Through Time-Frankie (7 page)

“Graely…”

“Frankie, don’t do this. Don’t look at me like that. Don’t think of me that way. Can’t you see what I am? Don’t you know I’m not right for you? Don’t you realize what I have done? I’m not worthy to look at you, let alone touch you. I will never let myself touch you. It can only end in hurt…for us both.”

“Not for me. A moment with you is worth a hundred moments with anyone else. You would never hurt me, Graely, unless you walk away from what we could be. That would be a hurt that would never go away,” she said softly.

“You are wrong, my sweet girl.” He clucked his tongue, “You will get over it once you find the right one.
And I’m not him.”

“Ye are, ye are the one,” she boldly told him.

“You are a child, you don’t understand these matters.”

“I am eighteen. I am
not
a child, and I understand a great deal. A child? You have forgotten just who I am. I want ye Graely—ye, no other.  Don’t ye want to give me what I want… what I need? Ye are the one, Graely. Don’t ye believe me when I tell ye? I grew up that day—that day when I killed thousands of those creatures. I grew up, and it made me who I am, and who I am, wants ye. No other will do. It has always been ye, no one else.”

“No
, you think that because I am always coming to your rescue. I won’t do that anymore.
You are on your own
, Frankie. You have everything it takes to save yourself. This is my fault. I didn’t realize I was doing more harm, than good…”

“Graely, oh Graely, don’t leave me like this…don’t…” Frankie cried. “If ye don’t stay with me now, then say ye will be there when I need ye. Ye must always come when I call, or I will pine, Graely, and that is the worst danger of all. Ye don’t want me to pine, do ye? Ye might as well put a knife in m’heart, and end me now.”

He held her then, held her tighter than she had ever been held before. He lifted her into his arms, in an embrace that rocked with devotion, and then they were wrapped in a cloak of passion as his mouth closed on hers.

His kiss
rocketed sensations through her body.

His kiss
awoke the grown female inside of her, electrified her with emotion—a female that would never again doze in the background.

His kiss
took all that was bright and shiny inside of Frankie and turned those lights into fireworks, her inner budding flowers into blossoming bouquets riotous with color.

His kiss
did something else as well. It tickled the darkness she had been suppressing since she had taken part in the war against the Unseelie. That darkness had tried to come to a peak inside of her, and she had always beaten it down. It was a darkness that demanded a voice, because it was filled with power.

His kiss
awoke and teased that dark power into new growth.

Suddenly, he tore himself away, and the sound that came out of his throat and boomed out of his mouth was that of soul wrenched with agony. He set her from him and dropped his hands to his side.  “I am the worst of all cads, a blackguard, and a devil. Frankie, you are the one thing that makes me whole, and I’ll not take advantage of you.” And Graely shifted off.

Gone
.

She should follow.
She could follow
. She could track like no other Daoine Fae. But, he needed his space. Following him now would not help.

His lips had awakened a fever in her.  His lips on hers had been a brand she would never get over—his brand. She whispered his name and sent her name with their link into his mind.

With relief she noted that he had not broken their link—it was still there holding him to her. She could feel his confusion and need. She could feel him attempting to banish their mind link, but something stopped him. She knew he wasn’t ready to let her go. She thanked the heavens for that. She had to find a way to get through to him before he was able to do just that.

She still had hope.

“There ye are,” Fiona said tapping her on the shoulder.

Frankie adjusted to reality, “Where have ye been, Fiona? I looked all over for ye.”

“I was hanging m’poor head out the back door, I was. I’m not used to drinking, and that is a truth. Don’t want to ruin yer night, Frankie, but I got a call from m’man, and I think I’ll just head on over to his place.”

“Oh, sure, of course. I’m ready to head home m’self,” Frankie said on a sigh.

“Home is it? But did ye not say ye be staying in the Highlands this summer with yer family?”

“I did, what I meant was, going to head back to my…er…hotel room, and taking off tomorrow morning for home. Just a short plane ride, ye know.”

“Aye then, email me,” Fiona called as she headed out.

Frankie waited only long enough to see her leave before heading for the girl’s room, going into a stall and shifting home. She had planned to spend a few days in Dublin, and stay at a nice little bed and breakfast not far from Trinity, but now… now all she wanted was her own room.

Because she was fairly certain, nothing would ever be the same, ever again, not after his kiss. Life would no longer hold any lure without him.

