Deception (18 page)

The day had already given me too many surprises.  I wasn’t sure how many more I could take.  The lagoon area at the base of the waterfall was a sight to see, not to mention the many types of creatures I counted just in the one small area I was standing.  I soon realized I could see all of this without Ian’s arm on me. 

I felt someone behind me and turned to whisper to who I thought was Ian, but a voice beside my ear said, “I took the glamour away while you are here,
my queen
, so as to not create a hindrance to you.”  I jumped around to find Pike.

He read my mind.   And it’s Christian!  Pike! This is too much.

“Have you read my mind all these years?” I cast this guy, whom sadly I knew, a freezing look. 

“There was no need most of the time.  Ian had it well covered,” he smirked.

I glared at both of them. 
UGH!
At least I’m thankful for that.  At least, he didn’t look like Christian or have his silent come hither attitude.  He’d always been a bit annoying anyway with the never talking to me, but making sure I noticed him by the looks he gave me all the time.  I hope he heard that. 

He did.

He inclined his head a bit, but didn’t look.  I thought hard so he would listen.  This talking in the mind was harder than speaking. 
Then do not listen where you are not wanted.  Surreptitious jerks and stupid fairy boys unwanted here! 

“You will find me very helpful, very soon,
Princess
.  If you know what’s good for you, you will behave.”

Resilient! 

“Such big words from a…”

I didn’t dignify with an answer.  I turned to try walking off, but stopped short by Ian’s arm.  Ian turned and gave me a “cool it” look.  He was beside me now putting his arm around me.  I jerked away rather quickly.  He was going to try the calming hand thingy on me and I wasn’t going to have it.

  Hurt, he didn’t turn his head to the person he spoke to but steeled out the words, “Can we have a private minute?”   Pike was moving uncertainly away from us grunting and mumbling.

The guards continually stayed about four yards behind us.  They were tall enough they could pounce on something faster than lightening.  Such
is the life
.

“How do you know it is private?  I don’t trust him,” I glared back towards where Christian, or rather Pike, was standing. 

“It is!  I promise!” 

I didn’t know why, but Ian seemed so sure, so I trusted him. 

“I promise,” he repeated with an angry voice in Pike’s direction.

“Ian,” I tried to stay calm and enjoyed the lack of edge in my voice. I'd come a long way in so many months of dealing with Ian's reactions to my own. “You cannot run to my aid and “calm” me with your magic calming tricks every time there is conflict.  He just wants to piss me off.  He just announced that my whole life has been private to very few and I have a right to be angry.  You don’t know how that feels.”

He looked like he was trying not to smile.  “First, I do know.  All Fey, and especially royalty, can read others.  We have to be a little more covert about reading humans.”  He looked away.  “I have had every thought I have ever had, read by my own mother.  How do you think that feels?”  He was trying to be gentle about this.  “Pike can and has always been able to read my mind, but he and I both possess the ability to block it out.  You will too. I can block my mother, but she is more powerful than me.”  He looked at his hand.    “I cannot,” he appeared to be trying to connect it for me, “walk and chew gum at the same time. There is a connection you will learn about later that strengthens both you and I.”  His eyes glassed over, closed, and then opened again.  “My blocking does not last as long on her as it can for say, Pike.  And second, he has not needed to read your thoughts as long as I was always close.  I am the only one who needed to until now.”

I interrupted, “How do you know for sure?  And why
now
?”

He stepped closer to me and put a finger to my lips, “I can also sense when someone...” he paused and blinked, “someone breaks in, so to speak.  I am the prince of the Seelie Court.  It comes with perks.”  He smirked at this last part.

“Yeah, like calming hands and reading minds and now blocking them too.  What else?”

He stepped forward enough to wrap one arm around my waist and spoke directly into my ear.  “I would protect you from anything even without you asking.  And I wasn’t trying to “calm” you, I was simply trying to comfort you because…” he was searching for the right words, “…I love you, and I thought maybe me in itself  might comfort you.”  He stepped back enough to look at me.

The separation of space didn’t clear my head.  My mind befuddled once again so I told him, “Of course it does.”   I was feeling bad that I jumped to conclusions too fast and added, “And I am sorry I didn’t control myself better.”  I was kicking myself internally.  He kissed me softly on the lips and I lost my balance a little when he caught me.  He chuckled enjoying his ability to affect me and I tried not to be mad that I let it happen so easily. 

“That is definitely one of your perks,” I whispered out of breath.  All was good in my little corner of this swoon worthy make-believe world.

“Only on you!  Do I really make you go weak in the knees?” He asked with a soft, but quizzical face.  He knew.  He just wanted to hear it.  Who says men don’t like to hear from our affections too?

”You have no idea.”  He stepped back and turned to go.  I speculated, distracting myself.  Holding onto his sleeve hearing the soft sound it made, I reveled in the fact that sounds were a part of me though I have paid more attention to them recently. But it is specific in an odd way.  Like only brushing upon or making contact with something.  Not bodily functions, thank goodness. 

Unfortunately, no eavesdropping magic perks were conjured up for the freak girl that really could help me out.  Supergirl hearing on next room conversations were not in my future, but I have it on very good word that maybe I’d be able to read others thoughts. 
Oh yeah!
 

“Why is
he
so annoying?  There has to be reason.”

Ian stopped, turned, and kept his eyes looking off into the trees, “I will tell you sometime, more private.  And he can read your thoughts where I cannot.  We might need him to help protect you.”  Ian stated like the facts were irrefutable.

I could see how much he hated saying that so I just smiled instead of protesting. 

