Kingsbane

Chapter 8

    Rafferty woke at the outpost, head bandaged and a gaggle of soldiers awaiting his description of the attackers. He'd made something up and hurried back to Seelie, head still throbbing. Time was of the essence. He'd been unconscious for at least three hours, which on the human plane was more like twenty one and he did not doubt his king was becoming impatient.
    As he entered the palace, he straightened and held his head high as he passed the troops of silent guards. The confidence in his walk dissuaded rumors and suspicion. If he did not look like he was up to anything, the safer he'd be. Truthfully, it was incredibly odd for him to be making so many trips to the human plane and because the only legal portal was within the Queen's inner courtyard he must sneak without seeming the least bit sneaky. It was a pain in the ass, just like the jerk who'd ordered him to do it.
    As he entered the dark courtyard, however, no amount of unstealthy stealth could save him. Siofra looked up at him from where she sat on a white marble bench. Her handmaiden, Blair was there as well, her black eyes glittering as they fell upon him.
    "General," Blair curtsied.
    "Has something happened?" Sio inquired, rising, her flowing white gown rivaling the moonlight as she approached.
    "No, My Lady." He bowed, "I was simply going to check on your King."
    "I don't care if you want to visit with your friend, Rafferty. There is no need to lie to me." Reaching up, she lay a hand on his still bandaged forehead. "Where did you acquire such an injury?"
    "I was attacked in Unseelie." Why bother to lie? She knew a lie when she heard one. It would not surprise him if she'd been able to smell the falsehood, her power as adept as it was. "No casualties, but I did loose a purse full of silver."
    "Strange for a thief to leave your gold and rubies intact." She whispered, running a finger along his chest where the badges and metals there jingled and sang. "What took you to Unseelie?"
    "The usual riffraff." He replied, glancing over at the other woman, now inspecting the rose bush as she eavesdropped.
    "I see. Well, you are lucky to have escaped with your life. Be more careful." The warning in her tone was not missed, and he bowed low again before her.
    "Of course, My Lady."
    Smiling knowingly, she laid both hands on his head and with a flash of white light healed the gash Sverre had left there, a long with any lingering ache. "Now, go on. Say hello to Siva for me. Blair, come. It is time I retire."
    "Yes, Your Majesty." Blair agreed, her eyes never leaving his as she and the queen returned inside.
    As soon as they had gone, he hurried to the Faery Circle in the center of the large garden and closed his eyes. He felt the surge of energy beneath his feet, he familiar humming running up his legs and rattling his bones. He thought hard about Siva's gazebo, the Circle there.
    Taking a deep breath, he remained still as the scenery around him dispersed and was replaced with pale green light as he was transported to the human realm. It was hard to breath in between, the air thick as sand, but he was used to the feel of it. How would Grayson react? Would his body be able to handle the strain?
    He felt a firmness beneath his boots again, and opened his eyes to find himself standing in the center of Siva's Circle. Shaking off the lethargy of the dimension jump, he straightened his uniform and strutted across the yard toward the dark house. Surprised to find the door was locked, he pounded on the front door and then went around to all the first floor windows. Locked. All locked.
    Where the hell was Siva?
   
* * * *

    "You should really try and finish that." Siva chided gently, nodding at Grayson's half-eaten meal. "Your body needs it."
    "Just saving room for my grass shake." Grayson mumbled, chasing a piece of grilled asparagus around his plate with his fork. "You didn't have to bring me to such an expensive place. We could have just stayed in."
    "You're not dead yet, no sense in sitting still." Siva shrugged, taking a sip of his wine and looking down the stem at him with those jewel-like eyes. "Besides, isn't going out for dinner a part of human courting protocol?"
    "I guess." He sighed softly, finally placing the vegetable in his mouth.
    "Are you not enjoying yourself? Was there something I missed?"
    Grayson looked around. The romantically lit room, and the charming serving staff were phenomenal, all more than he'd expected to ever experience. The food was wonderful, though he had little will to eat it, and though Siva's snazzy attire made him feel less than exceptional, he was in fact quite pleased. So what was it that was stopping him from fully enjoying the moment? Oh, yeah, this guy wasn't human and he was three weeks from the grave.
    "It's very nice." He smiled, "Thank you."
    "Death is frightening." Siva whispered, reaching over and touching his hand, gaining them a few unsettling looks from the other diners. "I understand how you feel, but-"
    "How do you understand?" The inquiry held a dark curiosity. "Have you been this sick before?"