All the excitement of the day, of being in Dublin on her own, the prospect of Trinity in the fall—all of it no longer seemed to matter.

Only one thing mattered, and he had run away from her before she could show him how she felt.

What was she to do? Just what was she to do?

* * *

Prince Worley whispered into Queen Mab’s ear and stood back to see the results of his handiwork.

Queen Mab was no fool. She was the oldest living Daoine Fae and had many try to do what he was attempting to accomplish. He knew she did not care for him, and yet he wasn’t giving up. He wanted her to take him into her inner circle so that he could be on the spot when she and the Seelie made plans against Pestale. It was crucial. It was what he had promised to accomplish. He had his reasons.

She listened to his theory regarding humans and said quietly, “Is that what you think?” The Queen’s lovely brow was up. She rarely gave anything away and usually answered questions with one of her own.

Worley frowned, “As to that, I don’t know what to think. They—these doltish humans are destroying the icebergs…shall we continue to allow them to do so?”

“It is most upsetting, but we may not interfere. The Human Realm belongs to the humans. They must develop in their own good time. Destiny must not be tampered with for the consequences are dire. You are young, but not so young that you don’t know that Worley. What is all this really about?”

“I want you to use your influence with Deimne. I should like to court his daughter, Frankie, but she seems to think she belongs in the Human Realm, making it next to impossible to interact with her.

“Deimne gave you permission to court her,” Queen Mab eyed him narrowly.

“Yes, but I would like you to order her home, so that I may do so.”

“No,” Queen Mab said evenly.

“No? But my Queen…she is Daoine. She belongs here.”

“Frankie belongs where she deems fit. The matter of where she should live has always been a personal one between her and her father.” She waved him off, “If I needed Frankie, she would come. She is a loyal and powerful Daoine.” One brow went high, “If you really wished to pursue this, you would shift to wherever she is and make yourself impossible to resist.”

“That is not my style,” he answered and opened his mouth to say more, but the Queen waved him off.

“You may go now, Worley as I am expecting Queen Aaibhe and Morgan LeBlanc.”

“Should you not call in
your
Royals, myself included, on this meeting?” Worley’s voice held irritation.

“No,” she said and the doors to her meeting room opened and she motioned for him to leave.

As he turned to go, he felt a well of hatred for her. One day, he meant to show her what he was made of…one day soon.

Chapter Nine

PESTALE STOOD BACK and regarded the Blue Demon standing in front of him. He waved a hand to one of the ornate gold gilt chairs spread around the long oak table and said, “Sit, Sventer. Be comfortable.”

Sventer looked around the war room, touched one of his pointed blue ears and did not smile.

Pestale watched him curiously. The Blue Demon walked out of the way of the large panoramic window, which allowed a great deal of direct sunlight to fill the sparsely furnished room. He stood beside one of the chairs in the shadows and returned Pestale’s gaze, giving nothing of his thoughts away as he said, “I prefer to stand.”

“As you wish,” Pestale smirked at him, and stood at the head of the long table and pyramided his hands to his chin before saying, “What news have you brought me?”  Here was an important ally. For a few years, Pestale had been carefully developing a friendship with Sventer, an alpha Demon. He asked nothing of him until these last few months, when he told him how important he and his little band of soldiers would be to his plans. What a bright future it would hold and secure for them if they did their part now.

The tall, muscular creature was certainly impressive standing stoically behind the chair. He appeared as dangerous and powerful as Pestale knew he could be.

Sventer had keen penetrating eyes and strong jaw-line. He wore his silver hair slicked back and braided. His blue skin was tattooed with runes and his attitude made him stand out amongst his peers.

Sventer held himself with self assurance and Pestale knew he commanded respect from his soldiers. They had, after all, followed him, breaking away from the main colony when Sventer started his own clan. He was also ambitious.

They lived in the deepest darkest part of the jungle and Sventer had told him that the last hundred years had left him discontent. He wanted more for him and his clan.

Pestale was impressed with the considerable size of his clan and the training Sventer put them through. They were certainly warriors looking for a fight, and he had given them one with the promise of great spoils.

Pestale knew his history, knew that Sventer did not approve of the quiet and peaceful existence the rest of his colony had adopted since they had arrived in Conglam hundreds upon hundreds of years ago.

Sventer was fond of repeating the story of how he had told them theirs was the right to conquer new worlds and take riches. They were Demons, not puppies.

The remaining five clans that Sventer had broken away from shook their heads and ignored him.

