Blown Away (Rogues Shifter Series Book 4) (4 page)

“I’ll be coming along as well.” Liam was smiling at me, some excitement sparkling in his violet eyes. I think he enjoyed being a part of our motley crew of crime solvers and justice enforcers.

“We’ll have to issue you the official Rogues, Inc. membership card.” I teased.

“I’ve been wo
ndering when I’d be getting it. I’ve been checking the mailbox daily.” I barked out a laugh and he winked at me, grinning in his charmingly boyish way.

Liam was half fae and half human and had been Garrett's faithful friend and body guard for
over one hundred years. He’d recently spent two days in my mind, helping me get past the anger and the fear caused by my kidnapping and torture. When I'd first come home after my ordeal, I'd suffered from nightmares, anxiety attacks and even hallucinations. He’d generously volunteered to walk me through each remembered moment of my horrific experience, feeling the pain right beside me, all the time offering support and encouraging words, so that when I came out at the end, I was emotionally whole again.

Not that everything is now bright and sunny. I still have nightmares and
probably will for a long time. But when I wake up, I’m able to shake them off, content that the monster who’d hurt me will never hurt me or anyone else again. I make the choice everyday not to allow fear to cripple me, but when the fingers of anxiety try to regain a choke hold, a sweet kiss from my mate, Garrett, or a playful hug from one of my team mates is all that I need to chase the boogieman away. I’ve banished memories of Kennet to a place in my past that no longer holds power over me, just as I’ve banished the real Kennet to two months of torture in the Demon Realm before his trial in front of the Fae Elders.

I watched Liam as he cleaned the pans he’d used to cook our meal. His shoulder length hair stirred in some otherworldly breeze as he called up his golden power to aid him as he worked. I laughed softly. We must have the cleane
st pots and pans on the planet.

In the ti
me since I’d been back I hadn’t had a chance to talk to him about our magically induced journey through my memories. I had questions for him, some of them painful, and we both knew that we’d need to sit down and talk things through eventually, but that conversation would have to wait.

I turned back to Bridgett, returning to the subject. “I also have an appointment next week to meet Rob at the hospital and check out Flynn, the new rogue lion shifter. I don’t know what to expect from this guy. He tried to kill himself and I hear that he’s in c
omplete denial. I hope I can help him.” I put down my fork and took a last sip of my coffee.  “I’m going to get showered and changed and then I’ll take you.”

I
brought my plate to the sink, where I sent to Liam mentally,
“Thank you, Liam. The flowers and the note and also knowing that you’re not still angry with her gave her some confidence.”

“She’s growing on me; v
ery very slowly.”
I punched his arm playfully and left the kitchen. After a quick shower I changed into jeans and a tee and found Bridgett standing in the foyer with her suitcase packed and a backpack slung over her shoulder.

“Are you ready?”

She raised her hand in the universal wait-just-one-minute-motion and called out, “Samson, here boy. C’mon.” Never one to miss out on some attention, our enormous Rottweiler came trotting over to her and grunted with doggie pleasure as she scratched him behind the ears and gave him a big hug. He licked her face in his own version of seeing her off.

Bridgett smiled nervousl
y, “I guess I’m ready now,” I took her hand and we disappeared into the magic of the ley lines, appearing 10 seconds later in the field where the fae Midsummer Solstice Ceremony had taken place a month ago. I shuddered as I remembered that evening when Kennet had first attacked and threatened to take me. I’d been caught off balance, literally and figuratively, but I’d never really believed that he could get past Garrett or Liam or the rest of my team. In the end it was a simple phone call from his hostage, my sister Bridgett, that was my undoing.

Lady Dinestri’s appearance snapped me out of my somber daydreaming. “Welcome to Faerie
, Jacqueline, Bridgett.” I nodded to her as was the custom and so did Bridgett, although I could see that she really wanted to run over and hug her. Lady D., as Bridgett called her, had been one of the only fae who’d showed her any kindness after the kidnapped fae had been returned to Faerie.

She crossed the few yards that separated us with a graceful stride and took my hand, asking with concern, “How are you feeling, Jacqueline?”

