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  courtyard. Her long red hair was tied up in ivy with a few silky ringlets cascading down

  her back. Dressed in sheer silk down to her ankles, the Queen seemed to float instead of

  walk.

  “Well? You have travelled far from your Glen Prince Bronwyn. Which daughter

  should I be concerned about and what is this human child doing in my courtyard?”

  “Fae”

  Silence. Bronwyn could tell by the look on the Queen’s face that she was taken

  by surprise.

  “Come inside,” she said quietly. “There are fewer ears in there. Bring the girl

  child with you.”

  The faerie Prince followed close behind the Queen, careful not to step on her

  gown as he cradled Ling Mae.

  When they finally reached the throne room, the stress was evident on Queen

  Maeve's unlined face. With a click of her wrist she motioned for her attendants to leave

  the room. When all noises and activity had ceased, the Queen looked down upon the

  Prince and asked him to sit down. “Thank you your Highness.” Bronwyn stated as formally as he dared.

  “While I appreciate the courtesy Prince Bronwyn you and I are quite equal in my

  eyes. Now tell me what has my insolent daughter done now? Please do not say it has to

  do with this human child?”

  Brownwyn settled into an overstuffed, gilded chair and placed the sleeping

  bundle at his feet. He sighed heavily and looked from the child to the Queen perched

  regally on her golden throne.

  “It does indeed Queen Maeve. I know of Fae's history and her “problem.”

  “You mean of her human half? I think that is general knowledge amoung us. It is

  my biggest shame and my biggest weakness. I love her fiercely but I cannot condone her

  humanness. It is unnatural!”

  Nodding as if he understood, Bronwyn waited a moment before continuing. “She

  is lonely my Queen. Her banishment has done nothing but cause frustration to her and

  causes her to act out in a completely unlady-like manner. She has killed in the human

  world. So far only an animal, but I am afraid for her sanity.”

  Small tears wet the Queen's eyes as she listened intently to what the Prince was

  saying. “I can understand you not wanting anymore hybrid faeries and humans but you

  making Fae barren and an outcast has made her bitter and now she has kidnapped an

  innocent human child.”

  The Queen suddenly stood up and placed a hand angrily on her hip. “You do not

  understand anything! I let myself fall prey to love, human love and now Fae is the result.

  Who knows what may happen if she had any children? Do we want to risk humans

  having faerie power? Or lose ourselves as a pure race by mingling our blood further? I

  paid for my mistakes and I do not want Fae to do the same. It has taken Millennia to get

  control over my Glen once again. I had to painstakingly gain the faerie's trust again.”

  “But Fae is paying my Queen. She is losing herself in anger and becoming an

  instrument of hatred.”

  Astonished at his harsh words, the Queen's eyes flashed as she stared down at

  Prince Bronwyn.

  “And what do you propose I do? I keep mindful contact with her. Granted she is

  high strung but I doubt she would hurt anyone.”

  “She has killed more than once my Queen. She almost hurt this child because of

  her impatience and bitterness. I confess I have always loved Fae my Queen even though

  she had failed to notice me. She feels her life should be in the human world as her people and her mother has abandoned her and rendered her childless. The human world

  fears her and although she tried to glamour a human male, even he rejected her.”

  It took a moment before what Bronwyn had said had fully registered with Queen

  Maeve.

  “Killed?” she said incredulous that anyone with even a drop of faerie blood in

  them would purposely kill any creature. “Fae has killed? She is a murderer? Oh what

  have I done? How have I failed her? All I have done was done to protect her.”

  Ling Mae cooed softly at Bronwyn's feet, distracting the Queen from her

  thoughts. Bronwyn smiled and patted the child on the back.

  “Your Fae was once a wee one my Queen. I think it may take a while to get her

  back but if you try....”

  “Try?” Queen Maeve cut off the Prince as she responded angrily. “Try? I have

  done nothing but try with Fae. I could have easily terminated her birth but I chose to

  bring her into this world and raise her as one of us. She rejected the faerie code and our

  way of life.”

  Bronwyn glanced sideways and shook his head in despair. His heart sank at the

  thought of his beloved out in the world without love and whose fate was unknown. The Queen stared at Bronwyn as she could feel his empathy toward her daughter

  and for the human child. She didn't understand how a faerie Prince would want to take

  on a halfling or even love her!

  “I am disappointed in you Prince Bronwyn.”

  The Prince raised his head and smirked at Queen Maeve. “Oh? And why is that?

  Could it be because I chose compassion and love over the letter of the law or faerie

  code? Has your heart hardened so much over the Millennia that your own flesh and

  blood means nothing?”

  Aghast at his tone, Queen Maeve raised herself up and pointed at him with a

  long, slender finger. “How dare you!”

  Her voice was so shrill that it startled Ling Mae and she began to cry. With a flick

  of the Queen's wrist, Prince Bronwyn was tossed from his seat and landed on the floor

  just a few centimeters away from the baby. He quickly regained his composure and

  grabbed the child, holding her against his chest. With one hand raised in the Queen's

  direction, the ivy that surrounded her hair grew in length and quickly wrapped itself

  around her body, rendering her motionless for the moment.

