I flash a toothy grin at Kenric, quick and friendly. “Did I take their heads in those duels? Yes. Did every last stinking one of them deserve it? Oh yes. That and then some. I made sure of it before I challenged them. They died a far cleaner death than the ones they sold as food. Last but not least, we’re creatures of magic. Depending on the circumstances, I might even be able to use magic to alter reality.”
I can tell his mind is spinning, so I ask if it would help if I give some examples. He agrees that it might. I stop for a moment to organize my thoughts while Kenric looks at me. It’s lovely to be the center of his attention. It’s almost too distracting from what I want to say. Despite that, he waits patiently while I gather what he needs to understand about the Fey. He observes and doesn’t seem to need inane chatter or heaps of praise for the most minor things. So many males do, and this is a refreshing change.
The longer I’m around him, the more I like him. Have the gods finally decided to be kind to me? There has to be a hook here that I just don’t see. "I think selective disclosure is pretty self-explanatory. I don’t want you to know, so I just never mention it. Some call it lying by omission, but according to our First Oath, that’s permissible. When it comes to wrong conclusions, I could say something like this: That poison wasn’t going to hurt him. There’s an antidote. What do you think that means?"
He looks at me, “Surely that means you’ve got the antidote, and you’d have given it to him."
I shake my finger at him, “Oh, no. Not even close. I said that an antidote exists. I never said I had it, or that even if I did, that I’d give it to him. You’ve just jumped to a very wrong conclusion, and I never lied. Misdirection gets a bit more complicated than that, though.”
I have his full attention now, and it’s incredible. He’s attentive, but respectful. “Explain.”
I nod and dive into it. “I might say something that’s basically worthless but sounds like it means something. We are actively investigating the situation, and we will take appropriate action as needed. That can mean whatever I decide it means, and I haven’t lied. Even if I change what it means later or how I’m choosing to interpret it, I still haven’t lied. ‘Active’ might mean my 18th most junior assistant has it in his queue at the bottom of his decades-old inbox. Who decides what’s appropriate? Or when it's needed? If you leave that to Ellisar, it will be nothing, and never.”
Nodding, he agrees. “What else?”
“I might try to shift your focus onto something else with something like this. While I appreciate your comments on this clause in the agreement, the real issue here is the lack of shared cultural experience. All this is an attempt to get you to stop talking about the clause and move to a safer topic.”
“Go on,” Kenric says.
“Another way to do misdirection is to insert something completely unrelated that gets you to shift the discussion to that topic instead. I understand your concerns about the costs of the goods we offered, but let's not forget all the new trading locations we’ve opened this year. You’re not upset about the new locations; you’re upset about being overcharged. Instead of talking about the fees, now you’re talking about all the new trading locations.”
Nodding, he laughs, “I think your king has been using a lot of this on us.”
I nod, “I told you he was a tricksy son of a banshee, but I’m not done with misdirection yet. This is a different way to introduce something completely unrelated and to divert the discussion away from the topics you don’t want to discuss. Before we discuss the recent price increases, let's take a moment to acknowledge the hard work of our negotiation team in securing this agreement. The negotiation team sits around patting themselves on the back, and the discussion shifts away from the price increases.”
He nods.
I hold up a finger. “I’m still not finished. The final point concerns evoking emotions. Can we really ignore the struggles of these families when making this decision? If that’s not a clever ploy to twist the knife in an attempt to get you to pay more, I don’t know what is.”
He nods, and I can almost see his gears turning as he processes everything. Finally, he nods again and asks, “What about misleading statements?”
“If I double the price and offer a two-for-one deal, is that really any better? If I compare my sandals to someone else’s boots and say you should buy from me because my product is cheaper, that’s misleading. Of course, the boots cost more, but they have more of everything in them, more leather, more sewing, more time. If I claim that my magic elixir cures ingrown toenails, but it only works for a small percentage of people, is that a good reason to buy it? None of those are outright lies, but they’re not exactly honest either,” he says.
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He sits for a moment, holding my hand and staring out the carriage window. His thumb makes little circles on the back of my hand. Gods above! I want to crawl into his lap, tuck myself into his coat, and curl up. I want to press my face against his chest and breathe in that scent. I wonder if the rest of him comes with that fizzy, floating sensation or if it's just his hands.
The carriage pulls up, and he leaps out. He gestures for me to come to him, then lifts me down. He tells the driver to wait for us and allows me to lead him into the forest. Once we’re far enough from the horses, I ask him to run a few steps. He does and then stops, facing me. I’m in full hunter mode now. I sniff, and he’s still not afraid. Instead, he’s even more aroused. What is wrong with this male? Any Fey male would either take it as a challenge or a threat. He’s… aroused by it. It’s a little hard to speak like this because of all the extra teeth.
