Otherworld has to offer. It will do you no harm. After that, I will provision you for your journey. You cannot continue to travel without some comforts. I’m sure sleeping on the ground has not been to your liking, and then there is the question of…” The Queen’s nose wrinkled as she concluded, “Cleanliness.”
Khiara realized she had not bathed in three days. She turned her head toward her left shoulder to sniff herself surreptitiously. A brief glance at Liam told her that he seemed oblivious to her discomfiture; he was staring out the window on his side of the carriage, his expression inscrutable. She wondered what he was thinking as she turned her attention back to the Queen.
“I am most humbled and honored by your invitation,” Khiara said carefully, trying to word her response politely, without saying the forbidden words of gratitude. “I will accept any hospitality you wish to offer. It would certainly feel good to get clean and sleep in a proper bed.”
“Very good,” the Queen responded, her eyes shining with delight. “Ronan will be late, but I’m sure that we can find you a suitable dance partner tonight. Don’t worry. You will be perfectly safe in my home. Neither he nor any of my subjects will do anything to harm you.”
Khiara felt Liam shift in the seat next to her, and he appeared to turn his attention even more fully on the passing scenery. She could sense that he was warning her without words. Instinctively, she reached for him, her fingers inching across the plush seat cushion toward the silent fae bard. As her fingertips brushed his hip, he startled her by flinching at her touch. Khiara felt a brief flare of power, a tendril of energy reaching from him to twine around her, and then the sensation vanished.
“It is the least I can do for one of our own kind.”
Khiara nodded at the Queen dazedly, and then blinked as the words sank in. “Pardon me?” she responded, her attention drawn back to the beautiful woman.
“I said that it is the least we can do for one of own kind. Even a part-fae is family. The blood of your faerie ancestors makes you one of us, despite the diminished blood.”
“No, that is not possible.” Khiara shook her head. “I’ve traced my ancestors. None of them could possibly be fae.”
“Do you think you would even know?” Titania asked, arching one delicate golden eyebrow. “There are generations you cannot see – for which you have no photographs or anecdotal evidence to even give you an inkling of what they might have truly been. Tell me, what of those ancestors that you are unable to trace further than a few generations back in time. What is it that the humans call them?”
“Brick walls,” Liam said almost inaudibly, his face still turned to the carriage window.
“Yes, brick walls. You have many on your mother’s side, I believe.” The Queen looked at Khiara expectantly.
“No, I don’t think…” Khiara was still shaking her head as she thought about her family. Her mother’s mother had descended from the Italian side. Her mother’s father…
“He was Celtic Irish, was he not?”
“I don’t know much about him. I have not been able to reach back more than a few generations, but I do know that my great-grandfather came from Ireland to America.”
Titania nodded as if that statement confirmed her words. “We can tell our own kind, you know. And being faerie is certainly something that would not be noted in the humans’ records. Humans haven’t the sense for such things. They lost their magick long ago. Even though you are not related to me or mine directly, we still consider you one of us. Having the human blood makes you particularly appealing to our men. They see our women as weak.” Anger crept into her voice. “We cannot give them as many children as human women give human men. However, this is not our fault. It is the way that all faeries are made, both the male and female of the species. Humans are more durable. Faeries
Khiara realized she had not bathed in three days. She turned her head toward her left shoulder to sniff herself surreptitiously. A brief glance at Liam told her that he seemed oblivious to her discomfiture; he was staring out the window on his side of the carriage, his expression inscrutable. She wondered what he was thinking as she turned her attention back to the Queen.
“I am most humbled and honored by your invitation,” Khiara said carefully, trying to word her response politely, without saying the forbidden words of gratitude. “I will accept any hospitality you wish to offer. It would certainly feel good to get clean and sleep in a proper bed.”
“Very good,” the Queen responded, her eyes shining with delight. “Ronan will be late, but I’m sure that we can find you a suitable dance partner tonight. Don’t worry. You will be perfectly safe in my home. Neither he nor any of my subjects will do anything to harm you.”
Khiara felt Liam shift in the seat next to her, and he appeared to turn his attention even more fully on the passing scenery. She could sense that he was warning her without words. Instinctively, she reached for him, her fingers inching across the plush seat cushion toward the silent fae bard. As her fingertips brushed his hip, he startled her by flinching at her touch. Khiara felt a brief flare of power, a tendril of energy reaching from him to twine around her, and then the sensation vanished.
“It is the least I can do for one of our own kind.”
Khiara nodded at the Queen dazedly, and then blinked as the words sank in. “Pardon me?” she responded, her attention drawn back to the beautiful woman.
“I said that it is the least we can do for one of own kind. Even a part-fae is family. The blood of your faerie ancestors makes you one of us, despite the diminished blood.”
“No, that is not possible.” Khiara shook her head. “I’ve traced my ancestors. None of them could possibly be fae.”
“Do you think you would even know?” Titania asked, arching one delicate golden eyebrow. “There are generations you cannot see – for which you have no photographs or anecdotal evidence to even give you an inkling of what they might have truly been. Tell me, what of those ancestors that you are unable to trace further than a few generations back in time. What is it that the humans call them?”
“Brick walls,” Liam said almost inaudibly, his face still turned to the carriage window.
“Yes, brick walls. You have many on your mother’s side, I believe.” The Queen looked at Khiara expectantly.
“No, I don’t think…” Khiara was still shaking her head as she thought about her family. Her mother’s mother had descended from the Italian side. Her mother’s father…
“He was Celtic Irish, was he not?”
“I don’t know much about him. I have not been able to reach back more than a few generations, but I do know that my great-grandfather came from Ireland to America.”
Titania nodded as if that statement confirmed her words. “We can tell our own kind, you know. And being faerie is certainly something that would not be noted in the humans’ records. Humans haven’t the sense for such things. They lost their magick long ago. Even though you are not related to me or mine directly, we still consider you one of us. Having the human blood makes you particularly appealing to our men. They see our women as weak.” Anger crept into her voice. “We cannot give them as many children as human women give human men. However, this is not our fault. It is the way that all faeries are made, both the male and female of the species. Humans are more durable. Faeries
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