Chapter 52
Matt
Gaining entrance into the Demesne of Morgaine didn’t actually take much effort.
Elder Aubrey drove to the front gates of the property where the royal family lives, announced that he and the entire Council of Elders and the Headsman of the Houston Hub required an immediate audience with King Helix, and now we’re sitting at a round table with the man.
King Helix stands tall even for an Elf, his pointed, straight ears stand up well past the crown of his head.
He has long shimmering gray hair and matching eyes that look out at the Obsidites in the room with calculating concern.
This is the Elf that sat with Loretta when I first met her, though I didn’t know it at the time, the man who rules the Elves with his mother, Queen Lorelei of Morgaine.
Aubrey’s wife, Amisee, explained that we would meet the King, who rules from Earth, but not the Queen because she tends to stay in the realm of Morgaine unless her presence is required here.
“Elder Aubrey, I understand this is an emergency.
What can I do for the Obsidites?”
King Helix asks, genuine concern for our plight covering his bright blue and spring green aura.
Aubrey looks at me. “Explain to the King of Morgaine, Headsman.”
I incline my head to him and face the king. “Yesterday morning, Elves of Morgaine under the direction of Erroll the Prince of Morgaine broke into my home while I was in school. They disabled Father Deejay Aquino D’Aquino, the Maledict, and kidnapped his twin infants and my biological half-brothers, Alex and Eren D’Aquino. Chanda Ntu Waamelika Ajamu had Deejay arrested for suspected child abuse instead of allowing him to pursue the kidnappers, and I was arrested for unknowingly bringing a minor into to the Hub. I am here as the Headsman and citizen of the Demesne D'Aquino because I want my babies back and I would prefer to not cause a war between the Demesne D’Aquino and the Elves of Morgaine in doing so. I would also appreciate help finding the prince and my babies if the King of Morgaine can offer assistance.”
King Helix looks pissed as he gets to his feet. “Tell me where Erroll is!”
he booms as his aura turns black and expands. It takes hold of every Elf in the room and then shoots out of the conference room in thousands of spiked arrows in every direction.
He glares at the door to the conference room as all his Elves make a quick exit.
“Please wait a moment and I will have the information you need.
You have the permission of the Crown of Morgaine to pursue Erroll of Morgaine on charges of child kidnapping, child endangerment, and any other capital crime you can think of.
The Crown of Morgaine will not tolerate any of its citizens endangering, attacking, or otherwise harming non-human children.
We will root out those guilty of acting under Erroll’s orders and punish them appropriately up to and including putting them in the Cage with the Headsman.”
As soon as he finishes speaking, the door opens and a young Elf, maybe thirteen years old runs into the room, taking a deep bow. “King Helix, I know where Prince Erroll said he was going,”
he explains. “He bought property near Lake Houston outside of Kingwood. I have the address because my mom works as a maid there.”
The boy offers a paper up, which Helix takes. “Good work, Samson.”
He pats the boy on the head and guides him back out of the door.
Helix hands me the paper. “I do not require proof of his misdeeds to give you permission to sack his home, however, the Judiciary Council for the Hub will, so make sure when you arrest him that you can provide evidence that will hold up against all scrutiny. My brother is a wily bastard.”
“Thank you, King Helix,”
I say, taking the paper gratefully.
“I suspect you’re doing me more of a favor than I am you,”
he responds darkly. “Elder Aubrey, is there anything else the Crown of Morgaine can offer you?”
“The Obsidites are satisfied with what you have already offered for our most precious offspring. Please be on the lookout for a gift of thanks soon,”
Aubrey says as he and all the rest of the elders rise as one.
“I will look forward to it,”
Helix answers with a genuine smile.
No one stands on ceremony because of the urgency of the matter and we all leave, rushing back out to the vehicles that we caravanned in. I text Deejay as soon as we’re rolling, Aubrey, who insisted on driving, at the wheel.
Me: Got an address. Heading there now. It’s on Lake Houston.
Deejay: Let me know when you need me. Bring my babies back.
Me: I will.
Lake Houston is northwest of the city about an hour and a half in good traffic from the Demesne of Morgaine.
I am fraught with anxiety for the entire ride, the kind that requires deep breathing, and calming thoughts except I find it nearly impossible to get my thoughts to calm down.
I don’t know how Robbie deals with this every fucking day.
I can barely function, and I know that my problem will end when I get my family back.
It helps to listen to the soft chatter from the elders riding with us.
These people did not have to come when called, but all ten of them showed up on my doorstep with one call from a stranger claiming I needed them.
I almost couldn’t believe that they not only listened to our problem, but actively helped us plan out what to do.
And now they’re here with me—with me—to get my babies back.
They don’t know me, they only know how I fight, but here they are at my back without a moment’s hesitation.
I didn’t know what to think about people who consider their children adults at the age of fourteen, but these people are good. Period. Just good. And I am so lucky I met them.
I don’t know how I manage not to lose my fucking mind, but somehow, we get to the estate without the implosion of my sanity.
A gate blocks the entrance, and no one sits in the guard shack to open it for us, but that doesn’t stop the Obsidites.
Three of them get out of the van and pull the gate off its track, tossing it away.
Aubrey continues into the estate, leaving the three who got out to follow on foot.
He drives straight to the front doors, where a small contingent of armed human mercenaries stand between us and the entrance.
