.


    The rest of us formed up into a circle and took hold of each other, and as the sun broke over the horizon I cast the spell and pulled the six of us through.


    We emerged into the meadow in the south forest. There were some guards on duty, but by now they were all used to me and the twins coming and going. And of course they all knew Siobhan very well.


    After a quick greeting, me and the twins teleported the six of us to the castle courtyard. From there, Siobhan Laoise and Padraig were taken to VIP quarters again, while me and my girlfriends went to our normal room.


    There wasn''t any fanfare when we arrived, nobody made a fuss about any of us. The atmosphere in the castle seemed quiet, tense, and I guess the best word to describe it was ''expectant''.


    The three of us had enough time to get unpacked and settled before Seneschal Owen came to fetch us.


    "Lady Tegan, Lady Keira, Lady Kelly," he said as he bowed slightly. "You are invited to take breakfast with Lord Connor."


    We all go to our feet to follow him, but I asked, "Just my father? Is my mother ok?"


    As the seneschal led us through the castle to my parents'' private chambers he replied, "Lady Maeve has been spending much of her time in bed the past two days. According to Muireann and Eabha she is fine and doing well."


    "Who is Eabha?" I asked. "Has my sister been born already?"


    Owen answered, "Eabha is the clann''s midwife, m''lady. And according to her, the child is due any day now."


    With that, we were at their private dining room. He gestured for the three of us to take our seats. Dad wasn''t here yet so it was just the three of us as the seneschal turned and took his leave.


    I sat down at my usual spot at the far end of the table, Kelly and Keira did the same.


    "I hope everything''s ok," I commented to them. "It feels a little strange."


    Keira replied, "I don''t know what it''s like with ready access to magic, but in medieval times childbirth was pretty risky. There''s the potential for a lot of celebration and joy if everything goes well, but also the possibility of things going very badly."


    I remembered Taralynn''s story, of Saoirse and her own birth. Saoirse had the clann''s healer and midwife with her, and even with their magic she knew there were risks. The main difference between then and now was if the worst happened, our clann wouldn''t die with my mother. It would all fall on my shoulders instead.


    Before I got too carried away thinking about what that would mean for me and my girlfriends, my dad arrived and took his seat. He looked like the archetypical expectant father. He had a distracted look on his face, his hair was a little messy, and he hadn''t buttoned up his jacket.


    "Good morning Tegan, Keira, Kelly."


    "Hi dad," I responded with a nervous smile. "How are you doing? And how''s mom?"


    He replied, "I''m fine, fine, thank you. Your mother is uncomfortable and um, very eager for your sister''s arrival. She knows the three of you are here and would like to see you all a little later today."


    A couple servants came in at that point with the food, so we were quiet for a bit.


    After they left I replied "I''m eager to see her too. I''m glad she''s ok. Has Muireann said anything? Like is she staying healthy, is my sister healthy? And what about this Eabha, is she good? Is she trustworthy?"


    Dad ate a bit as he replied, "According to Muireann and Eabha both Maeve and the baby are healthy and doing fine. And unfortunately, as much as your mother wishes to speed things along, Eabha says we have to wait for things to happen at their own pace."


    He added after a moment, "Eabha has been the clann''s top midwife for two and a half centuries. She helped deliver you, Tegan. She''s trustworthy, experienced, and excellent at her work."


    That was good to hear, but it didn''t really set my mind at ease. I didn''t have much of an appetite as most of my thoughts were on my mom, and it looked like dad felt about the same. Kelly and Keira ate a bit, but overall it was sort of a quiet quick meal.


    After breakfast me and my girlfriends waited in the sitting room for a while, before we were allowed to go and see my mom.


    She was sitting up on her bed, she looked good but she tired quickly. Muireann and Eabha were both hovering around nearby, the healer was there to monitor mom''s condition while the midwife was there to keep tabs on the baby.


    Mom greeted us all, she was happy to see us and glad we were back. We couldn''t stay long though, she needed her rest.


    I managed to steal a few words with Muireann and was told mom was the same way when she was carrying me. The healer suggested it was due to mom''s small stature, carrying a child put a lot of stress on her tiny body.


    So the healer would stay by mom''s side, along with the midwife, and together they''d make sure mother and child were both ok.


    After that, I was allowed to visit once each day but I went alone. Kelly and Keira would wait for me in our room or at the study.


    And I could never stay too long, mom got tired too quickly. The whole situation left me worried, but I had to trust that Muireann and Eabha knew what they were doing. Mom too, since she''d been through this once already with me.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The days passed slowly as we all waited. We tried to maintain a sort of normal routine, but whatever we did there was that overarching expectant tension. We knew the baby could arrive any time now, and until she did all we could do was wait and hope.


    And with each passing day that feeling grew stronger. Lughnasadh was tomorrow and I was almost positive my sister would be here then. I didn''t have any special insight, I wasn''t using any kind of magic to see the future. I just had a feeling. After all, I was born at dawn on Imbolc. It seemed to fit that my sister would be born on Lughnasadh.


    Still, when a maid came frantically knocking at our door that night at dusk I felt completely unprepared.


    That felt like it was hours ago now, but I''d kind of lost track of the time. All I knew for sure was it was very dark out, some time late at night.


    I cringed as mom cried out again with another contraction, then asked myself for the hundredth time why anyone thought I needed to be here for this. My dad wasn''t even here. It was just mom, Muireann, Eabha, and me. At least the other three had something to do. All I could do was stand around and watch. And cringe.


    Realistically I knew why I was present, I just didn''t like to think about it.


    I was the first-born daughter, heir to all mother''s titles. If anything went wrong and mom didn''t make it, it would be my responsibility to deliver the news to the rest of the clann. And to my dad. Then I''d have to take over, take mom''s place.


    Of course if something did go wrong I also had the option of channelling the entire world''s supply of magic into healing spells, so there was a good chance I''d be able to save her from just about anything. It didn''t make me feel any less nervous though. I wasn''t a trained healer, and I knew absolutely nothing about childbirth.


    And despite my obligations and everything, I still wished I could be anywhere else but here.


    Up till six years ago I thought I was a guy. Literally nothing in my life prepared me for this sort of situation.


    Through my childhood, my teens, and the first couple years of early adulthood, I was raised as a guy. My dad gave me ''the talk'' and I had sex-ed at school but it was all based on the guy''s side of things. And I wasn''t the least bit interested in fatherhood. Motherhood wasn''t even on the horizon.


    And because I was adopted, my human parents didn''t even have stories about this stuff. I never heard what labour was like, how long my mom went through it, or what it was like holding me the very first time after it was over.


    I had literally nothing connecting me to the concept of motherhood.


    After my changeling egg hatched Kelly helped me deal with some aspects of womanhood that I was completely unprepared for, but that was mostly just about adapting to my body and the cycles it went through. There wasn''t any deep philosophical awakening, my entire upbringing and education weren''t changed.


    So here I was standing at the back of the room near the door as if I was ready to flee at a moment''s notice, while my mom was going through the final throes of labour with my baby sister. The clann''s top healer and top midwife were both by her side, ready to help. The midwife was talking her through it, when to breath, when to push.


    That much at least I was vaguely familiar with. TV shows and movies had the occasional scene like this, though I usually kind of cringed and tuned it out. Sort of like I was doing right now, actually.


    There was another loud cry from my mother, followed by more coaching from Eabha. It sounded like things were reaching their peak, and my emotions and thoughts were all spinning and churning in a big confusing mess.


    Eabha urged mom, "Now push! Keep pushing!"


    Mom replied with a loud groaning cry of pain, followed by an exhausted half-sigh half-sob. And a moment later there was a very small wail and cry.


    The sound of that tiny voice cut through all my jumbled-up thoughts and emotions. All the fears and misgivings and complaints and negative thoughts fell away, and I was left with hope and curiosity and love. I found myself approaching the foot of the bed as Muireann was moving away.


    Eabha was still busy, but I reached mom''s bed in time to see the midwife hand my mother a small bundle of life. Eabha said something to mom but I wasn''t listening, all my focus was on my mom and the precious package she now held in her arms.


    All at once I saw the look of exhaustion mixed with love and joy on mom''s face, and the beautiful little face of my baby sister as she stopped her cries the moment she was in her mother''s arms. I had to wipe my eyes as I realized I was crying.


    And as I stared smiling at mom and sis I spotted the little wisps of blonde hair on my sister''s head, and in that moment I knew two things.


    My little sister was free of the Gods'' curses, as well as their gifts and all the obligations and responsibilities that came with them. She would have a normal fae life, and her destiny would be entirely up to her to make of it whatever she wanted.


    And I suddenly understood what motherhood was all about, but that realization was bittersweet. I knew it would be centuries, if ever, before I''d have the opportunity to experience it myself.


    PurpleCatGirl

 150a Elated

    "Hey babe," Kelly said softly as she nudged my shoulder. "Time to get up. We have to get ready for the party, remember?"


    I slowly drifted awake and took a deep breath, then yawned. It felt like I''d only just dozed off a few minutes ago. I stayed up all night watching over my mom and sister as they slept, then I had breakfast with my dad and girlfriends.


    It was somewhere around noon when I finally crashed hard and wound up in bed. Now it was probably an hour or so before sunset, and the whole castle would be abuzz getting ready for the celebrations.


    Keira wasn''t anywhere near as subtle or gentle as her twin. She leaned across the bed and grabbed me by the arms then pulled me bodily out from under the covers as she said "C''mon cutie, time to get you dressed up nice. You have to go down to the great hall and look pretty for the clann."


    I was able to pull myself free but only after she got me halfway out of bed. I grumbled as I got to my feet, "Gonna make some rules about not dragging the sept-leader out of bed before she''s ready."


    Keira just grinned.


    Kelly asked "Babe, how are you feeling? You were kind of quiet and melancholy this morning."


    "I''m fine," I replied, though my tone didn''t quite sell it. "I''ve just had a lot on my mind you know? Last night was... It was pretty special I guess."


    The twins were both already dressed in their fancy matching gowns, so they didn''t have much to do right now apart from talking to me and making sure I got ready too. Keira got my dress out of the wardrobe while her sister poured me a glass of juice.


    Kelly handed me the glass and commented, "I''m sure it was, babe. Has it changed how you feel about this stuff?"


    I drank a few gulps of juice then admitted, "Yeah, it has. And I''m kind of sad now, knowing that I won''t be able to experience that myself for a very long time. Or maybe never. I don''t want to trigger the curse and lose my mom."


    Kelly pulled me into a hug, while Keira asked "So now you''re feeling all motherly? Pretend the curse was broken, who would you pick for the father?"


    I smiled slightly, "I''d ask you two of course. I mean, it''d have to be one or the other, but you''d both be my first choice."


    Kelly and Keira both looked a little awkward about that. I could almost imagine what they were thinking, or maybe they were saying it to each other over their link. Just like I never in my life imagined being a mother, I bet neither of them would have ever dreamed of being a dad. Not that they''d have to be a guy forever. Or at all, for that matter. A little creative magic here and there and just about anything was possible. It might even be fun, we''d never tried that sort of thing before.


    "Let''s put that conversation on the back-burner for now," Keira suggested. There was a little flush in her cheeks though, and I couldn''t help wondering if that was because the idea worried her or if it interested her. "Right now we have to get you dressed and presentable."


    "Fine," I replied with an exaggerated sigh. I finished my drink then finally started getting ready for the evening''s celebrations.


    An hour later the three of us stood next to my father. We were in front of the head table, greeting people and smiling and being social while the great hall quickly filled up.


    My mom wasn''t here yet, but dad said she''d join us to begin the feast. Then she''d retire again to their private chambers, which was understandable. She was still recovering, and she intended to spend most of her time with her new daughter. I was also confident she wouldn''t let my little sister out of her sight for some time yet, considering what happened to me the day I was born.


    The other three members of my sept were here too of course. They wouldn''t be at the head table, but they had places near the front of the hall on one of the side tables. It was a demotion for Siobhan, she used to have a seat by my mother''s side. Now she was just another clann member, albeit an important one. It was a big promotion for Padraig and Laoise though. The former would have been sat near the back before, and the latter wouldn''t have been to many of these at all in the last twenty-eight years.


    When the time came we all took our seats. The last two dozen staff emerged from the kitchens carrying the platters and bowls of food, which was laid out on the tables as usual. Then they all sat down as well at the far end of the other tables.


    At that point it fell on my shoulders to call on everyone to be quiet and settle down. I probably shouldn''t have been surprised at the reaction, but despite it being my first time addressing the entire castle, everyone shut up the moment I asked for silence. It seemed like nobody, not even clann mates, wanted to risk upsetting the Great and Powerful Tegan Vale.


    With the entire hall suddenly so quiet you could hear a pin drop, my mother entered through the double doors. She wasn''t wearing a fancy silk gown or make-up. Her hair wasn''t done up nice, and she wasn''t wearing expensive jewelry. She wore a long loose comfortable cotton dress and sandals. And in her arms she carried my baby sister, wrapped in a blue and purple blanket.


    Mom walked around to stand at her place at the head table, in between myself and my dad.


    She looked around over the crowd of people all sitting quietly, over two hundred pairs of eyes on her. Even in silence everyone looked happy.


    Mom took a breath then shifted how she was holding her child. She held the little girl up so everyone could see her tiny sleepy face. Then she announced, "My family, my friends, my clann mates. I present to you my second child, Saoirse Br¨¢daigh."


    There was a quiet, restrained murmur. It sounded like everyone wanted to applaud and shout, but nobody dared wake the baby. I had a dozen questions spring to mind, mostly about how mom came to choose that name. I thought it was a great choice, but I wanted to know how and why she picked it.


    With a glance in my direction, mom added "I must take my leave again, but I leave my eldest child Tegan to start the festivities."


    We all stayed just as quiet as mom made her way back out of the hall. I gave her another half minute or so, then I stood up and half-shouted "Ok everybody, happy Lughnasadh! Let the feast begin!"


    A roar sort of went through the crowd, as if to make up for that minute or two of silence when they''d been holding back their shouts and excitement. It was like the entire hall exploded in joy and merriment.


    As always the food was great, and this time the drink was good too. I had a pitcher of mead in front of me so I didn''t have to suffer with wine anymore. I didn''t over-do it of course, but after all the tension of the past week, actually after the tension of the past few months, it felt like once again a huge weight had been lifted.


    We ate, we drank, we talked, we mingled. There were no serious conversations, nothing to worry about, no threats to be considered. It was just a good, fun, happy night.


    In the end maybe I did over-do it a little, but eventually Kelly and Keira pulled me away from the party. They wanted to end the celebration with some private festivities in our room.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Mom glanced at me and smiled, "What is it Tegan? Say what''s on your mind."


    I grimaced slightly. I obviously hadn''t done a very good job at containing my curiosity. "Why Saoirse? I wasn''t sure if you even knew that name."


    We were sitting alone in her private chambers, in her sitting room. Mom was on the sofa with Saoirse in her arms, she was currently feeding the baby. I sat across from them in one of the arm chairs.


    Once upon a time, or as recently as last week even, I''d have felt uncomfortable and out of place being present for something like this. Now I was just sort of enjoying the second-hand exposure to the love and bonding that was going on between my mom and sister. And I still felt that little sense of longing, that hope that someday I''d be able to have that experience myself.


    The castle had returned to normal once again. The festival was a couple days ago, everything was more or less quiet, and tomorrow the twins and I would be returning to Earth. I didn''t know yet how many of my sept would accompany us, but for now I was finally catching up with my mom.


    She blushed slightly and replied, "A few days before you returned, I had a ''prophetic dream'' of my own. I found myself atop Duma D¨¦. I was reunited with my mother, and I met my grandmother for the first time."


    I felt my eyebrows creeping up, but a smile formed on my lips. "You finally got to meet Taralynn? That''s wonderful."


    "Indeed," she replied, though her attention shifted downwards to the babe in her arms. Saoirse had finished feeding, so mom took some time to tend to her before the baby settled down to sleep cradled in mom''s arms.


    Then she addressed me again, "She and my mother relayed a story to me, about Taralynn''s connection with that particular Duma. And I understand she told you that story as well, when you visited the Duma with your sept."


    "Yeah," I nodded. "So you found out about her mother. And you learned about her father too?"


    Mom confirmed "I did. Though I think it best we leave the subject of her father for another time. I assume you''ve shared that knowledge with your girlfriends, I suggest you see it doesn''t spread any further than that."


    "I agree. They haven''t told anyone else, I haven''t shared it with my sept."


    I added, "I think it''s already common knowledge among the pixies? Or at least the ones from Merryweather''s troop, since they were there at the time. Uh, I mean the troop was there when it happened, and Merryweather was there when Taralynn told me about it, but they already seemed to know the story. I doubt the pixies will tell anyone else though, they don''t associate much with fae at all."


    Mom just nodded slightly, then continued "Taralynn also told me that you and I needed to have an important conversation some time after my second child was born. I''m curious what that''s about. She made it sound like there was something serious we needed to discuss, but she refused to elaborate."


    I grimaced again, "Yeah... Let''s put that off another few months. Or a few years maybe. I don''t think it''s anything immediately pressing, but it''s definitely stuff we need to cover some time in the next few decades."


    She gave me another look, then sighed "Very well Tegan. Under other circumstances I might complain, but for now I have my hands full. I understand you''re planning to return to Earth tomorrow, so I suggest you meet with your sept and make those arrangements. You and your girlfriends are invited to dine with Connor and I tonight."


    I nodded, "Thanks mom. I''ll see you again this evening."


    Moving quietly so as not to wake my sister, I got up and slipped out of the room.


    PurpleCatGirl

 150b Emigrated

    It took a few minutes to round up my sept, then the six of us commandeered the study yet again for a little meeting so we could discuss who wanted to come with us back to Earth and who''d be staying here in Otherworld.


    I realized it was almost a repeat of our similar meeting from five weeks ago, except there weren''t any pixies here this time. And just like last time, it was Laoise who spoke up first.


    "Lady Tegan, after I was forced to retire from my duties for the clann I wound up living in the fishing village by the lake, south of the forest. I spent the better part of the last three decades working in a tavern as a cook. Now thanks to you, I could return to work here at the castle. I could once again serve as an officer of the guard for Clann Br¨¢daigh."


    She shook her head and continued, "That is no longer my calling. My loyalties lie with you m''lady. I am at your command, and whether you wish me to join your guard, or serve as a cook, maid, or whatever other duties you desire, I''ll be there for you. I will follow you back to Earth, and I''ll follow you anywhere else you may lead."


    "Thank you Laoise," I replied. I wasn''t sure what else to say, I was a little overwhelmed by her speech. "You''re welcome and your loyalty is appreciated. We''ll figure out what role suits you best, but I''m fairly confident you won''t be a maid or a cook. I honestly feel like that sort of task is beneath you."


    Padraig spoke up next, which didn''t surprise me. "I''ll stay by your side as well, Lady Tegan. I''m part of the Vale sept now. And same as Laoise, where you lead I follow. My skills aren''t as diverse as hers, but you know I can ride, fight, and hunt. I would be happy to act as a guard, or your huntsman. I could even act as a groundskeeper for your estate, once I''ve mastered those tasks."


    I smiled, "Thank you Padraig. I''m happy to have you with us."


    Once again I was positive Siobhan would opt to remain here. Like last time, she had a thoughtful look on her face and it took a few more minutes before she was finally ready to speak. And when she did start to talk, she wasn''t actually speaking to me as such. It was more like she was talking to both me and her sister. Or perhaps she was addressing all of us.


    "When I was young, my dream was to become a scholar. I wanted to study the old legends, I wanted to learn about the Gods. I''d have hidden myself away from the world, locked up in some cloister somewhere and surrounded myself with books. Then my little sister announced she was joining the clann guard. She wanted to become a warrior."


    The brunette blushed, as Siobhan continued "As her older sister, I was responsible for her. So I joined the guard with her, that I might look out for her. We both did well, some even said it''s as if we were born to it. We rose quickly through the ranks, and in time I was made Captain of the guard, my sister was my Lieutenant. Then Maeve and Connor were wed, Liam joined us and became my second-in-command. And as we all know, he betrayed the clann that fateful Imbolc night. Laoise was among those injured, and her injuries would not heal."


    Laoise took over, "Siobhan felt responsible, she thought she''d failed to protect me. She herself was among the wounded that night, but her injuries healed while mine did not, and I think that filled her with guilt. And even though she never wanted this life for herself, she insisted on sticking with it because the pay was enough she could support me. And I think she worried I''d be disappointed if she quit. She lived my dream at the cost of her own."


    Siobhan added, "It would have brought dishonour to our family if I''d quit. It would have reflected badly on you Laoise, and I couldn''t risk your status falling any further than it already had. So I stayed and I did the best I could to uphold our family''s honour, and your dreams."


    I asked, "Then when you found out I wanted to return to the Duma, you saw it as a chance to reconnect with the Gods? And to bring your sister on one last adventure?"


    She nodded "Yes m''lady. I saw it as a chance to give Laoise another taste of the life she dreamed of, the life she lost. And I knew it was a chance for me to leave the guard without dishonouring our family, the clann, or Lady Maeve. I was confident m''lady that your mother would allow me to accompany you."


    We were all quiet for a few minutes after that. It was a lot to take in, but in retrospect none of it really surprised me. I had a feeling since the first time we visited the Duma that Siobhan was a believer of the old legends. Finding out she actually wanted to be some sort of religious scholar was perhaps a little surprising, but it actually sort of fit her.


    I finally responded, "Well as I said before, you aren''t obligated to stay with me. You don''t have to return to Earth. So you''re free now to follow your own dream Siobhan."


    "Thank you Lady Tegan," Siobhan replied. "If you''ll have me, I will return to Earth with you. I will promise you a year, from now until next Lughnasadh. I wish to learn more of the human language and culture, and in return I can offer to continue your training with the sword and bow. And come next Lughnasadh, with your blessing, we could revisit this conversation."


    I think all of us were surprised by that. It took me a few moments but I finally nodded, "Of course. We''d be happy to have you, Siobhan. And yes, you''re welcome to stay as long as you like. And whenever you''re ready to return to Otherworld, I''ll be happy to bring you back."


    "Thank you Lady Tegan," she replied with a bow of her head.


    That was the last of our business, so I reminded the others "We''ll meet in the courtyard tomorrow morning, ten or fifteen minutes before dawn. So enjoy the rest of your afternoon and evening here, but don''t stay up too late."


    They all nodded their understanding. Siobhan asked, "Lady Tegan, I doubt I will have the opportunity to do this myself. Would you please thank your mother for all she did for me and Laoise? And let her know I meant her no disrespect when I volunteered to leave her service and accompany you."


    "Of course Siobhan," I replied. "I''m sure if she wasn''t busy with Saoirse, Maeve would have made time to speak with you in person."


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Kelly and Keira and I were up about an hour before dawn. Some refreshments were delivered to our room and the three of us had some juice and a quick bite to eat, before we all got dressed and ready to go.


    We met the rest of our sept out in the courtyard about ten minutes before sunrise, and my girlfriends and I teleported the six of us to the meadow in the southern forest.


    The others watched as I moved around to locate the correct spot, then as the sun was about to come up over the horizon they all gathered around me. We took hold of each other as I prepared to cast the spell.


    Right at that moment, we were all startled by another fae appearing in our midst as he tumbled out from beyond the veil.


    He was disoriented and dizzy of course, and after our initial shock wore off I realized he was a courier. He blinked in surprise as it slowly sank in that he was surrounded, but his eyes focused on me.


    "Lady Tegan," he bowed. "I come bearing a letter for you."


    He fumbled with a bag slung over his shoulder, then pulled out a folded heavy parchment. It was sealed with wax, and the mark pressed into the wax looked very official.


    "Thanks," I replied as I took the letter and stuffed it into my jacket for now. "If you''re supposed to wait for a reply or whatever then grab hold, we''re on our way to Earth."


    The courier''s eyes widened and he shook his head as he quickly extricated himself from our midst, "No m''lady, I don''t need a reply right away. I''m sure you can send word back whenever it''s convenient for you."


    "Fine," I stated, then motioned the others to come in close. If we waited another half minute we''d miss the dawn entirely.


    Once we were all ready again, I cast the spell and pulled the six of us back through to Earth.


    My girlfriends definitely seemed to be getting used to that kind of travel, it only took them a few seconds to recover. The other three fae needed longer as usual. Then the six of us started up out of the ravine, back towards home.


    Siobhan Laoise and Padraig headed off towards the cottage while me and my girlfriends continued straight up to our house. When we got in we dumped our packs and I put the coffee machine on.


    "Babe?" Kelly said as she slipped off her jacket. "You should check that letter, it might be important."


    I nodded, "Right."


    I pulled it out and broke the wax then unfolded it. My eyes fell on the large royal crest at the bottom of the page, before I looked up at the text.


    After a few moments I turned to my girlfriends and said "Kelly? Keira? Clear your calendars for the second half of September."


    "Why?" Keira asked. "What is it? Anything wrong?"


    I shook my head, "Nothing''s wrong. ¨¢ine''s coronation is going to be on Mabon, the autumn equinox. She''s invited all three of us to attend, as her own personal guests."


    ~ End of Book Three ~


    PurpleCatGirl

 Epilogue

    My teleport spell brought me directly into the large luxurious bedroom. The bed would have been a little too obvious but there was a fancy-looking chais-longe by the window, and I picked that as a good place to wait. I sat down there, then lay back and got a good decadent lounge going on as I waited.


    I wound up getting a little bored, but that''s the risk when you want to surprise someone. It was sunset when I got here and as I waited it went from dusk to dark out. After another twenty minutes I was starting to think about getting up to go look for her, when the door finally opened.


    She stepped into the room, then stopped in her tracks when she saw me.


    "Lady Tegan, you know how much it annoys my staff when you bypass all my security and let yourself into my private chambers."


    I grinned, "Yes your majesty, I know. But you know I hate pomp and ceremony."


    ¨¢ine rolled her eyes but she couldn''t suppress her own grin. She moved to a corner of the room and gave the bell-cord a tug.


    It took only moments for a servant to come calling at the door, and the queen told her "We require some refreshments. Some light snacks, a bottle of wine and a bottle of mead."


    The maid curtseyed and hurried off, while ¨¢ine moved to join me. I straightened up so there was room for her, and she settled onto the chais beside me.


    "I assume this is an unofficial visit," she commented. "Actually, here you are in my private chambers without either of your wives about. Does this mean I finally have a chance to win your hand?"


    I shook my head, "I''m sorry your majesty, my hand and my heart still belong to Kelly and Keira."


    She pouted, "I will have to settle for the rest of you. How long will you be staying?"


    "You have me to yourself for about a week?" I replied. "They''ll be along at some point, they''re both taking care of business on Earth. They know I''m here though, so they''ll come looking for me when they''ve finished up over there."


    The queen grinned, "I shall make the most of it."


    We cut out the flirting when the maid returned, she came in and set a tray of food and drinks down on a side table then quietly left again.


    Once she was gone, ¨¢ine got up and poured us both drinks. "Unofficial visit or not, what news have you from Earth? How are relations with the humans?"


    I thanked her as she handed me the glass of mead, then replied "The government still wants to keep our existence secret, their official stance is there''s no such thing as fae or magic. They''re paranoid about how the public will react if they find out about fae. Mind you it''s the worst-kept secret around. There''s loads of media reports, probably a quarter of the population already believes we exist. Some of their movies and tv shows even depict fae characters now and then."


    I added, "My estate there has been designated as the official fae embassy, which means the government considers it to be fae territory. That makes it ''legally'' part of Otherworld rather than Earth. But it''s all still secret, so there''s no signs or public awareness."


    She asked, "What does that mean for you and your staff?"


    "The secret-but-not-really situation doesn''t affect us. I''ve been very strict with my staff that they''re not to reveal themselves as fae to any of the locals," I replied. "The legal stuff just means my estate and my staff fall under fae law rather than human law. Which means whatever happens on my property is my own business. I think it also means I''m except from human laws even on human territory? Not that I worry about their laws anyways. As you know most fae over there don''t bother too much with human rules."


    The queen nodded, "Yes I''ve heard some fae consider Earth to be a lawless world. I don''t imagine it would do for you to flaunt their rules too much though while we''re trying to establish positive relations with them."


    I agreed, "Yeah I''m not going to go around jeopardizing things. I''ll try and be good. Mostly."


    She sipped her wine and commented, "Instead you''re here flaunting our rules and traditions. You know how much it annoys the captain of my royal guard that you just come and go as you please."


    I smirked, "I know. He rubbed me the wrong way when we first met, so I''m going to keep doing it specifically to aggravate him."


    ¨¢ine rolled her eyes, "Tegan my coronation was over fifty years ago. How long do you plan to hold that grudge?"


    "We''ll see," I replied then sipped my drink. "Back to the topic of Earth, one thing I''m worried about is sooner or later the humans are going to figure out I''m the one who brought pixies over there. Some people don''t mind them, but I''ve seen reports calling them an infestation and referring to them as an invasive species."


    The queen frowned, "What does that mean? Are they going to try and eradicate them?"


    "Oh Gods I hope not," I sighed. "That won''t end well for anyone. The ''invasive species'' thing just means pixies aren''t native to Earth and they have no natural predators there? Humans only use that term to talk about animals or plants, so they''re being intentionally rude using it to refer to pixies. I mean, by their own definition humans are an invasive species. Anyways, I''ve been talking with Queen Petunia and Monarch Merryweather, I''ve asked them to try and rein in their children''s troops. If pixies weren''t such mischievous pests they wouldn''t annoy the humans, then the humans wouldn''t have an excuse to want to get rid of them. And like I said, some humans like them."


    ¨¢ine looked thoughtful, then finally shrugged. "Whatever happens, that is happily not my concern. Pixies aren''t my subjects, and the ones who''ve made Earth their home don''t even answer to King Nettlesting as far as I know."


    She changed the subject, "Have you any news from the Southern Marches? How are things with Clann Br¨¢daigh?"


    I drained my glass and shrugged, "Things are good? The marches are peaceful. Well, mostly peaceful. If you catch my mom on a good day everything is fine and all is well with the world. On a bad day, she''s convinced I''m trying to drive her to an early grave and working to turn my little sister against her specifically and all of Otherworld in general."


    The queen slapped my arm, "Surely it''s not that bad Tegan. I''ve met your mother, and I met your sister two or three decades ago. As I recall she''s a wonderful little girl."


    I grinned, "She was. But I''ve been filling her head with stories of Earth and of equality and women''s rights. And for her fiftieth birthday I brought her some Earth clothes, and introduced her to the kind of music and shows teens her age are into over there. Now she''s refusing to wear dresses, she''s sticking to jeans and t-shirts, and playing the loud human pop-music I brought her. I''m pretty sure I''ve completely destroyed any plans mom had of raising Saoirse to be a ''prim and proper young lady''. I''ve probably ruined her for any arranged marriages Maeve had in mind too."


    ¨¢ine refreshed both our drinks then shook her head "My goodness Tegan you really are an evil little gremlin. I''m surprised you haven''t stolen your sister away for a visit to the human world yet."


    "Oh, I will. Not yet though," I replied. "I think mom would actually kill me if I did that now. But maybe after her eightieth birthday. Once she knows a little more about how to defend herself, then I think we''ll have a little sisterly vacation to the human world."


    I changed the subject and asked, "Enough of my news, how about you? Anything new going on here?"


    "Ugh," she frowned. "Nothing new or interesting. Every year that passes without me taking a husband the courtiers grow more restless and anxious. I''m not even three hundred years old, yet they fear if I don''t wed soon the royal family will end with me."


    She added, "It''s a problem I never expected to have. I always thought the burden of producing heirs would remain squarely on my brother''s shoulders."


    I grimaced, "Sorry I kind of made that your problem."


    "Not your fault Tegan," she replied. "I mean, you did cremate him on the spot, but it''s not your fault he was stupid enough to anger a Demi-Goddess."


    I clarified, "I''m not sorry I roasted him, but I''m sorry it''s put that burden on you. What are you going to do about an heir? You told me you didn''t want a husband."


    ¨¢ine scowled, "Of course I don''t want a husband, you already know that story. I don''t want a man, I want you Tegan. I know I can''t have you, but I''d settle for you giving me a child. And before you try and protest, I know full well what you''re capable of with your magic. I have no doubt you could give me a child this very evening if you wanted."