    Siva leaned back in his chair and took another drink of wine. "No, not quite. Not sick."
    Setting the now empty glass down, he made eye contact with their server and waited until he had arrived with more wine before he explained. All the while, Gray had sat patiently. "I've been in many battles. Death and I, we are very well acquainted. I nearly died in the battle in which Sverre was dishonored. I saved Rafferty from an Unseelie fire-iron. The burns became infected and by all rights I shouldn't be here now. But my sister managed to save me. It took weeks to recover and by that time Sverre had been exiled. Before the battle that day was the last time I saw him."
    Gray took a drink of his Pepsi and tried to decide which part of Siva's story he wanted to question first. "What's a fire-iron?"
    "Well, it's similar to a sword, only it's wide and covered in long burning salve. You hit your opponent with it, and the salve spreads to their skin, and they catch fire."
    "That sounds brutal."
    "It is." Siva sighed. "Just another lovely thing Unseelie came up with."
    "It's a wonder your weren't scarred. I burnt my hand once on a grill." Gray held out his left hand and flourished the scar on the knuckle of his thumb.
    "I did scar." Siva breathed, "But luckily, we Fae have some very useful magic called Glamour. I can hide my ugly mug."
    "So, I've never seen your real face?" Gray wasn't sure why, but the fact bothered him, a lot. He suddenly felt like he'd been lied to.
    "I can't walk around among humans looking like the Faery King, so no. You haven't." The server brought them their check and Siva slipped a large wad of cash from his pocket and distracted himself by placing each bill pristinely within the server's black check folder. After this, he blotted his mouth very gentlemanly like and rose. "Let's get going. We can catch the sunset if we hurry."
    "I want to see what you really look like." Gray stated as the Fae ushered him outside.
    "You don't like this face?" Siva smiled at the boy as he slipped his arm around his waist, oblivious to the rather indignant whispers of the passersby. "You know, Faery sunsets are lavender and pink, but never red like this one." He waved a hand across the horizon. "Though it would be better if it weren't blocked out in so many places by these buildings. Tomorrow, I'll take you somewhere better to see it."
    "Surely your real face can't be that bad." Gray sighed, wiggling free of the other man's grasp. It was not that he did not like the contact. It was the negative attention they were getting because of it that bothered him.
    "Forget these fools, Grayson." The Fae laughed carelessly, returning his arm, this time placing a firm hand on his hip. "In Faery, love conquers all."
    "Well, we're not in Faery."
    "Soon we will be."
    "Except your married so it still won't be acceptable."
    "You keep applying human standards to an entirely different breed of beings, Mr. Kohl."  After the sun had fallen away, Siva guided him slowly toward the car. "I'm the King. So long and my Queen approves them, I can have as many consorts as I want."
    Grayson didn't really know how he felt about that. The thought of Siva being with anyone else made an ugly, jealous side of him arise, which was absurd, since they'd only know each other for a few days. Still, he didn't think he could accept not being the Fae's one and only.
    Siva escorted him to the passenger's side door and opened it for him. "I should drive. You've been drinking."
    "Your human wine is like water to me." Siva snorted. "I only bothered to drink it because we were in such a fancy place and I didn't want to seem like a cheapskate."
    Grayson blushed deep crimson as Siva patted his ass and sat down quickly to avoid a repeat offense. He tried to regain his composure in the little time it took for the Fae to round the car and get in, but by the amused look on his face it seemed he'd failed.
    "Do the Fae pay you to be here?"
    Siva laughed. "Siofra probably would if I threatened to stay in the castle with her, but no. I just get gold from our treasury and sell it here and there in this realm. Bam. Money." Pulling cautiously out of the parking lot, Siva glanced over the boy beside him. "How are you feeling?"
    "Fine."
    "That's always your answer. I want the truth."'
    "A little tired." Gray confessed reluctantly. He hated admitting to things like that. The word 'weak' especially made him cringe.
    "We'll go home then, get those vitamins in you."
    Gray looked out the window and began to space out. He enjoyed riding in the car. His mind always wondered off and left him in a blissful state of nothingness. Siva seemed to understand, and took the long way back to the house.
    "Grayson, I'll show you my face, but you have to promise that even if you think I'm repulsive, you'll still allow me to take you to Faery." He whispered after a few long, silent minutes.
    "Alright." Gray agreed, wondering if Siva thought he was shallow or if he was actually that horribly scarred.