“I feel very well now, thank you.” The Cascade Sidhe knew what I’d gone through with Lord Kennet, and I'm sure they hoped that my two day session with Liam had brought me back to myself. I’d never be the same gentle healer I was before the kidnapping, before Kennet mind-raped me and whipped me unconscious, but after Liam’s help, I was emerging as a stronger, tougher version.

“Good. It will take time, but you are remarkably resilient.” She turned to Bridgett and asked in a professional tone, “Are you ready to begin your two years of service?”

“Yes, Lady Dinestri.” Bridgett was nervous but she looked the Fae Elder right in the eye as Liam had recommended.

“Part of the agreement when you were spared was that if you harm any fae, you will be immediately executed, unless of course it is a matter
of self defense. If that is the case, you will be entitled to representation and a trial. Do you remember this caveat?”

“Yes, Lady.” She looked down at her feet so I grabbed her hand and smiled at her to give her a little confidence. She smiled gratefully back and then returned her attention to the elegant fae Elder.

“And are you prepared to follow the orders of the Elders, obey our laws and represent your family and your race with honor?”

“Yes, Lady Dinestri.” Bridgett was shocked to hear that she was an official representa
tive of the shifter race, and maybe she was a little bit proud, too.

“Goo
d, I see that you are sincere. You may see Faerie as it truly exists.” She placed her hand on Bridgett’s forehead and another on her arm as Bridgett’s body shuddered and then relaxed once more. When Lady Dinestri stepped away, I watched my sister’s eyes widen in stunned amazement as she spun slowly around to better view the incredible world of the Fae.

What always struck me first in Faerie were the colors, much more vibrant than those found in
our mortal world; some objects actually pulsing with a dazzling brilliance. The variety of the landscape surpassed all imagination: from multi-hued waterfalls which poured from towering cliffs to lush green meadows of flowers so fragrant they burned your senses with pleasure. Sandy dunes that glowed with desert heat were forested with tall cacti erupting sporadically with exotic blooms. I could smell the salty sea in one direction and then turn to breathe in the crisp cool air of the mountains in another.

A
nother big surprise for me had been the creatures who shared Faerie with the fae. There were delicate pixies laughing and chatting as they flew by with shimmering teal wings, followed by a coffee skinned gnome who grumbled a greeting with a sour expression. The very best part was watching Bridgett’s astonished face as she tried to take it all in.

“Not so dull, huh?”
I laughed.

“Holy sh… shell shocked.”
She giggled and sent to me,
“I think I’ll have to watch my language around them. At least until I read up on what their laws are.”

Lady Dinestri smiled. “Profanity
is a personal choice, Bridgett. The Fae language has just as many curses as English.“

She blushed. “I keep forgetting that you can all hear me when I talk mentally.” I couldn’t help but imagine what bizarre expressions she’d come up with: Holy Shell Shocked being the first of many. I laughed
, thinking that it made her sound like Robin in the Batman comics.

“We’ll teach you how to block.”

Farrell, a handsome young male, appeared suddenly next to Bridgett. He first nodded to Lady Dinestri then to me and finally to Bridgett, making it clear where we stood in the order of things. “Hello Bridgett. I’m here to show you to your rooms.” He picked up her suitcase and reached out his hand to transport her through the lines.

Lady Dinestri spoke up. “Farrell, why don’t you walk with her to her rooms?  She’ll need to know how to get around on her own.”

“Of course, Lady.”  He smiled at Bridgett as he let go of her hand and gestured toward the flower-lined path to the right. Bridgett and Farrell had become friends, after a shaky start, when he stood in for Liam at our house during the time everyone was searching for me. Farrell was one of the youngest fae, only eighty, and so he and my sister had some interests in common, including Ipods full of a lot of the same music, cell phones that did everything but cook, and a passion for movies. He’d told her that the older fae disapproved, but that didn’t seem to faze him. I guess he was the fae version of a rebellious teen.