Pestale had given them a cause, a purpose and showed them what the end result would be. In return for their help, Pestale had promised Sventer a great deal. He knew too, that the Blue Demon was no fool.

Pestale patiently awaited Sventer’s response to his question, ignoring the considering glance Sventer cast his way.

“What news
have I
for you? I am not your servant, but your partner. Do not try and make me anything else,” Sventer said at last.

“Obviously, I am merely asking my…er…partner, for an update. You travel freely in the Human Realm. I, however, don’t have that luxury—yet.”

“But you will, and soon, is that not right, Pestale?”

Sventer was fishing. He wasn’t going to give him anything concrete that he didn’t need to know. “Let us say, I have been working on it,” Pestale remarked idly.

“I will tell you that I do agree with you—the time
is
now. Everything is in place, even that idiot Worley, that we have been working with, seems to be in readiness, and will be on the spot.”

“He is a bit more than an idiot and I shall take great pleasure in driving my Death Sword deep into his chest when the time comes. His last missive to me was intolerable,” Pestale said quietly. “But, we digress. Are we in readiness?”

“Can you doubt it?” Sventer snorted. “What I want to know is how you mean to create the diversion you need in the Fae World? Without that we will never succeed with the humans.  The Fae will step in.”

“Leave that to me. I have it well in hand.”

Sventer eyed him but allowed this to drop. “Very well, if you have matters in hand, I believe the time has come to implement, step two.”

“I must ask, are you still dedicated to The Cause? Are you still ready to shed the blood of innocents?”

Sventer took up the challenge and stood tall and straight, one hand crossing his chest in allegiance, “I gave you my word and my soldiers are ready to do whatever it takes. We are warriors and although it is not our goal to inflict harm on the innocents, it is a part of war. We Blue Demons were always meant to conquer, and conquer we will.” He paused and frowned as he seemed to collect his thoughts, “Pestale, you and I have no great love for one another. I am not such a fool as to trust you, but when you first sent me off with my best scouts through the portal, I realized at once, we were meant to do this together. I know that a time will come when you won’t need us, when the humans you have in hand are beaten, but think again if you think to eliminate us. You will always need an army and in the army we provide, you have might. Humans are free thinkers; they will not be enslaved for long. When you need to corral them, we will be your right arm. Give us the respect we deserve, and we will work with you in what you call The Cause.”

“You have not seen their armies, only their citizens,” Pestale cautioned. “You will have to kill in great and bloody numbers in order to win this war. Are you up to that?”

“By the time the humans send in their troops to contain a force they cannot even see, your plan will be operational, and there will be nothing they can do. I only hope that my soldiers and I do not get caught in the crosshairs. The Dark King is a force you cannot control, because we have no real idea how he will react. He is a might beyond anyone’s ability to second guess.”

“Never mind that, I know what I am doing,” Pestale countered, feeling a momentary twinge of doubt.

“Do you? I wonder. At any rate, most of my kind believe that you can subjugate the humans without destroying them, without torturing them. Do not think that because we are warriors, we enjoy the kill. I have studied your plan and it is not totally faultless. We shall instigate phase two at this juncture and see where it takes us. You be ready to do your part.”

“Much is dependent on you and yours, but don’t think I can’t do this without you,” Pestale was irritated into claiming.

Sventer’s thin lips twitched with irritation, “I do think it, but never mind. I do not wish to bicker with you. Remember I entered this pact with you because of many reasons, but one in particular.”

Pestale frowned but did not respond to this remark. “I need you and your warriors, to move quietly and with your Demon cloaking device into Dublin. You have to find your way through the catacombs that lie just beneath the Customs House. There is a chamber once used centuries ago by smugglers within its tunnels. That is where you will work with the iron. You will need to create a diversion and get the iron to that particular chamber. Can you do that without the Fae taking note?”

“We can and quite easily,” Sventer said. “But, as I said and you chose to ignore, I have a reason, a thirst that wants quenching.

Again, Pestale ignored Sventer’s remark, saying only, “The portal is ready.” He was brimming with anticipation.

“It appears I shall have to be explicit with you regarding my needs,” Sventer said on a low hard note.

“Explicit? Needs? I have already agreed to make you my first in charge when we conquer the Human Realm,” Pestale answered irritably.