    I sighed, "It''s not a question of what I want. We''ve already discussed this, you know about the curse. I''m bound by forces even greater than myself, ¨¢ine. Anyways even if I could give you a child, odds are she''d be a tiny purple-haired gremlin like me. You might satisfy your court for a few decades, but she''d just drive them all crazy and eventually topple the kingdom or something."


    ¨¢ine suppressed a laugh, "I''d almost like to see how that plays out, to be honest. Just to see the looks on some of their faces. But very well Tegan, I''ll drop that subject. For now. Tell me, what are your wives are up to? What business has them tied up on Earth? Not that I''m complaining mind you, it''s a rare treat to actually have my consort to myself."


    "Keira''s acting as a sort of unofficial fae cultural representative, and she also works with some local museums. She was invited over to an archaeological dig in Ireland that has special significance for us. I''m not sure if you remember Siobhan, but she''s a professor at the university in Dublin now? That''s a large city on Earth. She''s been researching ancient fae influence on Earth, and last summer her team uncovered what may be a Duma D¨¦ over there. Siobhan invited Keira to go have a look at what they found."


    "That sounds very interesting indeed," ¨¢ine replied. "Was Kelly involved in that too? Or is she up to something else?"


    After a sip of mead I replied, "Something else. She has a practice in the city where she helps fae and part-fae on Earth. She also works with their little sister Kaitlyn, and she stayed on Earth to help there. Katie''s opened a private non-profit gender clinic, she''s basically offering free magic transitions for any trans humans who want them. Kelly''s helping handle the government and media attention."


    "How can she offer that sort of service, without revealing the presence of fae and magic to the humans?"


    I grimaced, "Yeah that''s pretty much the challenge. Katie''s been doing this in secret for decades now, but she said she can''t reach enough people by word of mouth. She needed to make it public and get it out there so everyone who needs this would know about it. At first the media ignored her and assumed it was some sort of a joke or something?"


    I continued, "After a few people took her up on the offer and shared their results the media jumped on her and the government started to freak out. Kaitlyn insists she has to help people, she says she has to use her magic for good and helping trans folks is important to her. Negotiation isn''t exactly Kelly''s thing, but she knows how people work, how they think and stuff? So she''s advocating for Katie and trying to help everyone figure out a way to let Kaitlyn do her thing without officially revealing the existence of fae to the world at large."


    I added, "Kaitlyn got a degree in chemistry ages ago, and she''s combining that human chemistry knowledge with her magic skills, to try and invent a potion that she could distribute. That way she can help people who can''t physically come to her clinic. And it might make it easier to maintain the cover-up, if they can come up with a non-magical explanation for how it all works. Maybe call it next-generation hormone therapy, or nanobots, or say it''s some sort of genetic thing? Humans love their tech."


    "Hmm," ¨¢ine responded. "It sounds like there''s quite a lot going on over there. That leads me to wonder why you decided to come and visit me now?"


    "Honestly, I needed a break." I blushed, "My wives are both busy, Seneschal Laoise has my mansion and estate running like clockwork, Captain Padraig keeps my security detail in top form. If I stayed home I''d either be in the way, or I''d be swamped with boring meetings and paperwork. I needed a vacation."


    She rolled her eyes, "So you came to Otherworld, snuck into the royal palace, into my bedroom, and what? You plan on hiding here?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. "At least until my wives come looking for me."


    ¨¢ine glanced around then asked "Where are your belongings? Didn''t you bring a pack? Do you even have a change of clothes with you?"


    I drained my second glass and smirked, "Why would I need clothes? I don''t plan on leaving your bed. Or I suppose we can get up to take meals, but I certainly don''t plan on leaving your private chambers."


    She rolled her eyes again, but she was smiling too. ¨¢ine drained the last of her wine and said, "Well then my consort, I believe you''re overdressed."


    I grinned as I stood up and started to strip, "Yes your majesty."


    ~ The End ~


    PurpleCatGirl


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 Extras #1 (pt.1)

    As usual Laoise was there the moment my wives and I walked into the mansion. It was only minutes after sunrise and we''d just arrived back from Otherworld but somehow my seneschal was always ready for me.


    And I could tell by the look on her face and the notepad in her hand she had a long list of important messages she was eager to deliver. I''d only been gone for ten days. I enjoyed an impromptu vacation with ¨¢ine, then my wives came over and the three of us celebrated the twins'' birthday with the queen before they dragged me back to Earth. Now Laoise probably had a hundred things to report and a long list of people all eager for my time and attention.


    Kelly and Keira were able to escape past our seneschal and hurried upstairs to our private rooms to get changed and maybe have a shower or something, while I was dragged into the office and forced to listen to the tall brunette''s news.


    Laoise was only five or six minutes into it when she stopped and asked, "Lady Tegan are you paying attention?"


    I sighed but answered honestly, "No, not really."


    I cut her off before she could launch into another lecture about unprofessional behaviour, "I''m sorry Laoise. You''re doing a fantastic job and in all honesty I think you should be the ambassador rather than me. We both know I only got the job because ¨¢ine likes me and wanted an official excuse to keep dragging me into her court for ''meetings''."


    Laoise gave me a sympathetic smile, "I know Tegan. But you do have the official title, and you are nobility. And despite being the most powerful mage alive, I also know you''re still a child. You''re only eighty years old, a fae your age wouldn''t normally be on her own. Much less conducting important business and affairs of state."


    I blushed but nodded "Yeah. The humans see me as early-twenties, like about twenty-one? That''s still young even in human years, way too young for all this responsibility. But the ones who know about our kind, they assume I''m a century or two old. And if they know how powerful I am, they think I''m something special."


    "And fae who know your true age will assume you''re still in your teens, still a child. Nonetheless, you''ve been given a lot of responsibility Tegan. It reflects badly on you, on Clann Br¨¢daigh, and on Otherworld when the fae ambassador to Earth is acting like a spoiled teen."


    I was quiet for a few moments, then sighed again and admitted softly "Except that''s exactly what I am, and we both know it. You''re one of the only fae who''ll actually stand up to me and force me to behave."


    Laoise gave me a compassionate smile, "I think Lady Maeve would as well, if you ever tried living with her."


    She added, "Meanwhile your wives are the same age as yourself, yet they both act much more responsible."


    "Yeah," I grimaced. "They grew up a lot in those few years between my changeling egg hatching and when I made them fully fae. They matured, I went in the other direction."


    Laoise sighed, "I think that''s enough self-pity for today m''lady. I do have more to report, if you''ll hear it?"


    I decided to compromise, "Tell me one more piece of news, then I''m going to get myself some coffee and maybe some breakfast."


    The seneschal smiled, "Five days ago a human named Elise Vale sent word, she would like to see you at your earliest convenience."


    That got my attention, as I''m sure Laoise knew it would. Suddenly I didn''t need coffee any more, as I asked "What did she say? Was there a message or anything?"


    "No m''lady. She simply requested an audience with you."


    I was already on my feet, "That''s not what she would have said Laoise. She doesn''t drive anymore. She was probably asking me to go visit her. I''m going to get changed and head out."


    "But -" Laoise tried to stop me, she had more messages, more news, stuff that was a lot more pressing than anything from some random old human.


    I shook my head as I hurried past her, "Later Laoise! This is family, it''s more important."


    "Very well," she sighed.


    Forty-five minutes later I was climbing into the drivers seat of one of our cars, and a frustrated Laoise had been replaced by a frustrated Padraig.


    "You don''t want a driver?" the young captain asked again. "What about an escort? You''re fae nobility and ambassador to Earth, it''s not appropriate to go driving around on your own."


    I shook my head, "This is private personal business. And anyways, the ambassador thing isn''t public knowledge. And the damn cars all drive themselves nowadays, so no I don''t need a driver. I can sit here and pretend to drive all by myself."


    He sighed, "Well what am I supposed to do when you get into trouble?"


    He didn''t bother to say ''if'', it was ''when''. Because after fifty-two years, Padraig knew me pretty well.


    I flashed him a mischievous grin, "Padraig if I manage to get into any trouble on Earth that''s so serious I can''t get myself out of it, I think we''ll all have bigger problems to worry about. Anyways, if I really need help I can call my wives. I''ll be near enough for them to teleport to me, or for me to teleport home."


    "Very well," he sighed as he stepped clear.


    I pushed the ''on'' button then recited the address. It was a retirement home in Barrie, roughly nine or ten leagues away from my estate here. In fact it wasn''t far from where Elise and I once attended college together, all those years ago.


    The ride was tedious as hell and honestly it did make me regret not bringing a ''driver''. Self-driving cars were the worst damn thing humans ever came up with. I almost longed for a horse compared to this nonsense. For liability reasons you had to have a licensed driver there to take over incase the software malfunctioned. And the ''driver'' couldn''t just nap or read or watch a video, they had to be alert and paying attention on the extremely rare chance they might actually be needed. So you had all the tediousness of driving, but none of the actual fun or control.


    Thanks to traffic it took the better part of an hour to reach the small city, and another twenty minutes to arrive at the retirement home. Once the car had parked itself I got out and hurried up to the front entrance.


    I paused at the door to check my appearance as it was reflected in the windows. Earth fashion hadn''t changed all that much in five decades, there were some fads that came and went but jeans and t-shirts had been around for a long time and they probably had a lot more time to go before they finally fell out of style.


    Still, my look was basically kind of retro. Purple hair never went mainstream, and right now most human women who looked my age wore their hair longer. I kept mine short, it was easier to look after. And I didn''t bother with make-up anymore, outside of special occasions. In addition to the jeans and t-shirt I had on a light jacket, with a money card and my most-recently forged ID card in the left pocket, and my ''phone'' in my right pocket.


    I already regretted the jacket, it was late July and it would soon be uncomfortably warm outside. I made a mental note to switch to a small purse. I only wore the jacket because it had pockets.


    After a deep breath, I finally strode into the facility. The nurse at the front desk probably would have had some questions for me, they were usually fairly strict about letting strangers wander in and bother their residents. Fortunately she was distracted by a very brief lapse of consciousness as I passed by.


    I hurried up to Elise''s room on the second floor, and knocked lightly at her door.


    There was a delay of a minute or so before the automatic opener swung the wide wooden door open. As soon as she saw me her eyes lit up and she moved forward to pull me into a hug.


    "Tegan! You got my message!"


    I did my best to hide any negative emotions as I gently hugged her back and replied, "Yeah, sorry I didn''t get here sooner. I was over there again, meeting with ¨¢ine."


    It was hard being close to humans, and it kept getting harder. I couldn''t imagine what it would be like when I was a few centuries old. Even now, it was easy to let six months or a year slip by before realizing I hadn''t called or visited. And that time was almost meaningless to a fae, but to a human it felt much longer.


    Time moved at a fraction of the speed for me and even at eighty I looked no older than a college junior. Fifty-four years ago Elise and I started college together, and we could have passed as sisters. Now she was in her seventies, and it was so hard for me to see this frail old lady with the wispy white hair and the thin reedy voice and remember her partying it up every weekend and living her life to the fullest.


    And she really did. She spent over a decade living that kind of life. Even after college, when she landed her dream job working at a park for the Ministry of Natural Resources, she was still out partying every weekend. I couldn''t even guess how many men and women passed in and out of her life as she enjoyed every moment of it.


    Over the last five decades while I alternated between acting like a spoiled teen and being a legendary fae mage and noblewoman ambassador, Elise had an incredibly full and satisfying life.


    At thirty-one she met the right person and settled down. She and Abigail were married the following year, and the year after that Elise gave birth to their first daughter, Rachel. Next came their son, Justin. And finally their youngest daughter, Lindsey. Now all three were grown up. Rachel even had two kids of her own.


    Then two years ago Abby passed away unexpectedly and that nearly did Elise in. After all the joy and happiness she''d had in her new life, losing her wife was almost too much for her to bear. Her own health began to suffer after that, and she was soon forced to sell the house she and Abigail lived in for over three decades.


    Now she was in this retirement home, and it was hard to shake the feeling that she was just waiting for the clock to run out. There was still a spark in her eyes, but it was nowhere near as bright as it was fifty years ago.


    She eventually released me, and the two of us moved into her small room. It wasn''t much, but she had a private washroom, a bed, an infotainment screen, and a few other amenities. There was enough space for a pair chairs against the wall next to the window, and the two of us sat there.


    Once she was comfortable she said, "I''ve been thinking about your offer Tegan. I know it''s been a while since we discussed it, but I haven''t forgotten."


    It felt like only a month ago to me, but I realized it was more like a year since I last spoke to her.


    "Have you made a decision?" I asked. "I know there''s some logistics concerns, but I still have contacts. I can get you set up with a new identity and documents."


    Elise looked sad as she replied, "I spoke with Lindsey last month, I told her what you could do for me. I asked if she would help me get my affairs in order, and if she''d take me in afterwards. She''s expecting her first child in a few months and I suggested I could join her and her husband, like a young cousin or distant relative. I could help her, be a babysitter when she needed it, that sort of thing? So I''d still be around, part of my kids'' lives."


    I got a bad feeling about that, "She didn''t like the idea?"


    "She didn''t believe me," Elise sighed. "She thought I was going senile. She talked to the nurses here and I spent the next two weeks being poked and prodded and tested."


    She added with a grimace, "And maybe I am going a bit soft. I completely forgot that Lindsey never met you. Rachel''s the one you met, the one we told about my past."


    "I''m sorry Elise," I shook my head. "What do you want to do?"


    There was a thoughtful frown on her face as she thought it over for a few minutes. Finally she shook her head, "I realize it was a mistake to try and involve her. I was hoping maybe Lindsey would act like a surrogate parent for me, if I started again even younger this time?"


    She sighed and continued, "I understand now that was wrong of me. She has her own life, her own concerns. She doesn''t need her crazy old mother imposing on her. And I wouldn''t ask Rachel, she already has her hands full with her two boys. And Justin never settled down, he wouldn''t be a good choice."


    There was a cold feeling growing in the pit of my stomach as I asked, "So what do you want to do?"


    Elise didn''t reply right away. She had a sad, thoughtful look on her face as she seemed to be considering her answer.


    Part of me was scared she''d decided not to take the offer. Despite having had a full life, two full lives in fact, I still hated the thought of losing her. On the other hand I knew if I walked out of here alone today, I might let another six or twelve months slip past because I got busy with something else. I might not remember to visit again until after it was too late.


    Like I did with Susan.


    Even though we hadn''t been close for a long time, we were still on speaking terms. But even so it took three months before I found out she''d passed away. Kaitlyn mentioned it when she was visiting me and the twins, she told us she''d been at the funeral and everything.


    And like I''d offered Elise another do-over, Kaitlyn made the same offer to Susan. Sue declined. She decided she''d had two full lives, she''d achieved everything she wanted. She had her B&B out in Cape Breton, she remarried, and while she didn''t have any more kids she and her husband had a long happy life together. And in the end, she had the chance to do it again but she turned it down. And now she was gone.


    I was scared the same would happen with Elise.


    PurpleCatGirl


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 Extras #1 (pt.2)

    Elise was quiet as she contemplated my question, and I remained anxious about what her answer might be.


    Finally she replied, "I''d like to take your offer Tegan, but I don''t think I can drag my children into it. I think I need to go somewhere else and reinvent myself, start over completely. Their mother will have to vanish, just like your father did all those years ago."


    We were both quiet again for a few moments, before I asked "I assume you''ve thought about what sort of reboot you want?"


    She nodded, "I''ve thought about it but I suppose it will depend what you''re able to do for me. If things had worked out with Lindsey I''d have said fourteen or fifteen. But if I have to be independent then nineteen or twenty would be about the youngest I could go. I wouldn''t have any resources this time. I can''t take what little I have with me, it''s going to my children after I''m gone."


    "You know I''ll help you out with that. I have money and contacts, I can set you up wherever you like. And I''d take you in myself if I could, but..."


    "I know Tegan," she replied with a smile. "I''m a human, and it wouldn''t really work. Your home''s the fae embassy. I can''t even imagine the paperwork, let alone the practical hurdles of having a young human around while you''re all doing your official fae business."


    I hesitated, "Are you ready to do something now? Like we could leave here right now, you''ll never come back here again. At least not as Elise Vale. We can go back to my place and work out the details."


    Her eyes widened slightly, then she nodded "Ok Tegan. Let me just take care of a couple things."


    First she got her ''phone'' out of her purse. She opened up a communications app and recorded a brief video message to her children. She told them she was going away on a trip, and might not be back for a long time. She told them she loved them all, and asked Rachel to let the boys know she''d miss them. She told Justin she hoped he''d find someone and maybe settle down eventually. And she told Lindsey she was sorry she''d miss the birth of her child.


    Then she sent the message off, and left her phone on the table by her bed. She left her ID card and money card there too. The only things she took with her were three photo-frames, each was set to slide-show through various pictures of her wife, children, and grandchildren.


    She tucked the pictures into her purse then looked at me and nodded "I''m ready."


    I moved to stand next to her, and gently wrapped my arm around her. A moment later the two of us were outside next to the car. I helped her into the passenger seat, then got into the drivers seat and soon enough we were on our way back to the estate.


    We didn''t talk much. Elise stared quietly out the windows while I pretended to focus on the drive. In truth I was lost in thought. I hadn''t broken magic in any spectacular ways lately, but I was always thinking of new opportunities to do just that. And I had an idea that Elise might be interested in.


    There were staff waiting as the car pulled to a halt in front of the mansion. Padraig and two honour guards were there to welcome me back, and two of the servants were present. I shooed them all away then helped Elise out of the car and into the building myself.


    Laoise approached but one look at my expression and she about-faced without a word and left me and my guest alone.


    I brought Elise to the nice sitting-room that had a view overlooking the garden. Then I called for a servant to bring us some tea and refreshments.


    After we were alone and Elise had some tea and a little fancy sandwich or two, I asked "So last time, I made you look like my cousin. How would you feel about looking like we were even more closely related? How would you like to have purple hair this time around?"


    Her eyes narrowed as she stared at me, "You''re up to something, aren''t you Tegan? Are you planning on causing some kind of trouble?"


    "Yes," admitted in a calm, solemn voice. "I''m thinking about breaking some magical laws."


    She tried to joke, "Will we have to pay some magical fines if you get caught?"


    "I might," I replied. "But I''m sleeping with the queen, and my great-great-grandfather is a God, so I can probably talk them down to letting me off with a warning."


    Elise gave me a quizzical look, "What is it you have in mind, Tegan?"


    "How would you like to visit Otherworld?" I asked with a smile. "What I''m thinking about will require more magic than I have access to here."


    She shook her head, "I don''t understand?"


    I grinned, "Don''t worry about it right now. So if you could have everything the way you want, you really want to be fourteen or fifteen?"


    "Yes," she nodded. "Around there anyways. Definitely in the teens, not a little child. I think that would be too uncomfortable."


    "You won''t be able to do much partying at fourteen," I teased. "Do you seriously want to go back to high-school? You know it''s nothing like it was when you were that age. Heck it''s nothing like it was when I was that age."


    Elise sighed, "I know. It''s moot regardless, you can''t take me in here and if you did, I certainly wouldn''t be going to a normal high-school. And I wouldn''t want to experience high-school as a solitary student with tutors."


    "Yeah," I agreed. "That would be lonely and sucky, it wouldn''t be a fun experience. But realistically you don''t have to, you''ve already done all that. There''s other things you could learn instead. Like swordplay, horseback riding, archery... Magic."


    "What?" she stared at me. "Tegan please make more sense. I''m still an old woman and it''s hard to keep up with you."


    "Sorry Elise." I was still smiling though, "I''ll stop trying to surprise you. Here''s what I''m thinking..."


    ? ? ? ? ?


    It would have been a lot easier if I''d thought to make her younger first. Even if I''d just cut her age in half and brought her to her thirties she could have moved around a lot easier. But I didn''t think of that, so we muddled through.


    I had Laoise take Elise to one of the guest rooms, and made it clear she was to be treated with as much honour and respect as would be given to Lady Maeve. I didn''t exactly tell any of my staff her relationship to me, but I figured at least a few of them suspected. After all, it was no secret I''d been a changeling, and here I was ordering them to treat this frail elderly human the way they would my mother.


    We had an early dinner, Kelly and Keira joined Elise and I and the four of us ate together. I let the twins know what I was planning, but they wouldn''t be accompanying us. They both had business to deal with on Earth. I wouldn''t be gone long anyways, this trip would probably only take me a day.


    We had an early night, and the following morning I was up before dawn. So was Elise.


    I met her at the door to her room. She had nothing with her but the clothes she was wearing, I instructed her to leave the pictures behind for now. I had a pack slung over my shoulders, and I wore a belt with my sword and dagger.


    With an arm around Elise, I teleported us both out to the little glade in the ravine. There were now two guards stationed there, since Padraig viewed it as a potential hole in our security. The guards were both startled by our arrival, but I told them to stand down.


    Once I found the spot, I took Elise into a tight hug, and as the sun crested the horizon I cast the spell.


    By now it was almost automatic for me, I''d done it so many times. I pulled the two of us out through the veil into the place between worlds, and from there I directed us to our destination. I opened an ancient portal we both slipped back out into reality.


    Elise breathed a deep sigh and leaned against me for a full minute before she was steady enough to stand on her own. Then she looked around and frowned in confusion.


    "It''s so desolate. What is this place?"


    I replied, "This is the Royal Duma D¨¦. I brought us here because I''m going to need more power than I could get anywhere else."


    Elise nodded slowly, "What should I do?"


    "For now, just relax." I helped her down to the ground so she was seated. It probably wasn''t comfortable on the cold hard ground, but I didn''t want to risk her falling over if I left her alone on her feet too long.


    Then I slipped my pack off my back and dug into it. I pulled out a six-pack of hard lemonade and two bottles of maple syrup, as I called out in Fae, "King Nettlesting? It''s Lady Tegan of Clann Br¨¢daigh, I bring you gifts."


    Elise knew not to panic, by now most humans knew about pixies and she''d met several on Earth. She waited quietly as they surrounded us.


    I didn''t waste too much time with pleasantries, I greeted the king and gave him the offerings I''d brought. I let him know I was only here for a brief visit, and warned him I''d be messing with magic but I promised to put things right afterwards.


    Nettlesting just smiled, he thanked me for the gifts and asked me to pass on his regards to his sister Petunia.


    A few pixies were curious about Elise, they''d never seen a human before, but none of them bothered her. And they all left when their king gave the signal.


    Alone once again with Elise, I sat down on the ground next to her and suggested "You should probably lie down for this?"


    She slowly lay back, and that looked even more uncomfortable. I grabbed my pack and moved it under her head so at least she had a makeshift pillow. Then I got to my feet.


    "Ok," I said. "I''m going to start. Just relax, if you can?"


    She nodded, "I''m ready Tegan. Whatever happens, thank you."


    My first spell wasn''t anything more fancy than a sleep spell. It would ensure Elise remained unconscious through the later steps, as some could be unpleasant.


    Then I concentrated on the Duma and cast my second spell.


    A shudder passed through the air, and I knew every magic-sensitive fae in Otherworld felt it. I didn''t take away all the magic, but I''d just diverted about half of it. My heart was pounding and I could feel the energy burning as it flooded into my body. Taralynn warned me about this. I figured by only taking half, I wasn''t technically breaking any rules or promises. And it probably wouldn''t harm me as much as if I''d taken it all.


    With shaking hands I pulled the dagger from my belt and drew the blade across my left forearm. Blood ran freely, and the blade was soon coated. I whispered an apology to Elise, then I cut a similar line in her arm. I let my blood mix with hers, then I dropped the dagger and stood up.


    I whispered a brief prayer and another apology, this time to The Dagda and The Morrigan. Then I cast the third spell.


    It was similar to what I''d done for Kelly and Keira all those years ago. Similar, but different. It was also similar to what I''d done to Kaitlyn back in Griofa. Similar, but opposite.


    Using my own fae blood, and using the strong emotional connection I had with Elise, the person who was once my dad and then my cousin, and using half the magic in all of Otherworld which was currently flooding into my body like a torrent, I broke the laws of magic once more. Roughly eight thousand years ago the Gods did this to a few thousand humans. Today I did it to Elise.


    When it was over, my fourth spell healed the cuts I''d given us both. I''d long since figured out how to break that limitation of healing magic. I fully healed my right leg over three decades ago.


    My fifth spell shared with Elise my knowledge of Fae, both the spoken language and the written word. She''d still know English of course, Fae would be a second language to her as it was for me. But when she woke, she''d be as fluent as I was.


    And finally, my sixth spell restored the Duma to their normal operation.


    Then I lay down on the cold rocky ground next to her, and I rested.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    It was well known that I''d been a changeling, and equally well known that was done to me against my parents'' will. It was also known, at least in some circles, that my birth and subsequent kidnapping were kept hidden by my mother out of fear that the knowledge she''d lost her only child would be used against her. It wasn''t until I was recovered that knowledge of my existence became widely known.


    And I undoubtedly had many enemies among powerful fae in Otherworld and Earth who would know those stories by now. They would also know that it would be worse than suicide to attempt to attack me directly.


    So it wasn''t beyond the realm of possibility that, should I happen to have a child, perhaps one of those enemies would somehow manage to steal her away and hide her on Earth, repeating what had been done to me years earlier.


    And the point of all this was to say, when I turned up at my estate with a small young purple-haired fae girl and I introduced her as my daughter Elise - named after my human cousin of course - I didn''t even have to start the rumours myself. It was simply assumed that she''d been kidnapped some fifteen years earlier and hidden among the humans as a changeling.


    All I had to do was refuse to discuss the situation whenever anyone asked. Everyone automatically believed the details were too painful for me to recount.


    And so the person who was once my father and then my cousin had now become my daughter.


    Beyond myself and Elise, only a few would know the truth. Kelly and Keira were aware, and Maeve of course. I couldn''t keep that secret from my mom any more than I could my wives. Queen ¨¢ine would have her suspicions as well, because she knew about The Dagda''s curse. And some of my closest staff would know, or at least suspect.


    To everyone else though, Elise Br¨¢daigh was the daughter of Lady Tegan Br¨¢daigh.


    I was a five-foot-two petite busty young woman with fair skin, aqua-blue eyes, and short purple hair. To humans I appeared to be in my early twenties, while fae would see me as partway through my second century. I almost always dressed casual, especially when I had to attend boring meetings with human or fae officials.


    Elise looked about fifteen to humans, or fifty to the fae. At four-foot-five she was even smaller and more petite than myself. She wasn''t busty like me, but she still had another few decades of growth ahead of her so that might change in time. Her skin was fair and her eyes were aqua-blue. Her hair was the same shade of purple as mine, and it hung in waves partway down her back.


    She shared my fashion sense, with a preference for comfy casual clothes. She also took after me in how much she could upset and exasperate the older people around her. Including myself.


    She was as much of an unruly little gremlin as I was, and I wouldn''t have it any other way.


    As a young fae of noble blood, her life wouldn''t be anything like that of a normal human teen. But being daughter of an ambassador meant she''d be well-travelled. Her education would be handled by various tutors, but it wouldn''t be a lonely solitary experience.


    Thanks to my schedule taking me back and forth from Earth to Otherworld, and thanks to my wives being able to cross worlds as well, Elise could divide her time between our estate on Earth and castle Br¨¢daigh in Otherworld. She also accompanied me to the royal palace on occasion, where Queen ¨¢ine treated the girl like a beloved niece to be spoiled and indulged.


    Elise was an affable and outgoing teen, and she made friends with many of the fae on my staff. She also became very close friends with Saoirse who was only a couple years older than herself.


    And although I had to pretend otherwise, I was secretly very happy to learn Elise and Saoirse got into tremendous amounts of trouble together whenever my daughter stayed at the castle. She even managed to bribe a courier to sneak herself and Saoirse away to Earth for a clandestine visit.


    That was perhaps my proudest moment as a mother, knowing my girl had done the one thing I hadn''t yet dared.


    Finally, although Elise inherited my looks and my bad behaviour, she did not inherit my gift for magic. Her talent was no better or worse than that of Saoirse or Maeve. Elise would learn to use magic, but she would never quite be strong enough to call herself a mage. On the other hand, despite all her mischief she did take her studies seriously, and she was destined to be a much better archer and swordswoman than I ever would.


    PurpleCatGirl

 Extras #2 (pt.1)

    =::= Kaitlyn''s PoV =::=


    I sighed as I read through the email again, then finally switched off the screen in a fit of frustration.


    It was Sunday of the May long weekend, and just over a year had passed since I first attempted to open my clinic. A year of frustration and setbacks for me. Worse though, it was a year of dysphoria and hardship for all the trans people I''d be otherwise helping, if it weren''t for the endless governmental delays and hand-wringing.


    All the bureaucracy and red tape was giving me yet another stress headache. I was convinced cis human officials were going to be the end of me. It was nothing but gatekeeping. For more than a hundred years they''d been doing their best to make life difficult for trans people, and they weren''t about to let me come along and change things. At least, that''s how it felt sometimes.


    I''d already been forced to scrap my idea of combining fae magic with human chemistry. My attempts were unsuccessful and I realized I''d need to study fae alchemy in order to have any chance of making it work. However by that point I also understood the human officials would block a ''medicinal'' solution as enthusiastically as they were blocking my direct magical efforts.


    It was almost enough to tempt me back into some of my old ways. Almost. I could daydream at least, about a few of the more irritating politicians and their vocal religious supporters finding out first-hand what it was like being stuck in a body that didn''t fit.


    It also crossed my mind that I could enlist the help of Tegan and my sisters. Or Keira at least, I knew she''d probably enjoy relieving me of a few of the biggest thorns in my side. Over the past five decades I''d observed all three of them doing the same things they once condemned me for.


    Though to be fair, while the three of them had become adept at those spells, they didn''t use them to line their pockets. I wasn''t really sure if it was a moral line or just a large grey area, but I supposed it was an important distinction. They used that magic for their protection and occasionally for revenge, but never for profit or entertainment.


    And as for my current frustrations, while I might daydream about some awkward and uncomfortable fates befalling the people who were causing me stress, I''d never actually do it. Nor would I ask Tegan or my sisters to do it for me, that would be just as bad. Perhaps even worse.


    So I would continue to play by the complicated and endless rules the humans set. I would persevere, and if all else failed, I would simply outlive them and hope that their replacements were less bull-headed. And until then I would go on secretly helping as many trans people as I could.


    I was tempted to take something for my headache, but it was nearly dinner-time so I thought perhaps food would be a better choice. Before I''d made my mind up whether to cook something myself or order in, I was surprised by a ping from the large infotainment screen on the wall. There was someone down in the lobby asking to see me.


    I lived in a condo in one of the older buildings along the lakeshore. It had a quaint retro style to it, but the units were comfortable. The security had been updated over the years, as had the utilities so it had all the latest modern conveniences.


    In fact it was one of the few pieces of real estate I''d managed to hold on to over the years. My daughter originally purchased it with my money, and neither of us had ever bothered to sell it. At one time it was even home to Kelly and Tegan.


    I stared at the notification for a few moments. I wasn''t expecting any visitors, and I wasn''t sure if I wanted to see anyone right now. On the other hand, I realized it might be someone looking for my help. My name was known in the trans community, and it wouldn''t be the first time a desperate human had tracked me down and come to request a miracle.


    "Answer," I stated as I gestured towards the screen. The alert was replaced by a camera feed from the lobby, and I was shocked when I saw who it was staring at me through the screen.


    Her eyes were sunken and their colour was dull, dark circles surrounded them. Her hair was grey now, and there was extra weight evident under her chin and clinging to her cheeks.


    She sighed, "Hello Kaitlyn. Could I please come up and see you?"


    Kelsey sounded tired, sad, old, and most of all, she sounded defeated. It was also the first time she''d ever uttered my name, that I could recall. I hadn''t seen her in over fifty years. Not since the summer before Claire and I started university together, when I met Kelsey in that restaurant in Vancouver. My daughter said she never wanted to see or hear from me again and I honoured her wishes. I kept away, I even avoided visiting the west coast so as to not run into her on accident.


