Dark Faery II: The Mercifuls (DarkFaery Book 2) Read online

  “There’s no love?”

  “Of course there is. But under love there’s like and dislike. Sometimes dislike takes over. That’s what happened to Kele and Fiona.”

  He hadn’t known about Kele and Fiona.

  The stars were becoming paler, so they flitted back.

  “Is there a thrall receptionist here?” Flynn asked as they reached the cave.

  “No. We’re not usually here long enough to need things like we do there.”

  “Which do you like better, here or there?”

  “This is a nice visit, but I’m from the Celestials.”

  “Really? I didn’t know. Are there clans here?”

  “Of course. How else would Faeries live? The ones I know of are Web-makers, Miners, Flowers and Water Faeries. But there are more, and the clans seem to be larger. You’ll like it here, don’t worry.”

  23

  The night of the first concert came, and Flynn dressed meticulously. He was nervous, and no amount of reassurance from Harry settled him. The others had their own concerns, so no one much worried about Flynn.

  At the appointed time, the five scheduled to perform that night – which included Flynn – appeared at the concert hall. The fans cheered as the band played. Although Flynn was in the background for the first song, the wash of Faery scent was nearly overpowering. Zoe sensed this and kept him between herself and Fiona. He wouldn’t get past either of them. Simon should’ve realized he’d need to be tethered in such close range to light Faeries.

  A reply from Simon made her look up. He sat, glamoured, on a tree branch near the stage. The music began and Flynn did his usual wonderful job, but the rest of the group could feel him vibrating with tension and nerves. When his turn came to sing, nerves overcame him. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Before the audience could realize his stage fright, Simon was behind him singing the words Flynn should’ve sung. He was glamoured, so none of the fans saw Simon, only Flynn.

  With Simon’s backing giving him confidence – and a little guilt about letting the others down – Flynn began to sing, his voice gaining strength as he gained confidence. He wasn’t sure when Simon left him, but before the song was finished he was gone. From that point on Flynn had no difficulty, and when he next sang a song, he took pleasure in the crowd’s adulation.

  Zoe noticed with relief that once Flynn lost his fear and became immersed in performing he stopped noticing the Faery scent. She knew better than to be complacent, especially regarding Flynn, but she was more able to enjoy performing herself.

  When the concert ended, Shauna Faun winked out as they usually did at concerts. They immediately went to feed. Since the concert had been early in the night, Humans hadn’t yet taken to their beds. Now Simon appeared to whisk Flynn to the Human village, leaving the others to their own devices.

  “Thanks for your help, Simon,” Flynn said.

  Simon nodded. “You’re not the first. We’ve all needed help from time to time.”

  “Do you think the audience noticed?”

  “I’m certain they didn’t. They couldn’t see me. You did well.”

  Praise from Simon made him determined to do better next time.

  When they returned there were some light Faeries in the reception area. Simon put a hand on Flynn’s shoulder.

  “Stay on the other side of the room.” He nodded to Lucas, who sat where Simon had indicated, and Lucas nodded back.

  Flynn looked longingly at the light Faeries, and forced himself across the room.

  “How do you bear it?” he muttered to Lucas.

  “Feed to excess. They’re not so enticing then.”

  Simon had glamoured Flynn so the fans didn’t see him. It was enough for him to learn close proximity before he could interact with them. Before they could ever return home he’d need those skills.

  Flynn watched, the smell nearly making him swoon at times. As soon as he look about to stand, Lucas would put a restraining hand on him.

  When the evening of entertaining finally ended and the last light Faery had gone, Flynn took the first deep breath since before the concert. The others chuckled when he did so. Although dark Faeries didn’t need to breathe, the reaction was the same for all fledglings after such an encounter.

  “You’ve done well, Flynn,” Simon remarked, and then put his arm around Zoe’s shoulders and walked back toward the lairs.

  24

  Weeks passed. Simon heard news from across the sea. In the first weeks, rumors and panic about a new breed of blood-sucking insect spread. Insects didn’t generally harm the light Faery; the Cerebrals regularly used bees as transportation for their elderly, who often had arthritis in their wings. But human reports had made the Faeries uneasy.

  As the weeks went on a lack of bites or sightings brought the rumors to the level of a joke, and made the couple who had first reported them seem fools who had let their imaginations run wild. Even rogue Vampyres who did exist in that part of the world and who fed mainly on the outlaw Faery population didn’t command any notice.

  “Will we return home soon?” a few of the younger Vampyres asked after a discussion about these events.

  “Let’s not be hasty,” Simon replied. “We have some success here and both Humans and Faeries are more plentiful here. Flynn hasn’t been a Vampyre a year yet. Proper grounding is essential if –”

  He stopped, not wishing to remind the others of Ethan’s demise. He also didn’t want to suggest that Arwen had been less than thorough. Ethan had been a drinker of Faery blood before joining Shauna Faun, so that may have been a factor.

  “I find it refreshing here,” Harry said. “If we hurry home we’ll find ourselves wishing we’d done one thing or another before we left these shores.”

  Simon looked gratefully at Harry. He knew Harry was as anxious as anyone else to leave, but he had a great ability to turn troubles into advantages.