“We agreed to your scheme because my followers like I am are dissatisfied here in this realm. My warriors are willing to do
almost
anything I ask. They look to me to lead them…to conquer this new world
for them
as much as for you.
We are up to the task.
But, I find
I need
more than the satisfaction of conquering a new world. I need a mate, and
the only mate I want, Eslym.”

Pestale paused. He had seen Sventer look at Eslym many times. He had been oddly proud. He had not realized Sventer would dare ask such a thing. What made the demon think he would so readily give up a prize such as Eslym? He answered slowly, unwilling at this juncture to cause a rift between them.

“You overstep,” Pestale said slowly.

“I don’t think so. You don’t really care about her,
but I do.”

“You have no idea what you are talking about,” Pestale returned.

“You are not in love with Eslym, Pestale. You want her because she has power. You want that power on your side.”

“You know nothing about what I want from Eslym, but she is mine,” Pestale said. “Why would you want a woman who does not want you?”

“My reasons are my own. She is what I want,” Sventer answered darkly.

Fury began to swirl in Pestale’s insides and his fists clenched at his sides. If he didn’t need the Blue Demons he would have tortured and killed Sventer on the spot. He did not have the magic to do this, but he had the skills.

He wasn’t ready to give up Eslym…yet. Even if he were, he would not be dictated to by such a creature. He replied stiffly, “Our arrangement is at an end. I shall close the portal until I can regroup with another plan.”

Sventer frowned, “You would give up on everything for a female? That is not like you!”

“Is it not? You know nothing about me,” Pestale said and sneered at him.

“You are a Dark Prince. I know you are devoid of empathy, compassion, and therefore cannot truly
love.
What is she to you?” Sventer shook his head. “I have wanted her since I realized I needed a mate.” He shrugged. “While she has you in her eyes, she will not look at me. But if you were to give her away…to me, I could console her.”

“
Eslym
is mine
. Sventer, you are mistaken if you think I cannot accomplish my goals without you. You are mistaken if you think I cannot use the powers left to me to make you miserable.
I choose
to call you comrade.
I choose
to allow you to join me in this. Yes, I admit, your help could save me years. With or without you, I will conquer the Human Realm and achieve my goals. The question
of you and Eslym
, appalls me. You may be correct in assuming I have little empathy and less compassion, but she is important to me on many levels. She has only me in her eyes, because
I have only her
in mine. You say I cannot love, perhaps that is true. Yet, at this time, she is the one I want. How dare you presume to dictate to me? Eslym will be my queen one day in the very near future. Are we clear?” Pestale unclenched his fists and he purposely turned his back on Sventer and moved away. He had not thought himself capable of so much ‘emotion’.
Love?
Had he somehow fallen in love with the little shape-shifting demon? Was it even possible? The notion almost made him feel warm inside. It didn’t matter. She pleased him and he meant to keep her for himself, for as long as he wanted her.

“She
will be your downfall then. She will be your weak link. Is that what you want? Is that what you are willing to risk?”

“All you have to know is that Eslym is mine. And you are wrong. I will never have a weak link, because when and if a ‘link’ becomes a problem, then I will discard it. But only then.  In the end, I will always take care of
my
needs first. That is all you have to know.” He eyed the big Blue Demon and said with a flick of his wrist. “Let me remind you
who I am
, and
what
I can do…” Pestale watched as he brought Sventer to his knees. He flicked his wrist again increasing the level of pain he was inflicting and smiled to see Sventer’s face contort with pain. Sventer held his hands to his head as though trying to keep it from cracking open.

Pestale snickered, “My wondrous father, the Dark King, may have taken many powers from me, but he didn’t realize I would discover my neighbors’ weaknesses and prey on them when displeased. I made it my business to discover what little things are uncomfortable to a Blue Demon—I have that much power left, you do see, don’t you?”

“Stop, stop…” Sventer cried as he began to drool from the pain in his head.

Pestale blinked and Sventer’s agony vanished just like that. He was bent over his thighs on the ground, and looking up with something Pestale recognized—
hatred.
He had not wanted to cause a rift between them, but he had. It was all because of a female and then he smiled to himself, for his Eslym, ah, she was
a worthy female. 
“When can you be ready to leave?” Pestale immediately asked as though he had not just tortured Sventer.

Sventer was on his feet and his face was full of loathing as he said, “Immediately.”

“Then take your soldiers and do what you have to do and forget this happened, as I will.”

“Of course, Prince, of course,” Sventer said as he turned to shift away.

Pestale’s eyes narrowed. He would have to watch this demon closely.