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“At least temporarily,” Rogue commented, following the thought. “I quickly sent them back to your world, before Titania noticed. Still—an odd coincidence, yes.”
“When magic is involved, mere coincidence seems improbable.” Especially with Rogue and me, with the many uncanny ways our fates intertwined. Once I would have declared the concept of fate superstitious nonsense. These days…well, not so much.
“There is that,” he conceded.
“You know,” I said, cupping his cheek, “you were only a child. Very young mentally. Striking back at the birds that would have killed you was a natural impulse.”
He turned his head to press a kiss to my palm. “I know that now. My fortune was simply that I had more power than I knew how to use properly. You would understand that.”
I did. And though Marquise and Scourge had been my teachers, my lot paled by comparison to what Titania had put him through. The glimpses I’d caught were enough to steer me away from those memories. As I’d told Walter, some things were too private to share. Still, I hated that he’d been recaptured by her for my sake. That she’d hurt him again.
“You needn’t worry about me as you are,” he continued. “Though your concern is far more gratifying than when you are full of suspicion, I don’t…experience things in the same way you do. Those memories don’t haunt me or cause me pain. Not like yours do to you.”
Ah yes, this song and dance. He’d tried to persuade me from the beginning that he didn’t have real feelings. That none of them did. I didn’t buy it anymore.
They experienced emotions, all right. Every last one of them. Just with the same distortion as all of Faerie—inside out, more brilliant, asymmetrical. The world I knew, mutated.
By magic.
Part IV
Peer Review
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Chapter 24
In Which We Do Much Strategizing
‡
I have long suspected that the war is nothing more than a game to pass thetime.
~Big Book of Fairyland, “Falcon’sWar”
His obligation tome satisfied, Rogue called a war council meeting.
Normally this should have pleased General Falcon and his commanders, who had demonstrated they loved nothing better. This time, however, not only was Rogue in charge, but their erstwhile enemy also sat at the table. General Fafnir, grizzled and dour as ever, arrived with an entourage of nobles I recalled from either the welcoming ceremony or the wedding itself. They ranged down one side of the table, Falcon and his staff, including Lord Puck and Lady Healer, down the other.
Glowering at each other.
Rogue and I sat at the head of the table in side-by-side chairs, which pleased me. Starling, Larch and Athena—who I’d insisted on having present, despite their nonnoble status—sat behind us, which I tried not to be irritated about. Marquise, Scourge, looking amused by it all, and Walter, back in his silver collar and clearly chagrined by it, sat a ways down, on “our” side.
Darling Hercules sat on the table next to me, still preening from his gallant defense of the castle.
“Is this all the noble fae?” I asked Rogue, as the others bickered among themselves.
He cast an eye over the group of maybe fifty. “Excepting Titania, her loyal following, Incandescence, Blackbird and a few who keep out of society altogether, yes.”
Very small pool, even if I figured on an equal number hanging with—or cocooned by—Titania. Not nearly enough to form a heterogeneous population for breeding. Of course, that followed the evolution of immortality, right? That piece must come later, however, since clearly many didn’t survive their hatching and emergence onto land. Only those with magic and strength—or luck—survived that transition.
Once past that and without death, the population had to maintain itself in other ways, which meant zero to no reproduction.
Except for Titania’s mad gambit.
“I wish to register my continued complaint against our noble host,” Falcon cut through the initial chatter. “None of us can afford to be in contention with our noble and lovely goddess. This is Rogue’s problem. I say we leave him to deal with it.”
“Agreed.” Fafnir flicked a glance at us and away. “Ever have we been on our own. Victory is not possible. Thus we should return to our individual pursuits.”
