I'm Irish so that was our launching point. I'm also a pain in the ass. From that, we get our sidhe and other fae species and races.
And then I get to screw with it.
Both of these are from Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding. I'm long-winded and a show-off. You new folks have been warned.
~~~
Brian paused for a moment at the bottom of the stairs and then turned to face Winter. “Does this have anything to do with me not being allowed into the Theatre this morning?”
Winter nodded. “It does, but some secrets aren’t mine to tell.”
Brian didn’t like that, with Jessie spending so much time there, but he’d have to accept it for now. “Okay… so what can you tell me?”
Winter steepled her hands and touched her index fingers to her lower lip. He knew that expression well. It was her thinking face. Finally, she said, “I can tell you that I’m a wizard.” She thought for another moment. “And so is Jessie.”
“A wizard? Not a witch?”
“It’s not a gendered term. A witch is something else, a blanket term for something more spiritual.”
Brian nodded, adding that to his shifting worldview. He glanced at Winter’s friends, curious now.
“I’m a sidhe,” Etienne said.
Brian blinked.
Etienne scowled. “Why the hell does English have to be so damn difficult?” He pointed at himself. “I’m a faerie knight. A male one.”
Brian’s brows rose as understanding dawned. “Oh!” He thought about that for a moment. “I thought fairies were little with wings.”
Cian smiled brightly. “We’re like Legolas!”
“From The Lord of the Rings?”
“Yep.”
Brian looked at Cian a little more closely. “But you don’t have pointed ears.”
Lana made an irritated noise. “That’s because we’re not Tolkien elves. We’re fae.” She looked from boy to boy and finally rolled her eyes. “But it’s close enough for government work. The whole explanation would take too long and none of us has that kind of time.”
Winter laid a hand on Cian’s shoulder. “Which brings me to the reason we’re here.”
~~~
On the other side, waiting in the rift-lit twilight, was the sidhe lord with the beautiful eyes, his sword drawn, his expression both puzzled and amused.
The color drained from her lips.
A smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Lady Mulcahy, so nice of you to come to my lord’s coronation.”
Winter rallied. “I’m afraid you are mistaken. There will be no coronation today.” She glanced at the rift, so close to exploding, and back to him. Nine glyphs in the seal… They had some time, yet, before midnight, before the rift blew, they had planned this insertion with time in mind, but still, it was possible he could hold them in a stalemate until it was too late. If he was down here alone to guard it, he must be either truly powerful or truly cunning. Either way, they had to get him out of the way. “I don’t believe we were properly introduced.”
“My apologies, my lady. I am Aodhán. Ah, nice to see you again, miss.” His cornflower-blue eyes, so familiar, were looking past Winter to Jessie, now in the doorway. “That was a clever trick with the pot, before. You’ll notice there are none down here.”
Brian came to stand behind Winter and Jessie in the wide doorway, watching Aodhán carefully.
The sidhe lord returned his look with one of keen interest. “And who might you be, Hero?”
Brian settled his hand on Courage’s hilt, more as a warning than as a gesture of aggression. “Just Brian MacDowell.”
Those lovely eyes fell to the sword, gold flecks catching the light from their faerie lanterns. “Where did you get your friend, Brian MacDowell?”
“She was a gift from King Ceallach.”
Aodhán arched one black eyebrow. “Really? What do you know of Ceallach?”
Jessie pushed herself a step into the room. “He’s the guy who’s gonna mess up your boss’s big day.”
Aodhán turned, looking in the direction of the battle, suddenly, subtly, rattled. “Ceallach is here?”
Jessie grinned. “Yep. Kicking invading army ass right now. I’m sure he’d love to meet you. We should totally introduce you.” She leaned backwards and called down the hall. “Hey, Legolas, Thranduil, come meet the guy I was telling you about!”
Jessie had been calling the knights Tolkien names all night and Winter was grateful the two had been playing along. The one dubbed ‘Legolas’ arrived at the door first. “The sidhe lord?” He took a look at Aodhán and gasped before looking to his counterpart and dropping to one knee. “My Prince?”