  They continued to hunt in the Human lands, and Flynn was careful to wait for others. He wouldn’t again make the mistake of assuming he knew enough to hunt alone.

  Accompanying Flynn wasn’t an onerous task, since most of the Vampyres travelled in pairs to hunt. It was a social event, unlike feeding as a rogue dark Faery.

  Flynn particularly enjoyed traveling with Caeli. They were nearly inseparable unless Shauna Faun business took one and not the other. The others seemed pleased that Caelen had finally found someone and that Flynn had found a place in the group.

  Harry was probably most pleased and contented because his relationship with Arwen was going so well.

  Caelen noticed Flynn’s silence. He seemed sad, but she didn’t know the cause. For a while she thought he was homesick, although he didn’t mention his family or returning across the sea. Few Vampyres felt homesickness for their light Faery families, but it was known to happen.

  “Why are you sad?” she asked, finally. “Do you wish we were not together? Do you wish you were not Vampyre?”

  He looked astonished. “No. I’ve wanted to be Vampyre since I discovered what Shauna Faun is. And you – I love you!”

  She looked startled. Vampyres didn’t usually speak of love. Still, she was pleased.

  “I didn’t mean to offend,” he said.

  “You didn’t. But what makes you sad?”

  “I – is there no ceremony for a Vampyre couple?”

  “Ceremony? Like marriage?”

  “Before that, even,” Flynn said. “In our clan, if a boy and girl wish to be joined, there is a paramour ceremony.”

  “I have parents no longer.”

  “I know. I just thought there must be something.”

  “We do not follow the goddess, so we have none of her ceremonies. It is enough that we have chosen to be together. Does that bother you?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “I guess not.”

  “It’s all new to you. In time our ways will be easy to you.”

  They flew out, discovering the woods in all its glory. Caelen showed Flynn some of the things he
could do now, such as flitting faster than a light Faery could see. He could see Caeli when she did it, but he did understand that it was faster. He knew that anyway because he’d hit a few branches his first time after he’d been turned.

  They went to the light Faery village nearest their cave and, glamouring themselves, sat in a tree branch and watched the light Faeries at play. They had a wonderful time, Flynn captivated by everything Caelen did. When they returned to the cave, Simon was curious about what they had been up to.

  “You took a huge risk, Caelen,” Simon said, “exposing Flynn to the light Faery.”

  “He was fine. We were high up in the trees,” she replied.

  Simon glared at her but said nothing.

  On subsequent evenings they stayed away from the light Faery villages and saw them only during concerts. Flynn learned how to feed before concerts so that the light Faery scent wouldn’t overpower him. Gradually he was able to tolerate them without having another of the Vampyres close enough to hold him back.

  Eventually, he was able to sit in the room after a concert unglamoured so that the fans could see him. He still sat across the room, rather than joining in the mix. But if one or two of his fans approached, he could chat with them without the urge to bite. He did wonder if Simon did something to cause the light Faery to only approach him one or two at a time, unlike the others, who had scores of groupies. Simon chuckled when he asked.

  “You certainly think highly of your skills,” Simon remarked, but he never answered the question.

  Flynn didn’t play every concert just as none of the others did, but he played more at first, giving him the chance to work with each different grouping as well as becoming calmer with the crowds.

  Simon and the others seemed pleased. There were no incidents, and Flynn felt he’d finally learned the ways of the dark Faery.

  Although Flynn spent most of his non-music time with Caelen, he longed to prove himself to Simon. He wanted to show him that he could be trusted to hunt alone, and that he would remember everything he was supposed to do.

  When he approached Simon about it, he already knew.

  “You think after six months that you can hunt properly, do you?” Simon asked.

  “Yes, I do. How did you know?”

  “It has been much on your mind. It permeates your sleep.”

  “Will you let me?”

  “Tomorrow. I will have an errand for Caelen so she won’t stand in your way.”

  “Would she object?”

  “It’s just you wanting to do something on your own, her wanting to protect you – she doesn’t want you in trouble with me.”

  “Would she be angry?”

  “She’d act as if you didn’t love her.”

  Flynn’s face wrinkled. “Simon, Caeli said there are no betrothals, no weddings among the dark Faery.”

  “We don’t follow the goddess.”

  “Then there’s no permanence to anything?”

  “Permanence. You are young yet. After a hundred years – I daresay after 50 you’ll wish for change more than permanence.”

  “I can’t imagine ever being without Caeli.”

  “As I said, you are young. I hope you both always feel that way, but it is rare, given our circumstances.”

  “No one’s ever stayed together?”

  “I’ve heard tell of a 1,000 year-old couple who were married before they were turned. I’ve never met them. It’s rare that we live quite so long. There are many things that can happen. We’re immortal provided we’re not staked, burned up in the sun and the like. Never be smug about it.”

  “But I must be content with keeping faith that Caeli and I will remain in love.”

  “I think it’s a celebration you want,” Simon said.

  Flynn looked confused. “What?”

  “You want a ceremony. We can do that if that’s what you both want.”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t asked Caeli.”

  “How about this: discuss that tonight and tomorrow night I’ll keep her busy so you can feed alone. Afterwards, you can let me know whether or not we’ll celebrate.”