“The other crucial thing to remember about us is that we’re apex predators. Like any pack of predators, we jostle and vie for dominance among our own kind. Any time you look at a Fey, you should be seeing this.” I gesture to myself. “Since you don’t understand what that means, I’ll try to tell you. I can see your body heat, and, fully shifted like this, I can see in near total darkness. Not only can I hear your heartbeat, but I can also smell it. I can smell your mood, and damn near what you’re thinking. I can run for days at speeds your horses struggle to match. I can tear through enemies in a show of force that leaves most pissing themselves before I ever pick up a sword. Small as I am, compared to some of the males, I’m perfectly capable of breaking backs, snapping necks, tearing out throats, and disemboweling most things, including other Fey. Take a hard look at me.” I grin widely, showing all my teeth. “Put these same features on every Fey you see.”
He gestures for me to come to him, and I approach slowly, careful to keep my composure. I don’t know what I’d do if he started to fear me. I must be cautious not to teach him that lesson. I go very still as his hands sink into my hair, his fingers massaging. It feels so good, I think I groan, and my eyes are half-closed. He’s purring about how silky my hair feels. Things I didn’t even realize were knotted up come undone at his touch. I’m ready to melt when he asks if he can kiss me. I can’t wait to drown in that smell of his.
He smells like this forest where we’re standing, sweet grass, moss, sunshine, and oak leaves. This has been my favorite place since childhood, and finding a male who smells like it is just irresistible. Even if he were a complete ass, I still wouldn’t say no, just see what it’s like. He isn’t though. He’s been kind and considerate. I say yes, and his hand cups my face, tilting it up. Without even realizing it, my lips part. His mouth closes over mine. Oh, gods! He tastes just as good as he smells, with a hint of my father’s whiskey. I’m doomed. He’s irresistible. Every fiber of my being screams for more. He pulls back a little, flashing me that half smile. I have a death grip on his jacket.
Without even thinking, I rub my face on his chest, and he chuckles. “What are you doing?”
I smirk. “Marking you as taken.”
He laughs. “Should I return that?”
My smirk widens a bit. “It works a bit differently when a male marks a female.”
He looks uncertain. “What do you mean?”
I give a meaningful glance at his crotch, and his eyebrows raise as he laughs. “You’re not shy, at least.”
I shrug. “You’re the first human I’ve met. Maybe we should talk about mating habits.”
He thinks for a moment and nods. “You’re the first Fey I’ve kissed, so fair enough.”
Another thought crosses my mind. “How old are you?"
“I’m twenty-six. Why? How old are you?” he asks.
I palm my face, giggling. “I’m seven hundred and forty-six."
His jaw drops. “What amuses you?"
I’m still giggling. “I kissed a baby."
Now he’s indignant. "I’m not a baby. I’m a grown man. I’ve been to war, same as you. I was definitely man enough when I was kissing you."
I nod, trying to grasp the whole thing and explain. "Not quite the same as me. I spent seven hundred and twenty-three years fighting that war. I really don’t know much else. I don’t sleep at night. It’s been so long, I can’t remember what life was like before. They just released us a few months ago. I haven’t been home for a full year yet. I have no clue what comes after.”
He offers me a small smile and says nothing, but opens his arms. I step into them instantly. Once I’m ensconced in his arms, he looks down,“I’ll help you figure out what your version of everything else is. Whatever you want, as long as I’m there with you.”
Another knot inside me loosens slightly. His hands continue to make those calming circles on my back. I could stand here like this forever. We’re still standing there when the rain begins to patter down. He starts to take off his jacket, but I flick my hand, and suddenly, the rain veers around us. We walk back to the coach, and I see the poor coach driver getting completely soaked.
A flick of my wrist and there’s a barrier over him, too.
The coach driver looks up at it and then turns to me. “Yávi? Mairi? Andún?, it is my honor to wait for you, even in the rain. I was there at Sah Sarhine when you and your friends drove those abominations back. You kept them out of the city, and thousands live today because of you. The king may have stolen your name, but he hasn’t stolen our tongues. Some of us, at least, will address you properly.”
I’m so moved by his support that I start to cry. I take his hand and thank him. “Thank you for that. With the war over, I didn’t think anyone cared. I’m stuck like this because I can’t remember how to change back. I haven’t even tried to in at least six hundred years. Since I can’t change back, I terrify everyone. The comments have been… less than kind. All I smell on everyone is fear.”
The coach driver looks at the man with me, “You take good care of her. She deserves it.”
Lord Kenric looks at me and then back at the coach driver, “Is there anywhere you can take us where she can hear some more of that? I think she needs it.”
Chapter 6 is emotional, quiet, and deeply introspective.
It’s about healing, trust, vulnerability… and trying not to punch people who deserve it (cough Oskar cough).
This is also a chapter where kindness matters.
Support matters.
Dignity matters.
Who does this In real life?