Thranduil was on his knee a rabbit’s heartbeat behind him. “Prince Aodhán. Son of Ceallach, Son of Deirdre.”
Winter’s heart leapt to her throat. Was this the Unseelie betrayal that Etienne had worried about? If this was indeed the dead prince, what did that mean for her, Jessie, and Brian? What did it mean for the entire city? Surely Ceallach could be convinced to change sides on the word of his missing son.
Brian stepped in front of Winter and Jessie and drew Courage. “Excuse me, guys, you’re supposed to be guarding Winter from him, not handing her to him, remember?”
Thranduil looked briefly at Legolas and then turned to Aodhán. “My Prince, how did you come to be here? You have long been feared dead.”
Aodhán’s cornflower-blue eyes, now that Winter could see the connection—so like his mother’s—flickered from side to side as he thought furiously. “And… I’d like to stay that way. For a bit longer.”
Legolas looked scandalized. “But, my lord, your father…”
“Has mourned me for five hundred years. Another few won’t lessen his grief. Besides, he seems to have his hands full tonight. I think I should leave him to his work and bid you all a good evening.” He moved backwards toward the door on the other side of the room. “Lady Mulcahy, it has proved interesting to meet you. Miss, I’d concentrate your charges on the pillars along the railing. They’re load bearing. Brian MacDowell, I will see you, and your new friend, another time.” With that he pulled the door open and jumped through, slamming it shut behind him.
Legolas rushed to reopen the door, but by the time he opened it and looked up and down the curved hallway there was nothing to be seen.
Jessie looked from the door to Winter, shaking her head in confusion. “Okay. Didn’t see that one coming.”
Brian still stood with Courage bare in his hand, but she was pointed at the floor. “So, are we still good? Your king’s instructions would override a prince’s, right?”
Thranduil nodded, ignoring the bared blade. “Indeed. Let’s get these explosives set.”
Jessie giggled with destructive glee and helped him with his pack. “Let’s do this thing!”
Winter watched the door Aodhán had disappeared through for a long moment, half expecting him to reappear, but when that did not happen she pulled out a large chunk of spell chalk and finally turned to the massive rift.
Nine glyphs in the seal.
And then I get to screw with it.
Both of these are from Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding. I'm long-winded and a show-off. You new folks have been warned.
~~~
Brian paused for a moment at the bottom of the stairs and then turned to face Winter. “Does this have anything to do with me not being allowed into the Theatre this morning?”
Winter nodded. “It does, but some secrets aren’t mine to tell.”
Brian didn’t like that, with Jessie spending so much time there, but he’d have to accept it for now. “Okay… so what can you tell me?”
Winter steepled her hands and touched her index fingers to her lower lip. He knew that expression well. It was her thinking face. Finally, she said, “I can tell you that I’m a wizard.” She thought for another moment. “And so is Jessie.”
“A wizard? Not a witch?”
“It’s not a gendered term. A witch is something else, a blanket term for something more spiritual.”
Brian nodded, adding that to his shifting worldview. He glanced at Winter’s friends, curious now.
“I’m a sidhe,” Etienne said.
Brian blinked.
Etienne scowled. “Why the hell does English have to be so damn difficult?” He pointed at himself. “I’m a faerie knight. A male one.”
Brian’s brows rose as understanding dawned. “Oh!” He thought about that for a moment. “I thought fairies were little with wings.”
Cian smiled brightly. “We’re like Legolas!”
“From The Lord of the Rings?”
“Yep.”
Brian looked at Cian a little more closely. “But you don’t have pointed ears.”
Lana made an irritated noise. “That’s because we’re not Tolkien elves. We’re fae.” She looked from boy to boy and finally rolled her eyes. “But it’s close enough for government work. The whole explanation would take too long and none of us has that kind of time.”
Winter laid a hand on Cian’s shoulder. “Which brings me to the reason we’re here.”
~~~
On the other side, waiting in the rift-lit twilight, was the sidhe lord with the beautiful eyes, his sword drawn, his expression both puzzled and amused.
The color drained from her lips.
A smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Lady Mulcahy, so nice of you to come to my lord’s coronation.”