And I felt more comfortable knowing Ian had my best interest at heart.  But what was Pike’s deal?  He’d be listening to my thoughts again soon so I’d have to be careful. Ugh!  I wondered what other magic Ian had inside of him still to be revealed.  And Pike.  And others. I hadn’t thought, or had need too, as to what a “Seelie Prince could do.”  I couldn’t fathom the possibilities. 

We returned.  Knowing Pike couldn’t hear our conversation helped me feel a little smug about the situation.   He looked perturbed with his arms folded as he did the manly leaning thing against the tree post.  He and Ian were sneering like two male lions having it out. 

Pike was a lean, muscled fighter like Ian, but his arrogant air that he carried made him nastier and very unappealing.  I couldn’t understand why the Burger Giant would have kept him around if he acted that way.    Maybe he glamoured his way into everything. 

Pike waited for Ian to pass, and then followed watching me, his eyes menacing beacons.  The kind of eyes that said we will talk later.

We made it to a clearing with tables and a campfire Pike told us would be completely safe from eavesdroppers.  I didn’t stop the thoughts of how Pike is the A number one culprit of who I mistrusted the most at the moment. 

He glared back at my thoughts before explaining the safety precautions, perhaps, for my benefit.  He explained that a shield was put in place and maintained for safety and readiness in case an invasion ever occurred.  I didn’t like this kind of talk, but figured I better get used to it.  I still couldn’t get used to the idea that this was Christian talking.  Shy Christian wasn’t really shy!  In fact, he seemed quite the opposite.

We sat around a small campfire and Pike started with what had happened recently at the Nym camp just over two miles away from where we sat.  Pike didn’t look at me while sharing the information, but rather he talked directly to Ian the whole time.  My mind stayed quiet while he talked trying to avoid more menacing glares. 

Ian spoke up just as I was adjusting on the small log I’d been given to balance on. “Grace would like to see the Nyms.  She wants to know what their reasons are for the hatred they hold and why they will not let them go.”  He seemed to have a hidden meaning in his words, but it was beyond my understanding.  I looked back and forth at the two of them who were both silent between speaking.  It was obvious what they were doing, and no one was blocking
them
.   
So not fair!

Pike’s nipped glare at me would have sent vampires fleeing, but still he nodded his head.  Then, he spit a big wad of spit on the ground in front of where he sat. 
Disgusting!

Pike stopped pushing the stick in the dirt and shot a look at me so I glared back.  Luckily, he didn’t say anything to me.   I wondered though. 

His tone lightened significantly while he talked about the Nyms as if he were distracted away from hating me momentarily. 

I don’t hate you!

Whoa
!  I lost my footing giving the indication that something surprised me.  The seating arrangement wasn’t meant to be handled in a skirt.
  If you are talking to me then act like you don’t hate me.

“You didn’t tell me you guys could talk inside my head?” I accused Ian.  He looked at Pike, not me who only shrugged with indignation.

Lose the other Greek god tree boy here then and we can start our own shindig.

Why are you like this?

He ignored my inner thoughts and verbally gave me more information about where the Nyms were camped and how they live in the mountains not far from where we were now. The surrounding land entertains about three hundred groups of Fey civilizations spread throughout the world. He was letting that sink in.  I followed his stick drawing to memorize the layout.

“You mean there are that many.  And humans don’t know.  How?”  I then remembered and rolled my oh, I-forgot-already eyes.  “Glamour.” 

“The Nyms think they can take over us, but they are led by a traitor who only uses them to gain his own favor.  He will fail.”

I detected yet more animosity in Pike’s voice.  Where did all this ill will come from?
 

Christian or Pike rather, spit again and cracked his knuckles giving notice these behaviors were a constant for him.
 
He spurned a look in my direction, so I wondered what was going through their two minds.

“Do they have a leader?” I asked.

“Kinsler.” Ian answered this time too quickly as if I interrupted him. 

I detected an edge in his voice now.  Man, I was totally being left in the dark with more than I wanted. 
Are you two going to keep secrets?
No answer came
.
They need a woman just to tame the testosterone.

I will have to find out about the magical power that reads minds.  And fast.  I was in my own little fairy tale so it stands to,reason I should have my own perks and now maybe I want to read Ian’s mind.  At least I want an on and off switch.

Pike spoke up, “I will arrange a meeting with a messenger from the Nyms.  You will get that firsthand look.  You can arrange a message to be found, if you like, to retrieve Kinsler.  If it’s a meeting with Kinsler you want,
you’ll get
.”

Ian looked at me with uncertainty.  I could tell he thought to let me lead as much as possible though he better not think me so daft that I didn’t know he was doing more talking on the inside that out.  That protector Ian was coming out and he knew there was a lot I didn’t know.  I looked to him hoping he’d answer for me.  “What is better?”

Ian answered, “Meet with the Nym and ask any questions you may have, then if it feels right, we will arrange a meeting with their leader.  It will happen anyway.   In the meantime, Pike will inform you better on details about Fey and Nym events of the last two hundred years.”  He looked at Pike who inclined his head only in the slightest movement.

Either they were near to equal or Pike was his advisor or something weird like that.  I tried not to stereotype based on prior knowledge, but I couldn’t help but notice that it sure seemed Pike was taking orders from Ian.  And though Ian didn’t seem rude about it, he never had with anyone else in all of my three days of being here in this world or back in the human world before.  Pike seemed, well, angry at everything.  So who could tell anything at this point?

Pike glared at me again so I aimed to rattle him. 
Get used to this by now, mute boy.
  
You shouldn’t invade the privacy of others if it makes you so angry.
  I gave him a demanding look. 
Why is it that you are so angry all the time anyway, even back in school.  If you are listening to my thoughts, perhaps you can at least enlighten me on why you try so hard to upset me.