  “My dear Queen,” Bronwyn spoke is a very deep, calm voice. “You need a

  moment of clarity. Fae is your child, regardless of her blood or heritage. If I remember the stories correctly, your parents were loved and respected throughout many Glens far

  and wide. Would your mother have banished you for any reason? Can you imagine the

  panic that the human mother of this child is in? Fae needs you! Her heart has been

  broken and only her mother can mend it. She is no different than any other child.”

  The Queen's tears of rage quickly turned to disappointment and acknowledgment

  of Prince Bronwyn's words. She watched helpless as memories of her own childhood

  came flooding back to her. Memories of her beautiful, ethereal mother and father;

  memories of the joy she first felt when she discovered that she was pregnant with her

  own child; then memories of her oldest daughter being dragged out of the Glen as she

  was sent away from her home and family and banished to the human world.

  “What have I done?” She murmured quietly. The ivy that surrounded her

  disappeared as quickly as it had grown and Queen Maeve dropped to her knees and

  sobbed at the Prince's feet.

  “Take some time and think my Queen. You know what you must do. I must return

  this child and seek out Fae. She has been alone for far too long.”

  The Queen brushed away her tears and looked up to find that Prince Bronwyn

  and Ling Mae had disappeared. CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Fiona sat very still and quiet a
s Gordon drove her to his home. They needed a

  quiet place to review more of Mrs. Quinn's diary and Fiona needed to get away from the

  place her baby had been stolen.

  Gordon had a hard time keeping from gathering Fiona into his arms. He had

  never met any woman who made him feel more like a man by just talking. Most women

  made Gordon so tongue tied and uncertain about himself that he kept away from them

  all together.

  Fiona felt right to him and she felt like home. Gordon glanced sideways at her

  and noted how pale and wan she looked. Once again he felt anger begin to burn in his

  belly.

  “Damn Fae.” He whispered.

  “What?” Fiona asked.

  “Nothing, I was just thinking. We will be there in a few minutes. Oh Fiona, I am

  so sorry about all this. I wish this thing had never happened to you.” Fiona reached over and placed her hand lightly on his leg. “It's not for you to be

  sorry Gord. If not me, Fae would have stolen another child; ruined another life. I am

  strong Gord and we will find my wee girl.”

  The heat from Fiona's hand travelled up to the pit of Gordon's belly. It took a long

  intake of breath to regain his composure before he could find his voice again.

  “Uh...Fiona you are much stronger than I would be if it were my child. I'd be out

  for revenge. I’d hate Fae for what she has done.”

  Fiona nodded and wiped any remaining tears from her face. “I understand

  Gordon. Revenge would be so easy. Something has to be very wrong with Fae to have

  made her so desperate. My heart aches for her and my child.”

  It took Gordon a moment to acknowledge Fiona's words. He was amazed at her

  sense of empathy for a creature she did not know. In her own pain, she found room for

  understanding and it made him care about her even more than he thought possible.

  “You got quiet Gord; may I give you penny for your thoughts?”

  “Do you really think Mrs. Quinn has something in that diary that can help?”

  “I do,” Fiona stated quietly. “I believe her diary was left behind for a reason. We

  don't always comprehend why things happen and sometimes I think we shouldn't try and think them through too much. She was rid of Fae once and I think we can be rid of her

  for good if we do this right.”

  “I hope you are right Fiona.” Gordon said as they made their way up his

  driveway. The house was so quiet and still and for a moment Gordon expected Godfrey

  to be sitting on his perch at the window. But, he wasn't there.

  “Come in Fiona and I’ll make tea then we can figure out what to do next.”

  Exhausted emotionally and physically, Fiona clung to Gordon’s arm as he led her

  into his home. He gently brought her to the couch and left her for a moment while he

  went into the kitchen to make tea.

  When the tea was made, he stood in the doorway for a moment and watched as

  she thoughtfully thumbed through the remainder of Mrs. Quinn’s diary. She was so

  strong, yet looked so fragile and in need of protection. Gordon realized he was falling in

  love with Fiona.

  Both he and Fiona jumped when the phone rang. Looking at the early morning

  hour, Gordon wondered who would be calling. He quickly walked to where the phone

  lay and hesitantly answered.

  “Yes, yes, hello?” Gordon asked. “Hey you! Where the heck have you been?” Gordon smiled despite the situation

  as he recognized his sister’s voice.

  “I’ve been worried sick about you. There have been no visits; no phone calls and

  the kids miss you. You okay? Writing a new book? Met a woman?” Marie asked

  hopefully.

  “It’s been a busy few days Marie. Something terrible has happened but I really

  don’t think it’s a good idea to talk about it over the phone right now.”

  Gordon’s sentence was met with a sharp intake of breath. “Oh God Gordon are

  you alright? Are you hurt? What is going on? Should I come over?”

  Shaking his head, Gordon spoke as calmly as he could to try and assure his sister.

