Chapter Six
PISCES
Bits of the wispy rift particles cling to my skin, hair, and clothes as we break through the portal but almost seem to scurry back into formation like ducklings to their mother.
The rift has always seemed nurturing to me, passing through the foggy membrane an obvious metaphor for birth.
The first time I went through a portal rift, I felt as if my very being was ripped apart and put together again.
I puked up my earlier meal as Evan and Benny held me from completely crumbling to the ground.
Now it’s just a gentle push through a thin purple film of a cloud-like substance.
The four of us step through easily, careful not to touch the azkanite stone on either side.
In gas form, the purple crystal is what powers the portals.
In solid form, it’s so powerful, the effects are unpredictable.
A fae could end up in a totally different place in the world than they intended, sometimes with their torso separated from their legs—though that might have just been Evan trying to scare me.
There are legends too, of fae touching that stone and completely vanishing, never being found again.
Maybe these are just children’s stories, told to make sure fae children don’t let go of their parents’ hands while traveling.
But I’m not going to test it out to confirm.
We come out of the portal along a path that leads up to Evan’s family’s estate.
I’ve been here once before to announce myself to the fae council.
The estate serves as the family home and is connected by portal to the headquarters for the fae council in Europe.
All other councils in other countries answer to this one.
Evan and Benny brought me here, acting as my sponsors. It was a fairly quick and painless process to be registered, but it was clear from the looks of every Born fae that Benny and I were beneath them. I brace myself for that same veiled vitriol now as we head up the path.
I’ve been in a piss poor mood since Evan and Shaun left for Shaun’s bond activation ceremony the day before.
They came back in high spirits. I hid in my room almost all night.
I couldn’t help but think that if I was Born, my bond would have been activated two years ago.
Benny and I—being Made fae—weren’t allowed to attend the ceremony, let alone participate in it.
Our blood is that of wraiths, apparently meaning we have no bonds to activate.
But even so, Shaun insisted that Benny and I come to the party Evan’s parents are hosting for all recently activated fae from the most prestigious families.
I’m not sure if this is their way of sticking it to their parents, showing up with a turned vampire and a siren, or if Shaun simply wants his friends around to celebrate with.
The grounds are decked in royal purple and gold. Lights hang on every tree and along every roofline and railing. We’re not the only ones making our way to the grand front doors of the house.
Evan strides forward, Shaun matching his pace despite their height difference.
Shaun’s golden blonde hair is neatly styled like usual, Evan’s in a high bun with unruly wisps escaping all over the place.
They’ve always complemented each other like this.
Shaun’s strict nature smoothed by Evan’s chaos.
Evan’s chaos tamed by Shaun’s sense of responsibility.
Benny flanks me, hands in the pocket of his dress pants, as our group ascends the steps to the grand entrance. I’m struck again by disbelief that Evan grew up here. That he’d want to leave the comforts of this place.
Evan’s family stands just inside the entrance, a portrait of stiffness and regality. His parents greet everyone with polite smiles and formal sentences. His two younger siblings stand perfectly still behind their parents, offering the same.
I’m not sure how it’s possible, but at our arrival, Evan’s father—Yves Lyra—stiffens even more. At his slight movement, his wife, Sonya, looks to us, pinning her son with a bit of a glare.
“Mother, how delightful to see you,” Evan says, adding a flourishing bow. He steps forward and embraces her. She stiffly returns it, reaching out and smoothing down his hair.
“Evan, so glad you could make it.” She lowers her voice. “Would it have killed you to get a haircut?”
“Or a brush?” His little sister snickers from behind their mother.
“Enough of that, Sonya, Erica,” Evan’s father chides. He shakes Evan’s hand and promptly turns to Shaun. “Shaun, good to see you. Our guest of honor tonight.”
Shaun dips his head in gratitude. “Thank you, sir.”
“Maybe your mate will be here tonight, and we’ll get to witness it!” Erica says, smiling at Shaun. Her twin brother, Eddie, rolls his eyes.
“Your bond hasn’t been activated, so it’s not like it’ll be you,” Eddie mutters. Erica gasps and elbows her twin in the stomach.
“I can’t believe you just said that, in front of him!” she whisper yells, running off.