    I did some quick mental calculations and realized she''d be past a hundred years old by now. One hundred and thirteen if my math was correct. In fact her most recent birthday would have been just last month.


    After a few seconds delay I finally nodded "Yes Kelsey of course you can come up. I''ll buzz you through."


    "Thank you," she replied.


    I gestured towards the screen again and said, "End call, access granted."


    The screen went dark and I knew in two or three minutes my daughter would be at my door. I dashed into my bedroom and quickly threw on some clothes. I''d spent the day lazing about in a comfy nightgown but I pulled on a blouse and a pair of jeans. I just had time to check my hair in the bathroom mirror before she knocked.


    When I opened the door we both stared awkwardly at each other for a few moments.


    While she could pass for a woman in her sixties, the look in her eyes was closer to her true age. She was wearing dull grey track pants, well-worn sneakers, and a dark hoodie. There was a bag dangling from her left hand, that was either a large purse or a small pack.


    Her grey hair was unkempt with some tangles evident, it was cut short and likely hadn''t been properly styled in ages. She wore no make-up, and her face looked somewhat haggard, with wrinkles reflecting a lifetime of stress and unhappiness. Her shoulders were slumped and her back slouched, so she looked a couple inches shorter than her original five-foot-eight.


    In all, she was the visage of a woman whom life had finally beaten.


    By contrast I looked no more than twenty. I was still a small, slight girl. I wasn''t quite five-foot-one and my body was slender and petite. My bright red hair hung a few inches past my shoulders in a style that was popular nowadays. My eyes were brilliant emerald green and my skin was smooth soft and fair.


    At first I wasn''t sure how to even greet her. After a few moments hesitation I decided she looked like she needed a hug, so that is what I did.


    I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her as I said softly, "Hello Kelsey."


    Her body tensed briefly, then she allowed herself to relax. I felt her right arm tentatively wrap around my shoulders and she gently returned the hug.


    Once we separated again I motioned "Please come in, sit down. Can I get you anything? I have soda, white wine, hard lemonade, and I can make coffee or tea if you like?"


    I added, "I''m afraid I don''t have any Bordeaux or Burgundy. I could order some in though? It''ll only take a half hour to get a few bottles."


    She moved to the sofa and dropped her bag on the coffee table as she sat down.


    "Hard lemonade? Vodka coolers are kid''s drinks," she commented with a slight smile.


    I blushed, "Well I do have a young palate. Anyways Kelly got me onto those and I suppose the taste grew on me. As I said, I can order in something more mature if you like?"


    Kelsey shook her head, "Soda is fine thank you. I... I''ve been sober for eighteen years now. I don''t want to fall off that wagon again."


    "Of course," I replied. I grabbed a couple cans of cola from the fridge as I processed that news. I hadn''t been keeping tabs on her, so I had no idea she''d turned to alcohol or that she''d subsequently kicked the habit. I felt bad for her, but I was glad she''d left it behind.


    As I sat with her I asked, "So what brings you here? What can I do for you?"


    She had a few gulps of the soda then sighed. Her eyes were on the coffee table rather than me, as if she had trouble facing me.


    When she finally spoke, her voice was soft and to my ears she sounded full of regret.


    "You stayed away like I asked. I told you I didn''t want to see you again, and you actually listened to me. I... Life hasn''t gone well for me, dad. For decades I blamed my situation on Keira and her geas. And I blamed Tegan, for taking my girls away from me. I even blamed you, for refusing to lift the geas the last time we met."


    She sighed, "I''ve struggled since then. I tried finding work with other fae, I tried using my knowledge and contacts in the shadow economy. Over and over I found myself exploited, ostracized, and betrayed. Eventually I came to understand, a half-fae like myself would never be accepted as one of them. I''m sure I was only accepted in the past because I worked with you. Without you, I''m just another half-breed."


    After another sigh she continued, "So I tried to find my way with the humans, but I never had the mindset for legit work. I continued to live in the grey areas, or on the wrong side of the law. And eventually my luck ran out there too."


    There was a long pause, then she admitted "I spent the last seventeen years in prison. I just got out a few months ago. I''ve got nothing left. No money, no property, nowhere to turn. No friends, no family. No future at all really. And I thought, I suppose I thought maybe you''d be able to help me? Last time we met, you offered to help. I was hoping, maybe..."


    Kelsey gulped then finally looked at me and asked, "Dad will you help me? Please?"


    "Of course," I replied.


    She let out a little sigh, as if she''d been holding her breath. "Thank you."


    After a pause, I offered "How''d you like me to make us some dinner?"


    She looked grateful as she replied, "That would be really nice."


    I got started in the kitchen, I wasn''t up for cooking anything too fancy but I had a feeling that wasn''t what she needed anyways. Instead I decided something simple but wholesome was in order.


    She watched for a few moments while I began preparing the food, then commented "You know dad, I don''t think you''ve ever cooked for me before."


    There was no sarcasm or derision in her tone, if anything she sounded impressed and grateful. And she was certainly correct, I didn''t learn the joy of doing things for others until Susan took me in. Helping out and fixing meals at her Bed and Breakfast was perhaps the first time in my life I''d felt truly happy.


    However, my daughter''s words left me with something on my mind. And as I was chopping the vegetables I decided I needed to come out and say it.


    "Kelsey? I appreciate you using my name earlier, thank you for that. This might come across as awkward to you but I have to ask you to stop calling me ''dad''. I know that''s who I was to you, but... To be honest it causes me some dysphoria. I''m not going to ask you to call me ''mom'', but please stop using masc-gendered terms for me. Ok?"


    I watched her as I spoke, and she frowned at first. Then she looked thoughtful, and finally she nodded.


    "Ok Kaitlyn," she replied. "I''ll do my best to remember that."


    PurpleCatGirl

 Extras #2 (pt.2)

    =::= Kaitlyn''s PoV =::=


    Kelsey and I sat together on the balcony as the sun slowly set. There was a cool breeze this evening but the mid-May weather had been nice. We were both cradling cups of herbal tea as we looked out over the lake.


    Dinner wasn''t anything terribly fancy but it was perhaps the first home-cooked meal my daughter enjoyed in a couple decades. After filling me in on the past fifty years of her life, and after asking for my help, she went on to admit she''d spent the past few months in hostels and shelters. The bag she brought with her held all of her worldly possessions.


    After a few more minutes of silence I commented, "You know Kelsey you could have come to me at any time. My offer wasn''t limited. No matter what you''re still my child. I''d never turn you away."


    She sighed, "I know. But I was too proud. I hated to admit I was wrong. I hated to admit I needed help. And I knew you wouldn''t break any laws for me, you wouldn''t come and get me out of jail."


    I stayed quiet as I sipped my tea. I honestly wasn''t sure what I''d have done in that case. If she''d called from prison and asked for my help, I very well might have come and extracted her. I wouldn''t have hurt anyone, but I might have used a little magic to ensure they were all looking the other way for a while. It was probably for the best that she didn''t ask.


    "It''s ok Kelsey," I told her. "Water under the bridge. You''re here now, that''s the important thing."


    She nodded slowly, and after taking some tea she asked "So what happens next?"


    I considered that for a few moments. I knew I couldn''t force her to have the same sort of epiphany that opened my own eyes. I also realized perhaps I didn''t have to. I hadn''t sought help, at the time I didn''t want to change. I had change forced upon me and the desire to become better followed afterwards.


    Kelsey was seeking help, so perhaps she''d already had her epiphany. Perhaps she already wished to be better.


    "What would you like to happen?" I asked her. "How would you like me to help you?"


    She sighed deeply then stared out over the lake again as she took some more of her tea.


    I wasn''t sure if she was thinking of an answer, or if she already knew what she wanted and instead she was trying to bring herself to say it.


    Finally she spoke, "The last time we met, you tried to tell me how you changed. That it wasn''t something Tegan or Keira did to you, but it was something you decided for yourself. You said you''d never again be the monster you once were. How''d that happen, if it wasn''t their doing?"


    I had another sip of tea as I thought it over, then I decided to tell her. I reminded her of our first meeting in Stanley park. Kelly and Keira meant to leave me there, they wanted nothing to do with me. They wanted my daughter and I to be stuck with each other.


    I told Kelsey how I begged Tegan not to leave me with her, and I told her why. I described how that evening back in Ontario it suddenly struck me, that the most awful fate I could imagine was to be left in the care of someone like me. How I finally understood what I''d been doing to other humans all those years. And for some reason I was spared, when none of them were.


    My daughter and I both sipped our tea as I told her how I cried, how I wished Tegan had killed me so I wouldn''t have to face the grief and guilt. And I told her how Tegan helped me understand, while my past could never be forgiven or erased, I could choose to be better. That I couldn''t undo my crimes, but I could choose to help people going forward.


    I told her how Susan and I bonded, how she and I helped each other. Then I met Claire we helped each other too. And when Claire and I went to university I found out what hardships trans people faced on Earth, I decided I''d do my best to help them. And the irony was not lost on me that a spell I once used to cause endless pain and suffering was now something I used to bring joy and relief.


    My daughter remained quiet after I finished speaking. We both slowly drained the last of our tea as the sun slipped below the horizon.


    The silence lasted a full ten or twelve minutes before I finally asked again, "So tell me Kelsey, how can I help you? What would you like me to do for you?"


    She sighed and set her empty cup down. She seemed reluctant, or perhaps afraid. It took her another minute or two to work up the courage to say it.


    "I''d like you to give me another chance. I want to learn to be better, like you. I... I don''t know that I want to become anyone''s saviour like you''re trying to be. But I want to learn to not hurt people. I guess I just want to be a normal happy person? I don''t want to be bitter or hateful anymore."


    I nodded slowly, "I understand Kelsey. I know it can''t have been easy to say that."


    My daughter slowly turned to look at me. I could see the uncertainty in her eyes, as she asked "Will you help me?"


    "Yes, of course I will."


    She sighed, her expression showed both relief and fear.


    "First though, I have a question." I continued watching her as I asked, "Will you tell me exactly what Keira''s geas did to you? As far as I know she''s never shared that information with anyone."


    Kelsey sighed again and stared down at her feet. "All she did was prevent me from using magic on humans. She didn''t make me a good person. She didn''t stop me from hurting people in other ways. She didn''t even lock my magic away completely. So I never really changed, I just got in more trouble that I couldn''t magic my way out of. Till I ended up in prison."


    "I''m sorry," I sighed.


    She just nodded slightly as she continued staring at the ground. After a long pause she asked again, "So what happens next?"


    I thought it over then asked, "Tell me the truth Kelsey. Are you ready to start learning to be a better person? Do you truly want to change? Will you commit to turning over a new leaf, if I give you another chance?"


    Before she answered I added, "I need you to be honest about this. Not for my benefit but for yours. If I try and help you and you''re not really ready for it, things will probably end up feeling even worse than they do right now."


    She gulped but nodded "I''m sure. I''m ready for whatever decisions you make, however you want to do this. I know it won''t be easy but I want to try."


    "All right then," I nodded. "I''m going to warn you up-front, I won''t be lifting Keira''s geas. I''ll be replacing it with one of my own that''s even more strict. I''m going to lock away all your magic, and it''s going to stay locked for the next few years at least, until I''m sure you''re ready to use it responsibly."


    She winced but nodded "Ok. I understand."


    "Come on," I said as I stood up. "Let''s go inside and get comfortable for this. You''ll be staying here of course, the guest room is now yours."


    She followed quietly as I led her back into the condo. Our teacups joined the rest of our dishes in the sink, I''d take care of that later. For now I took her into her new bedroom and had her lie down on the bed.


    "What are you going to do?" she asked. She was trying to hide her fear, but I could hear the anxiety in her voice.


    I replied calmly, "I''m going to give you another chance Kelsey. It''s not going to be easy for you but nothing worthwhile ever is. Are you ready?"


    She gulped then nodded, "Yes. I think so."


    "Then just relax. It''s going to take me a couple moments."


    ? ? ? ? ?


    "And I''ve already emailed you her transcripts and the other documentation you asked for," I replied calmly.


    The middle-aged woman nodded as her eyes flicked back and forth over the information on her screen, "Thank you Ms. Connolly. Yes I see it''s all here and everything appears to be in order."


    Tegan helped me set this up, she pulled some strings with some of her contacts. Back in my day you just needed some forged documents and the ability to lie with a straight face. Now everything was interconnected with all their computers and databases. Rather than forgers you needed hackers. Or people on the inside who responded to bribes.


    Mrs. Cartwright finally took her eyes off the screen and repeated "Yes it''s all in order. Let me just finish processing this and I think we''ll be done here."


    I nodded "All right."


    The woman''s attention returned to the screen as her hands moved over the keyboard and the sound of typing filled the air.


    Kelsey remained silent as she sat next to me. She looked equal parts bored and anxious, as her eyes wandered around the small but brightly-lit office.


    After a few more minutes of waiting, Mrs. Cartwright paused what she was doing and asked, "May I have both of your ID cards please?"


    I pulled mine out of my purse, Kelsey dug hers from her jacket pocket. We handed them over and the woman passed them through the scanner. Mine went first, and after a few keystrokes Kelsey''s followed. Finally our cards were returned, and there was another delay for more typing.


    At long last Mrs. Cartwright pushed the screen off to one side and looked at me and announced, "There we go, we''re all set."


    Her gaze shifted to my daughter as she smiled, "Kelsey, welcome to Jarvis Secondary School."


    She continued, "There''s only a month left in the current school year, so I was thinking it might be easier on you if you finish up grade nine with your current tutors? Then in September you''ll be ready to begin grade ten here with us."


    Mrs. Cartwright looked back to me and asked, "Does that work for you, Ms. Connolly? If you and your cousin prefer she start immediately we can fit her in, but with only a month left it might just be more disruptive for her. Especially after everything else she''s been through."


    I looked at the fourteen-year-old redhead sitting next to me. She asked for a second chance, so I gave her one. Our cover-story was old and hackneyed, but it worked. She was my cousin from out west, her parents died tragically somehow, and I was her next of kin and now her legal guardian.


    I''d have preferred to tell people the truth that she was my daughter, but I looked far too young to have a teenage child. Perhaps if fae were officially recognized I could have been up front about that, but according to Tegan that wasn''t likely to happen for another three or four months at the very least.


    As promised, I replaced Keira''s geas with one of my own. Apart from that I''d left Kelsey''s mind and personality untouched. She wanted to learn to be better, she''d have to put in the effort to make that happen. I wouldn''t give her any shortcuts or force it on her.


    Along with the geas I''d used a transformation spell. I gave her a new, much younger body, with a similar build to my own. Like me, she was small and weak. She wouldn''t be able to rely on either magic or physical strength, she''d have to learn to get along with people.


    I asked her, "What do you think kiddo? Do you want to dive in immediately, or take the summer off and ease back in next autumn?"


    Kelsey gulped and hesitated, then asked vice-principal Cartwright, "If it''s not too much trouble ma''am I think I''d actually like to begin right away? I''d like to start meeting people and maybe make some friends, before the summer break."


    Mrs. Cartwright gave my daughter a warm smile, "That''s the spirit. All right Kelsey, I''ll make the arrangements. I don''t think I can get everything set up in time for tomorrow, but Monday for sure. By the end of the day tomorrow I''ll email you and your cousin a class schedule and we''ll see you first thing Monday morning."


    "Thank you ma''am," Kelsey smiled nervously.


    I got to my feet and agreed, "Thank you Mrs. Cartwright. We''ll look forward to hearing from you tomorrow."


    With the meeting concluded, Kelsey and I headed out together. Door to door the high-school was only about twenty minutes away from our condo, with around half of that time on foot and the other half on public transportation.


    As we made our way home she looked at me and whispered, "Thank you for helping me."


    I smiled back at her and replied, "Thank you for asking me."


    We''d both done plenty of unforgivable things in our lives, things we could never fix or undo. But by coming to me for help, my daughter had given me the chance to fix one of my biggest mistakes.


    She''d given me the opportunity to raise her better, to teach her to be a better person, and for me to be a better parent.


    We''d work together to give her a better, happier, more fulfilling life.


    PurpleCatGirl

 Extras #3 (pt.1)

    "Ok," I sighed. "I suppose it''s time to go hunt down my wayward daughter."


    Keira smirked, "I''ll bet that''s a phrase you never thought you''d have to say."


    I laughed, "Honestly? The only thing that surprises me is having to say it so soon. I thought I''d be well into my fifth or sixth century before I had to worry about a child. Let alone a disobedient teen."


    Kelly rolled her eyes, "She''s not that bad Tegan. She''s just taking after you."


    "That''s what I''m worried about," I replied with a grin.


    It was mid-afternoon and we''d just finished lunch with Maeve and Connor in their private dining room. We''d been back in Otherworld for the past six days, Saoirse''s fifty-third birthday was three days ago and two days ago we celebrated Lughnasadh.


    Now the three of us were planning to return to Earth tomorrow, and I needed to find out if Elise was coming with us or if she wanted to stay here a while longer.


    Just over a year had passed since I adopted her as my daughter, and I had some concerns at first about how she''d handle this new life. After all, she didn''t just go from a septuagenarian to a young teen, she also changed species and had to assimilate into an entirely new culture. The first time I rebooted her life was mild by comparison.


    But instead of suffering some kind of culture shock, she''d taken to life as the daughter of a fae noble ambassador as though she''d been born to it.


    The way her personality shifted to match her appearance and circumstance reminded me of the first time, when she went from being my dad to my cousin. Back then it was like she changed in an instant from a calm quiet retired accountant father to a bouncy energetic party-girl college freshman.


    And last year she did it again. She changed practically overnight from a quiet frail sad and lonely elderly human to a small purple-haired teenage fae gremlin. And while she might not have inherited my gift for magic, she absolutely inherited my knack for breaking rules. She also had a natural talent for mischief and mayhem.


    In fact between her diminutive size and her uncanny ability to find or create trouble, I was positive that The Morrigan''s curse was still in effect. And that it somehow applied to Elise, despite her only being my child thanks to magic and adoption.


    Her size in particular had been a surprise to me. When I worked my magic on the Duma last year, my plan was to make her a normal-size fae teen girl. When the spell was finished everything else came out right, except she was less than four and a half feet tall. And she was still that size now.


    By comparison Saoirse was already taller than both me and Maeve, and she was still growing. She''d probably be as tall as Kelly and Keira in another decade or two.


    Elise didn''t seem to mind being tiny, it was yet another thing she adjusted to as quickly and easily as anything else. It did mean I had some things to worry about on her behalf, but nothing pressing. Maybe it would be an issue in another couple centuries, if she decided to start a family of her own again.


    For now she was a happy rambunctious teen, with barely a care in the world.


    Kelly and Keira accompanied me as we made our way out to the courtyard. A servant mentioned Saoirse was out there, and I knew Elise would be close by. Whenever my daughter was here at the castle, she and my little sister were almost inseparable. They were only about two years apart in age, and they acted like sisters as well as best friends.


    It was another one of those peculiar things with fae aging, but for now at least it felt more like Elise and Saoirse were sisters while I was Saoirse''s aunt. In fact the opposite was true, Saoirse was my sister and she was Elise''s aunt.


    "I still think it''s weird that she takes after you at all," Keira commented. "I mean... Well you know what I mean."


    I assumed my wife was referring to Elise not really being my child, or perhaps that she was once my cousin or my dad. I grinned and told Keira, "I think it just goes to show she really is my girl."


    When we emerged in the courtyard we found Elise and Saoirse engaged in some archery practice, under the supervision of a couple of my mother''s guards.


    Both the teens were using specially-made longbows, designed for younger and smaller fae. Though Saoirse was big enough she''d probably start using a full-sized bow soon, but Elise would likely never be able to draw a grown-up bow.


    "Hi mom!" Elise grinned widely when she spotted me and the twins. "Hi Keira, hi Kelly!"


    As we approached, the three soldiers came to attention and Captain Gaelen greeted me. "Lady Tegan. We were just uh, overseeing some additional training that miss Saoirse and miss Elise requested."


    There was one target set up downrange, and from the look of it the two teens and the three soldiers had been taking turns. Each was using arrows with different coloured fletching so they could keep track of their shots.


    After a quick glance at their quivers and back at the target I could tell Gaelen was winning. The other two soldiers were doing pretty good. Saoirse''s arrows were in there too, she was giving at least one of them a run for their money. But Elise''s arrows were all way down low and to the far left. They weren''t even on the target at all, they were buried in the wooden support that the target was attached to.


    Saoirse announced, "We''re having a little competition! Captain Gaelen is winning, and Lieutenant Cara is in second. I might be in third but I think that''s because Corporal Sean is missing on purpose. And uh..."


    "I''m having an off day," Elise stated. The spark in her eyes and the grin she was trying to hide told me she was up to something.


    Gaelen sounded embarrassed as he said "I''m sorry Lady Tegan, miss Elise is usually a much better shot. I really can''t explain what''s happening today. I''ve checked her bow and her arrows, nothing seems to be amiss..."


    The poor man was acting like I was going to blame him for my daughter''s bad aim, but I knew she could do better too.


    Still, I tried to act like I figured a mature parent would. "Elise? You and Saoirse were supposed to join all of us for lunch with Maeve and Connor. Now Kelly and Keira and I need to talk with you. So how about you all finish up this competition, then we can have a chat?"


    Elise and Saoirse both grinned, and my young sister responded "Thanks Tegan! It''s only three more shots apiece and we''re done."


    My wives and I moved a few paces back and watched. Apparently they were going by rank, or perhaps by age. Gaelen went first, then Cara, and finally Sean. Saoirse went next, and finally Elise took her shot. The other four all struck the target in and around the bullseye, while my daughter sent another arrow down into the lower left corner.


    Gaelen looked awkward about my girl missing yet again, especially with me there watching. I didn''t interrupt though.


    They went through the routine again, with the first four scoring well. Then Elise took her turn, and her ninth arrow joined the other eight. It struck in the lower left corner, and that seemed to be all the wooden support could take.


    There was a crack, a creak, and a groan, then the support buckled and the whole target toppled over and clattered on the cobblestones.


    The three soldiers looked startled, Saoirse had a wide grin on her face, and my daughter just giggled mischievously.


    I did my best not to laugh, but it took some effort.


    "Ok," I announced, "I assume that means the contest is over. Elise, let''s go."


    She pouted but left her bow and quiver with Galen, then followed me and the twins back inside.


    The four of us went up to our private chambers, where my daughter asked "What''s up mom? Am I in trouble again?"


    "Have you done anything lately to get yourself in trouble?" Kelly asked.


    Elise blushed, "Nnnnnnnno? Not that you know of anyways."


    "We''re not here to talk about whatever it is you''ve done," I told her. "Although I''m sure that conversation will come in due time. We''re going back to Earth tomorrow and I need to know if you''re coming. Kelly and Keira have work to do, and I''ve got commitments with the embassy. I can''t say for sure when we''ll be back here next, it might not be till Samhain."


    The purple-haired teen''s expression became serious and she frowned, "Aww."


    She was quiet for a few moments, then asked "So if I go back with you, I might not see Saoirse again for a few months? But if I stay here, I might not see you for a few months?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. "It might not be that long, but right now I can''t say for sure. You know the humans are on the verge of officially recognizing our kind. If they decide to go public I''m going to be swamped for a while with boring meetings and press conferences and all that nonsense. If that happens then we might be able to pop over for a day here and there, but I doubt we''ll have time to do any more week-long visits for some time. Maybe not till winter."


    Elise chewed on her lower lip as she thought it over, "Would you be sad if I stayed here? I''m having a lot of fun with Saoirse, and no offence to Padraig''s staff but the teachers here are more fun. And grams promised she was going to have custom swords made for Saoirse and me, I don''t want to disappear before she does that."


    I was about to tell her I didn''t mind if she wanted to stay when I almost tripped over one of the words she used. ''Grams'' wasn''t a Fae word, it was English.


    "Are you calling my mother grams?"


    "Uh, yeah?" she replied. "Why? She said it made her feel old when I called her grandmother in Fae, so I figured if I used a human word she wouldn''t know what it meant."


    It wasn''t my mother''s age or her vanity that was bothering me. I was thinking about The Dagda''s curse. No leader of Clann Br¨¢daigh would live to meet their grand-child. My stomach started to get that cold heavy feeling in it as I began to worry about my mom.


    I knew I couldn''t have a kid of my own, not without risking Maeve''s life. Elise was my daughter by adoption, but also by magic. I used my blood when I changed her. I hadn''t even thought about it before, but now I was suddenly worried about what it might mean for my mother. Had I inadvertently doomed my mom when I changed Elise? Or was this a loophole?


    "Babe?" Kelly asked quietly. "What''s wrong?"


    Keira added, "You''re looking a little pale, cutie."


    "It''s nothing," I lied.


    Both twins rolled their eyes and Kelly replied "You know we can tell when you''re lying Tegan. What''s wrong?"


    Elise looked worried now too as she watched me. She asked in a small anxious voice, "What is it? Did I do something wrong?"


    "No hon," I replied as I pulled her into a hug. "You didn''t do anything wrong."


    I glanced at my wives and added, "I think I need to stay another day or two. If you both want to head back to Earth without me that''s fine. I''ll be along as soon as I''m done."


    Kelly stated, "Tegan, tell us what''s wrong."


    I was still holding Elise against me as I told my wives, "I have to go back to the Duma D¨¦. I need to speak with Taralynn."


    PurpleCatGirl

 Extras #3 (pt.2)

    "I won''t be gone long," I stated. "Honestly I''m sure I''ll be back by morning."


    It was almost dusk and we were in the meadow in the south forest. My wives were with me of course, and so was my daughter. And Saoirse insisted on coming along to keep Elise company. Which meant we also had a dozen soldiers nearby.


    I hadn''t bothered with weapons or gear, all I had with me were two skins full of mead and a pound of dried candied fruit, as offerings for the local pixie troop.


    Kelly asked, "You''re sure you want to go alone?"


    "I''m sure," I replied. "I''m just going straight to the Duma. I''ll hang around for the night and hopefully Taralynn will come and speak with me, then I''ll be back here at dawn."


    Neither Elise or Saoirse knew about the family curses yet. Maeve did, and my wives of course. I hadn''t said anything about what worried me this afternoon, but I had a feeling Kelly and Keira figured it out.


    I definitely wasn''t going to say anything to Elise though, I didn''t want her to blame herself. And obviously I didn''t want Saoirse to know, I didn''t want her to worry about our mom.


    The fact that Maeve was still alive and well suggested that maybe I was panicking over nothing, but I had to know for sure.


    On the one hand I knew the fae didn''t really count adoption, or at least among nobility it wasn''t counted in terms of having an heir. But on the other hand Elise shared my blood and I was positive she inherited The Morrigan''s curse. Elise had to have at least as much pixie heritage as I did, and I wouldn''t be surprised if she had more. If The Dagda''s curse was in effect on her as well, I had to know. And I needed to know whether or not that would affect my mom.


    The sun was just about touching the horizon so I told my family "Look it''s nearly time. I''ll be fine, the pixies are friendly, I''ve got offerings for them, and hopefully Taralynn won''t be too reluctant to show up for a chat. I''ll be back in the morning and we can all have breakfast together."


    My wives each gave me a hug and kiss, then I hugged Elise and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Saoirse got a hug too since she was standing there and wasn''t quick enough to escape before I grabbed her.


    Then the four of them moved back a few paces and watched as I cast the spell.


    A few moments later I was at Taralynn''s Duma D¨¦. I didn''t actually know the pixies here like I did the ones at the royal Duma. This was Merryweather''s original home but they were the only pixie here who actually introduced themself.


    I moved to the north-most part of the plateau and set the skins down along with the package of sweets, then I made my way back to the centre of the Duma. I announced, "I am Lady Tegan Br¨¢daigh, I''ve brought an offering for the pixies of this Duma. I''m just going to sit here for the night and attempt to speak with my ancestor."


    There was no response, and the Duma remained silent. The only sounds were from the scrub grass and weeds rustling in a gentle breeze. I sat crosslegged on the ground and waited quietly.


    Within an hour it was pitch black. The constant overcast blocked out the stars, and there weren''t even any pixies around so there was no light at all. I wound up laying down on the rocky ground as I waited. Fortunately it was the height of summer so I wasn''t cold, but the ground was uncomfortable.


    At some point I must have dozed off while I was waiting. When I opened my eyes the first thing I noticed was the stars overhead. The clouds were gone, and there was no breeze. The air was still and silent.


    I assumed I was still asleep and this was a dream, but that was fine too. I got to my feet and turned around, and there she was.


    She looked exactly the same. Even though it was nearly fifty-five years since the first time we met, she hadn''t changed a bit. Not surprising I suppose, since she was dead.


    "Lady Taralynn," I bowed. "Thank you for coming."


    She was frowning at me, and I had a feeling I was in for another one of her lectures.


    Taralynn sighed, "Tegan, the last time I spoke with you I warned you against tampering with the Duma again. Did I not tell you that you were forbidden from diverting the world''s magic ever again? Now not only have you broken the laws of magic, you''ve broken laws of nature as well. You made a human into a fae. That is not acceptable."


    I pointed out, "Ok you told me I wasn''t allowed to take all the world''s magic ever again. I didn''t do that, I only took half. So I didn''t break that rule. And as for the laws of nature stuff, I''m pretty sure I didn''t do anything for Elise that the Gods didn''t already do for the rest of us."


    She didn''t look happy about my defence as she replied coldly "Playing with semantics and looking for loopholes is not going to win you any points young lady. And now you''re comparing yourself to the Gods?"


    "I''m not comparing myself to them," I protested. "Ok maybe a little bit. But The Dagda is my great-great-granddad right? And if he and the other Gods can fae-ify a couple thousand humans, not to mention pixify a few thousand more, then I don''t think it''s a huge violation of anything for me to grant one single human family-member a little gift of faedom."


    She sighed and gave me a dark look. "And that is why you''re here now. A year after you''ve done it and only now you''re finally considering what the consequences might be."


    That cold heavy feeling was back in my stomach again and I sighed. "I didn''t consider it before, because I knew adoption wasn''t ''real'' as far as the fae are concerned. When it comes to a ''real'' heir, only a biological child is considered eligible. And you know as well as I do, I did not give birth to Elise."


    "Tegan," my great-grandmother stated with a frown, "Not only have you violated the spirit of my father''s order that you not hijack the world''s magic ever again, you''ve also bypassed the curse he placed upon our family. You may not have given birth to Elise but thanks to your magic she shares our blood. In the eyes of the Gods, she is as much a Br¨¢daigh as you are. She is your child. And by making her your child, you''ve given your mother a granddaughter. Do you know what that means?"


    My blood turned to ice and my stomach grew even colder, like it was filled with frozen lead. I could imagine all kinds of ways the Gods might seek vengeance for this, and most of them involved my mother''s life.


    I shook my head and pleaded, "Don''t take this out on Maeve. Please! She had nothing to do with it, you know that. The Dagda knows that! I did it at the Royal Duma, both him and The Morrigan could have intervened if they didn''t want me to do it. And you can''t take this out on Elise either, she''s innocent. If anyone has to pay the price, you know it can only be me."


    "No Tegan," she replied with a shake of her head. "That''s not what it means at all. It means you''ve broken the curse. A leader of Clann Br¨¢daigh has now met their grand-child. The Dagda''s curse is lifted."


    I must have stared at her for at least a full minute as her words sank in. I''d been expecting her to tell me the Gods were going to condemn or even kill my mother. Or that they''d take their wrath out on me instead. From Taralynn''s tone and expression I was prepared to hear the worst. I was even prepared to challenge the Gods directly if I had to.


    The thing I wasn''t prepared for was to be told I''d actually broken The Dagda''s curse and freed our family.


    I finally breathed a deep sigh, "So Maeve''s ok? She''s not going to meet some untimely death because of me?"


    "No Tegan," my great-grandmother replied. "Your mother is fine. She''ll have a long and peaceful life, assuming neither you or your child drives her to an early grave with your antics. Neither Maeve nor yourself, nor your sister or your daughter need to worry about The Dagda''s curse any longer. You and Saoirse may raise families of your own when you are ready, and Maeve will be there to share in your joy."


    My expression shifted into a wide smile, and the cold in my stomach faded. I was speechless again for a few moments as a feeling of relief washed over me.


