Rive (3 page)

“And I’m not an ordinary mother.” She scooted her chair closer to the table. “We go where she goes. If we need to pack up, find work in Dublin, and move, so be it. But you are not taking my child anywhere, not at least until she is an adult. It’s not up for discussion.”

A stray hair fell out of Regina’s elegant twist. She blew it out of her face in an uncharacteristic display of exasperation. “Okay, what do you suggest?”

Her father spoke up. “It’s so easy for her to, um, travel with a
Sidhe
. She goes there and back as needed, but she lives with us. Before she starts spending a lot of time there, we need to come too and meet everyone.”

“That is acceptable.” Regina’s smile was tight. “Thank you.”

“What about school?” Rylan asked. “It’s senior year. It’s kind of important.”

“We will provide excellent educational opportunities,” Regina said.

“I want to graduate from this school, with my friends,” Celeste said.

“I agree,” her mother said. “She can spend time there during the day for the rest of the summer, but she is going to finish her senior year.”

“High school, in the grand scheme of things, does not matter. Celeste is not human. She is a very powerful entity. She needs additional training. I cannot stress this enough.”

Her mother slammed her tea cup down. “You’ve made it clear, but you know what? You don’t own her. You guys didn’t even know she existed because one your kind abandoned her as a helpless newborn.” Regina leaned back in her chair, shock written on her face like she’s been slapped. Celeste’s eye widened as she locked eyes with Rylan again. She’d never heard her mother speak about her bio-parents before.

Her mom continued. “We raised her. We’ve protected her. She is our daughter. This is the way it will be. End of discussion.”

Regina closed her eyes, dropping her hands from the teacup to her lap. A few seconds later, she opened them. “Of course. I meant no offense. Perhaps we can have all of you come out for a tour tomorrow.”

“That would be lovely,” Celeste’s mom said. A smile slipped on her face like she’d never been mad at all.

“Wonderful.” Regina stood then deposited her napkin on the table. “Thank you for having me and being so patient with all of this.”

Celeste’s dad walked Regina out, leaving Rylan, Celeste, and her mom.

“So, are we doing this thing, or what?” her mom asked.

“We are totally doing this,” Celeste said.

Her father walked back into the room. “So um, does this
Sidhe
teleportation thing hurt?”

Celeste laughed. “It totally sucks.”

“How does it work?”

“It’s easy for you,” Rylan said. “All you have to do is stand there. A
Sidhe
will touch you, and be able to transport you anywhere in the world with them.”

“Wow,” her father said. “You can really do that?”

Rylan smiled in his sheepish way.

“What does it feel like?”

“Like a roller coaster on steroids,” Celeste said. “But the more you do it, the easier it is.”

“Some ginger tea will help with the nausea, I’m sure,” her mother said.

“Are these
Sidhe
safe? No offense, Rylan,” her father said.

“Most are okay, but they’re not human. Don’t ever think they’re human and they will react or operate like a human.”

Her dad frowned. “What else do I need to know?”

“I’m worried about the bodyguard situation. To deal with other non-corporeal threats, they would have to be
Sidhe
or part
Sidhe
, or something else.”

“Something else?”

“Yes. I don’t even know what all is out there.”

Her mom poured another cup of tea. “Like what? Vampires? Werewolves?”

“Yes, like Skinwalkers, Residuals, Shakers.”

A long silence filled the room as her parents processed the information.

“What are shakers?” Celeste asked.

“Microscopic creatures. Mostly live in the Otherworld. Scary as shit. You don’t want to know.”

“Whoa.” Her mom walked to the small china cabinet in the dining room crammed full of trinkets from around the world. “I thought the world was so big. All these countries, all these cultures, all these things.” She tapped on the glass. “Who would’ve thought that it’s only the tip of the iceberg? I guess it’s arrogant to think we’re the only things out there.”

Rylan rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You’ve been very good to us, and Celeste,” her mom said.

“Thanks.” He stared at his feet.

“I have an idea. Why don’t we all go out for dinner? Isn’t your mother in town? We can invite her along, too. We should meet her.”

“Thanks. I’ll invite her, but she may not come. She’s super busy with work.”

