Black Knight 02 - Back in Black by John G Hartness

troll." Greg observed, moving his waffles around so it looked like he was eating.  
     
    "But my cousin isn't a fairy, at least not in the literal sense of the word. No offense." She nodded to Otto.  
     
    "None taken. But may I ask, what is your cousin's name?" Otto replied.  
     
    "Stephen Neal. He's a dancer."
     
    "Hmmm. Well, Detective, I'm not sure how to explain this to you...but your cousin isn't actually your cousin. And he is a fairy. In every sense of the word." Sabrina sat there for a moment trying to absorb what Otto was telling her, and finally just reached out and drained her soda in one long gulp. She waved the waiter over and ordered a screwdriver, light on the OJ, and downed that before responding. We all looked on in silence as she leaned in, took hold of the front of Otto's shirt, and pulled him close.  
     
    She spoke very slowly and very distinctly, as if she were having trouble with the language. "Now. What were you saying about my cousin?"  
     
    Otto looked around, made sure that there were no civilians around, and continued. "Stephen isn't really your cousin. At least not by any blood relation. He's one of us. Your legend of changelings isn't very far off base at all. Sometimes we switch fairy children with human newborns, taking the human child to our lands and leaving the fairy babe to be raised as human."  
     
    "Why?" Greg asked. Sabrina looked stunned, like she didn't know what to say.
     
    Otto looked uncomfortable, but answered the question. "Sometimes it's because the infant has a condition that could prove fatal without treatments that aren't really available in human society, sometimes it's because the family situation of the child is unfavorable, and sometimes..." Otto trailed off and I saw Sabrina's eyes go hard.  
     
    "Sometimes?" She prodded. I knew that look, and really hoped Otto wouldn't pick this moment to get stubborn. I wasn't sure the furnishings could survive a clash of wills. And I couldn't afford any more demolished wardrobe tonight.  
     
    "Sometimes we need the children to breed with our children to keep a particular line alive. The Fae do not breed like humans, but we can breed with humans if need be. Our numbers have dwindled in recent centuries, and we occasionally have to resort to extraordinary measures to insure our survival."  
     
    "Extraordinary measures?" Sabrina asked. This conversation was going sideways fast, and I waved the waiter over for our check. I shoved Greg out of the booth to go pay at the counter before my friend and the fairy bouncer redecorated the restaurant in Early Apocalypse.  
     
    "Why don't we relocate this conversation somewhere a little more private?" I asked. "We're starting to draw a little attention, and that could be unfortunate for everyone involved."  
     
    "Where would you suggest, vampire?" Otto asked.  
     
    "Our place, and go easy on the 'vampire' stuff, Tinkerbelle. Some of us try to stay incognito." I shot back. I got up and headed for the door, Sabrina and Otto trailing behind me exchanging glances like two cats that you just know are going to start fighting the second you put the Fancy Feast down. "Greg will ride with you and show you the way." I said to Otto over my shoulder, and led Sabrina out the front door to my car.  
     
    The ride to our place was uneventful, mostly because Sabrina sulked the whole way there. The way she was acting, you'd think she wanted to tussle with a supernatural beefcake in the middle of a 24-hour diner. I led her down the stairs into our apartment (because I hate to think of it as a crypt, regardless of the underground location, and besides, crypts don't have high-speed Internet) and got us a couple of beers out of the fridge. Then I called in the cavalry, or more specifically, Father Mike. Mike had been running interference at the hospital since we left Stephen there, but I figured his calming influence and priest’s collar might be needed.  
     
    Greg and Otto got to our place