Queen of the Fae: Book Two in the Fae Unbound Series (Fae Unbound Teen Young Adult Fantasy Series) Read Free Page B

just as Thomas is not Faolan."
    "As you request, James, I recognize you are not entirely the man my ancestors knew. However, we know this man, this Thomas. We watched him from the other side. And the warrior we have had watching him on this side, Freoric, informs us that you are educating him in the way of sorcery and have placed him under your protection. We wonder why this is. He is Faolan."
    "No longer. Your people saw what happened at the tree. Faolan is gone forever. I don’t hold him responsible for what Faolan did any more than I hold you responsible for the actions of the elves who murdered Myrddin’s farther. Today, in this moment, there's only this empty-headed man behind me, cleared of memories and partially fae. Would you destroy an innocent, Elder?"
    "If, as you say, Myrddin is with you, you know my people outlaw the mixing of human and elvin blood. This has not changed," The elder nodded his head toward Thomas, "This one has no fae blood at all, he is only inhabited by a wisp, a contemptible thing. He is no kin of ours. However, we owe you a debt. If you have extended your protection, we will abide. What we will not tolerate is having him so near to us here on the green isle and on the continent beyond. In these times, for your people, it is easy to move from land to land. Find another place."
    "And you won't follow us?" James asked.
    "By my troth, the elves will not follow," replied the elder.
    "I accept your troth. We'll leave before the new moon. Is that acceptable to you?"
    "It is," the elder said, then folded his arms and nodded his head to indicate the meeting was over. The other elves directed the same greeting toward James and followed single file behind their council leader as he left the flat.
    The last elf in line spat on the floor as he passed Thomas and mouthed, "Abomination." 
    James silently closed the door behind him as the elf moved into the hallway, then sucked in a deep gulp of air, and let it out sharply. "Wow...that was intense."
    "You should have let me talk."
    "No. Not a good idea. How can you not get that the only reason those guys haven’t killed you is because they feel they owe a debt to Lizbet and me?" James felt his neck reddening as he let himself feel the anger he’d had to rein in tightly while he faced the elders.
    "I could've eased their fears. I'm for the fae, I'm not Faolan. I'd defend them with my life...you know that. I want to live among them and learn from them."
    James walked into the kitchen and plugged the kettle in for tea, needing movement to keep his anger from growing, "Look, Tom...it's not going to happen. They're never going to forget Faolan and forgive you, no matter how much you want it."
    Thomas's eyes narrowed slightly before he responded, "And by the way, empty-headed?"
    "You know what I meant," said James, "I defended you in a way the elves would accept. It seemed like a reasonable way of saying it at the time. I didn’t do it to start a fight."
    Thomas sat down at the small table in the corner of their shared kitchen. James set a cup in front of him, the tag of a tea bag trailing over the rim. 
    James said, "At least there's no more decision to make about going home. It's definitely time for us to get packing. We've got exactly seven days." 

CHAPTER THREE
The Denial Twist
     

    Eamon stood silently on the crest of a small, green, Ohio hill, watching the grazing cows below. Although he was as at peace here as any gruagach could possibly be, a part of him was always alert, keeping his eyes and ears open for threats to the herd. He heard the lassie moving through the grass long before she got to him, and he knew her by her distinctive scent that was both human and elf.
    Without turning around, he spoke quietly in his thick Scottish accent as she grew close, "So, Tanji, what brings you here on such a glorious day? Were you of a mind to spend some peaceful time with my little herd? Or...don't tell me...my mistress has changed her mind about my retirement