Her mom’s face softened. “Of course she is.”

Her words hung in the air.

“Alrighty, then.” Celeste stood, pulling Rylan up with her. She followed Rylan out to his car. “Do you think your mom will come?”

“No. I barely got her to meet you. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Not your fault.” She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

He relaxed into her arms, filling all the empty spaces she felt. She raised her head and met his warm lips on hers. Finally, he pulled away, kissing the top of her head. “See you in a little while.” He smiled, but his eyes were still sad.

She watched him get into his car, broad shoulders hanging. She knocked on his window.

He punched the button to lower the window. The glass lowered between him, his crooked sexy smile inches away from hers. “Yes?”

“You deserve better. She’s stupid,” Celeste blurted out.

His smiled dropped. “I’m not a human. She is. She’s never known how to handle that.” He rolled up the windows and backed out of her driveway.

Chapter 4

“Is everyone ready?” Regina asked.

Celeste looked to her parents, standing hand in hand in Rylan’s back yard. The sun threatened to burst through the clouds. The early morning light touched their feet.

“Yes,” her father said. “Celeste?”

“Ready.” She smoothed her blouse for the hundredth time that morning. She had struggled with her outfit choice. It was the first time meeting the
Tuatha
counsel, and she wasn’t sure what to expect. She had settled on her favorite pair of slim jeans and a trim blouse with her nicest flats.

Regina smiled. “It will be fine.” Three shadows detached from the nearby tree line.
Sidhe,
as normal-looking as
Sidhe
can get. Celeste could tell they weren’t human, but they could probably pass for human in the general population. Celeste guessed Regina had chosen them to make her parents more comfortable.

“Okay, let’s do it.” Rylan gave her a quick hug before stepping away to stand next to her mom; she’d wanted someone she trusted to transport her the first time.

The other
Sidhe
fanned out, one each for Regina, Celeste, her dad. The one that sidled up next to her was female, with long wispy blond hair, strange gray eyes, and a cold smile. She gently rested her hand on Celeste’s shoulder. “Ready,
Tuatha
?” Her voice was raspy and soft.

Celeste opened her mouth to answer, but her body ripped into violent motion, spinning and swirling in a vibrant darkness. She remembered to crouch to help her land. She’d learned the hard way to do that so she didn’t face-plant upon landing.

It worked. The darkness gave way to a sudden bright light, and she was standing on neatly trimmed green grass.

She heard gagging and coughing, and whirled around, still disoriented from the
Sidhe
instant teleportation-style travel. Her mom crouched on her hands and knees, coughing. Rylan was next to her, his hand patting her back. “Mrs. Shreeve? Take deep breaths. The first time is always the worse.”

Her dad appeared next to them, looking much worse for the wear. He managed to stay upright, but wavered on his feet. The
Sidhe
who transported him kept a steadying hand on his arm until his tottering stopped. As soon as he oriented himself, he lurched toward his wife. “Are you okay, honey?” he asked in his deep voice.

She straightened. “Yes.”

Celeste quieted her waves of nausea with deep cleansing breaths, finally spinning around so she could see where she was.

They were in a courtyard of sorts. A beautifully intricate wrought iron gate just wide enough for a small car split the stone wall behind them, but what was phenomenal was the building in front of her. It towered above them, made from white stone that gleamed in the Dublin afternoon. Her eyes fluttered over the architectural details not often found in her home country; twists and spires, carved figures on the edifice, and graceful columns near the towering front door. “Wow, this is beautiful.”

Her mother smiled. “Amazing. Have you been to Dublin, honey? I forget.”

“Four times,” her father said. “The smallest big city in the word. Beautiful architecture throughout.”

Regina cleared her throat. “It’s a former estate. Very lovely. Would you guys like to see the inside? Celeste, are you ready to meet the board?”

Celeste swallowed her fear. “Yes.” She took one more deep breath of the fresh, crisp air, and then followed Regina. She slipped her hand into Rylan’s. She could hear her mother’s graceful light steps and her father’s loud plodding behind her and felt a little safer as they walked up the stone steps and approached the tall, wide wooden door.