Aubrey laughs at the men holding guns at us. “Harden your skin, boy. Tch. Bringing bullets to a fist fight,”
he shakes his head with a snort. “Idiots.”
“I don’t know how or even if that’s part of my repertoire of abilities,”
I say as the other six get out of the vehicles.
Aubrey’s skin turns as black as obsidian. “You’ve got it in you. Find that ball of power every non-human has and draw it to your skin.”
I can hear the shouting of the mercenaries, commanding the Obsidites to stand down, but ignore it, searching for my ball of power. There’s a space in my gut that feels like it might be what Aubrey mentioned, a place that has always felt a little different from the rest of me. I reach for it, and discover that yes, it’s a little ball of power. I pull on it, but it doesn’t budge, so I push into it and find that I can spread it out over me.
“There you go. Let’s get the babies back now,”
Aubrey punches my arm lightly and instead of the thud of flesh on flesh, it sounds like rock hitting rock. I look at my skin as I get out, amazed that it’s as black as Obsidian, but hard like diamond.
Fuck. Yes.
I target the men standing between me and my babies, and charge. They start firing, startling me and making me duck, but the bullets ricochet off my skin rather than penetrating. I grin, straightening up and running up the steps with zero fear.
Magic is fucking awesome!
I reach the first man who’s freaking out that his bullets are bouncing rather than killing.
I punch him once and he falls, then move on to the next one.
The eight of us get through the team of mercenaries in a few moments, then I bash through the door to the house, finding another group of armed human mercenaries already in a battle.
The Chaos Eater cradles my babies in his arms while he demolishes the mercenaries with his shadowy chaos arms.
Elves loyal to Erroll help the mercenaries, trying to get to Tio to get the babies back.
I take half a second to evaluate the situation, and jump into the fray, putting my body between the guns and the babies, grabbing and punching.
I grab an Elf that tries to dart past me as the other Obsidites get into position surrounding Tio and the babies.
As I end the Elf, I shout at Tio, “Move to the front door!”
“I know!”
he shouts back but starts retreating to the door.
More Elves than I would have expected start coming toward us from within the mansion. I see one of the Obsidites finish the last of the mercenaries, then the air shimmers, space tears open, and a portal appears right in front of us. A huge Elven woman wearing a tall golden crown steps through. It feels like time comes to a standstill as she raises her sword and every Elf in the room falls to their knees at her command. “Bow to your Queen!”
She looks at Aubrey, nearly as tall as he is. “Elder Aubrey. I apologize for the inconvenience my son has caused your people. Be certain that when I find him, he will meet the Headsman in the Cage.”
“Queen Lorelei,”
Aubrey replies slightly breathless. “I see you have your people in hand. Will you also be offering reparations for the kidnapping of our offspring?”
he reaches behind him and pulls Tio into view.
I don’t hear whatever the queen says. The blood rushing through my ears deafens me as I reach out and take my babies out of Tio’s arms. I don’t know why he has them, but I do know that he was protecting them against the Elves, regardless of what else he’s done. I kiss my babies, and walk out of the house with them, needing a moment to look at them, to see if they’re hurt, and call Deejay to let him know that I have them safe and sound.
I kneel in the grass on the lawn and lay the twins down to look at them as I pull my phone out. I put the phone on speaker and set it down, inspecting the twins.
“You have them?”
Deejay demands.
“I have them. They look fine.”
They both look up at me beginning to whimper at being set down, so I pick them up one at a time, softening my skin and pushing my power back into its little ball inside me.
“Erroll?”
“Curse that fucker. He’s not here. The Queen of Morgaine is looking for him. She promised to put him in the Cage with me.”
“I could just kill him,”
Deejay growls.
“We agreed that you wouldn’t. He needs a trial and public execution. That was the condition the Elders required for helping us. Trust me, I would be dead without them. Erroll hired human mercenaries to defend his estate. There were a lot of bullets.”
“Did you get shot?”
he asks, concerned.
“Multiple times, but I’m fine. I’ll explain it later.”
“You ready?”
Aubrey asks from behind me as he and the rest of the Elder council surround us.
“Come home. I will curse Erroll as we agreed,”
Deejay tells me.
“See you soon,”
I confirm before ending the call and standing with the twins in my arms.
Aubrey smiles at the babies and reaches out, tickling their cheeks. “You don’t look like Obsidites, but you’re cute.”
“Neither does Cary,”
I note as we head to the van. “I think his mother was also a throwback, but not Obsidite like my father.”
“Probably. Obsidites tend to attract non-humans, even the throwbacks. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that your mother was also some kind of non-human or at least a non-human genetic carrier,”
he says, matter-of-factly.
“Well, I do have a tertiary genetic strain: Water Horse, apparently.”
If Chanda didn’t lie about that as well.
“That explains why you’re so handsome,”
he laughs, clapping my back.
I slide a look at him and shake my head. It’s true that the Obsidites are not a pretty species, but apparently Tio’s assessment was right on the nose: non-humans judge physical beauty based on the standards of each species. Aubrey is ugly, but less so than some of the other elders and probably considered handsome for our species.
I put the twins in their car seats, and buckle them in, then sit where I can keep my hands on them both. I don’t know when I’ll be able to let them out of my sight again, and I am absolutely not looking forward to working tonight.