CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Ray recognized the feel of Duncan’s power before he even saw his face. Duncan had returned, as promised.
Ray put down the sticks, which had stood in for the swords he favored, and strode forward to meet Duncan, who was emerging from the slickest car Ray had ever seen. It looked like a spaceship, but then again, styles had been quite different the last time Ray had been in the mortal realm. He had a lot of catching up to do as far as human technology went. But that was for later.
Duncan spoke first. “Good to see you again, my friend. How goes it here?”
“Well enough,” Ray replied. He’d thought of quite a few questions he wanted to ask Duncan since their last brief meeting in North Dakota. “I’ve been wondering. The last I heard, long ago, nobody knew where you were, and the worst was feared. What happened to you back then? You just disappeared. Long before I made my own abrupt exit.” Ray placed one hand on Duncan’s back.
“I was trapped in faerie, much like you,” Duncan explained.
Ray frowned. “We’ll have to compare notes so nothing of the kind ever happens to either of us—or anyone else we know—again.”
They walked slowly away from the car and back toward the barnyard where Ray had been checking what his son knew about sword work. Little, as it turned out, but Josh showed every sign of being a good student, and he wasn’t too old to learn. If he applied himself, he’d be a credible swordsman in time. Ray would make sure of it.
Duncan chuckled as he caught sight of the matching sticks still in Josh’s hands. “Teaching him your impossible two-sword form?”
Ray gave his friend a mock-insulted look. “It’s not impossible for me.”
“Of course not, you’re a freak!”
Ray’s laugh boomed out, surprising himself, as well as the onlookers. It felt so good to be with a friend and equal again. Someone who could call him on his bullshit and laugh with him at their shared past. The dual swords he affected had often been a bone of contention between them, in a friendly way.
It took dedication to master the off-hand so that there was no weakness in the two-sword approach. Ray had spent decades perfecting his form and working to make himself as ambidextrous as possible. No other Knight he knew of used the dual swords, but Ray was just conceited enough to consider it his signature style, and he hoped—pride made him hope—that his son might take after him and follow the same path, in time.
“I’ve been teaching Josh single-sword styles, like any normal person,” Duncan went on in the face of Ray’s laughter.
Ray relented. “As well you should,” he agreed magnanimously. “The sword set is something it will take him years to master, but I just wanted to see if he might have the aptitude.”
“And does he?” They came to a stop, facing Josh, who was watching them with a very interested gaze. The boy missed nothing, which made Ray proud all over again.
“He’s strong enough on both sides. Close to ambidextrous now. I think it’ll come to him even easier than it did to me,” Ray admitted, beaming.
“Surely, you jest,” Duncan protested, but he was smiling while he did so.
Josh stepped forward, offering his right hand for Duncan to shake in greeting. “As a wolf, I don’t favor either set of paws,” he said, winking as he grinned.
“Damn and blast. Are you telling me your wolf side is already ambidextrous?” Duncan asked, pretending to huff.
“That’s about the size of it. I’ve used my right as a human mostly so I could just fit in with the rest of the world.”
“That’s cheating. Isn’t it?” Duncan asked, seeking support for his contention and finding none. Ray just shook his head, enjoying the friendly banter.
They talked of simple things for a while until Deena and Evie left them alone for a bit. Then, the serious talk began. Talk of warfare, weaponry, training and skill.
Stars, how he’d missed this. The camaraderie of his brother Knights was something Ray had always enjoyed. Not that there ever were many Knights at a given time. Unless they were fey, they didn’t last. Ray had befriended, then mourned, more of his brethren than he cared to count over the centuries, but it was good to see Duncan again. And it was good to know that Ray’s son would share in this special legacy.
For though Josh was half-shifter, he was also half-fey, with a power greater than Ray had honestly expected. It was very likely his son would have a greatly extended lifespan, barring death in battle or misadventure. Ray was glad of that. He’d buried too many of his brother Knights. The sorrow would be even greater—though it was always bad to lose someone—if Josh perished too soon in this dangerous calling.