  Simon was happy with his plan. Caeli looked quizzically at him when she appeared.

  “Ready, Flynn?” she asked, still looking at Simon.

  Once they had gone off toward their usual hunting area, she asked Flynn what was wrong with Simon. He explained Simon’s idea about a ceremony.

  “Is that really what you want to do?” she asked.

  “Not if it will make you unhappy,” Flynn replied.

  “No, it wouldn’t. It would set us apart. No one else in our group has done it.”

  “So, do you want to?”

  “Yes.” She would’ve flung her arms around him, but they were in midflight.

  The next evening as the Vampyres rose, Simon called Caelen to him. She apologized for leaving Flynn, but he assured her he’d be fine. Once she had gone, he went off to feed.

  He ticked off the things he’d been remembering to do each night since he’d been in this part of the world. He made sure he was well into the Human village and away from homes he and Caelen had visited.

  He selected a home that looked quiet and entered. Once inside, he activated a glamour and selected the snoring man. He would be least likely to awaken. Flynn bit and fed, careful to pay attention to every detail. When he finished he sealed the bites before flitting out of the house. No one could’ve asked for a more precise exercise in feeding.

  While he was out, Simon had Caelen work with him on a piece for their next concert. He’d written a song he wanted to duet with her.

  “You’re not singing it with Zoe?” she asked.

  “We tried, but her voice isn’t suited to it.”

  She could understand that. She was a soprano and Zoe was definitely an alto.

  They rehearsed for some time. When Simon was finished, he dismissed her. Before she left she hesitated and then spoke.

  “Did you know Flynn wants a ceremony of joining?”

  “Yes. He spoke to me about it.”

  “Will you do it?”

  “If it’s what you both want.”

  “I’ve agreed.”

  “Is it what you want?”

  “I never thought of it, but yes.”

  “So, I chose well?” he asked, referring to his selection of Flynn.

  “You did. Of course, I thought he chose us.”

  “I allowed him to.”

  She studied him. “Do you control everyone’s mind?”

  He laughed. “No, of course not. But I am capable of putting things into the minds of light Faery, if they’re not too resistant. I could not, for example, coerce one of the priestesses – or Teilo Feather’s wife, for that matter.”

  Caelen laughed. “When will we have the ceremony?”

  “I thought it would be nice to wait until we’re back in our own country.”

  “Are we going soon, then?”

  “Yes. All seems to be well there now. A few more months to be sure Flynn is able to deal with light Faery and then we’ll make the trek.”

  “What about Artemis?”

  “I’m making inquiries now that may allow us to avoid his lands.”

  “Good. I couldn’t bear staying there again,” she said.

  “I fear most could not. And I hate contention. Now, go find your young lad.”

  Caelen flitted out of the rehearsal hall in search of Flynn.

  25

  Summer wore on to autumn. Rhiann’s coven invited Simon’s to celebrate Samhain with them. Simon had hoped to be back to his own country by then, but he’d had to be cautious about making plans to avoid Artemis’s kingdom. So they had agreed to spend Samhain with Rhiann and leave from there the next night.

  Simon had discussed this with his coven in the weeks before the holiday, and they had everything packed and ready to go. They gave one last concert before Samhain. The crowds cheered, and many came back after the concert.

  This time Flynn had several
light Faeries around him. Harry stayed nearby in case the temptation became too strong. Flynn was able to keep his composure and chat with his fans calmly.

  When everyone left, Harry noticed Flynn was shaking.

  “You hid your difficulty well,” he told Flynn.

  “I’m all right now,” Flynn replied.

  Simon smiled approval. “You’ve come far, Flynn,” he said.

  The next night they awoke, gathered their things and flitted off to Rhiann’s coven. When they arrived, everyone was in a festive mood. Their meeting place after Simon’s group had left their gear was in a grove on the edge of the forest by the nearest Human village. There were always Human revelers on Samhain who ventured into the woods searching for lost souls. The dark Faery, in twos and threes, glamoured and fed on these Humans, letting them see sparkling sights they’d be sure later were souls they sought. The slight weakness from the loss of blood could be explained as the wages of meeting the dead. None would remember being bitten. It was the one day a year the dark Faeries could be less vigilant, since Humans expected strange sights in the woods on that night.

  Sometimes, rather than drinking directly from the Humans, the Faeries let the blood flow into goblets, and once they let the Humans go, they went off to revel and drink from the goblets like princes and lords. Celebrations called for different methods.

  As dawn crept in, the Vampyres took to their beds, happy from the festivities.

  The next evening they bade farewell to Rhiann and her people. They set off to a slightly more northern port where Thorin, an old friend of Kele’s, awaited their arrival.

  Thorin was a hearty, bearded Faery who laughed easily. At first glance he looked like a light Faery rather than a Vampyre. The reddish-brown beard hid the pallor of his face, and his hazel eyes were merry, taking folk in unawares. There were five others in his coven: three women and two men. All were gracious to Shauna Faun, but Thorin did the majority of talking. He enjoyed teasing Simon and Kele about the band, asking when they planned on getting respectable jobs.