    I was still far too immature and irresponsible to have a baby, but it was a tremendous weight off my shoulders knowing that when the time came and I was ready for it, I could have a child without worrying about or risking my mother''s life.


    "What about The Morrigan''s curse?" I asked, when I finally found my voice again. "Saoirse is already free of that right? She''s a normal fae. Elise has the purple hair and the small size though, so I''m sure she''s affected?"


    Taralynn stated, "The Morrigan does not speak to me or through me Tegan. As you''ve already determined, Saoirse is free of her curse. However I believe it will remain with your line, while Saoirse''s children will be spared."


    "Right," I sighed. Then I grinned and added, "I guess breaking one divine curse is enough. For now at least."


    She rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Tegan? Don''t push your luck."


    "Sorry," I tried to act suitably chastised. "Thank you Lady Taralynn. I''m grateful for the news you''ve given me, and for The Dagda''s mercy in allowing his curse come to an end. I''ll pass this information on to my mother, I''m sure she''ll be relieved."


    ? ? ? ? ?


    "That is very good news Tegan," my mother stated with a smile. "You don''t know how happy that makes me."


    I smiled as well, "I''m pretty happy about it too."


    Kelly and Keira looked like they both agreed whole-heartedly.


    The four of us were in my mom''s private sitting room and the door was closed. When I got back from the Duma this morning I let my mom and wives know we needed to have a private conversation.


    We all had breakfast together, along with my dad and Saoirse and Elise. Now the two teens were probably up to no good somewhere else in the castle and dad was off doing whatever he did when mom was busy. Probably looking at maps again, he had a thing for geography. And I''d just given my mom and wives the good news about The Dagda''s curse being broken.


    Kelly asked, "What about the other curse?"


    I grimaced slightly, "That''s sort of a mixed bag. Saoirse is free of it. I knew as soon as she was born, as soon as I saw her blonde hair she wasn''t affected by The Morrigan''s curse. I am of course, and so is Elise. And as you can probably guess, Elise has it worse than me since she''s another generation beyond. If I have more kids they''ll likely have it the same as she does, and any grand-kids of mine will have it even worse."


    Maeve frowned as she considered that. Kelly and Keira were both quiet as well.


    I added, "Don''t look too upset ok? Who knows, maybe I''ll figure out how to break that curse too."


    My mom gave me a stern look and stated "Don''t tempt the Gods, Tegan. You know you got lucky this time, don''t act like this was some brilliant scheme or plot to outsmart The Dagda."


    "I know," I blushed. "Sorry mom."


    After a pause I added, "Do you know what it means though? Elise being affected by The Morrigan''s curse?"


    "What''s it mean, cutie?" Keira asked.


    I smiled, "In the eyes of the Gods, she really is my daughter. Taralynn actually said Elise is as much a Br¨¢daigh as I am."


    My wives both smiled as well, and Kelly commented "That''s good news. And it must feel very validating, knowing the Gods themselves agree that she''s yours."


    "It is," I grinned. "And it does."


    While me and my wives were smiling, my mom wore a thoughtful frown.


    "Did Taralynn actually say that?" mom asked. "That the Gods see Elise as your child?"


    I confirmed, "Yes mom. Those were her exact words. In the eyes of the Gods she''s my child, and as much a Br¨¢daigh as I am."


    Mom continued to look thoughtful as she considered that. Finally she nodded, "That is good news Tegan. I''m sure you must be very happy that the Gods have endorsed her as your daughter."


    Hearing her say that made me smile a little wider. I''d been worried right from the start how she''d react about Elise, and initially she wasn''t too happy. Both because of the whole adoption thing, and because she didn''t consider my girl to be a ''real fae''. Now it sounded like mom might be changing her mind.


    "Thanks mom. You know I''m grateful you accepted her as my girl, and as part of our family."


    "Speaking of," Kelly added as she looked from me to Maeve, "Elise asked if she could stay here for now, while the three of us head back to take care of business on Earth. I hope you don''t mind looking after her for a couple months?"


    Mom shook her head, "I don''t mind. Despite my initial misgivings, and despite the amount of trouble she manages to drag Saoirse into, she''s mostly a good girl. And at any rate, Saoirse would never forgive me if I sent her best friend away."


    I grinned, "Thanks mom."


    PurpleCatGirl

 Extras #4

    "Lady Tegan Br¨¢daigh and associates, Queen ¨¢ine will see you now," the middle-aged seneschal announced.


    The three of us followed the overdressed fae out of the waiting room. We were taken down a short but ornately-decorated hall and into a throne room.


    It wasn''t the main room, this one was much smaller. And it wasn''t the real throne, this was just a large comfortable padded chair.


    This was where the queen held smaller, more private audiences. It was where she would conduct official business that was too delicate or secret to be discussed in the large royal court. There were places for guards to stand but those posts were only filled when the queen met with folks whom she didn''t already trust implicitly.


    The seneschal led us in then stepped aside and closed the door. He didn''t leave, he just stood there next to the door.


    Before any of us could bow, Queen ¨¢ine said with a smile "Lady Tegan, this is an unexpected surprise."


    I stepped closer and bowed as I greeted her, "Your majesty."


    When I straightened up again I asked, "How is this unexpected? You sent for me."


    "It''s unexpected for you to bother with all the formalities of an official audience," she replied. "Usually you just let yourself into my bedchambers and wait for me there."


    I smirked slightly but before I could protest, her attention shifted to my two companions.


    "Hello Elise, it''s good to see you again. And you must be Saoirse, you''ve grown quite a bit since I saw you last."


    Both girls were quiet and perhaps a little anxious. I didn''t think they''d be so awe-struck about meeting royalty. Especially not Elise, she''d already met ¨¢ine twice since becoming my daughter some twenty months ago. Although it might have had something to do with the fact that this time the queen was in all her royal finery and had the crown on her head.


    The two girls both did their best to curtsey, but neither spoke a word. And their curtseys were a little off since neither of them were dressed up for the occasion.


    In fact all three of us stood out in our Earth clothing. I was wearing a pair of tight blue-jeans and a t-shirt. Both the teens were in leggings and loose tunic tops. And we all just had running shoes on our feet.


    "I hope you don''t mind that I brought them?" I asked ¨¢ine. "Elise wanted to visit again, and Saoirse asked if she could come along too."


    The young queen smiled, "Not at all. How long do you expect to be staying?"


    I replied, "I thought maybe we could hang around to celebrate Beltane with you? It''s a bit unusual for us to miss the festival at castle Br¨¢daigh, but I think we''d be excused if we were partying at the royal palace instead. I couldn''t keep Saoirse away from Lady Maeve much longer than that though, we''ll probably be heading back the day after. So, three days I suppose?"


    Queen ¨¢ine addressed her seneschal, "Laughlin, please show miss Saoirse and miss Elise to the VIP wing and see that their needs are accommodated."


    She turned her attention back to the two girls, "You''ll both dine with myself and Tegan tonight. Until then, do make yourselves comfortable."


    I knew ¨¢ine was basically sending them away so she and I could get to the official business she actually summoned me here to discuss. And maybe some unofficial business as well, afterwards.


    The girls both bowed and turned to follow the seneschal back out the door.


    Before they left I reminded them, "Don''t forget our deal. You bring me Captain Callum''s fancy hat, and I''ll teach you two that spell Maeve doesn''t want you to know."


    Elise and Saoirse both grinned and my daughter suppressed a giggle as they hurried out after Laughlin.


    The queen gave me a stern look and demanded "Tegan did you just send two innocent young girls to steal part of my captain''s uniform?"


    "Of course not," I replied with a straight face. "I sent Elise and Saoirse."


    She rolled her eyes then said, "Tell me about Earth, Tegan. How did the hand-over go?"


    My biggest complaint about this room was there was nowhere to sit. She got the big comfy chair but her guests were left standing. And as much as I liked to flaunt rules and traditions, even I figured it would be a bit too much to cuddle up against her or even just sit on the arm of her throne while I was delivering an official report.


    So I just stood there alone in front of her as I replied, "Like I said in my last letter, construction of the embassy building is nearly complete. Lord Seamus is currently staying in my mansion, but he''ll move into his quarters in the new place as soon as it''s ready. We had a meeting with the human officials two weeks ago and did the introductions, Lord Seamus delivered your letter and I confirmed that he''s replaced me as the ambassador."


    ¨¢ine asked, "How did the humans take that?"


    I rolled my eyes, "Seamus is an old stodgy boring pompous blowhard. He''s only just barely learned English, and he''s a stickler about protocol and ceremony and all that stuff that bores me to death. The humans diplomats love him. He''s exactly what they want in an ambassador."


    The queen suppressed a smile, "Seriously Tegan, do you think Lord Seamus will do well as my representative on Earth?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. "He''s exactly the sort of person I''d hate to have to deal with, but like I said he''s perfect for the human officials. And I have to give him credit, he''s really done his homework. He''s read all the human history books I recommended, he''s followed all my notes. And honestly he''s been working very hard to learn the language. I don''t particularly like him, and I sure wouldn''t want to hang out with him, but he''s taking the job very seriously."


    "I''m glad to hear that," ¨¢ine responded. She hesitated, "And you''re sure you aren''t upset about your demotion? From ambassador to diplomatic envoy is quite a fall. You''re basically just a courier now."


    I smiled and shook my head, "It''s fine. Believe me. I wasn''t happy about the ambassador job to begin with, and more than once I thought the boring meetings would be the end of me. And honestly? I don''t have the temperament for the job, your majesty. That''s maybe the best thing about Seamus. He''s not likely to start an interplanetary incident. Or a war."


    The queen rolled her eyes again, "I''m sure you wouldn''t have done anything that bad Tegan."


    I grimaced but decided not to go any further down that line of conversation. Instead I moved on to the next bit of business.


    "So the humans want to maintain formal diplomatic relations with us, and they''re still interested in having some official trade between us. Seamus has taken over the negotiations, and I''ve briefed him on the list of ''wants'' the humans have been pushing for from the start. There''s a number of things that they keep asking about, despite being told repeatedly we simply won''t budge on them. There''s a few points that we can negotiate over, and a couple points we may actually be able to work with them on."


    I continued, "On the other hand they''re still completely flummoxed by the fact that we don''t actually have any demands of them. They''re so enamoured with their technology, they literally can''t understand that we don''t want it. The fact that our only real requests have all been conditional based on what they plan on doing, I don''t know, it''s left them very confused."


    ¨¢ine smiled, "I suppose it does make negotiations difficult, when the party you''re attempting to bargain with doesn''t actually want anything you have to offer."


    With a more serious expression she asked, "Do you think they''re going to continue their plans to go public? To let the rest of the humans know we exist?"


    I sighed, "At this point? I have no idea. I know we came close last autumn, but since then I''ve changed my mind. I think I''d be happier if we just forgot the whole thing now. That''s another reason I''m glad to have given up the job. Conflict of interest."


    She asked, "In a worst-case scenario, what do you think could happen if they do go public?"


    I sighed deeply, "Humans have a long history of turning on their own kind for being ''different''. Whether it''s skin colour, sexual orientation, gender, religion, ethnicity... If they expose us there''s a good chance half the population will immediately hate us and vilify us. Some of them will cash in on that distrust and incite more hatred and violence, and a few will actually try and attack us."


    I continued, "And I''ve warned the humans. I told them, if fae become the target of a witch-hunt, the witches will win. We have magic and some fae over there are very powerful. And we know their weaknesses."


    The queen considered that, then asked "What would you suggest we do, if fae over there became the targets of hate and violence?"


    I didn''t even need to think about it, I stated "If the humans go public about us, I strongly suggest you offer an amnesty for every fae currently living on Earth. Don''t wait for things to turn bad, offer it immediately. Fae living over there in exile should be given the option to return to Otherworld without fear. And extend that to their families too, because if they''ve been over there long enough they could have children. Half fae, quarter fae, whatever. If the humans insist on going public then we shouldn''t expect fae to have to choose between persecution on Earth and persecution here, and they shouldn''t be asked to leave their loved-ones behind."


    "Ok Tegan," ¨¢ine responded after a few moments'' thought. "I''ll consider that, and discuss it with some of my advisors. Blanket amnesty could be a problem, but I understand your concerns."


    After a few moments she changed the subject, "Back to the topic of diplomacy, what sorts of demands are the humans making? Anything new?"


    "More or less the same as before," I replied. "They want us to help them hunt down and capture or otherwise stop any dangerous fae criminals preying on humans. Which is something I think we should probably work with them on? Fae like that give all of us a bad name, and will potentially make it harder on any other fae who''re just trying to live peacefully over there. They also want us to expose all the shadow-economy contacts we know of, but I think we should probably just ignore that request. The shadow-economy is too important a resource, and anyways most of the participants are human. And Earth civilizations have had black markets and grey markets forever, without any fae involvement or input."


    I continued, "Then there''s the whole identification thing? They want us to teach them how to spot and identify fae. That''s never going to happen. They mentioned issuing special ID for fae, but we''re not going to help them with that either. All it would accomplish is making things easier for humans to discriminate against us. The way they talked about it was creepy as hell too. ''Voluntary self-identification'' and ''law-abiding fae should step forward''. Then the very next thing they mentioned was blood tests and spot-checks."


    I was scowling by that point. "It''s like they have no self-awareness at all. I used to think we were blind to our own history, but humans are willfully so."


    ¨¢ine considered that for a few moments, then moved on to her next question, "Are they still asking us to teach them about magic?"


    That got an eye-roll out of me, "Yes. And we''ve told them over and over, not only will we not teach them, but they couldn''t do it anyways. And the stuff they''re asking for? They literally asked if we''d teach them military spells and mind-magic. I mean, they''re not even trying to be subtle. Then they had the gall to complain that we were withholding healing magic from them. They went on about curing cancer and healing otherwise permanent injuries."


    My tone was hard again as I stated, "I told them if they want access to fae healing magic they should cut the red tape and let the fae healers already on Earth get to work. I reminded them that Kaitlyn''s been trying to operate her clinic and provide free life-saving magic for trans humans for almost two full years now, but they keep throwing roadblocks and bureaucratic nonsense in her way. At least she''s still able to help people in secret. Honestly sometimes I think that girl has the patience of a saint, the way she puts up with them moving the goal-posts every other month."


    "All right Tegan," the queen said with a sigh. "I''m sure there''s more but I can see you''re getting uptight. Let''s call an end to the official business for today, and move on to something more relaxing."


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Dinner was a quiet, friendly affair. Before the meal ¨¢ine got out of her fancy royal gown and removed her crown. Instead she wore a simple casual dress. Elise and Saoirse were led to the queen''s private dining room by one of the staff, and the four of us sat down to eat together.


    As the servants brought out the food, my daughter reached up under her tunic then produced a soft velvet hat. It was richly made and dyed a sort of an orangey yellow that was probably meant to represent gold. There was a white patch on the front with a red dragon embroidered in it, and a couple short bright red feathers tucked into the side.


    Elise tossed it to me across the table and stated with a smirk, "That''s one hat as requested. You owe me and Saoirse a spell."


    I caught the hat and grinned, "Good job you two! I''ll pay up before we return home."


    ¨¢ine just stared in shock and wonder.


    The servants departed after the food was served, and I tossed the hat back to my girl. "You and Saoirse can keep it, I just wanted to see that you''d done it. You''ll still get your spell, don''t worry."


    Both teens giggled, and Elise tossed it to my little sister and said "Here Saoirse, it doesn''t go with purple but I bet it''ll look good on you."


    My little sister grinned, "Thanks Elise!"


    She didn''t put it on though, she just tucked it away under the table as we all finally started eating.


    "I simply cannot believe the audacity of you lot," the queen commented over her meal. "Tegan you are a terrible influence on these girls. You convinced them to commit a crime in my palace, then brazenly parade the evidence before me at my own dinner table."


    I just grinned as I enjoyed a sip of mead.


    Apart from our hat-stealing criminal enterprise, the rest of the dinner conversation was fairly benign. Saoirse was enjoying her visit to the royal palace, she and Elise were sharing a huge room with two big poster beds and windows overlooking the courtyard so they could watch all the comings and goings.


    ¨¢ine asked the girls about life back at home, Saoirse told her things were quiet at the castle and Elise told her things were boring on Earth.


    My girl still travelled back and forth with me, but she already spent more than half her time over here. Otherworld was more fun for her. It was home to her grandparents and her best friend, plus she actually had more freedom and things to do here. On Earth she was mostly limited to my estate, and the occasional supervised trip into the city.


    After dinner there was some decadent dessert and more idle conversation, then the two girls finally departed to return to their VIP room. I stayed with ¨¢ine as the girls left, I hadn''t been assigned a room of my own. The queen would be keeping me with her for the next few nights.


    ¨¢ine and I bid Elise and Saoirse good night, and Elise giggled and whispered something in English about a ''royal booty call'' then quickly hurried off with Saoirse.


    I bit my lip and tried not to smile, while ¨¢ine gave me a bit of a look.


    She raised an eyebrow and commented, "I assume Elise is unaware that I''ve started learning the human language? While I may not recognize that particular idiom, I think I can guess what it means."


    "Sorry," I blushed slightly.


    She shook her head slowly, "You know Tegan it really is remarkable how she takes after you. In looks, in temperament, and in mischief. Yet I know she must be adopted. You told me about the curse, after all."


    I grimaced slightly, "Yeah... I''m sorry ¨¢ine. I couldn''t say anything before, because I didn''t know for sure. But now I know. That curse has been lifted."


    I didn''t say anything about Elise''s origins, I wouldn''t tell ¨¢ine the truth about my daughter unless it became absolutely necessary. On the other hand I hadn''t lied, and the way I''d phrased things left it open to interpretation whether Elise was adopted or not.


    The queen stared at me a moment then smiled, "Tegan that''s wonderful news! I''m sure you and your whole family must be greatly relieved!"


    "Yes, my mother and wives are all very happy," I agreed. "And myself as well of course. Neither Saoirse or Elise know about the curse yet. They''ll find out when they come of age, along with all the other terrible Br¨¢daigh family secrets."


    My grin told the queen I was teasing again.


    She drank the last of her wine then got to her feet, "That''s enough of your misbehaviour for this evening. Any further naughtiness shall be confined to my private bedchambers."


    "Yes your majesty," I replied with a smirk.


    I got up as well, and as I followed her out of the dining room and in the direction of her bedchambers I asked "I take it you''ve had enough of your diplomatic envoy, now it''s time for your consort?"


    She closed the door behind us once we were in her bedroom, then turned to face me. "Correct. And as my consort, you are overdressed."


    "Yes your majesty," I repeated, as I reached for the hem of my t-shirt.


    PurpleCatGirl

 Extras #5

    "Thanks for bringing me here," Elise said softly. "I don''t suppose you''d let me do this alone?"


    I shook my head, "Sorry hon. I''m sure everything is going to go ok, but you''re not that person anymore. You''re fae, you''re part of a noble family, and you''re a child."


    I added with a bit of a smile, "Plus you''re my daughter now, right? All my maternal instincts have kicked in."


    "Ok mom," she replied with a wry smile of her own. I could still see the anxiety in her eyes though. She was nervous about this meeting, and honestly so was I.


    Not that I thought there might be any physical danger, but I knew the whole situation was bound to be very emotional. And I really wasn''t comfortable with this, but Elise had her mind made up. If I didn''t let her do it, she''d just sneak off and do it on her own. At least this way I was here for her if things got out of hand.


    The two of us were waiting on a bench in a park. It was warm and sunny, the weather was perfect. A beautiful Saturday in July. People were out and about, walking dogs, playing with their kids, or just enjoying the afternoon sun and this little slice of nature that cut through the sprawling city.


    Apart from our purple hair, we fit in pretty well with all the humans around. I was a little on the small side, my daughter even more-so. We got more stares because of the hair than our size.


    Elise was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, I wore leggings and a tunic top. We both had sneakers on our feet. I had a tiny purse hanging at my left hip with the thin strap running across and over my right shoulder. It was just big enough to hold an ID card, a money card, and a ''phone''.


    My daughter didn''t have a purse, or any of those other things. I hadn''t bothered to get her an ID card, and she didn''t need a ''phone''. And she could always borrow my money card if she needed it. Sometimes she even told me ahead of time when she was going to take it.


    The two of us were quiet again for a while, just watching the humans as they went about doing their thing.


    Eventually I asked, "You''re sure they''ll be here?"


    "Pretty sure," she replied. "I asked Padraig and he did some digging. He said she comes by here on weekend afternoons for a walk. I''m sure the others will come with her since they''re visiting."


    I nodded slowly, "And you''re sure you really want to do this?"


    Elise sighed, "Yes mom, I''m sure. I need to tell them what happened, and I wanted to say goodbye."


    Before I could ask, she added "And no I don''t know how they''ll take it. But I still have to try."


    "Ok hon, I''ll try to stop fussing."


    She smiled, and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and gave her a supportive hug. She leaned her head against my shoulder for a moment, then straightened up again as she said in a hushed tone, "Here they come."


    Elise was looking to the right and I followed her gaze.


    Approaching along the path were two human women and two boys.


    The younger woman was pushing a stroller. She looked to be in her mid-thirties, and she was a few inches taller than me. Her hair was long and black, and currently pulled back into a single loose ponytail. She was wearing a sundress and sandals, and even while she talked with her sister and enjoyed the walk she kept one eye on the precious cargo in the stroller.


    The older woman looked about forty. She was tall and full-figured. Her light-brown hair came down to her shoulders. I could see some of my cousin''s looks in her face, but she had Abigail''s eyes. She was dressed casual, in stretch-pants and a t-shirt.


    The two boys were about eight and ten, both were in jeans and t-shirts like their mom. They were walking ahead of the women, talking to each other about a movie or video-game or something.


    Elise and I watched as they got closer to where we were sitting. I could feel she was tense now, and when the group came within a couple meters of us she got to her feet. I remained seated, but I was alert and a little tense as well. I figured in a worst-case scenario, all I had to do was grab my daughter and I could teleport the two of us back to the car.


    Both women looked over at us when Elise stood, and the older one''s eyes strayed from my girl to myself. Our eyes met and I could tell from her expression she recognized me. We''d only met once before, about two decades ago. It was just after her twenty-first birthday, and my cousin wanted to share some family secrets with her oldest daughter.


    Rachel stopped in her tracks as she stared at me and Elise.


    Lindsey stopped as well, she looked at her sister and asked "Rach? What''s wrong?"


    "Andrew, Eric!" Rachel called to her boys, "Come here please."


    The kids moved to their mom''s side, and she reached down to hold her sons'' hands as she continued staring at me.


    "I remember you," she stated. "You''re Tegan, right?"


    I stood up beside my daughter as I nodded, "Yeah I am. Hello again Rachel. It''s been a while."


    Lindsey looked back and forth between me and Elise, then at her sister. "What''s going on Rachel? You know these two?"


    Rachel ignored her sister and kept her eyes on me. She asked, "Why are you here? What do you want?"


    "I''m here with her," I nodded towards my daughter. "She''s the one who wanted to speak with you."


    Elise hadn''t said anything yet, she was mostly staring at the baby laying asleep in the stroller.


    I looked at the younger woman and introduced myself, "Lindsey my name is Tegan Br¨¢daigh. I used to go by Tegan Vale. We''re sort of related. It''s complicated though."


    Rachel said to her sister, "She''s mom''s cousin."


    Lindsey frowned at me, "You look pretty young to be mom''s cousin. And mom didn''t have any aunts or uncles. Or cousins, for that matter."


    I replied, "Like I said, it''s complicated. And it''s about to get even more complicated."


    With a nodd to my girl I sort of prompted her to take over, "Elise?"


    The two women looked at my daughter, both were surprised to hear me address her by their mother''s name.


    "Hi Rachel, hi Lindsey. I''ve missed you," Elise said. She smiled to the two boys who were just staring quietly at us, "And Andy, Eric, you two have grown a lot in the last two years."


    The older woman''s eyes suddenly widened as she stared at my daughter, and I was positive she''d figured out who my girl used to be.


    Lindsey on the other hand just frowned and demanded, "So is this supposed to be a family reunion or something? You couldn''t call first, you had to stalk us in the park? Who are you two?"


    "I''m sorry Lindsey," Elise said. "Like Tegan said, it''s complicated. And you wouldn''t have believed us. I really just wanted to see you both one more time, to let you know I''m ok. And to see the boys again, and to meet your little girl. I''m sorry we couldn''t have done this with Justin here too, but I understand he''s over in Australia now."


    From her words and her tone, and the fact that she called me Tegan, I knew Elise had shifted back to ''cousin mode''. Or I guess it was ''mom mode'' to her family. It reminded me of the times in the past she''d go into ''dad mode'' for me. For the first time in two years she was that sad lonely old woman again, but wrapped up in a tiny purple-haired fae teen body.


    Lindsey was still confused and frustrated, while Rachel looked like she was going to get emotional. She took a few deep breaths and kept her eyes fixed on Elise. She quietly told her boys to stay right where they were, then let go of their hands and moved around the stroller so she was standing directly in front of Elise.


    She was over a foot taller than my girl, next to her Elise looked about the same size as Rachel''s eight year old son.


    Rachel stared down at her while Elise looked up.


    "Is that really you?" Rachel asked softly. "Did you... You did it again?"


    "Yes Rachel," Elise replied just as quietly. "Tegan offered me another chance. I''m sorry I had to leave you all, but... Well that would have happened in another year or so anyways. It was just a matter of time."


    Rachel reached out and pulled Elise into a brief hug. She sighed, "I missed you. We all have. But you''re ok? You''re happy?"


    Elise replied softly, "I''m very happy, and I''m very well. How is Warren? I thought he and Doug might be here too."


    "They''re both back at Doug and Lindsey''s place," Rachel replied. "Watching football."


    "Rachel what the fuck is going on?" Lindsey demanded. She was obviously confused and frustrated. "Who is this girl? You act like you know these people."


    The older sister sighed, "Lindsey my boys are right here, please don''t swear in front of them."


    The younger one rolled her eyes, "Fine, sorry. Now tell me what''s going on!"


    Rachel responded in a firm but quiet tone, "Lindsey this girl is mom. She''s not just named after our mom, she is our mom. She''s been... I don''t know, changed, given a new life. I don''t know how to explain it. It''s fae magic. Whatever, how''s not important. This little girl is our mother."


    "That''s impossible," Lindsey stated. "You''re talking nonsense Rachel. That''s the sort of stuff mom was rambling about before she..."


    Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened slightly.


    Elise was looking at her younger daughter now. "It''s true Lindsey. It''s what I tried to tell you about, back before I disappeared."


    Lindsey''s eyes stayed wide as she looked at me again. She gulped and asked nervously, "You''re one of them? You''re one of those fae everyone''s been talking about?"


    "I am," I nodded. "Once upon a time your mom and I were family. Rachel knows the whole story, but this isn''t the time or place to repeat it. I helped your mother out with magic once, a long time ago. And two years ago I helped her again."


    Rachel seemed slightly more relaxed but she moved back to her boys and placed her arms around them both. It was a sort of protective gesture, not that I got the feeling she thought I''d attack or something. But to her I was an alien. And she knew I could work magic.


    Elise spoke up again, "Like I said in my message, I had to go on a long trip. Lindsey I''m sorry I wasn''t there for you when you had your girl. I''m hoping you''ll introduce us though?"


    Lindsey was still very uneasy, and probably struggling to accept what she was being told. She glanced down at the baby that was sleeping the stroller and said, "Her name''s Abby. I named her Abigail, after my mum."


    That brought a bittersweet smile to my girl''s face. She didn''t approach too close, she could tell as well as I could that the human women were anxious around us. She crouched slightly and smiled as she whispered, "Hello Abby. You''re a beautiful little girl."


    "So if you were really our mom," Lindsey asked uneasily, "How come you look like this fae woman now? Why are you so young, and why so small?"


    Elise stepped back so she was next to me, and slipped her arm around my waist. My arm moved around her shoulders, our pose mirrored the way Rachel was standing with her two boys.


    My daughter replied, "This is what I wanted, but I needed someone to take me in and be my mother. Remember I hinted about maybe staying with you, before? But you didn''t believe me."


    She held me a little tighter as she continued, "For a long time we pretended we were cousins, but two years ago she adopted me. Now she''s really my mom."


    Lindsey frowned, then shook her head and stated "I don''t... No. I can''t deal with this."


    Without another word she started walking again. She moved past us with the stroller and continued on her way along the path.


    Rachel and her sons didn''t follow yet. The two boys had been quiet but both were staring at me and Elise, and they''d been listening. I wasn''t sure if they''d figured out yet that the little purple-haired girl used to be their grandmother, but they''d definitely know something strange was going on.


    "Will we ever see you again?" the tall brunette asked, as she stared at my little girl.


    Elise shrugged, "If you like? We''re not always on Earth, but mom works for the embassy so we travel a lot? I''m sure she''d bring me to see you again some time. If you wanted."


    I wasn''t sure if Rachel had picked up on it, but I could tell by Elise''s tone and the fact that she called me mom that she was back in ''daughter mode'' again. It might have happened with Lindsey''s departure, or maybe it was before that, when she returned to my side.


    Rachel was quiet for another moment or two. There were some tears in her eyes, but she shook her head. "Thanks for coming back, thanks for letting us know what happened. We miss you, but life moves on."


    She took a deep breath then added, "I''m glad you''re happy again. Goodbye."


    "Goodbye Rachel," Elise replied. She looked at the two boys and added, "Bye Andy, bye Eric."


    As the three humans walked away I heard Andy ask "Mom who was that girl? Why''d she talk like grams?"


    "Is Aunt Lindsey mad at them?" the younger boy asked. "Why''s their hair purple?"


    I still had my arm around Elise. I gave her a gentle squeeze as I asked quietly, "Are you ok hon?"


    She leaned her head against my shoulder but she nodded. Her voice was quiet and a bit melancholy as she replied, "Yeah. I needed to see them once more, I needed to say goodbye. And I got to meet Lindsey''s little girl, even if she slept through it."


    As we started walking back towards the parking lot together I asked, "What would you like to do now?"


    My daughter was quiet for a minute or so, staring down at the ground as we walked. We were almost at the car when she finally answered.


    "Can we go home?" she asked in Fae. "I kind of miss hanging out with Saoirse."


    We normally used English when we were on Earth. I had a feeling by switching to Fae and asking to go home, she was sort of making a statement. Home for her was Otherworld now, that''s where our family lived.


    "Of course," I replied in Fae. "Back to the estate for now, and at dusk I''ll take us back home to castle Br¨¢daigh."


    Elise had a sad smile on her face as she replied, "Thanks mom."


    PurpleCatGirl


    After this chapter I went back and re-read all the chapters she''s in, and started to see the pattern and the clues. Those times where she went in and out of ''dad mode'' (chapters 102 & 104) and this chapter where she went in and out of ''mom/cousin mode'' were actually switches, where formerly-active personalities were returning briefly then going dormant again.


    It also explains how she''s managed her life-reboots so well. ''Cousin'' Elise almost instantly took over from Tegan''s adoptive dad, and ''daughter'' Elise instantly took over from the cousin. Now I''m suspecting this young teen Elise has probably been dormant inside since tegan''s dad was 14 or 15, suppressed and buried but waiting for her chance to shine. And now after 2 lifetimes, she''s finally got her chance thanks to Tegan.


    If you''re enjoying our work and you''d like to support us, please consider joining our patreon & get early access to new chapters! Patrons have already read Extras #10 and you could too!


    https://www.patreon.com/purplecatgirl

 Extras #6

    =::= Willow''s PoV =::=


    Another car drove by from west to east as I sat and watched. That was the nineteenth since I''d started watching around noon today. It was red, and had three people in it. I didn''t know what the make or model was, but it looked shiny and new. I wondered where the people were going, where they''d been, who they were.


    It was late Saturday afternoon, today was the third of July. Summer had just begun, and the weather was perfect. And for what felt like the ten-thousandth day in a row, I was bored.


    We rarely got visitors here at the estate, and when someone did come it was almost always some human official here for official business. Or it was a courier dropping off something for the fae ambassador. Or picking something up. Whatever, the point was if anyone came here, they never wanted to hang around and get to know the unimportant people. They definitely didn''t want to meet a pixie like me.


