Blood of the Exiled (Witch Fairy Book 10) (14 page)

Still, I can’t help a grin.
 
“I guess I really should introduce my friends.
 
Grandpa, and the rest of you,” I say, my eyes traveling around the table to the members of the Witan, “this is my dear friend Alita.”
 
I point to where she is seated, still looking kind of green but getting better.
 
“She is a very talented Fairy who has the ability to sense dark magic anywhere around her.
 
She also can tell who it is coming from.”
 
The last part isn’t always true, but I still smile maliciously at the frizzy haired Witch.

Moving to stand next to Kallen, I say, “This is my husband, Kallen.”
 
I ignore the gasps around the table.
 
Okay, so I’m a bit young to be married in this realm, but they’re just going to have to deal with it.
 
“He and his cousin, Kegan, are two of the most powerful Fairies alive today.”
 
I move back and stand between Adriel and Tana.
 
I want to be near Tana to make sure she doesn’t do anything else magical that might push her back over the ‘I’m evil’ ledge.
 

Looking at Adriel’s long, blonde hair and Angel perfected looks, I say, “My beautiful friend Adriel is an Angel of Death.”
 
The gasps are accompanied by fear fueled rumblings now.
 
Huh, I don’t know if I like it that everyone is more afraid of her than me.
 
Wow.
 
That is wrong on so many levels.
 
A year ago I wouldn’t have been able to even imagine feeling something like that.

“This,” I say, laying a gentle hand on Tana’s shoulder, relieved when she doesn’t flinch, “is Santana, Queen of the Fairy realm.
 
Those close to her call her Tana.
 
You may address her as Queen Santana.”
 
Tana stiffens under my touch, but despite the jumble of emotions which must be rampaging through her, she keeps her face blank.
 
Fairies are so good at doing that.
 
Yet another helpful gene lacking in my DNA.

Kallen has swiveled in his chair so his back is to the Witch’s.
 
His eyes flick rapidly between me and his aunt.
 
I think he’s waiting for one of our heads to explode or something from us touching each other.
 
I ignore him.

To my great surprise, Grandpa
stands
up and walks around the table.
 
He comes to stand before us and scowls deeply at me, making me tense.
 
“You bring the Queen of another realm to my home and wait this long to inform me of her presence?”
 
Turning to Tana, he lifts her hand and presses her fingers to his lips.
 
Eew.
 
Grandpa cooties.
 
“Forgive her, for as you know, she was not educated properly in regards to royalty.
 
Rooms will be readied for you and your guests.
 
If anything else is required for your comfort, you need only ask.”

What?!
 
Me
, his granddaughter, gets rude comments and disdain.
 
But the Queen of a realm that he
hates
gets the royal treatment?
 
My face hardens in hurt, embarrassment and anger.
 
Magic is ripping through me, just waiting for me to release it on my grandfather and his cronies.
 
The Witches are lucky they can’t sense magic like Fairies can.
 
If they could, I would shoot to the top of the fear inducing scale.

Rising quickly, Kallen is by my side in a flash.
 
He takes my hand in his and squeezes gently, trying to help me gain control with his calming touch.
 
It’s not working.
 
Looking at my grandfather, he says, “Whether you recognize Xandra as Princess of the Witches is irrelevant.
 
She is Princess of the Fae realm and she will be treated with the same respect, and afforded the same privileges, as the Queen.”

Watching old Gramps sputter through the logic almost makes me laugh.
 
It goes a lot farther than a hand squeeze in calming me down.
 
He has backed himself into a corner and now he can’t get out of it without sounding like the hypocrite he is, and insulting the entire Fae realm.
 
Kegan has come to join us along with his new wife.
 
Alita is still clinging to his arm as the effects of dark magic slowly leave her.
 
We are now standing as the united front that we are.

“Shall I have the staff prepare the appropriate rooms now?” Jadyn says behind me.
 
I forgot she was even here.

Grandpa says in a guttural voice, “Yes, do so.”
 
What, no please or thank you?
 
How rude.

“Shall I also prepare an itinerary for their stay?” Jadyn pushes.
 
“I imagine you want several times to meet with the ambassadors of the Fairy realm, as well as make their stay as comfortable as possible.”
 
Huh, I went from granddaughter to ambassador just like that.
 
Lovely.

The tension in the room jackknifes and the head exploding thing Kallen was waiting for earlier?
 
I’m pretty sure it’s going to be Grandpa’s head.
 
I have to admit, though, watching him bite back the words begging to come out of his mouth, and restraining his hands that want to wrap around both my and Jadyn’s throats, is impressive.
 
I know my limitations and there is no way I could do it.
 
Maybe these things come with age.

“Yes.”
 
The word is thrust upon the air so
sharply,
I’m tempted to search my body for lacerations.
 