Winter rallied. “I’m afraid you are mistaken. There will be no coronation today.” She glanced at the rift, so close to exploding, and back to him. Nine glyphs in the seal… They had some time, yet, before midnight, before the rift blew, they had planned this insertion with time in mind, but still, it was possible he could hold them in a stalemate until it was too late. If he was down here alone to guard it, he must be either truly powerful or truly cunning. Either way, they had to get him out of the way. “I don’t believe we were properly introduced.”
“My apologies, my lady. I am Aodhán. Ah, nice to see you again, miss.” His cornflower-blue eyes, so familiar, were looking past Winter to Jessie, now in the doorway. “That was a clever trick with the pot, before. You’ll notice there are none down here.”
Brian came to stand behind Winter and Jessie in the wide doorway, watching Aodhán carefully.
The sidhe lord returned his look with one of keen interest. “And who might you be, Hero?”
Brian settled his hand on Courage’s hilt, more as a warning than as a gesture of aggression. “Just Brian MacDowell.”
Those lovely eyes fell to the sword, gold flecks catching the light from their faerie lanterns. “Where did you get your friend, Brian MacDowell?”
“She was a gift from King Ceallach.”
Aodhán arched one black eyebrow. “Really? What do you know of Ceallach?”
Jessie pushed herself a step into the room. “He’s the guy who’s gonna mess up your boss’s big day.”
Aodhán turned, looking in the direction of the battle, suddenly, subtly, rattled. “Ceallach is here?”
Jessie grinned. “Yep. Kicking invading army ass right now. I’m sure he’d love to meet you. We should totally introduce you.” She leaned backwards and called down the hall. “Hey, Legolas, Thranduil, come meet the guy I was telling you about!”
Jessie had been calling the knights Tolkien names all night and Winter was grateful the two had been playing along. The one dubbed ‘Legolas’ arrived at the door first. “The sidhe lord?” He took a look at Aodhán and gasped before looking to his counterpart and dropping to one knee. “My Prince?”
Thranduil was on his knee a rabbit’s heartbeat behind him. “Prince Aodhán. Son of Ceallach, Son of Deirdre.”
Winter’s heart leapt to her throat. Was this the Unseelie betrayal that Etienne had worried about? If this was indeed the dead prince, what did that mean for her, Jessie, and Brian? What did it mean for the entire city? Surely Ceallach could be convinced to change sides on the word of his missing son.
Brian stepped in front of Winter and Jessie and drew Courage. “Excuse me, guys, you’re supposed to be guarding Winter from him, not handing her to him, remember?”
Thranduil looked briefly at Legolas and then turned to Aodhán. “My Prince, how did you come to be here? You have long been feared dead.”
Aodhán’s cornflower-blue eyes, now that Winter could see the connection—so like his mother’s—flickered from side to side as he thought furiously. “And… I’d like to stay that way. For a bit longer.”
Legolas looked scandalized. “But, my lord, your father…”
“Has mourned me for five hundred years. Another few won’t lessen his grief. Besides, he seems to have his hands full tonight. I think I should leave him to his work and bid you all a good evening.” He moved backwards toward the door on the other side of the room. “Lady Mulcahy, it has proved interesting to meet you. Miss, I’d concentrate your charges on the pillars along the railing. They’re load bearing. Brian MacDowell, I will see you, and your new friend, another time.” With that he pulled the door open and jumped through, slamming it shut behind him.
Legolas rushed to reopen the door, but by the time he opened it and looked up and down the curved hallway there was nothing to be seen.
Jessie looked from the door to Winter, shaking her head in confusion. “Okay. Didn’t see that one coming.”
Brian still stood with Courage bare in his hand, but she was pointed at the floor. “So, are we still good? Your king’s instructions would override a prince’s, right?”
Thranduil nodded, ignoring the bared blade. “Indeed. Let’s get these explosives set.”
Jessie giggled with destructive glee and helped him with his pack. “Let’s do this thing!”
Winter watched the door Aodhán had disappeared through for a long moment, half expecting him to reappear, but when that did not happen she pulled out a large chunk of spell chalk and finally turned to the massive rift.
Nine glyphs in the seal.
Auror