Sonya turns her wrathful gaze on Eddie. Without a word he dips his head and heads off after his sister.
Evan mutters goodbyes and something about holding up the other guests, and we part ways with his parents.
I can feel the tension in my shoulders uncoiling.
Neither of them even spared a glance at Benny and I.
I’m not sure if I’m grateful for that or not.
I wouldn’t want their ire, but part of me wants to rage at the blatant Born fae superiority complex.
How Evan turned out to be as open-minded as he is, is a fucking wonder.
Benny grabs two glasses of champagne off a tray as it passes by and hands one to me. “Drink,” he orders, clinking his glass with mine and downing it in one go.
I do as instructed, knowing that tonight will be a lot more bearable with a bit of a buzz.
And it’s not just the Born fae, but the jealousy that stirs deep within me that Shaun’s mate might be here. Something that Evan doesn’t want, even though his bond was activated three years ago. Something Benny and I don’t ever get to have.
Benny and I are about five drinks in when Evan and Shaun find us down one of the halls of the grand estate, critiquing the art on the walls like we’re professional art critics.
“I very much like the use of nudity in this one,” I say in a serious tone to Benny, furrowing my brow, as we gaze up at a portrait of a very naked curvaceous woman and a man kneeling in front of her.
“It really evokes a powerful emotion,” Benny says, nodding.
“Yes,” I respond. “Lust.”
“Very good,” Benny agrees.
“For stars’ sake,” Shaun mutters from behind us. Benny and I glance over our shoulders at our Born counterparts.
“Can you blame us? This party is boring,” Benny draws out the last word to really drive home his point.
Shaun shakes his head but hands us both glasses of champagne. “Drink up. We’ve got to mingle for a little bit longer.”
Evan motions for us all to follow him, and I stop myself from groaning. I sling my arm around Benny and follow the others back out to the party where Shaun is stopped by an older-looking fae couple.
“Shaun! There you are,” the woman says, patting his arm gently. “And your friends. Are you all here celebrating your new bonds?”
“Grandmother, you remember Evan.” Shaun motions to the fire elemental. “He’s had his bond activated for a few years now.”
“Ah yes, now I remember.” She inspects Evan closely. “And you still haven’t met your mate?”
“Don’t interrogate the poor boys, Maude,” says her companion—Shaun’s grandpa, I assume.
Evan smiles kindly at Shaun’s grandparents. “I don’t mind.” He shakes Shaun’s grandpa’s hand. “It’s good to see you again, Mr. Pyxus.”
“Barton is fine, lad.”
Evan inclines his head and steps to the side, motioning to Benny and me. “These are our friends, Benny and Pisces.”
I nod my head in greeting, shifting a bit nervously on my feet. I’ve never met anyone from Shaun’s family. I suspect he hasn’t introduced Benny and I to them for a reason, so I’m not sure what to expect.
Maude peers closely at us. She leans in and whispers conspiratorially to Shaun.
She must have noticed Benny’s pointed canines.
“A turned vampire? Your mother and father will blow a gasket,” she says, though her words are accompanied by an approving nod.
“And you, boy,” she says to me. “What kind of Made fae are you?”
“A siren.” I stand up straighter, as if this will make her approve of me.
Her face blanches and she looks over at Shaun, her smile turning wickedly gleeful. “I’d buy tickets to see your parents meet this one.”
“Enough, Maude, they aren’t spectacles to be gawked at,” Barton admonishes.
She gives us an apologetic look. “Yes, I am sorry. How rude of me.” She turns to Shaun. “You’ve got a good group here of good lads. Listen, you must come by for dinner sometime. It’s been too long.” She pinches her grandson’s cheeks. “I’m proud of you, Shaun.”
They excuse themselves then and Shaun grimaces. “They mean well, but they’re still a bit stuck in the old way of thinking.”
I let out a little laugh. “They’re nicer than most Born fae I’ve dealt with.”
Shaun grins. “Even Evan and me?”
I bark out a laugh. “Especially Evan and you.”
Shaun leads us to another group, some of his old university buddies who also had their bonds activated during the ceremony yesterday.
“Gavin, this is Evan. I’m sure you remember him from uni? He was a few years ahead of us.”
