11. Coming to Terms
I stared down into green eyes. They stared back, snapping with anger. At nearly 6 weeks old, she was surprisingly implacable. I sighed heavily and brought her up closer to touch my nose to hers. Small fists waved in the air, smacking me on the ears. I sighed again.
“Alexandria, you’re being a twit.” I said gently, my nose pressing against hers. “I’m not trying to be deliberately cruel by separating you from Dougal. I just can’t have you hurting yourself trying to use your magic when it’s been bound the way it has. Why can’t you trust me, Little One?”
Tiny fingers curled into my hair and I winced as she got in a particularly sharp tug. I felt a sense of frustration, anger and fear emanating from her. I sighed again and gently rubbed my cheek against hers, cuddling her closer. A sense of puzzlement and a hint of feeling comforted. I cuddled her up against my shoulder, rubbing small, gentle circles on her back.
“Well, at least she’s quiet for once.” Tremayne’s voice sent her into a stiff posture and anger washed over me again.
“Has anyone ever told you what perfect timing you have?” I snorted, bracing myself for the teeth rattling screech I knew was coming from my daughter.
“Why, yes, you have. Ah, ah, Little Girl, you even think about it and I’ll put a silencing hex on your vocal chords until you’re 40.”
Alexandria stopped in the middle of an inhale. She seemed to ponder his words for a moment, then let out a low, fussy whimper instead of the full-throated screeching she normally did.
“Can you even do that?” I asked, curious.
“Yep.” Tremayne replied as he sat down in a chair beside me. “Just let me know if she gets out of control too badly and I’ll teach it to you.”
“Dark?”
“Yep.”
A sense of incredulousness mixed with true terror washed over me. I glanced down at Alexandria, frowning.
“Oh, stop that.” I grumped at her. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“I would.” He stated cheerfully.
“Did you come here to annoy Alex or just me?”
“My, we’re cranky today.”
“Tremayne.”
“Spoilsport. All right. I came to find out just what it was that you did the day these two were born. You weren’t supposed to be due for another week or so.”
“It seems the twins had other ideas.”
“Quineld is rather upset that you didn’t send for her. I could have gated her here, you know.”
“There wasn’t time. It happened so fast. One moment I was serving tea to Rhia and her entourage, the next, I was in the birthing chamber having babies. Besides, that was the day she was supposed to be linked to her coven to clear the taint out of Hellsloch. It’s dangerous to break a link like that.”
“Yep.”
I stared at him, feeling my stomach knotting with anxiety.
“She didn’t?”
“Yep.”
“Oh, Flaming Hells.”
“Yep.”
“Backlash?”
“Yep.”
“How bad?”
Tremayne gazed at me for a moment, his grey eyes stormy. Then, his expression settled into serious determination.
“The Coven survived. Hellsloch didn’t. It’s pretty much scorched earth. Quineld shielded the coven enough so that they only got the equivalent of migraines for a day or two. The problem is the council. They commissioned Quineld’s coven to clear the taint from Hellsloch so it could be settled.”
“That’s awfully close to the North Woods.” I remarked.
“Exactly. The coven was only told the taint needed to be cleaned to avoid any aberration spreading to populated areas, not that there would be settlers.”
“I see.”
“The council is calling it a breach of contract and is calling for a general binding and stripping hearing.”
“Over my dead body.”
“Ah, now there’s the sister I know and Love. I was afraid childbirth had made all your brains dribble out of your ears.”
“Like you have any to begin with.”
“I didn’t let myself get caught by a Sidhe, now did I?”
I merely looked at him with a raised eyebrow. A sudden sense of indignation caused me to look down at Alexandria.
“He doesn’t really mean it.” I snorted. “You’ll get used to him.”
“Eventually.” He chuckled darkly as he stood up, joints popping. “We need to plan, Sis.”
“I would suggest you send messages to Ian, the Sidhe clans and Joya.”
“What about Morgan le Faye?”
“She and Larl are staying here, so I can talk to them.”
“What do you have in mind?”
I let a slow smile curve my lips upward. Tremayne’s eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline.
“Have I ever told you how much you scare me sometimes?” He asked softly.
“Once or twice.” I shrugged then stared at him for a moment. “Go call the war council, Brother. We have work to do.”
He nodded and left. I turned my gaze to my daughter. Her eyes were fastened on my face, as if she were measuring me.
“Being a Guardian means you protect and serve those who need it, Little One.” I stated conversationally. “The Council doesn’t care about protecting and serving anyone but themselves. They’ve started more wars than I care to count, all because of greed and the craving for more and more land and power. Dragon’s keep isn’t totally under their rule because there are too many diverse species here that wouldn’t allow for it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t live this close to the border. They lost the last war with the Faye of the South Woods, but so did the Southern Faye. The council used a weapon, a type of bomb, that left the South Woods so dead nothing can live there anymore. None of the Southern Faye survived. That’s what I help guard against. Your sister was called as well. We knew what we were signing on for. We don’t do it because we want to, we do it because we have to. And, we always make sure family is first on the list of those we protect and serve.”
Alexandria blinked at me. I sighed again and stood up, crossing to the cradle where Dougal slept peacefully, despite the angle of his mattress. I felt her surprise as I carefully nestled her in beside him, covering her with the soft blanket as well. She immediately rolled herself half over on her side, hand coming up to rest against his chest. He sighed in his sleep and shifted, bringing himself closer to her. I felt her hesitation and gently caressed my fingers along her cheek.
“No magic, Little One.” I cautioned. “He’s fine, I promise you. Angela says he’s out of danger now. You did a good job. Now, it’s time to just be Alex, Dougal’s Twin.”
I felt her grudging acceptance and watched her eyes flutter closed. Her fingers curled protectively into the fabric of Dougal’s sleeper as I tucked the blanket around both of them again.
I sighed as I straightened up. I smiled to myself as I thought of what I was about to do.
Declare War on the Council of Humans in The Free Republic.