Which was why Ray vowed to train Josh to be the very best he possibly could be. Ray would have to have a serious talk with Evie soon about logistics. It was pretty clear that Josh was going to be based here for the time being. Ray felt he would have to find a way to be here—in rural Pennsylvania, of all places—as well.
Duncan, Ray and Josh spent the day together, discovering what Josh already knew and the areas he would need to work on. They broke for lunch when the ladies brought a feast of sandwiches and juice out to them, but otherwise, they worked the day through. Deena meandered around the yard a bit, working with her animals, but though the alpacas kept eyeing the trio of men exercising in the barnyard, none of Deena’s creatures interfered.
Ray saw Evie sneaking around in wolf form at least twice. She’d probably wanted to check the boundaries of Deena’s farm for herself, which was a sensible thing to do. She probably also wanted to spy on her mate and son a bit, which Ray didn’t mind at all. He did his best to hide his little grin when he sensed her presence, preferring to let her think she could sneak around unseen—at least for the moment. He’d pounce on her later. When they got a moment alone.
The men washed up as the sun began to descend and made their way indoors. Duncan was given the use of another guest room that lay ready for the arrival of Deena’s family. They weren’t expected to start arriving until tomorrow, so the room was available for Duncan, which was just as well. The three men had put in a full day’s work, and each needed a shower before showing up for dinner.
In Ray’s case, he spent a few stolen moments in the warm downpour with his mate, reacquainting himself with shower sex. Truly one of the great conveniences of this realm. Warm water maintained without the use of magic and the slippery skin of his perfect mate. Life didn’t get much better than that.
Understandably, Evie and Ray were the last to arrive in the dining room, but nobody said anything. A few looks passed among them until Evie blushed and Ray pulled her into his side, telling the rest of them to cut it out. Laughter ensued, and all was right with the world as Evie joined in, smiling through her embarrassment.
Duncan joined them for the meal, offering a few bottles of wine he’d brought with him in the slinky sports car he’d driven down from New York City. Ray took a sip and thought he sensed a familiar flavor.
“Don’t tell me Maxwell is still making wine.” Ray reached for the bottle in the center of the table, turning it around so he could see the label.
“His winery is one of the best,” Duncan confirmed. “He’s won all sorts of awards.”
“No kidding.” Ray shook his head, surprised. “He still in California?”
Duncan nodded. “Napa Valley. He and a few of his friends have turned it into a wine-making capital to rival some parts of Europe.”
“The deuce you say,” Ray scoffed, but took another sip. “He hasn’t lost his touch. In fact, this is better than his earlier vintages.”
“Took him a century to get the grapes just right,” Duncan said, nodding.
“A century?” Deena asked, her eyes wide. “Is he fey?”
Duncan nearly choked but regained his composure easily. “Sorry. No. He’s a bloodletter. Good guy, for all that he drinks only blood…and wine.”
“Bloodletter?” Deena looked confused for a moment until the term seemed to click in her mind. “You mean, one of the world’s top vintners is a vampire?”
“They don’t like that word,” Duncan told her gently, “but yes. Atticus Maxwell is a vampire and a force for good…and excellent wine. I’ve known him a long time. As has the friend I’m currently house-sitting for. Dante is another vampire, as you call them. But he’s on his honeymoon with his werewolf mate.”
Ray realized the implications of what Duncan was saying, even if the others didn’t. That the races were beginning to inter-mix again could mean dire things for the world at large. For the past few centuries, since the defeat of Elspeth, the magical races had stayed mostly to themselves. Bloodletters didn’t mix with shifters and never with fey. Drinking shifter blood made the average vampire incredibly powerful. Fey blood was even more dangerous, imparting massive amounts of magical energy to a being that was already very strong.
In the normal course of business, the Goddess didn’t really allow for such pairings. After all, She was the one who guided those fated to be mates together. If there was no call for beings of such power, then those kinds of matings tended not to happen. At all.