I can’t stop myself from saying, “How wonderful to be welcomed into your home in the manner in which we deserve.”
 
Gentle squeezing could never be applied to the pressure with which Kallen is using on my hand now.
 
It feels like he’s trying to get my fingers to all meld into one big one.
 
A quick glance at him with narrowed eyes gets him to release the pressure.
 
I don’t think he realized he was squeezing that hard.
 

“Jadyn, go.
 
Now.
 
Bring our guests with you.”
 

Despite Kallen’s grim lips and stony face, I put my free hand over my heart and say, “Warm and fuzzy, right here.”
 
Before Grandpa can respond, my furious husband puts an arm around my waist and practically carries me out of the room in Jadyn’s wake.
 
I’m pretty sure I hear Kegan chuckling, though.
 
Alita’s lucky she got the cousin with the sense of humor.
 
I somehow manage not to say that out loud.
 
At least I’m making some progress.

“Was that really necessary?” Kallen asks.
 
We are sitting in the upstairs library as we wait for the staff to ‘prepare’ our rooms, whatever that means.
 
I’m browsing the titles lining the walls and finding that I don’t want to pull anything off the shelf.
 
There are some basic magic books but most are ancient editions of philosophy, religion and works of fiction that are probably first editions.
 
From their appearance, they probably haven’t been opened since they were purchased if the perfect bindings mean anything.
 
Not one of them has a crease in it to indicate it had been read.
 
I guess they’re just for show.
 
Good to know I came from a learned family on my Witch side.

“I think it was brilliant,” Kegan says.
 
“Lighten up.”

Kallen glowers at him.
 
“You are not helping.”
 

Kegan shrugs.
 
“The guy is a wanker.”

“He is,” Tana says from where she’s standing at the window.
 
We all stare at her but
her
back is to us, so she doesn’t notice.
 
Nor does she comment further.
 
She is so odd.

“Lailah is a better Angel than I am,” Adriel says.
 
“I could not have lived with that man for a month, let alone how long she did.
 
I would most certainly have been tempted to kill him.”

“Well, you are an Angel of Death,” I tease, knowing perfectly well that actually killing people is not part of her job.
 
She just strips their souls of darkness after they die.

“Perhaps I should practice on you,” Adriel retorts, but there’s no heat behind the words.
 

Changing the subject, Kallen asks, “Did your grandmother mention Jadyn?”

I purse my lips and think back to my conversations with Lailah, but I already know the answer.
 
I shake my head.
 
“Not a word.”

Turning from the window, Tana says, “She is lying.”
 
I’m about to go off on her for accusing me of that, but she proves she doesn’t mean me by adding, “This Jadyn is not who she is purporting herself to be.”

Once again, all of the eyes in the room snap to her.
 
“What do you mean?” Kallen asks.

Tana moves closer and sits in one of the leather, wingback chairs that populate the room.
 
“I have always been able to tell when someone is lying to me.
 
It is in her mannerisms and the way she reacted when you were first reunited your grandfather and his Witan.
 
She did not know the true depth of their hostility towards you.”
 
Huh, and I thought Grandpa was doing a pretty good job of hiding most of it.
 

I frown.
 
“How could she have lived here with Lailah and not known?”

“I believe that is the point,” Kallen says.

“But she wasn’t surprised by the reception we got from the other Witches outside.
 
Even if none of them like her, they act like she is supposed to be here,” I argue.
 
“Why would they do that if she wasn’t here when Lailah was?”
 
I’m not sure why I’m defending Jadyn since she set off my radar as well.
 
Maybe I hate the idea that everyone here is out to get me.
 
It’s nice to think there’s at least one Witch who doesn’t want me dead.

Speaking to Tana, Alita asks in the soft way she has, “What do you suggest we do?”

Tana’s face is hard to read at the moment.
 
“We wait for her to show her hand.”

I groan.
 
“That approach doesn’t usually work out for me.”
 
The longer I wait for something like that, it seems the bigger the mess I have to clean up.

Tana smiles, but there’s something around the edges of her lips that makes my skin tingle.
 
Not in a good way.
 
“You will learn that part of your royal duties includes keeping a close eye on those around you.”

If I surround myself with the friends I have now, that won’t be a concern.
 
Out loud, I try for flippant.
 
“So, being royalty means being paranoid?”
 

Tana’s eyes are cold enough to make goose bumps rise on my skin.
 
“Yes.”

Feeling my tension rise, Kallen reaches over and takes my hand.
 
“Perhaps paranoid is too strong of a word.
 
Being observant and cautious will keep us safe.”

“Safe?” I sputter.
 
“Out of all the words to describe our life, safe isn’t even on the list.”

Helpfully, Kegan says, “You could create a titanium bubble to walk around in.
 
