Fair Deception

Chp. 8, Part II

I heard an unfamiliar voice at the door say "Brochfael?" in surprise, so I headed towards the hallway. Stood on the step outside was a man I didn't recognise. He had long, black hair, with the occasional strand of gray. His locks were half tied up at the back of his head and the remainder rested loosely on the shoulders of a long, brown, leather coat. A close cropped beard accentuated his angular jaw and heavy-set eyebrows sat above his piercingly cold, blue eyes. The slight lines on his face deepened into a frown when he noticed me standing in the hall. I bristled at his reaction to my presence. Broch was talking to the man in a quiet voice and then I noticed Kalen appear behind the stranger at my door. Suddenly, I saw the similarity between the faces and knew this man was someone from Kalen's family. A petty scowl settled onto my features, but I did my best to smooth them.

Making my way closer to the door, I addressed the stranger directly, "Can I help you?" The guy just ignored me and irritation bubbled underneath my skin.

"Ana, this is my father, Caydran," Kalen responded awkwardly. I was a little taken aback - Caydran only looked to be in his mid thirties. However, I said nothing, waiting for Kalen's dad to say something, but the silence stretched on awkwardly as everyone stood in the doorway. "May we come in?" Kalen eventually asked. Petulantly, I nodded and walked back into the kitchen, trying to ignore my irritation at Caydran's rudeness.

Miranda and Gabriel were stood at the door from the kitchen to the front room and, when Caydran followed the others into the kitchen, they both looked momentarily surprised before Gabriel bowed his head towards Caydran slowly. I watched this wordless communication with interest - clearly Caydran was someone important in the Fae world. In my world he was simply a rude guy with good hair. When everyone was finally in my thankfully-quite-large kitchen, Broch turned to Caydran and Kalen.

"Why are you here?" Broch asked with an authority in his voice that I found out of place.

"Kalen told me this human was experiencing some strange side-effects to being around fae so much," Caydran said, looking at me with a cool, analytical gaze. I bristled again at his words and manner - who the hell did this guy think he was?

"Kalen, what did you tell your father about Anastasia?" Broch demanded. I glanced at Miranda and Gabriel, feeling uncomfortable being discussed without being invited to comment.

Kalen reported that he'd told his dad about last night, me escaping the unseelie in the woods, the attack in my home and then that he thought he'd seen my eyes reflect his. The way he said it made it sound like I was some weak, damsel in distress, and my already simmering anger began to boil.

"Only that's not how it happened is it Kalen?" I interjected coldly before anyone else could get a word in. Everyone but Caydran stared at me in surprise - Caydran's look was more distasteful than anything else. Kalen had the decency to blush slightly but, as he did, I remembered Broch explaining glamours to me and wondered if it reflected how he felt, or how he thought he should react in human form.

"Brochfael, I must ask you the truth of these events," Caydran said, ignoring me again.

"I believe..."

"I am here," I said, waving at Caydran, "If you want to know the truth of these events, I was there. It happened to me."

He finally looked me in the eye and I could see the dislike behind his mask of handsome features. After a pause, he said, "As a human, you are hardly a reliable witness."

I turned to Kalen. "Your dad's a prick," I said coldly.

I wanted to get out of there, but the front room and hallway were blocked by the many, many people in my house, so I span on my heel and walked out of the back door.