    I sighed to myself as I sat on top of the fence post and stared off in the direction the red car went. I knew that road led to a highway, and the highway led south to the big city. I''d seen pictures, I''d studied maps on the computer. I wasn''t actually that interested in seeing the city, or any human city. I just wanted to see something different.


    I''d lived my entire life here on this estate. After Ma and Ba came to Earth, a few hundred more pixies from all over Otherworld came and joined them. In the fifty-four years since then, there''ve been four big migrations where part of our troop set off to start a new troop somewhere else on this world.


    I was twenty-seven when the last one happened, and I''d have gone with them if not for the fact that I was too young. And I wasn''t invited, of course. They didn''t want me around, any more than the local troop did.


    Ma and Ba always treated me well, they always made sure I knew they loved me and I was welcome here. Nobody else did though. Not even my brothers and sisters.


    I suppressed another sigh, and self-consciously double-checked my wings were fully tucked behind me. Not that there was anyone here with me, and not that anyone could see me even if they were here and looking. I was alone, and I was invisible. My normal state of being, really.


    Fortunately the sound of another car approaching distracted me before I got too deep in the self-pity again.


    This one came from the east, from the direction of the highway. It was a silver one, and unlike the first nineteen cars, number twenty slowed as it approached. It turned onto the driveway, and I was startled up off the fence-post as the automatic gate began to move.


    The car stopped and waited as the gate slid open, and while it was there I flitted down and hovered in front of the window to take a closer look at the occupants. My eyes widened as I recognized both of them.


    On the drivers side was Lady Tegan herself, her short violet-coloured hair was unmistakable. And sitting next to her was her daughter Elise. I flew up out of the way as the car started moving again, down the drive-way towards the buildings. The gate began closing automatically behind them.


    After hovering there in the air for a few moments, I decided to follow. Lady Tegan came and went often enough, but it was rare to see Elise here nowadays.


    My wings tucked back slightly as my magic took over and I sailed along after the car, quickly catching them up. The car came to a halt out front of the mansion, and I slowed back to a hover again. I kept myself invisible and just watched for now.


    The seneschal was there along with the guard captain. The two of them started talking to Lady Tegan, while Elise walked towards the front door. There was something about her expression that caught my eye. She wasn''t her usual happy self this afternoon, and I was curious what was wrong.


    I followed along, careful to keep myself close enough to accompany her through doors but not so close as to accidentally bump into her if she were to stop or turn suddenly.


    A servant opened the door for Elise and we both entered the mansion together. She walked up the stairs to the second level then down the hall of the east wing, and into her bedroom. I stayed with her, and noted her slumped shoulders and the distant thoughtful expression on her face. I followed her into her bedroom then hovered and watched as she sat on the large bed.


    She let out a long deep sigh, then flopped over backwards and stared at the ceiling.


    I flitted a little closer to her and watched. She wasn''t crying, and she didn''t look too sad. She just seemed thoughtful and melancholy as she stared at the ceiling.


    Then after a moment her eyes focused on me and she commented quietly, "I can see you there. Why''d you follow me into my room?"


    A shock went through my system. I was still invisible, but she was definitely staring at me. Fae weren''t supposed to be able to do that. We pixies could see each other when we were invisible of course, or at least, we saw each other''s auras. But I''d never heard of a fae having that ability.


    I flitted over to her bed-side table and landed there as I became visible.


    "How?" I asked her. "Fae aren''t supposed to be able to see us like that."


    The purple-haired teen shrugged and replied quietly, "I can see auras. I think I inherited that from my mom, I know she can see them too. Except I think she turns it off most of the time, she says it''s distracting."


    "Huh," I frowned. "I don''t suppose you and your mom are part-pixie are you?"


    She shrugged again, "Dunno."


    She was still laying on her bed, but her head turned to keep me in view when I landed on the little table. She added, "My name''s Elise by the way. Elise Br¨¢daigh."


    "I know," I replied. "Everyone knows your mom, and I''ve seen you around now and then."


    I frowned as I added, "I haven''t seen you here much lately though."


    Elise finally pulled herself upright and sat on the edge of her bed as she watched me. She shrugged again and said in that same slightly dull quiet voice, "I mostly stay at grams'' castle in Otherworld nowadays. Saoirse is there, she''s my best friend. Technically she''s my aunt but we''re more like sisters, since we''re almost the same age."


    I couldn''t help myself, I let out a wistful longing sigh. "I''ve always wanted to go to Otherworld. Ma and Ba talk about it sometimes, so do some of the other older pixies. They talk like it''s a backwards place because there''s no internet or TV, but I don''t care about that stuff."


    "Your ma and ba," she asked me, "Are they Queen Petunia and Monarch Merryweather? Are you a pixie princess?"


    That brought a blush to my cheeks, and a bit of a scowl to my expression. Now it was my turn to shrug, "Yeah, I guess. It doesn''t mean anything though. I''m like, twenty-sixth in line of succession or something? Far enough away that I''ll never ever be in charge of anything, but close enough that people treat me differently."


    My scowl deepened as I added, "As if people didn''t already have a reason for that."


    Elise watched me for a few moments, then said "I''m sorry. You seem unhappy about something but I don''t know what. Is there anything I can do to help?"


    I sighed, "Not really. Thank you for asking though. And I could say the same? Other times I''ve seen you around, you''ve looked much happier. Today you seemed a little melancholy. What happened, if you don''t mind my asking?"


    The girl frowned and looked down at the floor for a few moments. Then she sighed, "Nothing, I guess? Mom took me to see... We met some humans. It''s complicated though and I don''t want to talk about it. Thinking about it makes me feel bad."


    "I''m sorry Elise," I apologized.


    "Not your fault," she replied. Then she repeated my own words, "Thank you for asking though."


    We were both quiet for a few moments, and I realized she was staring at me. I immediately felt self-conscious and did my best to tuck my wings behind me as usual, but it was too late. She''d already noticed, and I knew what was coming.


    She commented, "I''ve never seen wings like that on a pixie before. They look beautiful."


    I blinked at her. That wasn''t what I was expecting. I was blushing again, and scowling as I said quietly "They''re not beautiful, they''re ugly and wrong."


    My wings were my biggest shame. Three of them were dark translucent blue, like ma''s wings. But the lower left one was dark translucent red, like ba''s. Having mismatched wings was bad luck. It was a bad omen. It meant nobody wanted me around. If my parents weren''t the monarch and queen, I''d probably have been cast out of the troop when I was born.


    "They''re not wrong and they''re not ugly," Elise stated. "I think they look beautiful. I like the contrast, it''s really cool. And your hair''s sort of like mine you know? You could practically be a Br¨¢daigh."


    I blushed brighter, "Purple hair''s pretty common among pixies. Mine''s nothing special. I''m definitely not a Br¨¢daigh, any more than you''re part pixie."


    My hair was dark purple, with a metallic sheen to it. My eyes were pretty common too, they were a light sky-blue colour. And my skin was alabaster, like Ba''s. I was short for my age at only eighty millimetres tall, or three and one-eighth inches in the old measurements. At thirty-seven I was nearly full-grown, almost of age. To human eyes I''d look only sixteen or seventeen. And I definitely wasn''t anything special, just a lonely runt with ugly mismatched wings.


    The young fae continued looking at me as she asked, "What''s your name?"


    I blushed even more as I realized I never introduced myself. I bowed slightly, "Forgive my lack of manners miss Elise. My name is Tempest Willow."


    She grimaced, "You don''t have to bow to me, and don''t worry about that formal stuff. I''m just Elise. And it''s nice to meet you Willow, that''s a really pretty name."


    I continued blushing for now as I stood there on the table. I started fidgeting slightly as I fought the urge to turn invisible again. I wasn''t used to having anyone pay this much attention to me.


    "So you want to see Otherworld?" she asked


    "Yeah," I sighed. "I''ve wanted to go there for years."


    She frowned, "So why haven''t you? Why not just go?"


    I rolled my eyes slightly, "We can''t all just come and go as we please. Only pixie mages can cross worlds, and I''m not one of those. There''s a couple in our troop but none of them would take me anywhere."


    "Why not?" Elise asked. "Because you''re a princess?"


    I sighed deeply, "Because I''m weird. Because of my stupid wings."


    She frowned again as she asked "What? What''s that got to do with anything?"


    I really didn''t want to talk about it, I didn''t want to have to explain why my mismatched wings were the bane of my existence. It was too upsetting to talk about, especially to a stranger. And fortunately I didn''t have to. She must have noticed how the subject bothered me, and changed her mind.


    "Never mind Willow," Elise said. "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to upset you."


    Before I could respond she asked, "Hey, do you want to come with me? Mom''s taking me home tonight at dusk. We could ask her if she''d bring you too? Or if you don''t want to ask, I could smuggle you to Otherworld. I don''t have a bag or anything, but you could hide in my hair maybe? Like at the back of my neck? It''s long enough nobody would see you back there, and you could sort of tie yourself up in it so there''s no chance of getting lost."


    I blinked at her in surprise and my emotions churned. She was offering to take me away from all this, offering to give me what I''d wanted for years. Was I really ready to do it though? Leave my home and parents behind, and go to a completely different world?


    Elise added, "I don''t think there''s any pixie troops around grams'' castle, you''d be the only one there. I don''t know if that''s a good thing or a bad thing? I don''t want you to be lonely. But you could stay with me, I have a great big bedroom and stuff? And you could meet Saoirse, she''s really nice. Um, you don''t want to meet grams though. She''s nice, but she''s kind of stuffy about pixies? She probably wouldn''t be happy if she knew I brought one into the castle with me."


    I frowned, "Then why would you do that? Why would you go against your grandmother''s wishes? I thought fae were a lot more um, respectful of their elders and betters?"


    She shrugged, "You look sad, you want to go to Otherworld. Maybe we could be friends? Maybe I can help you out. And maybe it''ll be fun! And yeah, boring fae act all respectful and stuff. I''m not boring."


    My heart was racing as I stared at her a few more moments. Finally I started to smile, "I need to pack ok? It won''t take long, then I''ll come back here?"


    My new friend smiled back at me, "Sure. We aren''t leaving till dusk so its a couple hours away. I''ll wait for you here."


    "Thanks!" I replied as my smile grew wider.


    Rather than opening all the doors to get out, Elise just opened her bedroom window a few inches for me. I became invisible again as I dashed out. My magic propelled me as I zipped down and around to the back of the mansion, past the pixie guards and through the gap in the bricks that led to our ''burrow'' in the mansion''s cellar.


    In under two minutes I was in the room I shared with a dozen sisters. My sister Holly was in there, but I ignored her for now.


    First I got changed into my favourite pair of jeans and a loose pink top. The jeans weren''t real denim of course, that was way too thick and heavy for pixies. All our clothes were made from fine silk, but they were patterned after human clothes. So my ''jeans'' were blue with pockets and belt loops. Shirts all had open backs for our wings, my favourite pink shirt did up at the side with a couple little white buttons.


    After getting changed I bundled up the rest of my clothes into a small sack, not that I had that much. And finally I put on my belt and tucked my sword into place at my left hip.


    My katana was my most prized possession. It was fifty millimetres long overall, with a thirty-six millimetre blade. Slightly curved, the single edge was sharper than any razor. And I was an expert swordswoman. Without any friends to distract me, I''d spent most of my early years focused on my training and studies. My skills with magic and fighting also came in handy when others were picking on me because of my stupid wings. The bullying all but stopped when they figured out I could kick every one of their asses.


    "Hey Weirdo," Holly finally asked. "Whatcha up to?"


    Normally I wouldn''t respond when people called me that, but right then I was too excited to keep the news to myself.


    I grinned at her and announced, "I''m leaving! I''m going on a big adventure of my own. Goodbye Holly, I''ll probably never see you again."


    She just rolled her eyes and responded with a very sarcastic "Yay."


    Before leaving the burrow I flew over to my parents'' court. They had some anime show on the big TV and half the court was lounging around watching as usual. Ma and Ba sat on their little thrones surrounded by some of my older brothers and sisters and a dozen other pixie courtiers.


    I hesitated, but decided not to tell them. I knew from their stories, neither of them bothered with long goodbyes when they left home on their own adventures. And I really didn''t want to deal with the taunts of my older siblings.


    After a few seconds I turned my back and flew away and out of the burrow. A few minutes later I slipped through the open window, and I was back in the bedroom with Elise again.


    We had a few hours yet before dusk, and the two of us spent that time sitting on her bed and talking about anything and everything. We got to know each other better, and the more we talked the happier I felt.


    It was hard at times to stay calm, I almost couldn''t believe it. I couldn''t stop smiling, and Elise seemed to be feeling better too. She was smiling as much as I was.


    We were already friends, and soon she''d be taking me on the biggest adventure ever!


    PurpleCatGirl

 Extras #7 (pt.1)

    =::= Elise''s PoV =::=


    Mom''s left arm held tightly around my shoulders while I had both my arms wrapped even tighter around her waist. My eyes were shut and I held my breath. I absolutely hated the sensation and I was almost glad I''d never have magic strong enough to let me cross worlds on my own.


    The whole experience terrified me. I even had the occasional nightmare about somehow losing my grip on mom and getting lost in that un-place between worlds.


    I felt the lurch when mom cast the spell and for a few seconds my stomach did flip-flops while it felt like we were weightless. Instead of feeling like no way was up it felt like every way was up and my body didn''t know how to process the sensations. I kept my eyes closed because it was even worse when I could see reality melt and blur around us.


    My arms pulled even tighter around mom''s waist and in return I felt her hold me closer as well.


    Finally it was over and there was gravity and air and noise again. I felt firm ground under my feet and heard voices talking, but I wasn''t paying attention yet. I didn''t even open my eyes right away. Those few seconds outside reality left me dizzy and a bit nauseous, and I kept my tight grip on mom for another half minute or so.


    Eventually the bad feelings faded and the talking resolved into the voices of my mom and another woman. I didn''t recognize her voice, but she had a strong Irish accent.


    I finally opened my eyes and looked around, but I didn''t let go of mom yet.


    The two of us were standing in the middle of an archaeological site. The soil had been turned back all around us and strings were stretched across marking out the ground in one-meter squares. The dig was five meters by three meters, and we were standing exactly in the centre.


    And a couple meters away from us were three very startled humans. There were two women and one man, all looked to be in their twenties. I figured the three of them must have been working on the site when mom and I arrived.


    It was sunrise back where we were when mom cast the spell but there was a five hour time difference to Ireland so it had to be about eleven o''clock in the morning here.


    "Sorry for dropping in on you like that," mom was saying. "Isn''t it the weekend? I didn''t think anyone would be working today."


    One of the women replied, "It''s Tuesday."


    Mom frowned, "It''s not May fourteenth? Beltane was only two weeks ago right?"


    "The seventeenth," the woman corrected her.


    I looked up at her and added, "Mom, Beltane was two and a half weeks ago."


    She sighed, "Right. I should really get a calendar or something, I''m always losing track of the days."


    I had to suppress a giggle, then I finally let go of her and took a step to the side so I could get a proper look around.


    In addition to the dig site we were standing in, I could see two other areas where the soil was peeled away and the archaeologists had been working. There was one to my left, and the other one was behind mom and me. And to our right were a bunch of tents and a couple SUVs. Two tents were bigger, I figured they were where the people worked and maybe where they ate meals and stuff. Then there were four smaller tents, that looked like what you''d take camping.


    The woman who was speaking earlier sounded a little nervous now as she asked mom, "Wait are you two... Are you fae?"


    All three humans looked anxious, the man and the other woman took a small step backwards from us and the man was frowning. They were obviously a little wary, even though neither me or mom looked scary at all.


    I looked about as harmless as could be, I wasn''t even four and a half feet tall and only weighed about seventy-five pounds. And mom wasn''t that impressive either, she was only five-foot-two. We weren''t even dressed strangely, I had my favourite jeans and some small pink sneakers, and I was wearing a pink t-shirt under a green spring jacket. Mom wore black sneakers and leggings, and she had a tunic top and a black spring jacket.


    Mom sighed, "Yeah we are. Please don''t panic though, I''m not here to hurt anyone. I was invited? I don''t suppose your teacher is around?"


    The talkative young woman looked towards the tents and shouted, "Professor Casey? We have some visitors to the site!"


    I almost giggled again when I heard that name. Casey was an Anglicized version of Cathasaigh. The professor named herself after the county where our family lived in Otherworld.


    Mom and I both turned to the right in time to see a tall slim woman with short strawberry blonde hair emerge from one of the larger tents. She looked like she was in her late thirties, maybe forty at most. She had work boots on her feet, tight blue jeans covered her legs, and wore a jacket with the University of Dublin crest on the left chest.


    Her eyes widened and a smile formed on her face as she saw the two of us. She recognized mom of course, but she and I hadn''t met yet.


    Except that wasn''t exactly true. I knew she was fae and her name was Siobhan. I knew she used to be captain of the guard at grams'' castle. And I knew I met her a long time ago. It was back when I was mom''s cousin, when I was going to a human college on Earth.


    I could still remember that stuff but it was faded, it didn''t feel real anymore. It almost felt like it didn''t really happen to me, like they weren''t my memories and I wasn''t really in them. And I didn''t like to think too hard about those old memories anyways. When I did, it made me feel really old and tired and sad. So I usually let that stuff stay faded.


    The professor hurried over to us and I could tell she wanted to give mom a hug. Her aura was almost reaching out, but the professor held back. She probably didn''t want to make too big of a scene or something.


    Instead she kept her arms at her sides as she exclaimed happily, "Tegan! When I sent you the invitation I thought you''d fly over and make it a formal official visit! I didn''t think you''d just jump over unannounced like this!"


    She had an Irish accent like the human woman. I figured it was because she''d been here for so long, she started talking like them. I knew when mom and I spoke English we sounded like we came from Canada.


    "Sorry Siobhan," mom replied with a sheepish smile. "You know me, I hate formalities."


    Then mom put her hand on my shoulder and introduced us. "Siobhan, this is my daughter Elise. And Elise, this is Doctor Siobhan Casey, she''s a professor of archaeology at the University of Dublin."


    The tall fae woman looked surprised. She''d have known from my hair and eyes that I was a Br¨¢daigh, but she obviously didn''t expect mom to have a daughter already. Definitely not one who was in her teens.


    It only took her a few moments to get over her shock though, then she gave me a slight bow and said "Miss Elise Br¨¢daigh, I''m honoured to make your acquaintance."


    "Hi," I replied. My voice was quiet and I couldn''t hide the fact that I was feeling shy and awkward. I hated all that formal stuff almost as much as mom did, and I was a little leery around strangers. Strange humans were the worst, and there were three of them staring at me.


    Mom smirked "Siobhan you can just call her Elise, she doesn''t like the formalities any more than I do. Is there somewhere we can go to talk?"


    The tall prof nodded, "First let''s take care of the introductions shall we?"


    She turned to address the three humans who were still staring. "I''ll get this out of the way first. Yes, our two unexpected guests are fae. No, they aren''t here to cause trouble. I invited them to our dig to give them a tour, and to explain what we''ve found so far."


    She gestured towards mom and me, "This is Lady Tegan Br¨¢daigh, fae noblewoman and former fae ambassador to Earth. And her daughter Elise Br¨¢daigh."


    Next the professor introduced her three students, starting with the talkative one, then the other young woman, and ending with the young man. "These are three of my grad students, Grace, Evie, and Ryan."


    Mom was polite as she greeted the three humans. I just gave them a shy smile and a little wave.


    I could tell they were still wary, from both their expressions and their auras. The one who''d spoken wasn''t bad but the other woman and the man were definitely uncomfortable about mom and me.


    Finally the professor told her students, "That''s enough of a break now I think? I''m going to talk with our guests for a bit, then we''ll do a little tour."


    She gestured for mom and me to follow, and led us both back towards the tents. The humans slowly got back to what they were doing behind us.


    The tent we went into was set up with a couple tables and some folding chairs. There were two laptops on one of the tables, and the other table had a few trays with small objects in little plastic bags.


    There were also two more young humans in here, a woman sat by one of the laptops and a man was seated in front of one of the trays. The tall professor went through the introductions again. These were two more students, the guy was Tom and the girl''s name was Amelia.


    They were surprised about us being fae but didn''t seem as uncomfortable as Ryan and Evie did.


    After the introductions the professor asked them, "Tom, Amelia, would you two mind giving the others a hand for now? Talk to Grace, she''ll tell you where you can help out. I''d like to speak with our guests in private."


    The two exited quietly, then the three of us sat down at one of the tables.


    Once we were alone, mom asked quietly, "I take it you''re staying in stealth?"


    The professor nodded and responded just as softly, "I''m keeping an eye on the news and getting a feel for the atmosphere. I can probably fake it for another decade before people notice I''m not aging as expected. If it feels safe by then, I might reveal. Otherwise I''ll either move on, or if things get dangerous I may just return to Otherworld."


    Mom sighed, "If you ever get into trouble, contact the embassy. Even if I''m not there, they''ll have couriers on staff. Someone will be able to come get you and take you to Otherworld."


    Her friend smiled, "Don''t worry about me Tegan. I may have spent the last five decades as an academic but I haven''t forgotten how to fight."


    The conversation returned to normal volume as they started discussing the archaeology. This was the part I expected would be super interesting, the reason I came. Normally I wasn''t really interested in visiting Earth anymore. This was actually my first time back since last summer when I first met my friend Willow.


    And I was expecting this stuff to be really cool today. When mom said she was coming to see a Duma D¨¦ on Earth I imagined a big flat-topped hill like the Duma at home. I thought it would be neat seeing a Duma on Earth, but this was just an empty field. Instead of a big hill, they had to dig underground to find it. The whole thing was a bit of a let-down.


    And the stuff the tall thin professor was talking about sounded incredibly boring. She went on about stuff like ''strata'' and ''flint flakes'' and ''mesolithic era''. Even the little sample bags in the trays were boring. There were little tiny flecks of black stuff, brown stuff, and grey stuff. She talked about them like they were important but it looked like what you''d pick out of your shoes after walking through a field the day after cattle were grazing.


    The lecture went on for fifteen boring minutes while the professor talked about dirt and I tried not to let my eyes glaze over. I also tried not to fidget too much, and I had to try extra hard to keep myself from messing around with the little sample baggies or the computers.


    Eventually the talk came to an end and we all got up so Professor Casey could take us on a tour. As she led us out of the tent, her and mom walked towards the ditches while I slipped away to the left and escaped around the side of the tent.


    Free at last from the boring dirt discussions, I could go do some exploring.


    PurpleCatGirl


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 Extras #7 (pt.2)

    =::= Elise''s PoV =::=


    After listening to Professor Casey drone on about dirt for fifteen dreary minutes, the boredom had finally overcome my shyness and angst about being around strange humans.


    So while mom and the tall fae professor went to go stare at shallow holes in the ground and talk more about marvellous dirt, I decided to sneak away and do some exploring.


    I knew there had to be something interesting here, they were just keeping it hidden.


    The SUVs were my first destination. There was usually cool stuff in peoples'' cars, and sometimes even the cars themselves were interesting. Especially if you could take them for a little ride. Technically I didn''t know how to drive and I definitely didn''t have a license, the humans all thought I looked too young for that, but secretly I really did know how. And even though modern cars were almost impossible to borrow, I knew some tricks with magic that could help there too.


    These vehicles were old, practically antiques. They all dated from the twenty-forties, which was before self-driving became mandatory in all new cars. That happened in the fifties, or at least it did in North America. I wasn''t sure when it happened in Europe.


    I couldn''t actually remember where I learned that either. I had a lot of random knowledge like that, stuff I learned before mom adopted me. I remembered odd facts, but all the context was faded. I knew I could usually get more details if I concentrated, but then I''d feel old and sad and strange again so I normally didn''t bother.


    Unfortunately the vehicles were locked and in full view of the humans working in the field, so I couldn''t explore inside them. Which was too bad, if they''d been around since the forties they probably had all sorts of cool stuff hidden away inside.


    Instead I went back to the tents, and poked my head into the other big tent. I thought maybe it would be a kitchen or something, but it was actually set up like a storage shed. There were collapsable metal shelving units along either side, and some tall metal cabinets at the back. There was a folding table in the middle, but nothing was on it.


    The shelves on the left were full of tools. There were shovels, trowels, brooms, dustpans, buckets, kneepads, and lots of other stuff you''d expect on an archaeological dig site. On the right were a bunch of big blue plastic bins with lids.


    I wandered down the right side and pried open a random plastic bin. It was full of shiny silver-coloured rectangular packages, and I pulled one out. There was black writing stamped on the side that identified it as ''Set 1 Meal 3, Corned Beef & Hash.'' Next to a red dot in the lower corner were some instructions, ''Click twice, wait 2 minutes to heat contents'' and ''Caution when opening - contents will be hot!''


    The dot was just printed on the package, but I felt something inside the package like a little disk or something. It felt clicky so I clicked it a few times, then realized the whole package was getting hot. I dropped it back in the bin with the others then moved on.


    The next plastic bin I looked in was full of juice boxes. I pulled one out and looked at the label, then scowled and dropped it back in the bin. Only humans would mix bananas and strawberries together then call it ''juice''. Yuck.


    On the other hand I smiled to myself as I realized, apparently this tent was their kitchen after all.


    When I got to the very back of the tent I tried to look inside those tall metal cabinets, but they were all locked. For now, at least. Last year mom taught Saoirse and me a spell to open locks, and in here I didn''t have to worry about being seen like I did with the SUVs.


    Thinking about the spell made me wish either Saoirse or Willow could have come here with me. Exploring and getting in trouble was a lot more fun with them than it ever was alone.


    But grams wouldn''t let Saoirse come to Earth anymore, she said it was too dangerous nowadays. Not that she ever really let my best friend come here before either. Grams was kind of funny about that, she hated for Saoirse to even leave the castle. That time mom took us both to see ¨¢ine last year was the longest Saoirse had ever been away from home.


    And getting Willow here would have been risky since mom still didn''t know she even existed. Not that Will wanted to come anyways. She was born on Earth, she was bored of Earth. She just wanted to stay on Otherworld and sneak around grams'' big castle and hang out with Saoirse and me there.


    So I was here all by myself, and that meant it was up to me to do all the exploring and stuff for all three of us. Then when mom and I went home again later, I could report back to my friends and tell them about all the cool stuff I found. Maybe I could even bring them some cool souvenirs too. Assuming there was any cool stuff here to be found.


    The locked cabinets seemed like the most likely place for the really interesting stuff to be hidden, and I was just about to use that spell to unlock them when I was startled by a voice behind me.


    "Your name''s Elise?"


    I spun around. It was the man we''d seen outside at the dig, Ryan. He was tall and looked strong. He wore work boots and his jeans had mud on them. He also wore an old dark grey sweater, that was fraying at the cuffs. He had an accent but it wasn''t Irish. He sounded like he was from the south or west of North America.


    "You pronounce it like that? eh-Leeze?" he asked.


    He was standing by the entrance, and I was all the way at the back of the tent surrounded by shelves and cabinets.


    I nodded and responded quietly, "Yes."


    Ryan frowned, "That''s not a Gaelic pronunciation. In Gaelic it''d probably be something like Eye-leash."


    "It''s Scandinavian," I replied softly as I continued watching him.


    He frowned, "So why''s a fae kid got a Scandinavian name?"


    My voice was still quiet as I shrugged, "Mom named me after an old human friend of hers. The friend was named after her grandmother, who was originally from Norway."


    That was another random fact from a long time ago, from even before I was mom''s cousin. Those memories were even more uncomfortable than the cousin ones, so I almost never thought about that stuff at all.


    "So your mom''s been hanging around Earth for a long time, huh?" There was an edge to the human''s voice. It didn''t sound like a question so much as a challenge.


    His eyes were still on me as he reached over to his left and grabbed a shovel, then he pulled it off the shelf. He didn''t pick it up but he let the blade drag along the shelf so it made a loud scraping sound that set all my nerves on edge.


    Suddenly my heart was racing and I wondered if this was one of those humans who hated fae. If I had my sword or bow or even a dagger I''d have felt a lot better. I only knew a couple spells and none of them would be very helpful if an angry human attacked me with a shovel.


    On the other hand I did have the most effective defence of all on the tip of my tongue. All I had to do was scream for mom. She didn''t like to show off or brag, but I knew she was the most powerful mage ever.


    Plus I''d heard the stories, I knew she could tap into the power of the Gods when she was at a Duma D¨¦. And she was at a Duma right now. At places like this, my mom was basically a Demi-Goddess. I hoped for Ryan''s sake he didn''t actually try and hurt me.


    He was still staring at me as he held the shovel in his hands. His posture was sort of casual, his grip on the shovel was loose. His aura however showed me a very different story. His aura gripped the shovel tightly like it was a weapon.


    Nobody but Saoirse and Willow knew I could see auras. I never even told my mom, though I knew she could see them too. Except it was different for her, she told me once that she saw them as blurry colours. For me, they were thin colourless outlines. They usually told me what people were feeling. Like someone could try to hide their feelings, control their expressions, but their aura usually showed me the truth.


    And Ryan''s aura looked angry, and looked like it was ready for a fight.


    I gulped but I tried to sound calm and casual as I asked, "You''re not from around here right? Your accent''s different."


    "Texas," he stated. "Though I don''t imagine that means anything to you. What''s a little fae girl like you doing in here by herself?"


    "Exploring," I replied. I was still trying to sound like I wasn''t scared as I added, "I got bored with the archaeology stuff."


    Ryan pointed at the cabinets behind me and stated in a hard tone, "That''s where we keep the delicate and fragile finds. Don''t mess with them, you could screw up months of work."


    "Ok," I nodded. "I was just leaving anyways."


    He didn''t move, he just stood there holding the shovel as he kept his eyes on me. The only way out of the tent was to go past him though, so I took a deep breath and kept up the brave act as I started walking past the shelves with the plastic bins as I made my way closer to him.


    I got within a few steps and he still hadn''t moved out of the way. My heart was pounding and I wasn''t sure what he was going to do. Like he seemed to want me to leave the tent but then I also wasn''t sure if he was going to let me go. His aura still looked angry, but neither him or his aura raised the shovel to attack.


    After a brief hesitation, I quickly ducked past him and out of the tent. I kept my eyes on him though, incase him or his aura made a move at me. And as soon as I was past him I almost ran to the shallow ditch where my mom was standing next to Professor Casey.


    I got to mom''s side in time to hear her say, "...don''t want to spoil your fun, but I could tell you where to look next. After you found the first one in County Meath a few years ago, I just had to connect with it and it connected me to the rest of them."


    The tall fae prof looked torn, but after a few moments she leaned closer and half-whispered "Don''t tell me exactly, but give me some hints? How many, roughly where?"


    Mom smirked but quietly responded, "Apart from the two you''ve found, I could only feel two others. One''s in Scotland, the other''s in the North Sea."


    Professor Casey looked surprised, while mom looked down at me and smiled, "I hope you''ve been staying out of trouble? We''ve finished the tour here, Siobhan''s offered to drive us into the nearby village if you want to get something to eat, or have a look around this part of Earth?"


    The idea of food was tempting, we were up early and had to skip breakfast to get here. On the other hand I was still shaken by the experience with that human in the tent and my heart was still beating faster than normal. So I shook my head and asked softly, "Can we just go home please?"


    "You want to get back to Otherworld huh?" she grinned.


    I nodded quietly and mom said "Ok hon. Thanks to the Duma we can head straight there from here, and we don''t have to wait till dusk."


    That made me happy. Ryan had followed me out of the tent and he was standing by the edge of the dig, staring at mom and me. He was still holding the shovel too.


    Mom put an arm around my shoulders as she told the prof, "It was good to see you again Siobhan. Keep in touch, and stay safe."


    I added quietly, "Keep an eye on that Ryan guy. I don''t think he likes fae."


    "I will," she said to me just as quietly. Then she bid mom and me farewell for now.


    The other students moved aside and watched while mom and I went back to the middle of their dig site. I wrapped my arms around mom''s waist and closed my eyes. Her arm was around my shoulders again as we held onto each other really tight.


    "Here we go hon," she warned me in a gentle voice. She knew how much I hated this part.