  “No Marie, um, Fiona is here and we are dealing with this together. Let me come by

  later tonight or tomorrow and I’ll do my best to explain it all to you. We are both fine;

  for now.”

  “For now?” Marie shrieked. “What have you gotten yourself into Gordon? Is

  Fiona okay? I am coming over.”

  Before Gordon could respond, the line went dead and he was left staring at the

  silent phone in his hand. “Damn it all!” He said with frustration. Gordon turned to find Fiona looking up at him with a confused look on her face.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Marie is coming over. I couldn’t dissuade her. We need to hurry with this. I don’t

  want her involved too. I’ve done enough damage to people I care about.

  “Fae did the damage Gordon and I care about you too.”

  The blood drained from Gordon’s face and his heart felt as it would beat through

  his chest.

  “I, uh, Fiona I know this should be about you and your daughter but..” He

  stammered.

  Fiona placed the diary on the couch and walked up to Gordon, placing her arms

  around his middle and stood there with her head against his chest. She didn’t want either

  of them to speak, just to feel what was between them and draw strength from that.

  In response, Gordon stood silent as he stroked her hair and drew her as close as

  their bodies would allow. For the first time in a few days he felt completely at peace.

  “No! This is not how it was to work. I will not allow this. You cannot have him!” Fiona was suddenly torn from Gordon’s arms as Fae appeared in a glowing orb so

  bright that Gordon could do nothing but shield his eyes and hold one arm out seeking to

  draw Fiona back to him and the safety of his arms.

  “Don’t do this Fae. It’s me you want. Leave her alone; you’ve taken her child

  isn’t that enough? Don’t you have a heart?”

  Fae turned quickly to face Gordon as Fiona lay unconscious on the floor behind

  her. Her features were contorted with rage and bitterness.

  “A heart?” Fea shrieked. “I had a heart, I had desires, I had dreams and then I

  discovered my true nature. My mother made sure my heart never truly beat again. This

  female..” Fae began as she pointed to the motionless body behind her. “Has your

  attention and she has a child. I intend to make certain she never has any more children!

  Maybe then you will appreciate what I can offer you!”

  Before Gordon could react, Fea hovered over Fiona and mutter under her breath.

  “As my heart and womb to yours, as barren as can be; I curse the fertile soil that is the

  female core of who you are.”

  “No!” Gordon shouted as he helplessly watched Fiona twitch. Blood began to

  soak through her clothing and spread down her legs. Not able to stand the sight of it any

  longer, Gordon lunged at Fea only to fin d himself grasping at thin air. “You horrible creature! You bitch!” He shouted.

  “Gord?” Fiona spoke weakly as her eyelids fluttered open. “Please, do not give in

  to her wrath. Here, take this.”

  Stunned, Gordon reached down and took a small iron bell, decorated in two four

  leaf clovers. “What is this? Fiona I have to get you to a hospital.”

  “No,” she said quietly. “I will be fine, ring this bell three times Gord. Just trust

  me. She has not
won anything. I have always been barren; this is why I adopted Ling

  Mae. I never had the ability to bear any children of my own. Fae has not won.”

  As suddenly s she had gone, Fae returned. She was dressed of thin gossamer, her

  pink, nude body and erect nipples exposed through the material. She walked slowly

  toward Gordon and whispered. “Come to me and I can give you everything.” Her long,

  red curls tumbled around her pale shoulders as she walked.

  For a brief second Gordon was blinded by desire, by pure, wanton lust. His mind

  was clouded by her voice and the look of her. The scent of tea roses and musk filled the

  air. That heady scent combined with the faerie “glamour” was intoxicating.

  “Forget anyone else Gordon, be mine. I want you so much.” Fiona raised herself up on her elbow and grabbed at Gordon’s pant leg. “Gord,

  the bell, please..I love you. Please for Ling Mae..” Fiona finally succumbed to blood

  loss and shock and fainted, collapsing to the floor.

  “Love?” Gordon mumbled. “You..love..?” He shook his head violently and with

  all his strength, he raised the iron bell in front of Fae and rang it once and then twice

  before he was stopped by a calm male voice.

  “Stop this Gordon Parks. I beg you to stop and leave Fae to me.”

  Out of the shadows walked Prince Bronwym with Ling Mae still held tightly in

  his arms.

  “Please Mr. Parks, take the human child and leave me to deal with my own kind.

  I think you and your female friend have suffered enough. This child needs her mother.”

  Gordon glanced over at Fiona and nodded dumbly as he held out his arms to

  accept the child. Bronwyn took the bell from Gordon’s hands and turned back to Fae

  who stood remarkably silent and watchful.

  “I don’t know who you are. But thank you. Is there anything you can..” “I promise your human female will live. Fae will not be held at bay much longer.

  You only rang the bell twice. It was smart though, not many humans know about faerie

  magic.”

  “It wasn’t me, Fiona is the one.”

  Prince Bronwyn nodded as his eyes grazed Fiona’s face. “She is from the land of

  my origin. She has knowledge and for us that can be dangerous. Fae should have sensed

  that but in her present state only anger remains. I can only apologize for her actions. Let