That an ancient vampire—and Dante was someone Ray remembered from a very long time ago—had found his One, true mate, among the shifters was very significant. Ray supposed the cross-species mating had started with himself and Evie, but theirs wasn’t as uncommon a combination. Fey could mate with humans, though it was often heartbreaking for the fey involved when their human lover died of old age. Fey often found companionship with longer-lived shifters, though matings such as Evie’s and Ray’s weren’t quite as common.
Bloodletters most often found their One, after centuries of searching, among humans. Not since Elspeth had been wreaking her havoc on the mortal realm had a bloodletter truly mated with a shifter. Not to Ray’s knowledge. And bloodletters mating with fey had been strictly forbidden, though during the battle with Elspeth, it had taken such a partnership to send the enemy to the farthest realms of existence. It had killed the bloodletter and her fey mate to do it, but they’d managed the incredible feat of magic…together.
“We’re living in interesting times again, it seems,” Duncan went on while Ray’s mind spun. Duncan raised his glass, and it felt like, in that moment, only they two, of all the people gathered around that dinner table, really understood the threat that lay just beyond the safety of this blessed house and this moment out of time.
The Mother of All increased the number of her Knights only when She knew they would be needed. Had Ray been so proud of his son’s achievement only to have to worry that Josh would be sent into battle before he was fully trained?
Ray vowed to have that talk about relocating with Evie before another sunrise. He had to be there for his son now, as he hadn’t been there before. Ray had a lot of time to make up for with Josh and much to teach him about how to survive the threats he might face as a Knight of the Light.
Duncan left after dinner, though he’d been invited to stay overnight. He’d graciously turned over Josh’s training to Ray with words of encouragement and happiness. He’d also agreed to check back with them from time to time as Josh’s training progressed. Duncan could be of great help, even if he wasn’t to be Josh’s primary teacher.
They stayed up late talking after Duncan left, but eventually, everybody said goodnight and headed for their rooms. Now was the time, Ray knew, that he had to talk with Evie about where they would live. He didn’t think she’d object to moving closer to their son, but he was working hard at remembering he was part of a couple.
For so many years, whatever decisions he’d had to make while trapped in faerie—and there hadn’t been many—he’d made on his own. He’d been alone there, but for his tormentor.
But now, he was back in the mortal realm and had Evie’s feelings and plans to consider. He loved that. He loved being part of a couple, even though it meant a slight delay in finalizing and implementing plans because he had someone to talk things over with. How he’d missed that. How he’d missed her.
As they entered the guest suite they were sharing on one side of the big farmhouse, Ray took the opportunity to broach the subject. He wanted her full agreement and input. They were a team. They would make the important decisions like this, as a team.
“If I’m going to be teaching Josh,” he began, pausing just inside the doorway, “it would be a whole lot easier if we were nearby.”
Evie turned to look at him, a smile on her face. “I’m glad you brought that up. I was wondering when you’d get around to asking me what I thought.”
“Oh, honey, don’t be like that.” He smiled, moving in on her, then wrapping his hands around her waist, pulling her closer. “I planned this all out. I wanted to talk to you in private first before I made any stupid assumptions and blurted them out in front of everyone. We should present a united front, shouldn’t we?”
“Hmph.” She gave him a sly look. “That was your master plan?” He could tell she was just teasing him. She wasn’t really mad, which was a relief. They hadn’t been back together long enough to fight over something they probably both agreed on, anyway.
“Well, it was a plan. Not sure if it was masterful.” He shrugged as she chuckled.
“When Duncan started talking about how you were going to take over Josh’s training, I kind of figured a move might be in order. Deena’s tied to this land for the moment. She can’t just up and move to wherever. Josh explained a bit of that to me already. It’s why he moved in here, rather than them finding a place together somewhere else,” Evie explained. “If Deena’s tied to this location and Josh is bound to Deena, then it only makes sense that, in order to teach him, you’d have to do it here. And I suppose commuting from North Dakota is probably out of the question.”
