grass and through the trees at the far end of
the small park. He struck out at a leisurely pace. Obviously Fin
was going to be taking his time and I was just going to have to put
up with it.
I rubbed my shoulders where he’d grabbed me.
I’d have a couple of bruises.
There was a lake in the center of the small
park that I hadn’t noticed before. In fact this whole section
shouldn’t be here. It made the park seem much larger than it
actually was, but anything was possible for the King of Faerie.
“Each species loves their offspring, although
some do not deserve a parent’s love.” Oh good. I was going to get a
lecture on what a bad son I was.
He tossed me a cell phone and lowered his
body onto a bench. Samson joined him, hopping up on the other side.
I grunted and looked away, tucking the phone in my back pocket.
There were flowering trees of every type
circling the lake’s shoreline. The water itself was a crystalline
blue, ripples of yellow and green running through it in currents.
The ley lines were very strong here. I could pull up power and work
on new magic, experiment with spells I’d only imagined.
When I turned back, he’d changed. Fin was no
longer the good-natured pirate, grinning at his joke. He was once
more the ruler of Faerie, a male who could take the power beneath
our feet and destroy the world, if he were that sort of creature.
The former queen, his daughter Fionna, had been that sort and so
had my birth father. No one knew what had become of them, only that
they’d disappeared.
The King knew, but he wasn’t talking.
Bushes laden with colorful berries appeared
along the path we’d just taken. The sky changed colors, bleeding
into one vibrant shade after another. “Am I in Faerie?” There was
no place in the human world this beautiful.
“No. I am simply amusing myself as I wait for
you to make a decision. One must keep occupied while one waits.”
Two swans appeared in the water, followed by two tiny cygnets
trying to keep up with their parents. He wasn’t being subtle about
what he wanted. He leaned forward on the bench. “What is it you
fear? Her anger, her pleas for your return, her rejection?”
I pulled out the phone and stared at it,
wanting more than anything to hand it back. “She’ll cry and it’ll
be my fault. I’ve made her cry a lot lately. I hate it.”
“And yet by not calling, you continue to do
so.”
“You don’t know what it’s been like.”
“What, your life? No, I do not know. Has it
been worse than many others? Have you not been loved and fed and
housed and kept comfortable in all manner of weather? Have you not
been educated? Trained to use magic? Trained to use weapons? The
realms hold many terrors for the innocent among us. You have the
gifts required to protect and defend those who cannot defend
themselves—to live an honorable life. Few would complain, and yet
you do.”
I stood up straighter and spoke clearly. Now
seemed to be the time for truth. “I don’t want to lead an army. I
don’t want to be the main player in a prophecy that has nothing to
do with who I am or who I want to be.”
“What we want is rarely what we are given.
You are already the star of Lady Sinlae’s prophecy, that cannot be
changed. But whether you stand beside our people is up to you.”
“I’m a healer. I’ve never killed. You can’t
force me to lead an army.” My fingernails made crescents on my
palms, my breathing growing rapid.
“Nor would I. Every choice is yours to make
and each must be made freely. The prophecy is not an iron cuff
around your neck. It is yours to shape.”
“I don’t believe in fate.” I was pacing now,
back and forth in front of the bench. Samson whined, sensing my
distress.
“I do not speak of fate. I speak of choice.”
He scratched Samson behind the ears, calming him.
“Do you think I’ll make the right
choice?”
His eyebrows rose. “Would I be here if I did
not?” He stared pointedly at the cellphone.
I dialed
the small park. He struck out at a leisurely pace. Obviously Fin
was going to be taking his time and I was just going to have to put
up with it.
I rubbed my shoulders where he’d grabbed me.
I’d have a couple of bruises.
There was a lake in the center of the small
park that I hadn’t noticed before. In fact this whole section
shouldn’t be here. It made the park seem much larger than it
actually was, but anything was possible for the King of Faerie.
“Each species loves their offspring, although
some do not deserve a parent’s love.” Oh good. I was going to get a
lecture on what a bad son I was.
He tossed me a cell phone and lowered his
body onto a bench. Samson joined him, hopping up on the other side.
I grunted and looked away, tucking the phone in my back pocket.
There were flowering trees of every type
circling the lake’s shoreline. The water itself was a crystalline
blue, ripples of yellow and green running through it in currents.
The ley lines were very strong here. I could pull up power and work
on new magic, experiment with spells I’d only imagined.
When I turned back, he’d changed. Fin was no
longer the good-natured pirate, grinning at his joke. He was once
more the ruler of Faerie, a male who could take the power beneath
our feet and destroy the world, if he were that sort of creature.
The former queen, his daughter Fionna, had been that sort and so
had my birth father. No one knew what had become of them, only that
they’d disappeared.
The King knew, but he wasn’t talking.
Bushes laden with colorful berries appeared
along the path we’d just taken. The sky changed colors, bleeding
into one vibrant shade after another. “Am I in Faerie?” There was
no place in the human world this beautiful.
“No. I am simply amusing myself as I wait for
you to make a decision. One must keep occupied while one waits.”
Two swans appeared in the water, followed by two tiny cygnets
trying to keep up with their parents. He wasn’t being subtle about
what he wanted. He leaned forward on the bench. “What is it you
fear? Her anger, her pleas for your return, her rejection?”
I pulled out the phone and stared at it,
wanting more than anything to hand it back. “She’ll cry and it’ll
be my fault. I’ve made her cry a lot lately. I hate it.”
“And yet by not calling, you continue to do
so.”
“You don’t know what it’s been like.”
“What, your life? No, I do not know. Has it
been worse than many others? Have you not been loved and fed and
housed and kept comfortable in all manner of weather? Have you not
been educated? Trained to use magic? Trained to use weapons? The
realms hold many terrors for the innocent among us. You have the
gifts required to protect and defend those who cannot defend
themselves—to live an honorable life. Few would complain, and yet
you do.”
I stood up straighter and spoke clearly. Now
seemed to be the time for truth. “I don’t want to lead an army. I
don’t want to be the main player in a prophecy that has nothing to
do with who I am or who I want to be.”
“What we want is rarely what we are given.
You are already the star of Lady Sinlae’s prophecy, that cannot be
changed. But whether you stand beside our people is up to you.”
“I’m a healer. I’ve never killed. You can’t
force me to lead an army.” My fingernails made crescents on my
palms, my breathing growing rapid.
“Nor would I. Every choice is yours to make
and each must be made freely. The prophecy is not an iron cuff
around your neck. It is yours to shape.”
“I don’t believe in fate.” I was pacing now,
back and forth in front of the bench. Samson whined, sensing my
distress.
“I do not speak of fate. I speak of choice.”
He scratched Samson behind the ears, calming him.
“Do you think I’ll make the right
choice?”
His eyebrows rose. “Would I be here if I did
not?” He stared pointedly at the cellphone.
I dialed
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