Faith is Fallen (Broken Fantasies Series)

Chapter 18

They invited him to join them, to share a meal. Cara lagged behind, watching the way that the man and her husband interacted. Who was he? Every few minutes the man would turn back to look at her, and he never seemed overly interested in anything Conall said.

But then, he wasn't here for Conall. He was here because of her. She felt quite certain he'd come here because he'd sensed her magic the same way she had been intrigued by sensing his.

"Forgive me," said as they reached the tables and sat down. "This is my wife, Cara. Cara, this is Valerius."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Valerius."

"I assume you, my lady," he said, bowing over her hand, "the pleasure is all mine."

"Tell me about yourself, Valerius. What brings you to our humble abode?"

"Oh, it is hardly humble, I'm sure." He sat down, smirking as he looked around. "What? Have your people never seen a wizard before?"

Cara raised her eyebrows. "You're a wizard? I've never met one before."

"You haven't? Now I'm doubly intrigued."

"Why is that?"

"Because I have never met anyone with magic as strong as yours. It's like it is you rather than something you can do. What are you?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. One shouldn't ask a lady such things." But deep down she grew increasingly alarmed. Did he have to say such things here? Out loud? Where people could overhear?

"Forgive me, my lady," Valerius said, standing and bowing deeply. "You are an enigma and a mystery, and I find myself enthralled."

"Well, I'm taken."

"Oh, the humanity!" he said, and dramatically fell to his seat as if in a swoon.

Cara smiled and shook her head, enjoying the man's antics. "Oh, enough of that. Tell us, where are some of the places you've been?"

"Well, I am originally from Italia, but frankly, I haven't been there in years. Too much unrest. And I refuse to be ruled by the French." Valerius said the word "French" like it was some sort of curse word.

Cara frowned, knowing next to nothing about the geography and political climates of the human world. When she'd said, "where are some of the places you've been," she'd assumed he would describe them, not just list them off.

#

"Lady Cara!" Valerius called out once the room had cleared out, the people going off to their respective responsibilities. Lady Cara had stood up to leave, and he waved her back to sit with him some more, hoping he could solve the riddle that she proved to be.

She sat across from him, hesitancy in the way she moved, held herself. "I didn't appreciate you announcing my magic in front of everyone. And twice no less."

"I apologize," he said, bowing over the table slightly, but still seated. "I should have realized it would be a secret."

"Conall knows, but we hadn't told anyone else. It can be dangerous telling humans such things. They can react... violently to such news at times."

"I know. I've had similar experiences. It's part of the reason I'm always traveling. There haven't been a lot of places I've managed to settle down where I didn't end up being chased out eventually. After a while, you start to leave before they can betray you. It's just easier that way."

"Well, if the people here are willing to accept you, you could have a home here. Clearly, you're an asset to this clan. You drove that army away."

"True, but you could have done just as well."

"Yes, and no. My magic is..." Cara stopped herself, looking around as if checking to make sure no one could overhead. "My magic is different from yours. The things that I did today, they're not really things I can control. They're just whims. The magic that I can focus and manipulate, things like this charm around my neck, they're never quite as strong. People like me are very dangerous... if we don't have impulse control."

Valerius leaned forward, practically breathless with anticipation, hoping against hope that she would answer him this time, now that they didn't have an audience. "I hope I'm not offending you, but I have to know. What are you? I've never met anyone like you."

"I'm a Fae, a Sidhe. Humans often call us fairies."

"No," he said in disbelief, leaning backward. "Can't be. They're not real."

Cara raised both eyebrows. "They're not?"

"You look human."

Cara tapped the charm around her neck.

"A spell. You bespelled the necklace."

"Yes. A glamor that makes me appear human. It doesn't do a whole lot, but it's enough."

"Do you ever take it off?"

"Only when Conall asks me to, only in private."

Valerius nodded, and his curiosity was killing him. What did she really look like? What did fairies look like in real life? Outside of books of myths and legends. But this wasn't the time or place to ask. Instead, he smiled. "Thank you for the invitation earlier to stay here at clan McKay. I would be honored, if everyone would have me."

"Then I hope that they do."

#

Niall cornered Conall as he was heading outside. He grabbed his lord by the arm, and got in his face. "What is she?"

"Niall! What the hell is wrong with you?" Conall barked, shaking Niall's hand off him.

"What is Cara?" Niall asked again, accentuating every syllable.

"That is none of your business, Niall. She is my wife."

"And she is the lady of this clan. I think we have a right to know who she is, what she is."

Conall leaned into him until they were nearly nose to nose. "You have only the rights I allow you, Niall."

Niall shook his head, not believing what he was hearing. "This isn't like you, Conall. What's gotten into you?"

"She's my wife," Conall repeated, this time at barely a whisper.

"You're afraid for her. You're afraid of how the clan will react."

Conall said nothing. Maybe he couldn't.

"I would never do anything to harm her, my lord. You have my word. She is Lady McKay. I would lay down my life for you both. You know that."

"I do. I know that," Conall said under his breath. He sighed. "She is a fairy. A princess of her people, in fact. She is capable of magic, just as Valerius said, and she can live for centuries, maybe more. I don't know."

Niall thought bck to the day of Conall's wedding, and the intruder who interrupted it, the way Lady Cara had come downstairs having obviously cried recently. "And you knew this when you married her."

"Yes. I'd only just found out, but yes."

Niall nodded absently. "What if the clan doesn't accept her? You know how rumor spreads. By tomorrow, all will know what this Valerius said about her."

"Yes, yes." He sighed. "Keep your ear to the ground, Niall. Tell me at the first rumblings of trouble."

"Of course."

"Good."