    As they pulled into the driveway, Siva's form began to waiver. Grayson simply watched, mystified as the man's perfectly rounded ears became long and pointed and his flawless skin became red and pink. The scars spanned the entire right side of his face, running down his neck and disappearing beneath the collar of his shirt. They appeared on his right hand also.
    "They're on my chest, too, and all down my side." He whispered, staring down at the steering wheel. "I have to wear the Glamour even in Faery. In Seelie, anything imperfect is seen as disgusting. Even though I was wounded defending my people, they can not stand to look at me this way."
    Grayson was appalled.
    "Well, you don't have to hide from me." He assured the melancholy sovereign, leaning across the console. When Siva turned to look at him, Gray caught his face and kissed him deeply.
    It didn't take long, however, for Siva to reverse the situation. It was just his nature to be the aggressor. He was straddling Gray's hips in an instant, laying the seat down with one hand and cradling the back of his head with the other.
    "Knock it off." Rafferty demanding in a muffled shout as he tapped insistently on the window.
    "Get out of here, you bastard." Siva snapped, his Glamour returning in a dizzying instant. "Wait inside."
    Jerking the door open, Raff stuck his head in. "It's locked. I've been waiting for two hours."
    Siva flung the keys at him, hitting him in the face. "Go away." He growled, turning back to Grayson before Raff had even shut the door. Siva leaned in for another kiss, but Gray, whose entire face was he color of cherry Kool-aid, stayed his advance with a palm over his sternum.
    "Consider the mood dead." He mumbled, squirming away and exiting the Nissan.
    "Consider Rafferty dead." Siva hissed, jumping from the car and following Grayson across the yard.
    Raff held the door open for them, trying to stifle an amused smile as his King glared up at him. Siva slapped him in the chest as he passed. As Grayson sat down on the couch and began to untie his shoes, Siva headed straight for the kitchen to whip the boy up a vitamin shake. As expected, the General followed.
    "So, did you talk to him?" The King inquired as he removed the blender from beneath the sink and plugged it in.
    "I did. Briefly." Raff sighed, leaning wearily against the counter. "The wanker knocked me out and stole all my silver. Broke my driver's arm too."
    "He always did enjoy a good prank." Siva breathed, tossing herbs by the handful's into the appliance before him. "Will he help me?"
    Rafferty waited until Siva had finished blending the drink before speaking. "No."
    At first, he thought perhaps his king had not heard him, for he continued with what he was doing. It was only when he turned, glass of green sludge in hand, that he could see the way he trembled. Whether it was due to rage or to despair, he couldn't yet tell. "Siva?"
    "I am going to Faery tonight. You will stay with Grayson until I return." He whispered, attempting to walk by him. Raff grabbed him by the arm and brought him back away from the doorway.
    "Let me just give you a piece of advice, okay?" The general said softly. "Let Sverre alone for a few days. You know he wouldn't deny you anything if it weren't for a damn good reason. He's probably brooding over it right now."
    "I don't have that sort of time." Siva hissed, "Grayson is dying."
    "Another excellent reason to wait." Raff had to hold his friend by the shoulders to keep him before him, but he didn't even think about it, about who he was restraining. King or no king, sometimes a person needed advice from their best friend. "The boy is weak. There is no guarantee his body will hold up against the effects of the crossing. Under regular circumstances, it wouldn't be an issue, but it would drain him as he is."
    "I have to get him to Avalbane. There's simply nothing else I can do. I have to try." Siva protested, as an overwhelming sorrow rose up like a tsunami, crashing in and erasing all traces of anger.
    "Wait. Stuff him full of these nasty shakes, fresh air, white magic. The works. He'll need every advantage you can give him. Then, in a few days, I'll try with Sverre again."
    "I'm going to talk to him myself."
    "If the King of Faery get's caught in Unseelie territory-"
    "No one will recognize me but Sverre. I'll just drop my Glamour. I'll fit right in." Siva assured him. Raff's hands fell away and he folded his arms.
    "I can't approve of this, but I can't stop you either. Just trust me, wait." He murmured, his dark eyes gentle. "And spend every moment with him, because whether you save his life or not, you can not keep death away from him forever. When he's gone, all you'll have is his memory."
    "I will." Siva nodded, leaving his friend alone to stand in silence, reminiscing on cursed memories. There was no consoling the sort of grief a Bane left in it's wake, and even after all this time, Rafferty still suffered. It was hard for Siva to comprehend that someday he too would stand alone, looking so sorrowful.