    I took a deep breath, and all of reality melted away around us.


    PurpleCatGirl

 Extras #8

    =::= Willow''s PoV =::=


    Even after being here ten months, I still marvelled sometimes at just how big this castle was. It seemed to go on forever in every direction, including up. From down in the courtyard, the north tower stretched up so high you''d think the top was above the clouds.


    Its vast size made it an easy place to live without anybody knowing I was here. Though I did have some advantages on that front. For one thing being three and an eighth inches tall made it fairly easy to hide. And being able to turn invisible made it easy to hide in plain sight.


    That might have made it a lonely place for me, but I was used to being alone. Even back on Earth with my parents'' troop, surrounded by dozens of siblings and hundreds of other pixies, I was almost always alone. I was shunned by pretty much everyone except my Ma and Ba. They were the only ones who were nice to me, but with over four dozen other children around they only had so much time for me.


    Ironically I had more friends here than I did back home. There were only two of them, but that was still two more than I ever had before. And both of them were fae, which wasn''t that big a surprise really. I was the only pixie around for dozens of leagues.


    My fae friends also helped me stay undetected, which was fairly easy for them since they were part of the noble family who owned the castle. Elise let me have the bottom drawer of the dresser in her huge bedroom, and with a bit of magic I made a hole in the back of the dresser to give me access. I also had small holes in the stonework above her bedroom door and next to her window, so I could enter and leave her room and the castle any time I wanted.


    This morning I flew lazily down the huge hallway, staying up near the ceiling where I was well above the height of even the tallest fae. And I kept myself invisible. Apart from my two friends, I couldn''t let anyone else know I was here.


    Lady Maeve Br¨¢daigh, matriarch and leader of Clann Br¨¢daigh, did not like having pixies in her castle. Apparently that was thanks to my Ma and Ba causing trouble several decades ago, when they spent some time here before they moved to Earth.


    The halls weren''t busy, it was still early yet. At only an hour past sunrise it was mostly staff and servants up and about. And I was in the wing where the important fae lived, they didn''t tend to get up till about now.


    The door to my left opened and I smiled as one of my friends emerged. I dipped down and settled on her shoulder as I became visible.


    "Good morning Saoirse!" I greeted her as I grabbed a handful of her long blonde hair to steady myself.


    She smiled, "Good morning Willow. I''m on my way to meet my parents for breakfast."


    I nodded, "Yeah I figured. I just wanted to say hi before you disappeared into Maeve''s part of the castle."


    The tall young fae gave me a sad smile, "Are you missing Elise already? She can''t have been gone more than an hour yet."


    That brought a blush to my cheeks as I confessed, "I slept in this morning, so I didn''t get the chance to say goodbye. And it''s the first time she''s gone back to Earth since she brought me here? It''s the first morning she wasn''t here when I woke up."


    I never did find out exactly why she''d returned to the human world that day last July. She said something about seeing a couple humans, and I got the feeling maybe the meeting didn''t go well, or something about it made her sad. She didn''t like to talk about it though, so I never asked for more details.


    Not that it mattered. What did matter was her being on Earth that day meant that the two of us were in the right place to meet each other. We became friends almost right away, and that night she smuggled me here to Otherworld.


    My Ma and Ba often told stories of Otherworld, so did some of the older pixies in our troop. They made it sound like a bad place though. They talked about how there was no internet and no anime, no maple syrup and no hard lemonade, as if those were the most important things in the world.


    They were wrong though. About the syrup and lemonade at least. Lady Tegan and her wives had the lemonade imported for them, and there was enough of it stockpiled in the castle cellars that nobody noticed when a bottle went missing now and then.


    And way back before I was even born Lady Tegan had a bunch of sugar maple saplings brought over and planted here. Now there was a large stand of them growing alongside the forest to the west, and every spring they were tapped for their sap. Lady Maeve''s estate was the sole source of fae-grown maple syrup in all Otherworld, and it was ten times better than the Earth stuff.


    For that matter I wouldn''t be at all surprised if some enterprising fae alchemist was hard at work trying to decode the mysteries of the hard lemonade. Perhaps we weren''t far off from enjoying fae-brewed fizzy lemonade made with Br¨¢daigh estate-grown lemons.


    Saoirse sounded sympathetic as she said, "I''m sorry Will. You know Elise won''t be gone long right? She''ll probably be back home at dusk."


    "Yeah I know," I sighed. "I just wish I could have seen her off this morning."


    She gave me an apologetic look and said, "I''d invite you to stay with me but I''m off to have breakfast with my folks. And you know how my mom is..."


    I nodded. My wings fluttered as I rose up off her shoulder. "I''ll go buzz around the kitchens and find myself some breakfast. Can I meet up with you after?"


    "Of course," she smiled. "I''m supposed to do sword training this morning, so I''ll be in the courtyard. Or you can catch me back here first, I''ll have to return to my room to get changed before the lessons."


    "Thanks Saoirse," I said. I made myself invisible again as I watched the tall blonde fae turn and head for her parents'' private chambers. I knew better than to sneak along after her. Lady Maeve had some enchantments around her private part of the castle that would alert her if anyone invisible tried sneaking in. I was positive that was thanks to my Ma and Ba as well.


    So I flew alone and invisible in the other direction, and made my way down to the kitchens. If I were back home I''d be out hunting for breakfast. And with so many other pixies around, it wasn''t easy to get a good meal. Here, there was all sorts of game to be had and it tasted way better than the food on Earth. But I was feeling lazy and I missed Elise, so rather than hunt up something healthy I decided to just spoil myself with some comfort food.


    The kitchen was crowded and busy, it was almost like an obstacle course as I swerved this way and that to avoid the various staff all rushing about doing their thing.


    I spotted my quarry on a high shelf, and drew my sword as I darted in for the attack. A moment later I had a large chunk of candied fruit impaled on the end of my katana, and I extended my invisibility to envelop my prize before anyone noticed it floating off on its own.


    Back on Earth I never used to wear my sword around all the time, nobody did. Only the guards were armed, and even they only wore their swords while on duty. I started wearing my blade constantly about a month after moving here, when I very nearly became lunch for a hawk while I was flying around outside the castle.


    That near-miss reminded me of something my parents told me that hadn''t really sunk in before. On Earth, none of the larger animals had yet figured out they could eat us. Here, pixies were very much on the menu for a variety of beasts.


    As I started to fly off with my meal safely skewered on the end of my sword, I spotted a small pitcher of maple syrup being carried out of the kitchen on a tray of food. Along with the syrup were platters of bacon and pancakes. It was all probably on its way to Lady Maeve''s private dining room, but I chased after it.


    Still invisible, I dove for the pitcher of syrup. I pulled up at the last second then settled down gently, just low enough to dunk my piece of crystallized fruit in the sweet sticky nectar. The fae maid carrying the tray hadn''t noticed anything, she was paying attention to the hall around her rather than staring at the food she was carrying.


    With my breakfast ready, I launched myself up and away before the maid crossed the threshold into the warded part of the castle.


    Then I flew into the study and settled down ontop of a bookcase to enjoy my meal in private.


    About an hour and a half later I was sitting perched atop the doorframe to Saoirse''s bedroom, waiting for for my friend to return from her morning meal. She was a little overdue and I worried I''d missed her. Or that there was a change of plan and she wouldn''t be coming back this way after all.


    I was just getting ready to go look for her when I heard her voice, and to my surprise I heard Elise''s voice too. A moment later the pair of them rounded the corner together and came into view.


    "Hi Willow!" Elise waved as soon as she spotted me.


    I was still invisible, but she could see me thanks to my aura.


    I dashed over and landed on my best friend''s shoulder, becoming visible in the process. I was grinning and in my excitement my words tumbled out all at once. "I''m glad you''re home how was the trip what happened is everything ok why''d you come back so soon?"


    Elise smiled, "I''m fine, don''t worry! Let''s get out of the hall so we can talk without someone seeing you, silly pixie!"


    Saoirse''s huge bedroom was set up like Elise''s. It had a high ceiling, thick carpets on the floor and decorative tapestries on the walls. A large fireplace was set into the wall opposite the enormous poster bed. There was a big heavy wood wardrobe and dresser in one corner, and a desk and chair in the opposite corner. And on the outer wall was a tall narrow window, with a small table beneath. A pair of big padded chairs were positioned on either side of the table.


    The windows were glazed, but fae used hand-blown glass which was never as clear as the stuff humans came up with using their technology, so you couldn''t get a good view through it. Fortunately the weather here was nice most of the year, so they tended to just leave the windows open.


    Elise flopped on the foot of the large bed and lay on her side, Saoirse sat at the head of the bed with pillows at her back, and I settled crosslegged on the blankets between them.


    Once everyone was comfy I looked at my best friend and asked, "So spill! What happened on Earth, why''d you come back so soon?"


    I had a feeling she''d already been through the story once with Saoirse, but perhaps not in full detail. She grimaced as she explained how it was actually terribly boring, that the Duma on Earth wasn''t a hill at all but they had to dig under a field to find it.


    Then she described how the humans would catalog little tiny flecks of dirt, putting each one in its own little protective baggie as if it was a precious gem or something. She had both me and Saoirse giggling as she described the reverence and respect the humans gave to each little bit of brown and grey muck they''d gathered from the soil.


    Elise went on to explain how she got bored and tried to do some exploring. She told us about the locked antique cars, then the locked cabinets she found in a tent. That''s where the story took a turn for the scary, as she described the big angry human who sort of cornered her in there, and how he took up a shovel as if it was a club or war hammer.


    The grins vanished from my and Saoirse''s faces and I asked nervously, "So what happened? He didn''t try to attack you did he? What did you do, you were unarmed right?"


    The tall blonde fae added, "Why didn''t you mention that to mom or Tegan at breakfast? Or did you already tell Tegan before you left Earth?"


    Elise shrugged, "The human didn''t really do anything. He acted threatening, and I''m sure he was trying to scare me? But he didn''t actually say or do anything to hurt me."


    She added, "And yeah Will, I was unarmed. If he had tried anything the only thing I could have done was scream for my mom? She''d have... I don''t know what she''d have done. But I don''t think it would have gone well for the human. According to the stories, mom can get kind of ''extremely violent'' when people threaten her family."


    "What''s she done that''s ''extremely violent''?" I asked.


    Saoirse looked at me and said, "Before I was born there was a mage Knight of the Realm here, who was a real jerk. He put my parents in the dungeon and told Tegan he was going to kill them along with Kelly and Keira? They were still finding bits of that guy''s bones in the courtyard cobblestones when I was in my twenties."


    "Holy crap!" I gasped. It was hard to picture Lady Tegan being such a violent killer. Not that I actually knew her personally, but all the times I''d seen her she seemed to be a happy, friendly, peaceful person.


    There were a few quiet moments, then Elise finished her story.


    After the scary encounter she decided she''d had enough of Earth and the humans. The professor in charge of the site offered to take Elise and her mom out for breakfast or to tour the area, but Elise just wanted to come straight back home. And since they were at a Duma, Lady Tegan was able to bring them back immediately. They were only on Earth for less than an hour, and got home in time to join Saoirse and her parents for breakfast.


    With the story concluded, Saoirse commented, "You really should mention that stuff about the human guy to your mom, Elise. That''s exactly why my mom didn''t want me to go with you, you know? Since the humans went public about us last year there''s been lots of stories like that. Even though it''s supposed to be peaceful and friendly, they say some humans don''t like us and want to hurt us or worse."


    "I know," my purple-haired friend sighed. "I just didn''t want to cause any trouble, and like I said he never actually did anything. I warned the professor about him, just in case? But I don''t want to make a fuss. I''m ok, I''m home and I''m safe, so I don''t think it''s a big deal."


    I was quiet again for a few moments, then finally suggested "Maybe you two should start learning some fighting spells? Like defensive, offensive magic? So you can protect yourselves even if you''re not armed."


    "We will," Saoirse replied. "Both mom and captain Gaelen say we''re too young right now though."


    Elise grinned, "You know there''s a book full of those spells in the study? It wouldn''t hurt for us to have a look through it. Maybe we can pick up a few things?"


    The tall blonde rolled her eyes, "Unless you''ve suddenly got your mom''s magic talent it''ll take a lot more than just reading a book to learn those spells El. And anyways, we''re supposed to be getting ready for sword practice now, remember?"


    "I know," my best friend sighed. "Still, it won''t hurt to have a look at that stuff. After practice I think I''ll visit the study and find myself some reading material."


    The three of us got up, and I accompanied Elise back to her room as she went to get changed for her training session. The rest of the morning was spent doing sword training in the courtyard.


    Elise and Saoirse had a couple of the soldiers instructing them, and I stayed invisible and did some sword training and practice by myself. Training alone was sort of like being back at home, except I wasn''t really alone anymore. I was with my friends, and I was happy.


    PurpleCatGirl

 Extras #9 (pt.1)

    "Then when you fire the casting media that sets it and hardens it," I explained as I held the small block of white material. "But at the same time the wax melts out. It leaves a space in the media where you can pour the metal in? But you lose the original wax sculpture. That''s why it''s called ''lost wax'' casting."


    Saoirse nodded, "That makes sense I guess. It still seems kind of sad though, you do all that work on that pretty blue sculpture only to destroy it."


    I smiled, "Yeah, I agree. For me it''s the most stressful part of the process. After spending hours, or even weeks working on something so intricate, once you put it in the casting media and fire it all that work is gone. It only exists as empty space, a little gap in the sand that you''ll never actually see."


    "That sounds kind of poetic mom," Elise commented. "But once you pour in the metal your sculpture''s back. And it''s like it transformed from wax into gold."


    Saoirse grinned, "That makes it sound like magic. I wonder if you could just use magic then? Make it in wax then turn it into gold."


    "There''s probably some really good reasons why that won''t work," I replied. "For one thing if mages could turn wax into gold, gold wouldn''t be worth any more than wax."


    "Huh," my little sister looked thoughtful as she contemplated that.


    The three of us were in my new workshop. Mom let me set it up in the castle, but she made me put it with the other trade and craft shops on the far side of the courtyard, well away from the residential areas.


    I just finished unpacking and setting up my furniture and tools and supplies and equipment. Obviously I wasn''t going to find electricity here so my kiln and crucible weren''t operating quite like the manufacturers intended anymore.


    It wasn''t that hard to modify some existing spells though, to let me create concentrated heat that was hot enough to do the job. The tricky bit was fine-tuning them to get the temperature right, and coming up with ways to measure time accurately enough to replace the built-in timers and thermostats.


    Neither problem was insurmountable though. I found out how blacksmiths estimate heat by the colour of their metal or how fast spit evaporates off it, and cooks and bakers and witches have measured time for ages using songs and rhymes.


    Now I had everything I needed to get back into my old hobby again, and I was kind of looking forward to it. I''d still do some part-time work for ¨¢ine as her diplomatic envoy, but as of three weeks ago Kelly and Keira and I left Earth and moved in here at my mother''s castle. The three of us would still visit the human world from time to time, but Kelly closed up her practice and Keira resigned from her position at the museum.


    Part of it was because we didn''t like the increased scrutiny we were getting since the human government went public about our kind last year. Even though I wasn''t the ambassador anymore, my work with the embassy meant I was revealed to the public as fae. That meant Kelly and Keira both got revealed as well.


    And part of it was because Elise basically lived here full-time now, and I wanted to be closer to my daughter. After me and my wives were revealed as fae I got paranoid about Elise visiting Earth, and she was happier here anyways.


    Finally, all three of us decided after spending most of our lives as residents of Earth we should try actually living on Otherworld for a while instead of just visiting.


    I still owned the estate over there, but it was no longer my official residence. The embassy was still on my property too since it was a fairly safe secure location, and my mansion was a good place to house embassy staff. It was also convenient with the waypoint in the glade there.


    Somehow the humans got it in their heads that was the only place on Earth fae could come and go from Otherworld, perhaps because that''s the spot we used for official passage back and forth. And nobody was in any hurry to correct them on that. It was easier letting them think there was a single fixed transit point, that was already monitored and controlled.


    "Where do you get this wax from?" Saoirse asked, bringing my thoughts back on topic. "I''ve never seen anything like it before."


    I grimaced, "That might be a problem. I''ve brought a supply from Earth, and when I finally run out I could always pop back over there and get more I suppose. Jewellers don''t use this technique here, so nobody''s ever invented this kind of wax here. It''s harder than candle wax, but stronger and less brittle than sealing wax. I''ve also thought about capturing it when it melts out during the firing process, then I could try and re-use it. The other issue is the casting media? It''s not re-usable, and it''s probably not available here either."


    Elise asked, "So how do jewellers make stuff here?"


    "I think they just work directly with the metals? They carve, shape, and form the metal directly into what they need. For really complex pieces they probably work on smaller parts, then weld it all together when it''s done."


    I added, "It''s slower and more difficult, but the results can be better when it''s done by someone really skilled. I learned that method too, but I like lost-wax because it''s quicker and a little easier I think."


    After another look around my workshop Saoirse finally asked, "Why do you bother doing it at all though? Mom''s already got craftsmen and women who do all this stuff. And it''s not like you''re going to be selling the jewelry you make, right?"


    She added, "Mom says it''s not appropriate for nobility to learn crafts or trades. She says it''s undignified."


    I rolled my eyes, "It''s called a ''hobby'' Saoirse. Like how dad spends all his time looking at maps and atlases and reading books about geography? He''s not a navigator or an explorer, and he''s no cartographer either. He''s never going to travel to distant lands. But he likes studying maps. I like making jewelry."


    "And," I added, "Making my own pieces from scratch lets me weave enchantments and magic right into them while I make them. It lets me make jewelry that has stronger and more complicated enchantments than if I just got jewelry from someone else and enchanted it afterwards."


    My little sister admitted, "Ok that''s pretty cool."


    "So what are you going to make next?" Elise asked.


    Before I could answer, Maeve stalked into the small room. She was holding some folded parchment in one hand, and she had a stern look on her face.


    "Laoise told me I''d find you in here. I hope you''re not trying to drag either Saoirse or Elise into this nonsense? Having one daughter pretending to be a craftsman is bad enough."


    I sighed, but tried not to get too upset. After being out on my own for over sixty years, moving in with my parents did have some drawbacks.


    I kept my voice calm as I replied, "I''m just showing them around mom, they were curious. And if my hobby annoys you, you''re welcome to not visit. If you wanted me, you could have sent Laoise to get me."


    My seneschal returned to Otherworld along with my wives and I. Owen was finally ready to retire so my mom needed a replacement, and Laoise seemed perfect for the job. She''d be working as Owen''s second for another year or two, then the old guy would finally call it quits and Laoise would have the title.


    Padraig on the other hand chose to remain on Earth as captain of the guard on my estate. That also put him in charge of the ambassador''s security detail, and Padraig took those responsibilities very seriously. Even though he''d be considered young for such a prestigious position here, during his years on Earth he''d learned a great deal about human weapons so he was actually really well suited for that kind of role. He understood both fae and human threats, and he could help protect Lord Seamus from both.


    My mother was still looking uptight and both Elise and Saoirse could tell our matriarch wasn''t in the best of spirits, so the two of them quietly slipped away and left me alone with her.


    "A courier arrived this morning from the palace with a letter for me," Maeve announced.


    She unfolded one of the two letters she was holding and read it out, "The royal court is pleased to announce the birth of Princess Tara, daughter of Queen ¨¢ine, heir to the throne of Otherworld. By royal decree all clanns, families, and noble houses shall this Samhain toast and celebrate the arrival of our new princess."


    Mom added, "The rest of the letter goes on with the sort of courtier-speak you find so tedious. At the end, beneath the queen''s royal seal is a brief note in what I assume is the Queen''s own writing, asking me to pass on the enclosed letter to you."


    She held up the second parchment, which was folded up smaller and still sealed with a blob of wax.


    "Well that''s good news isn''t it?" I asked. "The queen has a daughter, the royal family has an heir, Otherworld has a princess, and in a couple days we''ll all have a happy Samhain. I bet that''s made all the courtiers super happy. Why''s it got you grumpy instead?"


    She replied, "I''m sure the royal court is happy ¨¢ine has an heir, but I''m equally sure they''d have been happier if she had a husband first."


    I rolled my eyes, "Our queen''s not into guys mother. I thought you understood that by now. That can''t be the only thing that you''re uptight about."


    She sighed and handed over the smaller letter, "I''m uptight because of the timing, Tegan. Neither you or the queen have bothered to hide the fact that she fancies you. She even named you as her consort! And it was just over two years ago you learned that The Dagda''s curse was lifted. You left Earth because you didn''t like the scrutiny you were getting from the humans. If anyone has any reason to suspect you were involved with Tara''s birth, do you know how much scrutiny you''ll find yourself under here?"


    I had my best poker-face on by now, but rather than try to reply to her I broke the seal on the parchment then opened it up.


    The first thing I noticed was a single hair, attached to the top of the page by a tiny dot of wax. The hair was small and fine, and its colour was a vibrant violet purple, just like my own.


    Below, written in Queen ¨¢ine''s own impeccably neat script the letter read,


    ''Dearest Tegan,


    ''I am pleased to announce that ten days ago I gave birth to my lovely daughter Tara. She is, according to the royal midwife, a strong child and in perfect health, despite being rather smaller than expected. She has your eyes and your hair, and I am very eager for you to visit at your earliest convenience so you may meet her.


    ''As anticipated, the courtiers are ecstatic that there is at last an heir to the throne. Though I must warn you, rumours and speculation already abound, as Tara''s hair colour is rather unique to the Br¨¢daigh family.


    ''At any rate, I believe we shall enjoy at least five decades of peace and happiness throughout the palace and the realm, before Saoirse and Elise begin to drag their cousin Tara into their plots and shenanigans. Beyond that, I expect things will start to get interesting.


    ''All my love, ¨¢ine''


    "Well," my mother asked. "What did our queen have to say to you?"


    I felt my lips curling into a slight grin as I replied, "She says the courtiers are happy, and she expects many years of peace throughout the realm."


    Mom kept her eyes on me. After a moment she asked, "What else? Why the smirk, Tegan?"


    I admitted, "¨¢ine also said things were going to get interesting."


    PurpleCatGirl

 Extras #9 (pt.2)

    "Hi dad. May I come in?"


    I was standing in the doorway of a small room tucked away in between the seneschal''s office and the clann archives. It looked like it was originally meant to be another office, but my dad had taken it over at some point.


    There was a desk against the wall to the left, next to that were two bookcases, and finally in the corner stood a third bookcase-like unit that was obviously designed to store maps. The top of the desk was lost under an assortment of various maps laid out upon its surface. On the wall above the desk was a huge detailed map of the Realm, with the royal palace indicated at the centre and castle Br¨¢daigh marked towards the bottom in the Southern Marches. On the right were a pair of large padded leather chairs with a smaller table between them.


    Dad was currently sitting in one of the chairs with a large atlas on his lap.


    "Tegan!" he smiled as he got to his feet. He set the atlas aside and gestured, "Of course, come on in! I didn''t think you knew about my little retreat here."


    I grimaced slightly as I entered his private hide-away, "I actually didn''t. Uh, clairvoyance spell. I was wondering where you were hiding."


    Dad laughed, "Well now you''re here, come and have a seat! What''s that you''ve brought with you?"


    I was carrying a large canvas book-bag and I held it out to him, "Some gifts for you. Me and the wives are still slowly unpacking, but I found some things I brought you from Earth."


    The two of us sat back down and dad opened the bag to have a look. His eyes lit up and his smile grew wide as he pulled out the two old atlases and the little bundle of folded-up maps.


    "They''re actually antiques," I mentioned. "Well, antiques in the human sense. All their maps nowadays are inside their technology, they haven''t had paper maps or atlases like this in a few decades."


    He looked like a kid on xmas morning as he carefully inspected the paper maps first. He didn''t unfold them yet, he was just looking at the front and back panels. And he couldn''t read English so apart from the pictures and the thumbnail images of the maps they contained I wasn''t sure what he was getting from them. Still, he seemed really happy to have them.


    I added, "If you like, I can spend some time going over them with you? Like to teach you some of the words so you can actually understand them better. And I can point out a few landmarks and things. Oh and I have to apologize but a few of them have some writing on them. I uh, marked out places where the veil is thin. I used to use these as a reference when I was travelling around Earth."


    "That''s really exciting," he replied with a smile. "Used maps are better than pristine ones, I think? An unused map tells you a little about a place, but a map that''s been used and marked-up can also tell you a story."


    "Huh," I smiled. "I never thought of it like that."


    The atlases were older than the maps, one covered all of Earth, the other was just Canada. They had plenty of text in addition to the maps, like instead of just being maps they also talked about the geology of the different places, and even some of the history. Though it was about fifty years out date, I figured if my dad learned English he might enjoy getting all that background information.


    We spent a half hour or so looking over the maps and atlases together. I pointed out where my estate was on a map of Ontario, and where that was on a map of Canada, and in the world atlas I showed him where Canada was on the globe.


    "That''s amazing!" dad commented as he stared at that map of Earth. "All these places are full of humans? Even this one way down here?"


    I smiled, "Yeah. That one you''re pointing at is called Australia. The only continent that isn''t really settled is that white bit at the bottom, it''s too cold there."


    Dad stared for a few more seconds as his eyes wandered back and forth over the world map. It had all the countries indicated, and all the major cities too. He finally said "Earth seems so much bigger than Otherworld. It must take forever to travel between these far-flung kingdoms."


    That made me smile again, "I''m pretty sure Earth and Otherworld are the same size? But humans have explored and inhabited their entire world, where we haven''t even finished exploring a single continent here. And they have their technology to help them travel."


    I pointed at two cities in opposite corners of the world map, Toronto in Canada and Melbourne in Australia. "These two are more than three thousand leagues apart, but humans can travel that distance in less than a day with their flying machines."


    "Three thousand leagues!" dad exclaimed with wide eyes. He turned and gestured at the map over his desk, "Our entire realm is less than six hundred leagues from east to west! And only half that from north to south."


    "I know," I grimaced. "Part of the reason is population? There''s a lot more humans on Earth than there are fae on Otherworld. It''s one of the reasons I really don''t want them coming here. They outnumber us by more than a thousand to one. They''ve filled up their world, if we open the doors they''ll come fill up ours too."


    Dad finally set the maps and books aside and said, "I may well take you up on your offer to learn some human language later on Tegan. Thank you so much for the gifts, you''ve certainly made my day! Now tell me, did you just come to listen to me ramble about cartography or was there something else you wanted to discuss?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. "Actually there was. I was wondering if you could tell me what it''s like to be a dad?"


    He gave me a slightly confused look and asked, "How do you mean, Tegan?"


    I shrugged, "You''re my dad, and Saoirse''s dad. I guess I''m wondering what that''s like for you?"


    He took a deep breath as a thoughtful, and slightly sad look came to his expression. "You know even better than I about the troubles our family have endured. I was robbed of the chance to be your dad, Tegan. A human man got that privilege. Just as a human woman took my wife''s place as your mom."


    With a sigh he continued, "And now with Saoirse, your mother is so determined to make up for what she missed out on with you that I''ve honestly not played as big a role in your sister''s life as I''d have liked. Oh, I''ve been there for her at times, but Maeve was always there first. So I''m afraid I may not be much help in answering your question."


    Of course I knew what happened to me, and I knew what happened to him, but hearing the pain in his voice as he said it left me with some tears in my eyes. And I had no idea mom was keeping dad from playing a larger part in Saoirse''s life.


    I got to my feet and moved over to him and gave him a hug. "Dad I''m so sorry. I''m sure mom isn''t doing that intentionally? Maybe if we said something to mom and Saoirse, they''d understand?"


    Dad hugged me back then replied with a sad smile, "It''s ok Tegan, don''t worry about your old man. Anyways, Saoirse''s fifty-five now. She''s not a child anymore, I''m sure she''d much rather spend time with Elise than her boring old father."


    "Maybe," I sighed. "Or maybe you should talk to her and mom, and let Saoirse decide for herself where she wants to spend her time. Likewise I think maybe I''ll have some words with Elise, to remind her she''s got a grand-dad here she could be getting to know better."


    "Thank you Tegan."


    After a moment dad added with a smile, "Mind you, if you go telling everyone about my secret hide-away here, I''ll have to relocate."


    I pointed out, "If you want your family to spend more time with you, they shouldn''t need to use magic to find you."


    "Touch¨¦," dad replied with a laugh. His expression became serious again, "Tell me Tegan, why were you asking me about fatherhood?"


    I got serious as well, and replied quietly "If you haven''t heard the news yet, you will soon. Queen ¨¢ine has had a child, Princess Tara. And I doubt it will take long for the rumours to reach us, but Tara is a small child with purple hair and aqua-blue eyes. She''s a Br¨¢daigh."


    Dad looked at me in surprise, but before he could respond I continued talking.


    "Mother doesn''t know the truth yet, but she will soon." I sighed again, "For decades ¨¢ine asked me to give her a child. I finally relented. She and I agreed up front, she wouldn''t expect me to be a big part of the child''s life. I''m not going to move to the palace, I''m not going to spend half my time there. I''ll probably visit now and then, like I''ve been doing for the past half century? I don''t even know if the queen will tell Tara who her father is, though I''m sure she''ll figure it out when she gets older and starts hearing the rumours. For that matter she''ll probably see the resemblance for herself when I visit."


    Dad continued to stare at me for another minute or so as all of this sank in. He finally shook his head slightly, "After all the resistance you''ve given your mother whenever she even brought up the subject of you providing an heir for the clann, you''ve become a mother through adoption and now you''ve given another family an heir by fathering a child with the queen?"


    I blushed, and his words hit a little harder than maybe he intended. He was right of course. I knew mom would be angry with me because of the added attention this would bring me and the rest of our family, but I hadn''t considered that angle. Mom would have every right to be upset with me for giving ¨¢ine an heir after refusing to have one myself.


    As for Elise, dad didn''t know her true origins. And I wasn''t sure if mom had changed her mind about not considering Elise an heir or on the line of succession within the clan since we learned Taralynn and the Gods all considered her my child. If she had accepted Elise as an heir then she obviously hadn''t mentioned that to her husband yet.


    "So you''re a father now," dad said slowly, "And I won''t pretend to understand how you actually managed to achieve that. But I take it you won''t be raising your second child? You didn''t raise the first one either, at least not for the first fifty years of her life. That''s why you''re asking me about fatherhood?"


    I was still blushing as I nodded, "Yeah."


    Dad looked thoughtful again, then frowned. Rather than answer my questions, he had more of his own.


    "Tegan what do your wives think of this? Please tell me they know, tell me you discussed it with them well in advance?"


    I nodded, "Yeah. They know ¨¢ine''s wanted me to give her a kid for years, and they know I''ve done so."


    He asked, "How do they feel about it?"


    "They said it was ok," I replied.


    Dad''s frown deepened, "But how do they feel, Tegan?"


    I shrugged, "I don''t know? Like I said, they said it was ok."


    Dad shook his head. He sounded serious as he stated, "Tegan you need to have a heart to heart talk with your wives. You''ve been with them both for about six decades? And just in the last three years, you''ve taken Elise as your adopted child, now you''ve fathered a child with another woman. I know you and Elise are mother and daughter to each other, but she doesn''t refer to your wives as her mothers. Nor to they address her as daughter. She is yours alone. And this new princess is daughter of ¨¢ine. That''s two children who you''ve made a part of your life, completely independent of the women you''re actually married to."


    When I didn''t respond right away he continued, "Talk to Kelly and Keira. Find out how they feel. Make sure they aren''t jealous, make sure they''re not unhappy or upset about this. And for goodness sake Tegan, talk to them about having a child with them. Do they want to be mothers? Or fathers? I don''t want to know how that works by the way, but I''m sure they do. Whether you actually have a child with them or not, at least talk it over."


    "We have talked about it," I finally replied. "After we had our official marriage? The three of us had a big conversation about it. We all agreed to wait. They were both working on their careers, I was busy with the embassy..."


    Dad interrupted, "Tegan that was thirty years ago. Now you''ve got Elise and you''ve given the queen a child. Talk to them again. And I mean right now, not next month or next year."


    I sighed, then nodded. "Ok dad. You''re right. Thank you."