Gavin grins and reaches his hand out to Evan. “Good to see you again,” Gavin says. His voice has a poshness to it that makes me almost instantly dislike him.
Evan shakes his hand but doesn’t smile. “Been a while.”
“We were just discussing the warlock attacks,” the blonde fae standing next to Gavin explains, almost like he’s doing us a favor by catching us up on their conversation.
I shift my weight to my other foot, practically buzzing with the need to get out of here.
I look over to Benny, my face probably saying we don’t belong here, but Benny just gives me a reassuring squeeze on my arm and grabs another two drinks off a passing tray.
He hands one to me. I take a few sips, grateful to have something to hold, some job for my hands to do.
“I’m of course of the opinion that we should eradicate them,” Gavin responds, proving my first impression dead on.
“You want to eradicate an entire species of fae?” Evan responds, a lethal note in his tone that Gavin doesn’t pick up on.
“Well, yeah, a violent one that’s starting to turn on us.”
Another of the group speaks up. “Watch them try to bring wraiths back to this realm. We should have eradicated warlocks at the same time we banished all wraiths.” I stop myself from rolling my eyes.
This guy is an idiot to think the wraiths have all been banished.
Some definitely still walk this realm. I’m proof of that.
“You make it sound like they’re dogs that need to be put down,” Shaun responds, his brow cocked in surprise. Though I don’t know why he’s surprised.
“Aren’t they?” one of the group says and laughs, the others joining.
I can feel my siren teeth pushing at my gums, wanting to put these disgusting Born fae in the ground.
Where they belong.
“The same might be said of you,” Benny says softly from beside me.
Gavin and his cronies look at Benny, their gazes narrowing. “What did you say?”
Benny shrugs, not repeating himself.
Gavin’s blonde friend takes in a deep whiff through his nose and looks to Shaun.
“Your vamp friend isn’t Born, is he?” It’s a guess.
Scent wise there’s no difference between turned vampires and Born vampires.
Some fae can just tell, like Maude. Probably a combination of years of experience and a sixth sense.
But this guy isn’t one of them. The fae takes a threatening step closer to Benny.
I put myself in between them. “No, he’s not.”
“And what the hell are you?” He sniffs the air in front of me. As expected, a younger Born fae doesn’t have enough experience or intuition to identify my species.
“Trust me,” I say, my voice only deepening with hatred and violence. “You don’t want to find out.”
The group of male fae look between Evan and Shaun.
“I’d heard rumors you’d really fallen down the social ladder.
Didn’t believe it till now,” Gavin says.
He closes a hand around his friend’s arm, bringing him back into their group and closing their ranks.
But not before throwing a vitriolic look my way.
Before I can do anything stupid, like rip into the guy here and now, Benny leads me down a vacated hallway, Evan and Shaun at our heels.
We stop near a credenza boasting a few expensive looking vases. I rein in the urge to smash them. Benny rubs a hand up my arm and back down, trying to soothe me. My eyes flash angrily between Shaun and Evan. “I can’t believe you know those arseholes.”
Shaun’s lips press together. “Sorry about that. I just wanted to confirm some things I’ve been hearing.”
“And did you?” Benny asks. If he’s upset or confused as to why Shaun and Evan would stop to talk to that group, he doesn’t show it or voice it.
Shaun nods, exchanging a look with Evan. “They’re more bold about their views than they used to be,” Evan says. “That’s not a good sign.”
I raise an eyebrow at them both. “We’ll explain more,” Shaun says, “once we get home. But I just wanted to check to see how radicalized Gavin and his friends had become.”
“Why?” Benny asks.
“We need to keep an eye on them is all,” Shaun responds.
“And if they become a problem?” I ask.
Evan laughs and claps me on the back. “Then you can eat them.”
Tension eases out of me and I realize I’ve had my shoulders tensed up around my ears. They relax and I let out a soft laugh.
I’m about to make a joke that I could take care of that right now when my chest constricts painfully. Suddenly I can’t breathe.
My mind flashes back to that night so many years ago.
Claws digging into my chest.
I fall to the ground, clutching at that spot, and my friends all crowd around me trying to figure out what’s wrong.