Bridgett's e
yes filled up with tears as she realized that this was really goodbye. I gave her a tight hug and said, “You can text me anytime. I promise I’ll text you back as soon as I can. You won’t be bothering me.” I sent to her,
“They’ll treat you well here, so don’t piss them off. I love you sis.”

“I love you too.” That did i
t. We were both crying as she moved away to follow Farrell around the corner, his excited chatter fading out as I lost sight of her.

I wiped my eyes and looked to Lady Dinestri. “Thank you. Try to be gentle with her. She hasn’t always had it easy.”

“She is strong like her sister. Try not to worry.” I felt a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “I must say goodbye , but Aedus and my daughter, Philladre would like to greet you and give you their regards if they may.” I nodded enthusiastically and the fae couple were instantly by my side, Aedus hugging me and then laughing at the tears running down my cheek.

“Are those tears of joy at seeing me again or tears of joy that Bridgett is out of your hair for two years?” Aedus was breathtakingly handsome at 6’5” with long dark hair, vibrant purple eyes and a broad muscular body. He was dressed in modern style with black slacks and a dark gray button down shirt. The ‘younger’ fae would often dress as humans. He was after all, o
nly around 1600 in human years.

I punched him playfully in the shoulder. “Neither. But how are you? And how are you feeling Philladre?” Aedus was Lord Caelen’s heir and Liam’s half brother and had just recently found out that he and Philladre were going to be parents. This was a rare event in Faerie, the last child having been born 75 human years ago. He, Garrett and Liam and the rest of my team had searched for me tirelessly while I was a prisoner. When I’d escaped, Aedus had been very seriously injured in a duel with Kennet.  I’d helped him back from the brink of death with my mental healing abilities and so we were squ
are, as far as I was concerned.

“We are both very
well, thank you, Jacqueline.” To me, Philladre was the loveliest of all the fae females I’d encountered. She was very tall and slender, with warm russet hair and large amethyst eyes and an amazing smile that lit up your heart when she blessed you with one. She was Lady Dinestri’s older daughter and had the same lovely teak-brown skin tone and graceful bearing, making all eyes turn when she entered a room.

She and Aedus were a truly
spectacular couple and would both be Elders on the Council one day. She was wearing a flowing light blue gown that clung to her slim frame, but I could already see that her belly had grown slightly. She saw my surprised expression so she smiled and said, “Fae babies gestate fully in two and a half months.”

“Wow, that’s great for fae mothers. Carrying a child for nine months is a drag, or at least that’s what I’ve been told.”

She nodded and laughed. “Little Jacqueline is very strong.” She put her arm around Aedus’ waist and leaned against him, her love for her mate so overpowering that I could feel their magic pulsing around them without having to tap into the ley lines at all. The magic in Faerie was so palpably thick that you took it in with every breath, actually absorbing it through your pores directly into your bloodstream. It was a heady experience and could become slightly addictive for some.

Aedus smiled proudly. “Philladre and I are going to have a ceremony to bind us together. Will you come with Garrett to be a part of i
t? You will be honored guests.”

My eyes widened with excitement. “Yes, of co
urse, why are you even asking? If you didn’t invite us I’d find some way to crash the party anyway.” They laughed as we hugged each other. Other fae passed by, looking at us with smiling faces. Some of them placed a hand on their heart as they nodded at me, and as they completed the motion, a magical swell washed over my body, leaving me slightly breathless.

Philladre answered my unspoken question. “They show you great respect with th
e gesture. They accept you as a—well, practically as a fae. Because of what you did for Aedus, and the unexpected gift of my pregnancy, they no longer see you simply as a powerful ally, but more like an adopted citizen of Faerie.

“Even with the demon blood?” While being guarded by a demon during my kidnapping, I’d discovered that my materna
l grandmother was a full-blood demon. This was why I was able to learn to travel the magical ley lines just as the fae do. Isaiah had been a hard, but fair task master, his teachings the reason I was able to escape from Kennet at all. In return I had given him Lord Kennet, to take to the Demon Realm before he was to stand trial for his crimes against the fae. Kennet had summoned Isaiah, and demons despised being used as slaves by the fae. I imagined that Kennet wasn't enjoying himself too much these days.