    When I got up to exit, he got to his feet as well.


    He gave me a hug, and said "Thanks for coming to see me Tegan, and thank you for the human maps."


    "You''re welcome dad," I said as I hugged him back. "Thanks again for the talk, and the advice."


    PurpleCatGirl

 Extras #10

    The great hall was full of loud, boisterous fae. The party was in full swing and most everyone had already eaten their fill. Now the focus had shifted away from the food and on to drink and conversation.


    We started the Samhain feast with a number of toasts to our queen and her child, several glasses of wine and mead had been raised then consumed as we all praised ¨¢ine and Tara and wished them both long and healthy lives. Then the others did the same for Saoirse and Maeve and myself, which made me blush.


    I was up at the head table as usual, but I no longer sat at my mother''s right side. The seating arrangements had changed over the years, but I didn''t mind.


    Maeve still stat in the middle, now she had Saoirse at her right hand. Then Elise got to sit beside her best friend, and I was to the right of my daughter. Kelly was to the right of me, and Keira next to her sister. Then a couple of the high-ranking staff filled the few remaining seats on that side of the table.


    Connor was at my mother''s left as usual, and beyond him were more of the top-ranking members of the castle staff. Captain Gaelen was there, along with two more top guards. Seneschal Owen was further down on the left, and Laoise was next to him. After all this time she finally got a spot at the head table.


    This was only Elise''s third Samhain, but like everything else in her new life she adapted to the feasts and festivals as if she''d done it all her life. She was happy with the seating arrangements too, being in between her mom and her best friend was the best spot in the world as far as she was concerned.


    As the evening wore on, Maeve and Connor disappeared first. They bid us all a good night then slipped away while the party carried on. And after another hour or so the twins and I were about ready to retire as well, to finish our Samhain celebrations in private.


    I leaned over and told Elise, "It''s getting late hon. I''m pretty sure it''s well past time you were in bed."


    "Aw!" she pouted at me, and I was positive she''d been taking lessons from Kelly. Between the big doe eyes and the quivering lower lip, it was pure weapons-grade heartbreak. She protested, "But mom, Saoirse gets to stay up as late as she wants! And she''s only two years older than me! And it''s Samhain, it''s the biggest festival of the year!"


    Somehow Keira managed to overhear this exchange, and she jumped in on Elise''s side.


    "Tegan, you heard the kid! It''s Samhain, let her stay up all night if she wants."


    I turned and gave my wife a glare, but she just smirked at me.


    Then Kelly betrayed me as well, "It''s the one night of the year it''s ok for them to stay up and get in trouble. Let Elise and Saoirse have their fun."


    I sighed as I turned back the other way. Elise was watching me with a hopeful expectant smile, and I felt the last of my resolve crumble away.


    "All right," I said as my shoulders slumped in defeat. "I''m sure you''ve either bribed my wives or you''re blackmailing them somehow, but you win. Stay up, have fun. I''m about ready for bed though."


    Elise beamed, "Yay! Thanks mom!"


    She gave me a hug and wished me a good night, then poured herself another glass of juice and turned her attention back to Saoirse.


    My daughter and my little sister whispered something back and forth between them, then Elise grinned towards a spot on the table next to her glass.


    I knew the two teens were up to something, and the way my girl was looking at an empty spot on the table made me a little more suspicious. On a hunch I blinked on my sight and sure enough there was something there. I found myself looking at the blue and red aura of a pixie.


    I switched my sight off and looked away as I sighed. I had no idea where she came from or how my daughter and sister met her. And I knew my mom wouldn''t be very happy if she found out there was a pixie in the castle.


    After a moment''s thought I decided to keep quiet about it for now. It was Samhain after all. This was a problem I could deal with some other time. I''d definitely be having some words with Elise though, and I''d be meeting her pixie friend too.


    My attention returned to my wives, and the three of us finished our drinks then left the great hall together. In under five minutes we were in our private chambers, out of our fancy dresses, and cuddled up together in our big luxurious bed. As always, Kelly was on the left and Keira on the right, and I was the lucky fae in the middle between two beautiful redheads.


    As we all got comfortable I asked quietly, "Do you two mind if we talk a bit? There''s something I''ve had on my mind for a little while, that I''d really like to discuss with the two of you."


    Kelly moved a little closer and kissed me on the cheek, then asked "What is it babe? Is something bothering you?"


    "What''s on your mind cutie?" Keira asked as she snuggled closer as well.


    I turned my head side to side to kiss them both, then in a soft voice I said "We haven''t really discussed this since just after we got married, but I guess between the situation with Elise a few years ago, now this news from ¨¢ine, it''s got me thinking again. When we talked about having children before, all three of us agreed to put it off? I was busy with the ambassador stuff, both of you were focused on your careers, and I still had The Dagda''s curse hanging over my head. Now you''ve both sort of retired from what you were doing on Earth, and I''m not doing the embassy stuff, and the curse has been lifted..."


    They were both quiet at first, either considering their answers or perhaps discussing the subject with each other before responding to me.


    In the end it was Kelly who spoke up first, "When you say you''re thinking about it again, do you mean you''re thinking about having a child?"


    I nodded slightly, "Yeah. I still remember when Saoirse was born, how much of an effect that had on me. And back then I knew it would be centuries or maybe never, for me to have that experience. But two years ago we found out that curse was lifted. And I do want to have a child with both of you. We''ve been married for over thirty years, and we''ve been together for sixty. And..."


    I hesitated. I didn''t think either of them were upset with me because of Elise or Tara, but I wasn''t sure.


    "And what?" Keira asked softly. "What is it Tegan?"


    "And I worry that maybe me adopting Elise or giving ¨¢ine a child could end up alienating me from you. Or you might be jealous or angry, because I''ve done those ''family'' things without involving either of you."


    Kelly replied, "Ok Tegan. We understand what you''re saying, and what you''re worried about."


    She took a deep breath, then stated, "First off, speaking only for myself, yes I do want a child with you, but I don''t want to rush into it. All three of us are only eighty-three. We''re not even ''of age'' yet ourselves, and fae generally don''t start having children till they''re past their second century. Most wait till their third century or later. And granted our ages are a little screwy because me and Keira weren''t born fully-fae and you had the changeling thing, so I get that our bodies look older than we really are? But even with that in mind, we''re still young to be thinking about having children."


    I nodded slowly, that was something I''d thought about as well. Our ages weren''t cut and dried because none of us had normal fae childhoods and upbringings, but if you just went based on our physical appearances, I looked like I was a hundred and thirty to a hundred and fifty, while the twins looked a tiny bit older, like one-fifty to one-seventy. We looked ''of age'' but they were right. Even going by our apparent physical age we still had at least another fifty years before we''d be expected to start talking about kids, and maybe a hundred and fifty years before we''d be expected to actually have any.


    Keira agreed, "I want us to have kids as well, like more than one. But I agree with Kelly, all three of us are too young. And maybe I''m being selfish, but I''m not ready yet to give up the partying and the booze to be a responsible mom. I''m not ready to give up the sex yet either, and you know we''ll be dealing with late-night diaper changes and crying and all that other fun stuff for three times longer than human moms."


    "What about Elise? And Tara?" I asked. "Are either of you upset about them?"


    Kelly replied first again, "I''m not. I understand why you did what you did for Elise. She''s been a part of your life for your entire life. I was surprised that she wanted to become a child again, or a young teen anyways. And I was surprised how quickly she adapted to it?"


    She hesitated, "I admit it shocked me the first time she called you ''mom'', and you really seemed to respond to that. I suppose I thought even though she looked small and young she''d still be the same Elise we''ve known for decades. I wasn''t expecting her to actually become your child. And I''m not upset about that, it just surprised me."


    That surprised me at first too. Initially I thought the same as Kelly, I expected her to be the same Elise as always, just in a younger smaller body. I wasn''t even sure she''d want to stay that young, I was expecting the return of my party-girl cousin.


    Instead she went all-in and started acting like she really was a kid. She wasn''t just calling me mom, she actually treated me like a mother to her. Which in turn seemed to trigger some sort of maternal instincts in me, to the point where I really did see her as my adopted daughter now.


    Elise was actually so committed to the role as young fae teen she''d get noticeably distressed and depressed if my wives or I mentioned her past with her or in front of her, so the three of us stopped doing that. She acted like my child, so that''s how we treated her, and she was happy.


    In the end I chalked it up to the fact that being trans, she never got to experience being a teen girl. Like me, her teen years were all spent thinking she was a guy, acting like a guy, trying to fit in as a guy. Starting over as a small young teen girl gave her the chance to have those experiences, and she was making them as authentic as possible.


    And while I kind of envied her for getting all that now, I had absolutely no interest in doing it myself. I was sad for missing out on that stuff, but there was no way in the world I''d want to go back to being a fifteen-year-old. So I sort of admired her for being strong enough to do it, and maybe I was getting a bit of that experience vicariously through her.


    "Elise is a good kid," Keira stated. "I mean, when she''s not getting in trouble she''s a good kid. And I''m not upset either that you gave her what she wanted. I was surprised, like Kelly said? Like both you and Elise really went all-in with the mother-daughter thing. But I can see how happy she is, and how happy you are looking after her."


    "It''s actually kind of amazing," Kelly commented. She lowered her voice and continued, "Even though we know she was your cousin, and originally your dad, when I look at her now it''s hard to believe she was ever anything else. She''s absolutely a teen fae girl now, and the way she takes after you I could almost believe you really did give birth to her."


    I blushed but smiled, "Thanks Kelly, thanks Keira. You''re right, she is happy. And so am I."


    The twins both leaned in and gave me kisses on the cheeks.


    Kelly moved on to the next thing, "As for ¨¢ine, I know she was pressuring you about giving her a child. You never tried to hide that from us. And I know the whole situation with her has always been delicate, ever since she told the three of us what her father had done to her."


    Keira sighed, "The ¨¢ine thing doesn''t entirely sit well with me. I know Cathal had his mage mess with her head so she''d be a ''perfect wife'' for you, but I never understood why she wouldn''t let you fix what he did? I mean, she knows what they did to her, why''d she just accept it? Why''d she decide to just live with it?"


    I grimaced, "I asked her that once, and she was pretty clear about it. She''s happy the way things ended up between us, she accepts that she''ll never be my wife, and she enjoys having me as her consort now and then. And she''s adamant she doesn''t want anyone else to work mind magic on her. And unfortunately mind magic is the only way to repair what her father''s mage did to her."


    "Ok," Keira nodded slowly. "I guess if she doesn''t want it fixed that''s her decision. I''m still not really comfortable with it though. I mean, she knows her feelings aren''t genuine, she knows they''re artificial."


    I reminded her, "My parents were manipulated to fall in love with each other too. Maeve has known about that for more than fifty years but she never once mentioned or even suggested anything about undoing it. Whether the feelings were forced or came naturally, I assume it feels real enough to ¨¢ine like it does for my mom and dad. ¨¢ine loves me and enjoys spending time with me, but she''s rational about it and knows she can''t have me. She also said she''s happy knowing the ones who did it to her got what was coming to them. The mage died on the Duma, and her father died as a pixie servant."


    Kelly spoke up, "I think our point is, we''re not upset with you about Tara either. It''s still a delicate situation but if this stops ¨¢ine from pining over you and lets her move on, then I''d honestly call it a win."


    "Agreed," Keira stated. "Not that I mind the occasional romp in the royal bedchambers with you and the queen, but it was awkward knowing she wanted more than you could give her."


    After that the three of us were quiet for a little while. I finally spoke up again and asked, "So going back to my first question, about the three of us having a child? I guess the answer on that is we''re all too young?"


    Kelly nodded, "Yes. That''s how I feel babe. Plus we''ve only just moved to Otherworld right? We''ve been here less than four weeks now, and you know we''ve had longer vacations here than that. I think we need at least six months, maybe a year, before we can even say for sure we''re going to be ok living here. Not to mention putting up with your mom and dad. I seem to remember you had some pretty strong feelings about living under someone else''s roof, fifty or sixty years ago. So let''s hold off on this ok? I''m not saying no, in fact both Keira and I have already said yes, we do want children with you. But it''s much too early. Let''s wait a few more decades. Say fifty years? Then we can revisit the conversation."


    "That sounds good to me," Keira agreed. "We''ll all be over a hundred and thirty by then, we''ll be of age, and maybe we''ll have a better handle on what sort of lives we''re leading here?"


    I was quiet again as I thought about that. On the one hand fifty years sounded like a long time. Saoirse and Elise would both be over a hundred by then, they''d both be of age. Thanks to our slow aging and long lives, my little sister and my daughter would both look just a little younger than me and my wives at that point. In human terms, they''d look twenty-ish to our twenty-three or so. Meanwhile Tara would be fifty, she''d basically be a young teen, where my girl was now.


    Kelly and Keira were right though, we''d only just moved here and none of us had any idea yet what life had in store for us as residents of Otherworld. For that matter we couldn''t even say for sure if we''d stay. And we were all still young, only eighty-three years old. Our lives were only just beginning.


    And we were fae after all. Fifty years was nothing to us.


    "Ok," I smiled. I turned my head back and forth and gave them each a kiss. "We''ll revisit this conversation in five decades, and see how we all feel about it then. Thank you, both of you, for setting my mind at ease about Elise and Tara."


    They both kissed me back, and Keira suggested with a naughty grin "That''s enough serious talk. Now it''s time for the three of us to really celebrate Samhain."


    Kelly''s and Keira''s hands both started sliding over my body under the blankets, while I smiled and whispered "Yes mistresses. And happy Samhain!"


    PurpleCatGirl

 Extras #11 (pt.1)

    "It''ll be ok cutie," Keira said confidently as the three of us left my mother''s private chambers. "She''ll be fine."


    Kelly agreed, "You''re not asking her to do anything she hasn''t already done countless times before. If anything this is just a nodd to her past exploits."


    "I know," I replied quietly. "I still don''t like it, and I''m still not convinced this was the only option."


    Kelly reminded me, "I don''t think your mother was going to budge any further. You did a good job talking her down as far as you did, you know? Don''t kick yourself babe, you did really well standing up for your ideals, and standing up for her."


    As we passed a servant in the corridor I gestured to him, "Would you please find my daughter and let her know I need to see her in my private chambers?"


    The steward bowed, "Of course m''lady, right away."


    Kelly and Keira and I continued walking back to our rooms while the young man hurried off to locate Elise.


    I sighed, "I still don''t feel great about it. But I''m sure you''re right, it''ll probably be a non-issue."


    Kelly wrapped an arm around my shoulders while Keira wound hers around my waist, and they both gave me a gentle squeeze as the three of us walked. My arms slipped around both their waists, and I responded with a little squeeze back.


    When the three of us got to our rooms we all took seats around the small table by the window to wait there for Elise.


    I was still uneasy about the whole thing, but I reminded myself I was doing this to keep the peace with my mother.


    My wives and I talked a bit more while we waited, they both continued to assure me this was the best course of action given the situation my mother presented. It took about a half hour before there was finally a knock at our door.


    A moment after that it swung open and Elise stepped in. Willow was flitting around in the air nearby, but she settled down on my girl''s shoulder. I was almost surprised Saoirse didn''t come too.


    My daughter and my little sister had been almost inseparable right from the start, and since I discovered the pixie sneaking around five years ago she''d joined the other two. Now all three of them were very much partners in crime.


    "You wanted to see me?" Elise asked. In a slightly anxious voice she added, "I''m not in trouble again, am I?"


    I couldn''t help smiling at her. Almost eight years had passed since I adopted her, and she still managed to find or cause trouble on a regular basis. I almost wondered if she''d ever grow out of this tiny fae gremlin stage. And to be honest, I secretly hoped she wouldn''t. She certainly hadn''t grown much in other ways over the years.


    Elise was fifty-seven now, turning fifty-eight next month, and she ought to look about sixteen years old to human eyes. But the Morrigan''s curse hit her even harder than myself, my girl stood just four-foot-five. She hadn''t grown any taller in the past eight years, but she had started to fill out. If you looked past her tiny size, she had the curves and body shape of a girl partway through her teen years.


    It was a stark contrast to Saoirse, who was fast approaching her sixteenth birthday and was almost as tall as my wives. She hadn''t stopped growing yet either, there was every chance by the time she hit her first century she''d be taller than Kelly and Keira. Elise was positively tiny by comparison, though fortunately that didn''t seem to bother her at all.


    My girl definitely took after me when it came to clothes. As usual she was wearing one of her Earth-inspired outfits. Today it was dark blue trews styled to look like jeans and a tight green blouse in the shape of a t-shirt, with soft leather shoes that were the fae equivalent of sneakers.


    I finally turned my thoughts back to the matter at hand. "No hon, you aren''t in trouble. I need to talk to you about Queen ¨¢ine''s Midsummer Ball."


    Elise rolled her eyes and made a face, "Me and Willow and Saoirse have all spent countless hours being fitted for those ridiculous dresses! I already said I''d wear the stupid thing, but I won''t be happy about it."


    My wives and I all had to conceal some smirks. My girl hated pomp and ceremony as much as I did, maybe even more. However, it wasn''t the silly outfits I needed to discuss.


    "Willow?" I addressed the pixie on my daughter''s shoulder.


    The tiny girl obviously wasn''t expecting to be part of the conversation, she startled slightly but asked, "Yes Lady Tegan?"


    "My wives and I actually need to speak with Elise in private. Would you mind excusing us? We won''t be long, I''m sure Elise will come find you as soon as we''re done here."


    The pixie seemed a little wary, so was my daughter. They were both obviously wondering if Elise was in trouble after all. Still, Willow knew better than to argue the point.


    She whispered something to my girl then flitted up into the air. After bowing slightly to the twins and I, she turned and flew back to the door. Elise followed, she opened the door to let Willow out then closed it again behind her.


    I blinked my sight on and watched for a few moments to make sure we didn''t have an invisible pixie sneaking back in with us, while Elise moved back to me and my wives.


    Elise gave me a wary look and asked, "So if I''m not in trouble and we''re not talking about the silly dresses, what''s going on?"


    "The queen''s Midsummer Ball is a very important gala event hon," I replied. "There''s going to be a lot of high-ranking noble families there, and I know you''ll be on your best behaviour..."


    I actually had to struggle to keep a straight face, while Elise bit her lip and tried not to smirk. We all knew she''d find a way to stir up trouble, if there was any trouble to be had.


    Once we''d both stopped fighting grins I continued, "I know you''ve already met several of Queen ¨¢ine''s courtiers and a few other nobles from around the realm, but there will be some other people there that I need to talk to you about. Lord Sean ¨® Faol¨¢in, Marquis of Conchobhair is going to be there, along with his son Colin ¨® Faol¨¢in."


    Elise''s expression slowly shifted through confusion before settling on a frown.


    "Aren''t the ¨® Faol¨¢in''s our enemies?" she asked in a confused voice. "They''re the ones who had you kidnapped and cursed grampa, right?"


    "That was Lord Aengus," I explained. "He was Sean''s father, but he passed away about twenty years ago. Apparently Lord Sean has become a lot more mature since taking his father''s place. According to the queen, he''s been making overtures for peace and reconciliations between his family and our clann."


    After a few moments my girl finally asked "Ok? What does this have to do with me?"


    I grimaced and replied "First off I want to make sure you know not to try any pranks or stir up any trouble around Lord Sean or his son. Lady Maeve has already been corresponding with Queen ¨¢ine and Lord Sean, and there''s a chance we could bring an end to a two-hundred-year quarrel between the ¨® Faol¨¢in family and Clann Br¨¢daigh."


    Elise started to protest her innocence but I cut her off, "I know you haven''t done anything yet hon. I''m telling you this so you know not to do anything when we''re at the ball. Above and beyond not causing trouble, I have a favour to ask you."


    I took a deep breath then came out with it. "Young Colin is only seventeen years older than yourself. Your grandmother and I would like you to spend some time with him at the ball. Talk to him, get to know him. Maybe even dance with him?"


    Her expression shifted back to a frown and she asked, "Why would I want to do that?"


    This was the hard part. It took two days of arguing with my mom to get to this point. She wanted to just offer my girl up as a bargaining chip, she would have made arrangements for Elise to marry Colin as soon as the two of them were both of age. Needless to say, there was no way in the world I''d let that happen. My mother married for love and so did I. Nobody was going to deny my daughter that right. But after two days, this was the compromise mom and I finally agreed on. Get Elise to meet Colin, see if they''d be friends, and hope for the best.


    I kept my expression neutral as I replied, "Lady Maeve and I are hoping perhaps you and Colin might become friends. Perhaps the two of you would meet each other again, at other official functions. Maybe in time you''ll become more than friends..."


    Compromise or not the words still left a bad taste in my mouth. And it was clear my little girl wasn''t any happier hearing them than I was saying them.


    She scowled, "So you''re trying to set me up with some guy because of politics? Then what, you think if I spend a night dancing with him at a royal ball I''m going to fall in love? What next, you''ll expect me to marry him? That''s never going to happen! Never mind the fact this guy''s granddad messed with my family and our whole clann, I''m not into guys!"


    I winced and sighed, "I''m not asking you to marry anyone Elise. I''m just asking you to spend some time with him. Get to know him. Dance with him, talk with him. You never know, he might be a nice person."


    "No," she stated, folding her arms over her chest. "I''m not into guys! I''m not going to dance with a guy, I''m not going to spend time getting to know him. If you have to try setting me up with someone, at least have the decency to set me up with a girl!"


    I frowned as I asked her, "What do you mean you aren''t into guys? You came out to me as bi. I know you''ve been with guys before."


    My girl looked shocked as she stared at me. "Mom what are you talking about? I''m still just a kid, I''ve never been with anyone! And I''m not bi! I only like girls, same as you!"


    "Elise," I sighed, but stopped myself for a moment. What I was about to say was not for outside ears, and I cast a detection spell to make sure there was nobody else in the vicinity.


    Once I was certain there was no-one else around but the four of us I continued quietly, "Hon I appreciate you haven''t been with anyone since I adopted you. I''m not talking about the last seven years. I mean before that. I know you don''t like to talk about your past but it''s just the four of us here and we all know the truth. When you and I went to college together, you came out as bi. You were with loads of guys, and girls. And like I said, I''m not asking you to marry anyone. I''m just asking you to give Colin ¨® Faol¨¢in a chance."


    Her expression shifted from shocked to horrified. She shook her head and said in a half-whisper, "That wasn''t me. That''s not me. I''m Elise Br¨¢daigh, I''m your daughter. I''m just a kid. I''ve never been to college, and I''ve never been with anyone, ever!"


    The whole situation was hard enough as it was. I already felt bad just asking her to do this, but now she was leaning even harder into her ''daughter-mode'' act. And for almost eight years she and I both pretty much lived that non-stop. But I knew she wouldn''t have forgotten the truth any more than I had.


    "Elise we''re alone here ok?" I stated. "You don''t need to maintain the act, there''s nobody else listening in."


    Now ontop of the horror she looked betrayed, in fact she actually looked nauseous. There were tears in her eyes as she whispered, "You think I''m acting? This is me! I''m not... I''m not whoever you think I am!"


    I could tell she was fighting back tears, and she suddenly turned and dashed for the door. She swung it open then ran off down the hall. I called out but she was already gone.


    Keira commented with a frown, "Well that didn''t go well. She''s really committed to her ''young fae teen'' performance."


    "No," I sighed, "It didn''t go well at all. I guess I better go after her."


    Kelly stated softly, "No babe."


    I looked to my left, and the expression on my wife''s face left me feeling anxious. Kelly looked somewhere between shocked and worried.


    "Kelly?" I asked her nervously, "What''s wrong?"


    She got to her feet as she replied, "I need to speak with Elise, and I need to do it alone. Keira, stay out of my head until I''m finished. Tegan, don''t interrupt and please don''t interfere."


    From her tone I knew better than to try arguing with my wife. Her reaction had me worried though, and I asked, "Kelly tell me what''s wrong?"


    She paused on her way to the door, "I''m not sure yet. I have a suspicion, but I can''t discuss it with either of you until I''ve spoken with Elise."


    She refused to say anything else, and with that she left our chambers and set off after my little girl.


    PurpleCatGirl


    This is where Elise is going to find out she''s plural. It''s going to be a little bumpy and a little painful, but she''ll be ok in the end.


    Can''t wait to find out what happens next? Join our Patreon and get immediate access to the next chapter and more! Patrons have already read up to Extras #12 and are onto the next story, and you could be too!


    https://www.patreon.com/purplecatgirl

 Extras #11 (pt.2)

    =::= Elise''s PoV =::=


    I ran back to my bedroom and dove onto my bed. I didn''t understand the stuff mom was saying. I was scared and confused, I almost felt sick to my stomach.


    Mom was acting like she didn''t know me, or she thought I was someone else or something. It stirred up a bunch of strange unhappy feelings and distant faded memories. She was talking as if I wasn''t really me, as if my whole life was just an act or a lie. And instead of making me worry about my mom, it left me feeling terrified for myself and I couldn''t even say why.


    I kept telling myself over and over in my head, I was just a kid, I never went to college, I was never with anyone. It was all so confusing and frightening and I tried my best to push the whole conversation out of my head.


    "Elise?" a small voice asked from my bedside table. "What''s wrong?"


    I rolled over and wiped tears from my eyes, "I don''t know Will. My mom... She said stuff, it doesn''t make any sense. She was talking like she didn''t know who I was, like she thought I was somebody else."


    My pixie friend looked worried and confused, but before either of us could say anything more there was a knock at my door. A moment later it swung open, and Kelly stepped into my room.


    Whenever I got in trouble or messed up, mom would pretend to be strict but usually she was secretly happy. Especially if I was making boring stuff more fun. And Keira would try not to smile, but she was usually entertained by my shenanigans. Kelly was the strict one, she almost never thought it was cute or funny when I messed things up and got in trouble.


    Except she didn''t look strict or upset this time. She looked worried.


    "I''m sorry Willow," Kelly addressed my small friend. "I need to speak with Elise alone, she and I need some privacy for a little while. Would you please leave us for now?"


    Will gave me a questioning look, she wouldn''t leave my side when I was upset. Not unless I wanted her to go.


    I pulled myself up to a sitting position and wiped my eyes, then nodded to her "It''s ok Will. I''ll be ok."


    Willow nodded slowly, then she flitted out the open door. Once she was gone, Kelly closed the door then moved to sit at my table by the window.


    And at the same time I saw Willow sneak back in through the hole in the stones over my door. She''d turned herself invisible, and she returned to my bedside table to watch and listen in. I made sure not to look at her, I didn''t want to give her away.


    Kelly meanwhile addressed me in a calm, compassionate voice.


    "Elise, your mom''s very sorry she upset you. I think there were some very big misunderstandings when she was talking with you a few minutes ago, and I''d like to speak with you to try and clear all that up, ok?"


    I nodded slowly.


    Kelly continued, "I want you to know right now, you aren''t in trouble. I''m not upset with you, neither are your mom or Keira. I have some questions for you, but there''s no right or wrong answers ok? And if you feel upset, or if some of my questions make you feel bad, it''s ok to say that. I might ask why they upset you or how you feel about them, but you don''t have to answer anything if you don''t want."


    I nodded again, but she was already putting me at ease. I got up out of bed and moved to sit across from her at the table, then sniffed and asked "What kind of questions?"


    The tall redhead seemed to consider for a moment, then asked "Do you remember when your mom adopted you?"


    "Sure," I said quietly. "It was almost eight years ago. She took me to the royal Duma and did some magic stuff, that made me officially her daughter in the eyes of the Gods and everything."


    Kelly looked thoughtful for a few moments. She asked, "Do you remember how you got your name?"


    "Mom named me after her cousin," I replied. "You know all this, why are you asking me?"


    Instead of answering my question she asked me, "Do you remember how old you were when you were adopted?"


    I nodded again, "I was fifty. The day I was adopted was my fiftieth birthday."


    Kelly asked, "So you were fifty when you were adopted, and your mom named you Elise, after her cousin? What was your name before that?"


    I hesitated. I was about to say Elise, but that didn''t make sense. I became Elise Br¨¢daigh when mom adopted me, so I couldn''t have been Elise before that, could I? I had to have another name, but I couldn''t remember what it was, I could only remember being Elise.


    While I was thinking about that stuff I almost didn''t notice Willow as she flitted over to sit on the table between me and Kelly. Still invisible of course, but she probably wanted a front-row seat.


    After a minute or so Kelly moved on to another question. "Do you remember where you lived, before your mom adopted you?"


    "Earth," I replied softly. "I used to live on Earth. That''s how come I know the human language and I know a bunch of stuff about their world and history and stuff."


    Kelly asked, "Do you remember where you lived on Earth? Do you remember what you were doing there?"


    An image came into my head, of a lonely room in a retirement home. It was in a city called Barrie. I knew a bunch of facts about that area, like it was an hour''s drive north of mom''s Earth estate. It was the city where mom went to college a long time ago, with the cousin she named me after.


    Along with the images came some unpleasant feelings, I got a sort of cold heavy feeling in my stomach that felt a lot like fear. I ended up not answering Kelly''s question, instead I tried to push those uncomfortable thoughts and feelings away.


    After a few quiet awkward moments Kelly asked, "Elise? Are you trying to remember being on Earth?"


    I shook my head, "I don''t... There''s some things I thought about but I''m not sure. I don''t know if they''re memories? They don''t feel right."


    "That''s ok," she replied in her calm, soothing voice. "You don''t have to answer if it upsets you, but I''m wondering what those thoughts are? And why don''t they feel right?"


    I shook my head again, "They don''t feel like they''re mine. It''s like... I don''t know? Like remembering stuff that I read in a book or something. I know it''s stuff about the past but I don''t know how I know it? Only that it''s not mine, it''s not from my life."


    Kelly nodded slowly, she had a thoughtful look on her face. After a brief pause she repeated one of the questions I didn''t answer before, "Do you remember what your name was, before you were adopted?"


    This time a thought appeared in my head. It was in English, and I was positive it wasn''t my thought.


    /I was Elise Vale./


    I actually bit the inside of my mouth to stop myself from saying anything out loud. My heart was pounding and I wondered if someone was using mind magic on me, if someone was trying to push thoughts into my head. I didn''t know how to defend against that stuff, but I knew that kind of magic existed and my mom once defeated someone who could do that.


    "Are you ok?" Kelly asked, her voice full of worry. "You look scared."


    I shook my head, then nodded. I didn''t know if I was trying to say yes or no. I wasn''t sure if I was trying to tell her I was ok and not to worry, or if I should admit I was terrified and didn''t know what was happening.


    Kelly continued looking at me with a worried expression. She watched me for a few more moments then said, "It''s ok Elise, you don''t have to answer that."


    She asked me a couple easy questions instead, like did I remember my last visit to Earth. That was only five years ago and I still remembered the boring archaeology professor and her obsession with dirt. And I remembered feeling threatened by a scary human guy.


    Then Kelly asked "Do you remember another time you went to Earth? You wanted to meet a couple humans. Their names were Rachel and Lindsey. Do you know why you wanted to meet with them?"


    Once again a thought leapt into my mind, and once again it terrified me. Like the other one, it was in English.


    /They were my daughters./


    In addition to the fear was a feeling of sorrow and longing. More names flashed through my head, Andrew, Eric, Abby, Justin, Abigail.


    Along with the names there were faces. Andrew and Eric were young human boys, Abby was a little baby. Justin was a grown man. And the name Abigail had dozens of images attached to it, from a woman in her thirties through to her sixties. And with the names and images came another wave of sorrow and grief.


    I found myself crying for no reason, and Kelly moved around the little table to pull me into a hug. "It''s ok Elise. I''m sorry I upset you."


    I shuddered as thoughts and memories came and went, like I was fighting with myself. Part of me wanted to remember, part of me wanted to forget. It led to another round of tears.


    Kelly continued to hold me, and once I''d calmed down again she asked me some more questions.


    Some of the questions were simple things, and some of them were silly enough to make me laugh, like did I ever hear voices in my head. Other questions made me more uncomfortable, like did I ever experience thoughts that didn''t seem to be my own.


    Considering that had been happening a whole lot while she was talking with me, the question sent chills through me. I was scared but I admitted the truth to her. I told her it was happening and what those thoughts were, the words and the pictures and the memories that weren''t mine.