As she crossed the threshold, she felt warmth move through her. A peaceful stillness filled her. Rylan’s features relaxed too. “What is that?” she asked Regina.

She glanced behind her before answering. “You must be feeling the enchantment that protects this building. It’s an ancient magic almost gone from this world.” She held up her hand and the door swung open.

“She didn’t touch it. Did you see that?” her mom whispered to her dad.

She stifled a giggle and glanced at Rylan.

“Show off,” he muttered.

The entry quickly gave way to an expensive, round rotunda circled overhead by large balconies to the open second and third floor. Sunlight filtered in through a row of skylights and tall, rectangular windows.

“Beautiful,” she said.

“It is. I haven’t been here in years. I’d forgotten,” Rylan said. Her parents tilted their heads up, mouths open, taking in the scenery around them.

Even in daylight, the
Sidhe
flowed past her and all around her, filling all the spaces but not using her power to pass through to the Otherworld. She wasn’t sure how many of them were visible to her parents, but judging by the shocked looks on their faces, she was sure they could see at least a few.

She stared at them too. She hadn’t seen many of them before all together in one place, especially during daylight hours. One that must have been twenty feet tall and narrow as a flagpole, a black and gray wispy fog with a barely humanoid form, crossed their path. “What is that?” she whispered to Rylan.

“I think it’s a weather elemental,” he said. His eyes followed the tall figure as it grossed gracefully in front of them. “But I’m not sure. Never seen anything like it.” He snaked his arm across her. “Wow, you’re so beautiful right now.”

Her body had exploded with violet light, covering her skin with a soft sheen with sparks of light exploding with every step. She’d been so absorbed with the new
Sidhe
she hadn’t even noticed. “Oops.”

“Leave it. It’s amazing,” Rylan said.

She let it flow as they passed through the rotunda and into a narrow hallway lit with scone-shaped lamps. The ancient stone floor absorbed the sounds of their footsteps.

Regina paused in front of an arched, stone doorway inscribed with unfamiliar symbols. “They’re waiting inside, and very anxious to meet you.”

Celeste released Rylan’s hand and reached for the door. It opened under her hand and she was inside.

A skylight filled the oval room with bright light, illuminating the two figures sitting at a round table.

Regina stood next to Celeste, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Usha, Mateus, this is Celeste, our newest
Tuatha.
”

One of the figures stood, his skin so pale it was nearly translucent. Silver hair tumbled passed narrow shoulders. Shocking silver eyes stood out in a face so beautiful and perfect it made her ache to stare. “I am Usha. I am
Sidhe
and a member of the board.” He dipped his head in her direction, but made no move to approach her.

She curtsied in return, feeling stupid, but unsure of how to respond to his greeting. “It’s an honor to meet you, Usha,” she managed.

He smiled, moving his face from perfect to spellbinding. She glowed at his pleasure. “The honor is mine, young
Tuatha
. Your light is glorious.” He nodded at Rylan. “Greetings, Rylan. I expect your father will arrive soon. Madam, Sir.” He dipped his head in the direction of her parents as they stood behind her.

She glanced at Rylan, noting the surprise on his face.

“Your father is a liaison to the board now. I’m sure he will want to see you,” Regina said.

“News to me,” Rylan said.

“What about me?” The other man stood from the table. He was tall and broad, with thick black hair and bronzed skin. His human-like appearance was a relief to Celeste. “Do I not get a chance to welcome our newest
Tuatha
?” His accent was thick and evoked visions of paradise, though she couldn’t quite place it.

He pulled Celeste into a warm hug before kissing each cheek. “I am Mateus, a
Tuatha
and member of this esteemed board.” He gestured toward Usha and Regina. He stepped back, leaving his hands on her shoulders so he could study her face. “One of the older bloodlines, I see. And this light. . .I’ve not seen it before. Beautiful!”

“It’s so nice to meet you,” she stammered.

He dropped his hands and turned to her parents. “And you must be her wonderful parents. Mrs. Shreeve, you are lovely beyond description.” He dropped a kiss on each cheek. “Mr. Shreeve, I presume. Welcome to our facility.” He shook her father’s hand.