2. Why Me?

I gazed steadily at my daughter with the “Glare of Impending Doom”. She squirmed, doing that little wiggle thing with her shoulders that told me she was guilty as hell, but was going to try getting out of the situation anyway she could. I raised an eyebrow, a silent communication that said “Nice try, but you’re busted and you know it”.

“Moooommmmm!” She whined and I held up a hand to forestall anything she might have said after that.

I turned my “Glare of Impending Doom” upon the other culprit, amping it up a notch or two, which was hard to do as I had to crane my neck up to do it.

Jeweled eyes whirled madly at me, turning a deep blue. He was amused.

“I still have the Dragon Sword.” I grumped at him. This earned me a snort and a curling trail of smoke as he lowered his head down to my eye level. “Do you know how many treaties you’ve just violated, Ian? I don’t care if you *are* king of the dragons, you can’t just LAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREAKIN’ PLAYGROUND TO SEE WHAT ANGEL IS DOING BECAUSE YOU GOT BORED!”

*I wasn’t bored* He sent drolly. *There’s a herd of Unicorns that just migrated through the mountain pass. Angel’s been wanting to see one.*

“And it couldn’t wait until *after* school?”

*Actually, no. The herd mare is going to give birth to their next princess. She requested the royal females to be in attendance. I came to fetch Angel.*

“YOU ARE NOT TAKING MY LITTLE GIRL INTO A BIRTHING CHAMBER!”

Ian had the grace to wince at my thunderous tone. Angel’s expression turned mutinously angry.

“I’m not a child, Mother.” She informed me in icy tones that would have rivaled my grandmother’s on a good day. “I’m 12 years old and I delivered Nia’s last litter while you and Dad were at work. It’s not like I haven’t passed my midwifery test! It is my duty as Ian’s adopted heir and you can’t stop me.”

“I can ground you until you’re 30!” I shot back.

“You know I’m right.”

“This is going to put the Human High Council into collective heart failure. Why couldn’t you have had an imaginary playmate like a normal kid? Noooo, you had to bring home a frickin’ *DRAGON* instead! And not just any dragon, the frickin’ *KING* of the dragons! What’s next? A Sphinx?!?”

Ian and Angel regarded each other with unreadable expressions. I felt my heart squeeze painfully in my chest.

“Oh, please, please, please tell me you two *didn’t*!” I implored, hating the way my voice sounded all whiny and begging.

*It wasn’t intentional on our part* Ian grumped.

“She was trapped in a poacher’s net.” Angel said in a defensive tone. “I couldn’t just leave her there!”

“Who, exactly, are you talking about?” I asked, rubbing my temples to ease the sudden headache that was beginning to pound there.

“It was a Faye.”

I stopped and just stared at her. She took an involuntary step backwards, bumping up against Ian’s fore-claw.

“Which Faye?” I asked in an eerily calm voice.

Angel winced and looked up at Ian imploringly.

*Morgan* He sent quietly.

I took a deep breath, then another. With the next, I began to giggle hysterically.

“You saved…Morgan…the self-proclaimed executioner of humankind…You…SAVED MORGAN LE FAYE?!? ARE YOU BOTH BLOODY DAFT?!?!” I screeched. Then I just sort of flopped bonelessly down onto my garden bench.

Angel made an abortive attempt to come to me, but I waved her back, beginning to giggle hysterically again.

“Oh, for hell’s sake, go deliver the damned Unicorn Princess!” I snorted out.

*If it’s any consolation, Morgan knows if anything happens to Angel, the entire Dragon realm will declare war on the Faye.* Ian sent as Angel clambered up to sit on his back. *She won’t willingly go to war with me.*

“That’s not the point!”

*She’s requested an audience with you. I told her you’d have to get used to the idea first.*

My head came up. I glared at Ian as his eyes swirled an even deeper blue.

“What idea?” I asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

*She wants to make Angel an honorary Faye and discuss a possible alliance by marriage. Her son was quite taken with Angel.*

I took a deep, shuddering breath. Ian puffed a tendril of smoke at me.

*He’ll be 2 this Summer Solstice.*

The fireball was in my hand even as Ian launched himself into the air. It hit his tail just as he cleared the roof. I gazed after him in impotent fury, both hands now full of fire. I could hear his laughter and swore I would have myself new dragon-hide boots for winter.

I heard a nervous throat clearing and whirled, the fire roaring as I turned. My husband stood there, swallowing convulsively.

“What do *you* want?” I snarled.

Devin gazed at me, then at the fire.

“Nothing, Dear. I’ll tell you about it later.” He said and turned around. I heard him muttering to himself. “Sometimes it’s good to be the dog, sometimes it’s good to be the mouse. Come on, guys, we’ll tell her about the neighbor’s butt later. Bear, let’s go get you some mouthwash or something. You don’t want his germs hibernating on your teeth do you?”

I screamed at launched the fire at a nearby bush. Before it could make contact, I’d hit it with a blast of rain, extinguishing it before it could do any damage.

I sat down on my bench again. I gracefully waved one hand and a bottle Tequila appeared in it. I waved the other, and oh, look, a glass. I poured a generous shot and knocked it back, making a face.

Then proceeded to make a serious dent in the remaining amount, sorely wishing my brother, Tremayne was there.

As it was, I now had a mess to sort out. One not of my making. As usual.

I swallowed another shot, grimaced, then chortled wickedly to myself.

I couldn’t wait to see Devin’s reaction when he found out the Queen of the Fairies wanted to betroth our daughter to her 2 year-old son.

Hell, I couldn’t wait to see the reactions of those pompous windbags on the Human High Council when they found out that what they’d been trying to do in centuries was accomplished by a 12 year old girl in less than a day.

I couldn’t wait to explain to Angel just what she’d gotten herself into by saving the most feared, most ruthless and bloodthirsty Faye to ever walk the earth, who probably wouldn’t take no for an answer.