    Kelly didn''t laugh or freak out or act weird about it. The whole time she was kind and caring. And her calm caring attitude helped me to calm down a bit too. Meanwhile Willow just sat on the table and watched and listened, but she stayed quiet and invisible.


    In the end I wiped my eyes and asked "Kelly? What''s wrong with me? Am I cursed or something? Has someone done magic to me to mess with my memories or thoughts or something?"


    "No hon," she shook her head. "There''s nothing wrong with you, and you aren''t cursed. I''m going to speak with your mom, and I''m going to set her straight on things so she won''t have the sort of misunderstandings she had today, ok? And I''m pretty sure she''s not going to ask you to meet Colin ¨® Faol¨¢in, or any other boys after I get through talking to her."


    I grimaced, "Thanks Kelly. But why is this happening to me? Why do I have those weird thoughts and memories and things? If they''re not from a spell or curse, where are they coming from?"


    She hesitated a moment then instead of answering my question she suggested "This might sound really strange, but maybe you could try asking yourself those questions? Just like you''re talking to yourself. You don''t have to do it out loud, you could try just asking in your head if you want? Or you can say it out loud if that''s easier."


    Kelly probably saw the look of apprehension on my face as she added in that soothing voice, "It''s ok Elise, I''m right here with you."


    I nodded slowly then tried what she said. I sort of whispered as I asked myself, "Why do I have thoughts and memories in my head that aren''t mine? Who''s are they?"


    The answer came immediately, it was in English, and it was just like those other strange not-mine thoughts.


    /They belong to me. Those are my thoughts and my memories./


    I felt a wave of fear pass through me and I gulped. I probably went pale again too, but Kelly had an arm around me, she was keeping me safe.


    I whispered, "Who are you?"


    /I am Elise Vale. And I am you./


    "You''re not me!" I insisted. "I''m Elise Br¨¢daigh, I''m fae. You were a human, you were mom''s cousin..."


    /We used to be Tegan''s cousin. We used to be me. Now we''re you, now we''re her daughter./


    It wasn''t like hearing an actual voice, there wasn''t any sensation in my ears. It was just pure thought, and the more those thoughts happened the better sense of them I got.


    They were definitely coming from a woman, and they were always in English, even though I was thinking and talking in Fae. I couldn''t tell how old she was but I knew she was a grown-up, and I couldn''t really picture what she looked like, apart from knowing she had black hair. And as much as I wanted to, I couldn''t deny she was telling the truth. I used to be her, and she was me.


    There was another question I needed to ask. I was almost afraid to know the answer, but at the same time I already suspected what it would be.


    I gulped again then whispered, "Are there others?"


    /Yes there are. They''re as afraid of you as you are of them, but perhaps in time you and they will be comfortable enough to meet each other./


    "How did this happen to us?" I asked softly.


    /We''ve always been this way, but we didn''t understand it until now. There were suspicions, stray thoughts, questions, but we''ve always been good at ignoring those things which disturbed us./


    "Ok," I nodded slowly. Then I shook my head, "I can''t do this any more right now."


    Fresh tears streamed down my cheeks and Kelly hugged me again. "You''re doing really well Elise. You''re a very brave girl. I''m proud of you and I know your mom will be too."


    "Kelly what''s happening to me?" I asked as I hugged her back. "What''s going on?"


    She sighed, "Elise I''m sorry. It''s something I learned about when I had my clinic on Earth, when I was working as a therapist. It''s a thing which happens with some people. I should have noticed it in you a long time ago, but I guess I wasn''t really looking."


    After a brief pause Kelly explained, "It''s known as plurality, or being plural. It just means there''s more than one side to you, ok? It doesn''t mean you''re sick or that there''s anything wrong with you. I want to make sure you understand that ok? And it doesn''t change who or what you are. You''re Elise Br¨¢daigh, you''re Tegan''s daughter. The stuff she said to you earlier, about going to college and all that? Your mom was wrong, she was mistaken. I''m going to explain that to her, I''ll make sure she understands."


    I gulped, "So what about these strange thoughts and memories? If that keeps happening, what do I do?"


    She gave me a reassuring squeeze and said, "You can try to talk with them, like you were just doing now. But if they scare you, or if they upset you, you come and talk to me about it ok? We''re not going to do anything to hurt them or make them go away, but if they upset you then maybe I can help to make sure you all get along. You''ve already been doing that, without even knowing. This isn''t going to change anything about you or your life."


    I nodded slowly, "Ok. Thanks Kelly."


    She smiled, "You''re welcome Elise. Do you think you''ll be ok on your own for a while? Is it ok if I go and talk with your mom about this?"


    "Yeah," I nodded. I was starting to feel better again. "I''ll be ok. Thanks."


    Kelly gave me one last reassuring squeeze then she let go and moved for the door.


    As soon as she was gone Willow became visible, still sitting crosslegged on the table in front of me.


    I could tell she was full of questions but I just said quietly, "I''m sorry Willow, I can''t talk about this right now."


    My friend gave me a sad look. "That''s ok Elise. I don''t understand what''s happening but I''ll be here for you whenever you''re ready. If there''s anything I can do to help just ask."


    "Thanks Will," I gave her a weak smile, then moved back to my bed and lay down again.


    PurpleCatGirl


    To be clear, this is a condensed fictionalized version of what can take weeks or months in real life.


    This can be a process which takes weeks, months, or even years for someone to go through on their own. It''s also not always linear, there can be a lot of forgetting and repeating steps. Furthermore, everyone''s experience with plurality is different, and this is just one example.


    In Elise''s case, I realized Kelly was the perfect person to help her understand this new information about herself. Kelly studied psychology and spent years practicing as a therapist on Earth, I figured she''d have encountered plurality and had some understanding of it. Plus I''d like to think by that time in our future it''ll be more widely known and accepted than it is now.


    Also, some folks might question why Elise can''t seem to remember stuff she knew in Extras #7 when she was more aware of parts of her past (and consciously avoided thinking about it). Since then she''s had five or six years of her new happy life as a fae teen on Otherworld, with nobody reminding her of her earlier life as a human on earth until now. I''m pretty confident if I or another young self got magically transformed into our ideal body & spent a year or 2 in an environment where we could ignore our history, we''d forget that stuff too.


    Can''t wait to find out what happens next? Join our Patreon and get immediate access to the next chapter and more! Patrons have already read up to Extras #12 and are onto the next story, and you could be too!


    https://www.patreon.com/purplecatgirl

 Extras #11 (pt.3)

    "Not even a peak?" I asked. "Just a brief glimpse?"


    Keira shook her head, "She said to stay out until she was done. I don''t know what she''s up to, but she made it clear she wasn''t to be interrupted."


    I sighed and resumed my pacing. I was worried there was something wrong with my girl and I had no idea what. Kelly seemed to know or suspect something, but she''d disappeared to go deal with it and left both Keira and I in the dark.


    It didn''t make any sense to me, we all knew who Elise was. She started life as a human man, born in nineteen-sixty-two. She was my adoptive father, until she came out as trans. Then she was my cousin Elise, but that was just her dropping the masc act when she came out. She leaned hard into her new life, she made it easy to forget she''d ever been the quiet stoic accountant who was my adoptive human dad, but we all still knew the truth.


    And for the past seven years she''d been my daughter. But she was the same person she always was, it was just another act. Just her way of expressing herself and enjoying her new life. I was certain of that.


    Mostly.


    As I paced there was a cold heavy feeling in my gut that maybe I screwed something up again. Maybe my magic did more than I thought. Was it possible my spell that made her a young fae teen did something to her mind? Except that didn''t make sense, she still knew and remembered her human life. She had me take her to see her daughters and grandchildren that one time. And I knew she had a couple photo-frames of her human family, I knew she still looked at those pictures now and then. Except now I realized I hadn''t actually seen her looking at them for a few years.


    My pacing sped up as I grew more anxious, more nervous that maybe I''d made some mistake and now my little girl was paying the price.


    At long last Kelly returned. I immediately asked "How is she? What''s wrong with her? Is this my fault?"


    Kelly shook her head and pointed to the chair, "Sit down babe. We have to talk."


    Her serious tone only made that cold heavy feeling worse, but I sat down then repeated my questions.


    "She''s going to be fine Tegan," Kelly stated reassuringly. "And it''s not your fault, so please don''t start blaming yourself."


    Before she continued, Kelly glanced around and asked "Did Willow come in here?"


    I blinked my sight on and glanced around, "I don''t see her."


    Keira added, "She didn''t knock or anything, if she came in she was sneaky about it."


    "Damnit," Kelly sighed. "She probably snuck back into Elise''s room while we were talking."


    Keira sat down at the table with Kelly and I, she looked almost as worried as I felt as she asked "Sis what''s wrong with Elise? I thought she was just acting or something, but I''m getting the feeling it''s more than that?"


    Kelly took a deep breath then stated "She is not acting, and I''m going to ask the two of you to banish that word from your vocabularies because in this context it will only hurt her."


    I gulped "Please just tell me what''s wrong with my little girl?"


    "There''s nothing wrong per se," she explained. "I realize now Elise has always been like this, but the signs were subtle and none of us were looking for it. It wasn''t till this afternoon that it hit me."


    She continued, "Your child Elise Br¨¢daigh is not the same person as your cousin, or your dad. All three of them are together but separate. They''re all individual facets of the same complete person."


    Kelly looked at me and stated, "When she told you she''d never been with anyone and she wasn''t into guys, she meant it and she wasn''t wrong. You know we''ve been wondering for years how she adapted so quickly to this life, we thought she was making an extra effort to come across as the young fae teen? I''ll say it once more, that''s not an act. She really is exactly who she seems to be."


    I shook my head, "Kelly I don''t understand. What are you saying?"


    Keira answered, "Elise is plural. That''s what you''re getting at, right sis? That''s why it''s not an act. There''s three of them, right? The dad, the cousin, and the young teen?"


    "At least three," Kelly confirmed. "There could well be more."


    She focused on me again and stated "Tegan, don''t refer to her as your cousin or your dad, even in private. Not unless she gives you reason to believe that''s who she is at the time. She''s your little girl and as far as she''s concerned she''s never been anything else."


    My head was spinning as I tried to comprehend it. I thought back over the years, all the times I marvelled at how she seemed to adapt to the role of a young teen. She never once reminded me of my cousin, or my human dad. Except those rare occasions when she did, and when that happened it was like night and day. Like her whole personality changed.


    I hadn''t seen that happen in years, the last time was when she wanted to say goodbye to her human daughters. I remembered how she shifted into cousin/mom mode, how her personality and demeanour switched to that sad lonely old woman for a few minutes.


    And decades before that, way back when she was the wild party-girl college student, there were a couple times she shifted into dad-mode. For those brief occasions she was my quiet reserved accountant dad.


    Suddenly I understood, those shifts weren''t Elise just changing her act. If Kelly was right then she was actually shifting from one personality to another. She was literally three different people. My little girl''s body was also home to my human dad and my human cousin.


    I finally sighed, "So what do we do? Is there something we can do to help her?"


    Kelly replied, "Right now the best thing you can do is don''t treat her any differently. She''s your little girl and she needs you to be her mom. Now more than ever because as shocked as you are, it''s hitting her so much worse. She didn''t know this Tegan, she''s only just starting to understand it now herself. And like I said earlier, do not treat her as if she''s your cousin, because she isn''t. Listen to her when she tells you who and what she is."


    "And Tegan?" Kelly added with a warning tone in her voice. "Forget about setting her up with Colin. That''s not going to happen. Right now I''m not even sure it''s a good idea to take her to the queen''s ball."


    "Understood," I said with a quick nodd as I got to my feet. "I need to see her."


    "Good," Kelly said. "Maybe don''t bring any of this up with her Tegan? It''s ok to talk about it if she wants to, if she brings it up, but don''t push her. Just be there for her."


    I nodded again, "Of course. Thanks Kelly."


    =::= Elise''s PoV =::=


    I was laying on my bed again, just staring at the ceiling. I was alone now, Willow left after I said I wasn''t ready to talk with her yet. Now it was just me, alone with the strange thoughts in my head.


    Something felt really wrong about laying there talking to myself. That''s what troubled people did, they talked to themselves. And despite Kelly''s assurances that there wasn''t anything wrong with me, I couldn''t shake the feeling that there was. That I was flawed or broken or worse.


    And it scared me. I was scared what Willow thought of me, and I worried what Saoirse would think when she found out. Maybe they''d both stay away, they wouldn''t want to be friends with a strange troubled girl who talked to herself.


    And I was scared what grams would do or what she''d say. She was nice and all, but she was really old-fashioned about a lot of stuff. I was scared how she''d react when she found out I was broken like this. Like maybe she''d want me hidden away, locked in a tower or something. Or maybe she''d banish me to Earth so I couldn''t be an embarrassment to her or the clann.


    And part of me knew that wouldn''t happen. I knew grams wouldn''t do that, and more to the point I knew my mom wouldn''t let that happen. But I couldn''t shake the fear. What if mom freaked out too? What if she didn''t want to be my mom anymore? I wasn''t sure if adoptions could be reversed but I was scared she might try and do that.


    "Why is this happening to me?" I asked in a frightened whisper.


    /I don''t know./


    It was her again, the human woman who talked and thought in English.


    /I only know it''s always been this way./


    I shook my head slowly, I didn''t want to believe it, but I knew she was right. Those memories that felt strange and wrong, the random facts I knew but couldn''t explain how I knew them, it all fit. And worse, I knew why it fit. I knew the human lady was right. And I knew Kelly was right. I remembered that stuff, even if they weren''t my memories.


    "Why do you answer in English, when I''m talking in Fae?" I asked, even though I already knew that answer too.


    /I''m human,/ she replied. /I never learned to speak Fae, you did./


    "Well that doesn''t make any sense," I stated. "If you can''t speak Fae how do you understand my questions?"


    /We''re in the same head, we can hear each other''s thoughts even before they''re put into words. It doesn''t matter what language either of us use, we''ll always know what the other is saying./


    I sighed, "Mom''s going to think we''re troubled. Grams is going to want to get rid of us."


    A moment later I blushed when I realized what I just said, and quickly corrected myself. "They''ll think I''m troubled. They''ll want to get rid of me."


    /No they won''t. Tegan would never do that, she''d never let anyone hurt you./


    I still worried about it anyways as I lay there staring at the ceiling until there was a knock at my door. Mom called through the door, "Elise? Can I come in?"


    There was another wave of fear through me, but I knew I had to see her. If she was going to be mad at me, I wanted to get it over with. I replied nervously, "Ok."


    Mom slipped in and closed the door behind her. She moved to sit next to me on the edge of the bed.


    I saw the worry in her expression, but along with that was the love. And I knew right away she''d never send me away or abandon me.


    Mom took a deep breath then said softly, "Elise honey, I''m sorry for what I said earlier. I''m really sorry for what I asked you to do. I never wanted that in the first place but my mother was... Well, let''s just say she has some archaic ideas now and then, and I let her convince me to go along with one of them. Anyways, that''s not important."


    She leaned closer and pulled me into a hug, "I love you and I''m sorry I upset you earlier. I''m sorry I said those other things."


    I hugged her back and whispered, "Thanks mom."


    After a few moments she straightened up again. She still looked worried, but she acted like she didn''t know what to do or say.


    I gulped and asked, "I guess Kelly told you all the stuff me and her talked about?"


    Mom shook her head, "Kelly told me a few things but I''m sure she didn''t tell me everything."


    Tears were starting to burn in my eyes as I asked, "She told you I''m broken...troubled...flawed..."


    Mom pulled me into another hug and this time she didn''t let go. "Kelly would never say anything like that hon, and even if she did I''d never believe it. She told me you''re going through a lot right now, and that maybe there''s some stuff that''s been going on with you for a long time that we never knew about. Whatever it is, I''m here for you and I''ll do whatever I can to help you."


    "Thanks mom," I said as I hugged her back, and the tears that were threatening started to flow down my face again.


    We held each other like that for a few moments, then without letting go mom asked quietly "Is there anything I can do for you right now?"


    That lady''s voice spoke up in my head again, thinking English like always.


    /Would you please ask her to fix my picture frames? The power cells are drained./


    I bit my lip as I shuddered slightly, and Mom held me a little tighter.


    It took me a few seconds to work up the courage to say something, but I finally whispered to mom "I... She wants me to ask you to fix her pictures? She says the power cells are dead."


    Mom was quiet for a few moments, and I started to worry she was upset or she was going to start freaking out or something. She kept holding me though, and after another minute she finally asked "Where are they?"


    I didn''t actually know where they were but as soon as I thought that I saw an image of them in the drawer of my bedside table.


    After a few more seconds I forced myself to let go of mom. I leaned over the side of the bed and pulled open the drawer then started digging around under the books and random junk we''d accumulated in there. I felt a shock go through me and my eyes filled with tears again as I realized I didn''t recognize half the stuff in there.


    This drawer was next to my bed, I slept beside it every night for years, but it was full of other people''s stuff and I never even noticed before.


    There were books I didn''t know, sheets of parchment with writing that wasn''t mine, random knickknacks, and a couple things that scared me even more. I was too old to play with dolls, I didn''t even own one, there was no way I''d have one in my bedside table. And there was literally no possible way for me to get a gun on Earth, let alone here on Otherworld. I had to be imagining that stuff, and I quickly pushed those thoughts out of my mind before they could upset me any more than I already was.


    I found the three flat plastic rectangles down at the bottom and I focused on those as I carefully pulled them out. I quickly slid the drawer closed again, then turned and set the frames on the bed beside me. I spread them out so they were all side-by-side on the blankets.


    Mom looked at them and sighed, "I should have thought to get you a solar charging panel or something. I can recharge them directly with magic, but next time I''m on Earth I''ll pick up a charger for you."


    I watched as she spread her hands out over the three panels. Her eyes flared briefly, and all three picture frames flickered back to life. I only vaguely recognized the faces that appeared on the panels but somewhere inside me I felt a surge of joy and gratitude, mixed with some bittersweet sadness.


    /Please tell her thank you,/ the human Elise said to me. /And thank you for asking her to do this for me./


    I found myself wiping away a few more tears as I whispered, "You''re welcome."


    Then I put the frames back in the drawer for now, and finally told mom "Um... She said to say thank you."


    Mom gave me a warm smile and pulled me into another hug. "You''re both welcome hon. I mean that. I love you, all of you."


    There was another wave of tears but I smiled and sniffed as I replied, "Thanks mom. We love you too."


    PurpleCatGirl


    Tegan, Kelly, Keira are the sort of loving supportive family we wish everyone could have. And like we said last time, Elise''s journey of self-discovery & acceptance is something that can take weeks, months, even years in real life. She''s way ahead of the game getting as far as she did in a single afternoon, and with the kind of love & support she has she''s going to be ok.


    If you''re enjoying our work and you''d like to support us, please consider joining our patreon & get early access to bonus chapters, new chapters, and new stories! https://www.patreon.com/purplecatgirl

 Extras #12

    =::= Elise''s PoV =::=


    I lay on my bed and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. The last two weeks were maybe the most difficult, most confusing time of my life. Or at least my life as I knew it. It wasn''t all bad, some of it was still fun, but it seemed like it was a lot more than a kid my age should have to deal with.


    Even that made me feel weird, thinking about my age. It still didn''t feel real, knowing I... Knowing We were a lot older than just me. Technically we were actually older than mom. I had even more trouble accepting that. I wasn''t older than my mom, but some of the others were.


    Even stranger was finding out at least one of us was a guy. I didn''t understand how that worked. I was a girl, I''d always been a girl. But mister Vale was definitely a guy. He used to be my mom''s Earth dad, which sort of made him my granddad, and that was extremely weird so I avoided thinking about it.


    Mister Vale seemed nice enough, but he was as freaked out about the whole thing as I was. Maybe even more. I could kind of understand that. Like he was a grown-up human man, it had to be super weird for him knowing he was in a tiny fae girl body.


    It was also weird that including me there were three different Elises. To make it less confusing I came up with nicknames for the other two, and they didn''t seem to mind that. They had a nickname for me as well, I was ''little El'' to them.


    I wasn''t sure how old cousin El was, but she sounded like a young grown-up, like about the same age as mom except in human years. That would be in her early twenties. She was nice, and kind of fun. She sort of reminded me of Keira in a way, because she thought my pranks and schemes were amusing.


    Nana-E was older, like mister Vale. She was a mom to three kids, and granny to three more. She was the very first one to talk to me, that day two weeks ago when Kelly started helping me understand all this stuff. Nana-E was also the one who liked looking at those picture frames.


    The other weird thing was mister Vale, cousin El, and nana-E were all human. At least as far as I could tell, anyways. All three of them only spoke English, and they knew lots of stuff about Earth but none of them knew much about Otherworld.


    I had a feeling Fern was human as well, she''d only spoken to me once but it was in English. Unlike the others, she was definitely younger than me. It was hard to guess her age, but I figured probably around twenty. Except if she was a human then she''d be maybe six or seven.


    She was really shy so I didn''t know much about her. I didn''t even know how she got the name Fern, like it seemed weird for a human or a fae. I almost felt it was more like a pixie name, but I knew she wasn''t a pixie. Maybe she just liked plants or something.


    One thing I knew for sure about Fern was she liked dolls. There was one in our bedside table that belonged to her, and I had no idea where it came from or how she got it. And I was really embarrassed about it, I hated the thought of someone else finding out we had it.


    Finally there was Shadow. I only heard the name once, and had no idea if they were a boy or girl, or how old they were. The one time they spoke to me they used a mix of both English and Fae so I didn''t even know which they were. A mystery.


    My thoughts were finally interrupted by my best friend''s voice.


    "Hey Elise?" Saoirse asked lazily. "Whatcha thinking about?"


    She was laying on her side near the foot of the bed, and when I glanced at her she looked as lazy as she sounded.


    After the busy day and the late night yesterday plus having to get up before dawn this morning, we were all feeling kind of lazy today. We were both dressed in tights and short comfy casual dresses. Or as mom called them, ''leggings and tunic tops''. Mom said it was the perfect clothes for being lazy in, and she was right.


    "Lots of stuff," I finally replied. "I guess everything that happened the last couple weeks?"


    "You''re ok though right?" Willow asked. She was sitting ontop of the headboard, looking down at me and Saoirse. Even she''d dressed lazy today.


    I nodded, "I''m ok. Thanks for worrying about me Will."


    "We''re both here for you Elise," Saoirse added. "You know that right?"


    "Yeah I know," I smiled. Then I corrected myself, "We know. And I''m... We''re really grateful you''re both still our friends. Saoirse, Willow, I was so scared you''d want nothing to do with me once you found out I was troubled, or how broken and messed up I am..."


    "Hey!" Saoirse said in a firm voice. "None of that, ok? You''re not broken, or messed up, or troubled. You''re my best friend, we''re practically sisters, and I''d never turn my back on you."


    Willow added in an equally-firm tone "Same! All three of us are friends, we stick together no matter what."


    Hearing both of them say that almost made me cry. I smiled, "Thank you both."


    We were all quiet for a bit after that, till Saoirse changed the subject. "So now that it''s all over and done with, what did you two think of the big gala ball?"


    I grimaced, "My dress was ridiculous."


    "Everyone''s clothes were ridiculous," Willow stated with an exaggerated eye-roll.


    Saoirse smirked, "I don''t know Will, you looked practically regal in that gown of yours. And it was wild hearing the seneschal announce you to the royal court! Princess Tempest Willow! How is it we''ve been friends for six years and you never told me you were royalty?!"


    Our pixie friend blushed, "It''s seriously no big deal. I asked Elise not to tell anyone, I didn''t want people over-reacting."


    She blushed even brighter as she added, "Plus did you see what King Nettlesting and Queen Rose were wearing? They were the only ones there who weren''t massively over-dressed. My gown looked like it was designed by fae, for fae! They just scaled it down to my size."


    "That''s because it was, Will." I pointed out. "I doubt grams'' dressmakers know anything about pixie fashion."


    Willow giggled, "Pixies don''t have fashion. We just wear open-backed frocks. The troops on Earth only switched to human-style clothes to fit in with the locals. You saw what my uncle was wearing though right? He''s the king pixie of all Otherworld and his frock looked like the thing you wear when you get out of the bathtub."


    Me and Saoirse both giggled, and Saoirse suggested "Well he''s king, he can wear whatever he wants. Anyways, was it cool getting to meet your uncle?"


    "Not really," she sighed. "Him and his wife kept staring at me, because of my wings. I couldn''t get away from them quick enough."


    She added sadly, "There''s a reason I don''t hang out with other pixies, you know? I''m happier here with my two best friends."


    "Sorry Will," I said. I knew what the problem was, but she didn''t like to talk about it. "Anyways, you looked really good in that fancy gown. But I don''t blame you if you never want to wear the thing again. I feel the same about my poofy floofy silly dress."


    "Hey El?" Saoirse sounded curious but also a little wary, like she was worried she was going to upset me. "What did your uh, other people think of the ball? Did they... Were they there?"


    I grimaced again. I appreciated she was trying to be understanding and accepting, my friends weren''t just ignoring that stuff and pretending those others didn''t exist. Both her and Willow were really good about that. It still felt weird to talk about some of these things with them though. And they didn''t know everything about the others. Mostly they knew there were others, and they knew a couple names.


    For a moment I was quiet as I let my thoughts drift inwards. I didn''t have to ask any questions, it was more like emotions and feelings but without any words attached, as I gathered up all the different reactions to the ball last night.


    "So cousin El thought it was really nice," I finally responded. "She enjoyed all the fancy outfits and the music, and the pomp and ceremony and all that? She thought it was like something from a fairy-tale, but she''s worried that term might be offensive. And she was excited we got to meet Queen ¨¢ine and everything? I mean, obviously we''ve met ¨¢ine lots of times, but last night was the first time cousin El was like, awake or whatever for it? I don''t know how to say it."


    After a pause I grimaced again, "Mister Vale was um, like as much as I thought our dress was ridiculous it was even worse for him. He was super, super embarrassed about it? And the way our hair was all done up, and the make-up and shoes and everything else? Like we were so over-the-top girly he felt super awkward."


    I hesitated for a moment as I fought off a giggle. "He''s super weirded-out that we have boobs, and that dress was like pow! Cleavage! So yeah, he was uncomfortable."


    Saoirse bit her lip as she tried not to grin too widely. "Yeah I bet that was weird for him. You usually don''t get very girly at all El. Like what you''re wearing now is about as close to a dress as you normally get."


    "Huh," I said as I felt my cheeks flush. She was right, I was way more comfortable in trews or pants. I almost never wore skirts or dresses. Or make-up either. Suddenly I found myself wondering if those were my choices or if it was because of the others. Then I remembered my mom was the same, and relaxed a bit. I was probably just taking after mom when it came to clothes and stuff.


    Finally I shrugged, "I probably shouldn''t talk too much about that stuff anyways. I don''t want to get mister Vale too embarrassed or upset."


    "Sorry Elise," Saoirse apologized. "And sorry mister Vale, if you''re listening."


    "Thanks," I smiled.


    I didn''t mention nana-E or Fern or Shadow to them. Nana-E was sad a lot and even though she was the first one to talk to me, she wasn''t actually around that much. The whole thing with her having kids and grandkids made me really uncomfortable so I didn''t like to think about that, and I hadn''t told my friends she was there. Actually mom and her wives all thought nana-E and cousin El were the same person.


    Fern was there for at least some of the ball, she was excited to be all dressed up. She really liked being all girly and wanted us to wear more dresses and pink ribbons and all that stuff. And she enjoyed the music and dancing last night. But she was really shy and so far nobody other than me even knew about her.


    And Shadow was pretty quiet through the whole thing. I had a feeling they didn''t like the ball, or at least they weren''t interested in it. And they didn''t want me to tell anyone about them anyways. So for now my immediate family and my two closest friends only knew about cousin El and mister Vale.


    "Hey Elise?" Saoirse asked, changing the subject. "What did you think of Colin ¨® Faol¨¢in? You spent a lot of time with him last night, even though your mom said you didn''t have to."


    I shrugged, "It was pretty obvious why everyone thought it was a good idea to get him and me together right?"


    Willow smirked, "He''s probably the smallest noble on Otherworld outside of a pixie court."


    Saoirse giggled but I protested, "He''s not that small! I mean, he''s taller than me by a couple inches at least."


    "Seriously El," my best friend said after she stopped giggling, "What did you think of him?


    "I don''t know?" I shrugged. Now I was blushing as I continued, "He was polite and everything. And it was nice to have one person at the whole ball I could talk to without getting a sore neck, you know?"


    A wide grin settled on her face and she exclaimed, "Ah-hah! You''re blushing, you''re smiling, you defended his honour to Will a second ago, and it was nice to talk to him? Is there something going on that your two best friends should know about?"


    My blush grew brighter as I shook my head, "No! I''m not into guys, ok? I''m just saying, he was nice and polite, and he didn''t act like any other guy I''ve talked to."


    "What did he act like then?" Willow asked, and she sounded genuinely curious.


    I shrugged again, "I don''t know? Like I said, he was polite. He was also a bit shy and awkward? But he was nice. Talking to him was like talking to you two I guess? It was comfortable, like talking with a friend. And he hated his stuffy suit with all the gold buttons and epaulets as much as I hated my poofy dress. We even joked about trading clothes, so I could try his suit and he could wear the fancy dress -"


    Cousin El made a /Snrk/ sound but I didn''t want to get into a conversation with her while I was talking with my friends.


    I stayed focused on Saoirse and Willow as I finished, "Anyways, Colin wasn''t like other noble sons I''ve met. They''re more stuck up and kind of demanding, plus they usually stare at me or talk about my body or my hair or my inheritance? That''s weird and uncomfortable."


    "Ugh I know what you mean about noble sons," Saoirse agreed with a frown. It quickly shifted back to a grin as she added, "Still, it sounds like you really did like him Elise. And I definitely got the feeling he liked you too."


    I pouted, "I don''t like guys. Please stop teasing me about that."


    "Sorry El," Saoirse apologized as her smile faded again. "I didn''t mean to upset you."


    The three of us were quiet again for a minute or two after that, until Willow spoke up with another question.


    "With the big fancy ball over and done with, I guess it''s just back to normal training and lessons for now? No more special events till all the celebrations at the end of next month?"


    The week leading up to Lughnasadh was always busy for us, with Kelly and Keira''s birthday then my birthday then Saoirse''s birthday and finally the big feast.


    "Pretty much," my best friend replied. "Except we''ve got a special training thing coming up before that? I''m kind of worried about it, but also a little excited too?"


    I pouted, "I don''t even know if my mom will let me go. She''s been acting like I''m some fragile delicate flower lately, being all over-protective and stuff."


    Willow asked, "What sort of special training thing?"


    Saoirse explained, "Me and Elise and a couple soldiers are supposed to go spend a week in the woods, like hiking and camping and hunting. Mom''s huntsman is going to be overseeing the whole thing, he''s supposed to teach us to hunt and how to live off the land and all that."


    "Oh!" the pixie looked interested. "Do you think I could come too? I already know how to hunt, but I''m sure you two will be going after game way too big for me. But I want to come, I want to keep you both company!"


    I answered, "Sure Will, of course you can come."


    Then I smiled at Saoirse and asked, "Do you think we should ask permission? Or just bring her along and surprise the others once we''re out in the woods?"


    "Surprise, obviously!" she replied, and all three of us giggled.


    It was always the best answer. If you asked permission and got told no, then there''d be more trouble when we got caught bringing her anyways. If we didn''t ask then nobody could claim we were told ''no'' ahead of time.


    I smiled as I relaxed on my bed and said, "Thank you both for being my friends."


    "Always," Saoirse replied.


    Willow agreed, "Best friends forever."


    "BFFs," I nodded. And we were.


    It didn''t matter if I felt broken or flawed or troubled, I had two amazing friends who''d always be at my side, and my mom and her wives all loved me.


    I was happy. All of me were happy.


    ~ The End ~


    PurpleCatGirl


    And I think this is the end of the Date With Faet saga. We may get more Elise - Saoirse - Willow in the future, but if we do, that''ll be their own story.


    Thank you all for coming with us on this wild journey!


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