Put in a couple of eye holes and
an oxygen
tube and you’d be safe from just about everything.”
 

Alita elbows him in the rib but she can’t suppress a giggle.
 
“You are going to need a titanium bubble if you keep needling her.”

Adriel purses her lips.
 
“There is not much to gain from befriending us,” she says.
 
“None of us would be stupid enough to say anything we should not.”
 
Her eyes dart to me in warning.
 
Hey, I’m insulted she thinks I’m the weakest link here.
 
She continues before I have a chance to say anything about it.
 
“We, on the other hand, have everything to gain by befriending her.
 
I suspect she knows everything that goes on around here, despite the fact she is not popular among the others.”

Which might be a ruse.
 
Jadyn might be part of a plan old Gramps cooked up to lull me into a false sense of security.
 
Great, now I’m even more paranoid than usual.
 

I wish Nixie could be in two places at the same time.
 
Right now, she’s following my grandfather around, seeing what he’s up to.
 
That’s more important than having her follow Jadyn for the time being.
 
I think.
 
I open my mouth to agree that we should at least pretend to trust Jadyn when she opens the door to the sitting room.

“Your rooms have been readied,” she says.
 
I wonder if she overheard any of our conversation.
 
She’s not acting like it, but the door is pretty thin.
 
“I have also prepared a tentative itinerary for the next few days.
 
I believe it may be best to postpone another face to face with your grandfather until tomorrow.
 
That will give him time to…,” she hesitates as if searching for the right words.
 
Finally, she says, “
Process
the reality of you being here.”

“And time to plot against me some more,” I grumble louder than I meant to.

Sympathizing, she says, “If it makes you feel better, I believe all the plotting was done within a week after your grandmother left.”
 
No, that doesn’t make me feel better.

Kallen narrows his eyes at her.
 
“What do you know about these plots?”

Jadyn’s face falls.
 
“Unfortunately, not as much as I would like.
 
The only reason your grandfather has kept me on was because he hoped your grandmother would return.
 
My loyalty to her instead of him has precluded me from garnering any information from the rest of the staff.”
 
Why did she choose to stay on if everyone hates her?
 
She knew my grandmother was not going to return.

As if reading my mind, Adriel says, “It is hard to believe he has kept you on this long after her departure.
 
Do you expect him to continue to keep you on now that he knows Lailah will not be returning?”

Jadyn looks at her quizzically so I explain.
 
“That’s my grandmother’s Angel name.”

Answering Adriel’s question, Jadyn says, “As I am the only one willing to see to your needs during your stay, I believe I have job security for a little longer.”

“Should we assume our food will be poisoned and our rooms made into deathtraps?” Kegan asks facetiously.

Jadyn smiles.
 
“I will taste the food myself before it is delivered to you.”

Kegan’s face sobers.
 
“I was only kidding.”
 
Apparently only half kidding since he’s afraid that she will taste the food and die.
 
I think I’ll let her taste my food.

“I was not,” Jadyn says, implying that we should be worried.

I sigh and stand
up,
suddenly feeling like the air in this house is trying hard to convert me to a claustrophobic.
 
It’s succeeding.
 
I walk to the window and peer out.
 
“You want us to stay here all day under his roof and not talk to my grandfather.
 
Stay in our rooms and out of his sight like good little children should?”
 
I turn to look at Jadyn.
 
“If I was a mouse, maybe I wouldn’t mind hiding in a hole all day, but I’m not.
 
I’m also not a patient person.”
 
My voice is getting an edge to it.
 
“I want to get this over with.”
 
If I need to clean house with his Witan again, I want to do it and then figure out if I should stay here or not.
 
I don’t have a lot of hope for ‘not’.

Jadyn’s face becomes the picture of sympathy again.
 
“I understand how you are feeling,” she says.
 

I
hate
it when people say that.
 
“Really?
 
Your grandfather has tried to kill you a couple of times and now you have to check up on him like he’s a naughty two year old and make sure the people he has surrounded himself with aren’t taking advantage of him?
 
I didn’t realize this is so common.”

“Xandra,” Alita says softly, “I know you are upset but it is probably best to wait until tomorrow.
 
The way things have transpired so far, I do not believe either of you would be able to converse calmly and objectively.
 
Your grandfather may end up a toad or something.”
 

I give her a ‘why did I invite you again?’ look.
 
The toad thought is intriguing, though.
 
Could I turn someone into a toad?

Before I can say anything, Kallen says, “She is correct, however, I am not any happier about holing up in our rooms than you are.
 
Perhaps we can take this opportunity for sightseeing.”
 
With an amused smile, he adds, “And no, it is not possible to turn your grandfather into a toad.
 
You would need to change him into something with a similar body mass.”