“Not entirely.” Ray tilted his head, knowing he needed to give Evie all the facts. “I could port in and out if Fred and Deena don’t object to my using the standing stones for cover. It’s risky. Any one of my ports could cause a ripple that our enemies might trace back to us, but I could theoretically travel back and forth every few days. The big problem with that scenario is that either you would travel with me or I would have to leave you behind in North Dakota, on your own for days at a time. I really don’t want to do that. We’ve been apart long enough. And that’s all presupposing you want to live at the cabin in Fred’s territory and he’s agreeable to my use of the stone circle.”
“I live much closer to town now, actually,” Evie said, almost offhandedly.
“I don’t suppose there’s a convenient set of standing stones near your new home?” He had to chuckle because such things were rare, indeed.
“Not that I’m aware of,” Evie told him with a shake of her head. “But I agree. I don’t want to be separated from you either, and I don’t like the idea of commuting back and forth. The danger of discovery is a problem, but I also don’t like the idea of never knowing where I’m going to be from one day to the next. My wolf likes to know the bounds of her territory. She needs a sense of belonging in one place.”
“Then, have you given any thought to relocating somewhere nearby?” Ray asked, hopeful. “We could buy our own place around here somewhere and be on hand for Josh and Deena when they need us, but still have our own home. Our own territory. How does that sound?”
Evie hugged him. “I think it sounds just about perfect.”
He kissed her, then, as he backed her toward the big bed. He lay her down upon it and showed her all over again how much he loved her.
They made love several times that night, sleeping sporadically, but it was enough. It was enough for Evie just to be in her mate’s arms, safe in his embrace, having him here with her, where he belonged. Where they lived didn’t matter as much as that they lived together, in the same realm of existence.
Just before dawn, she woke him with nibbling kisses all over his chest…and lower. She took him into her mouth, rousing him in every way. She loved how responsive he was to her, even after he’d claimed she’d tired him out completely.
Shifters were demanding lovers, which was part of the reason they didn’t often mate outside their own species. Few humans could keep up. But Ray was proving the fey had every inch the sexual energy of any shifter…and more than most.
Ray flipped them over, his greater strength appealing to her inner wolf. She liked that her mate was the Alpha in their relationship, though she knew theirs was a partnership, not a dictatorship. They were perfect together and had been since the day she’d first stumbled across him—a stranger in the small town near which she’d grown up.
Back in those days, she hadn’t really liked being around humans all that much, but she’d had a part-time job in a convenience store, working the night shift. One dark night, Ray had walked in and changed her life forever. He’d recognized what she was right away, though she hadn’t ever considered she’d meet a real live fey in her lifetime.
It had taken Ray a few days before he admitted what he was, and even longer before he told her about being a Chevalier. They’d already run away together, heading south, out of Canada, before he’d come clean about his commitment to the Mother of All. It had been okay, though. Evie had always had a strong respect for the Goddess and counted herself blessed to have a mate who not only respected Evie’s beliefs, but served the Goddess as a warrior for good. She’d been proud of her clever, skilled mate once she’d known.
But then, he’d disappeared, leaving her in a new country, pregnant and alone. She’d always known in her heart that he hadn’t meant for anything like that to happen, but even so…
Ray distracted her from her twirling thoughts by the simple act of joining with her yearning body. He came into her, coming home. Making them whole.
Then, he began to move, and the sparks of magic began to swirl around them anew. They’d managed to tone down the light show over the past hours, but they still needed a bit of practice at keeping it completely under wraps.
Ray had cast a ward of protection around the room before he’d taken her to bed, making sure that any magic they did spark would be contained within the room. He’d explained that Deena had wards on the property itself and her home, but Ray was only being polite in containing their own magic within Deena’s walls. Apparently, there were special rules for magical house guests that Evie had known nothing about.
Ray drove her to the stars, biting her shoulder at the end, making her inner wolf want to howl in joy. He might’ve picked that little biting thing up from her, but as long as he didn’t mind, she certainly wasn’t going to complain. Far from it. She loved it when he got all primal on her. Ray might be fey, but he was definitely a warrior when it counted, and that appealed to her on every level.