29. Rodan

29

Rodan

M aeve oversaw the garbing of their group of Realms citizens, Jen and Lydia both offering their assistance. There was much grumbling and swearing, but eventually everyone was dressed in costumes that those familiar with Earth proclaimed correct.

Rodan was simply happy he had found a style that matched enough of his own and Earth so he was comfortable in it.

The one who looked most ill-at-ease was Troy, who complained at length until they were given a soft forest green t-shirt and dark jeans. They still grumbled about the restrictive movements of the jeans, but accepted it over the more formal wear originally floated. The elf had never looked so miserable. Like a grumpy dress-up doll, Jen had said.

While the work went on, Maeve updated him in bits and pieces through the bond, telling and showing him of her conversation with Lydia, and the conclusions she had come to from her father's share of information.

Rodan tapped his fingernail against the wooden arm of the chair he sat on, watching the company bicker with and tease one another with an ease that he was a little jealous of, that sort of camaraderie not something that came easy to him, save for long- standing circumstances. He had met Elias when he was still a toddling infant, and seen him dozens of times over the centuries along with his parents, so the intimacy was there. Them and the Basu family were all he really had through the years, until now.

"Sire," Nath said. "May I?"

"Of course, sit," Rodan said, coming out of his reverie and gesturing at the seats around him. He was in one of Lydia's main entertaining areas. There were many options. "We need not stand on formality while we're here, and I have not yet been crowned king."

The young guardsman perched on the edge of a couch. He, too, wore denim jeans, though his were a pale blue, almost white, and his shirt was black. He smiled a little haltingly, and if not for the dagger and sword he still had about his person, he would have been a perfect fit for this world. "I wanted to ask you some questions."

Rodan nodded. "What would you know from me?"

"Do you think we're going to make it back to the Realms?"

He tilted his head, regarding the young guard. Nath was in the lower years of his second decade, with sandy blond hair and dark brown eyes. His was an easy smile, with somewhat crooked but white teeth. They made him look younger. "I have faith we will get to the bottom of this," Rodan said. "And, yes, I believe we should most, if not all, make it back."

Nath nodded, then forged ahead with his next question. "Queen Maeve said there are masters of this world. Creatures we're to avoid. What are they, truly? You said vampires, yet I do not know the word."

Rodan nodded. "We shall have to debrief everyone in that regard." He sighed. "From what I understand, there are two species. The ruling class, the Sanguine, have supremacy over Earth. But the Ferrinic, a small group of approximately eight, they do not hold to the rules of the others. Not only that, but while the Sanguine are repelled by and conquered by the light of the sun, much like the Nyx, the Ferrinic can walk about by day." His finger caught in the grooves of the arm of his chair, and repeatedly traced the pattern. Forward and back. "Vampires, all, are sustained by drinking the blood of other creatures. Humans, primarily, though they have been known to sup on others."

Nath paled. "Blood?"

"Yes. They possess a pair of elongated incisors, here," Rodan pointed to his own somewhat sharp teeth. "Honed to a razor's edge. They use these to pierce the flesh, then drink the blood flowing from their victim." He gave a slight smile. "I'm told the neck is the most common place to bite. On a human, at least."

Swallowing, the young guard shifted back a little, rubbing his throat. "And they know we're here?"

"Not to our knowledge. We were simply given information regarding their presence here. But if we make enough waves, they will know, and they may interfere." He stopped running along the groove of the chair, steepling his fingers instead. "From what I understand, the Sanguine have numbers. Not so much as a horde, but they are an army onto themselves, and they have allies. There are many creatures that reside here. Not so much the creatures of the Realms, but others."

"Like what?"

"Minor gods and spirits," he said, musing as he flipped through the mental map of what Ankou had shared. "Demons, witches, wizards, shapeshifters, and werewolves. Others. Most have a wide variety among them." He shrugged. "I admit I care little for what peoples this world. I only do not wish it to contaminate ours."

"That's something I've been pondering," Maeve said, coming to them and obviously having overheard some of the conversation. "Earth will pollute the Realms, if we allow whatever will happen here to go unchecked. So we have two choices. Find a way to disconnect the Realms from Earth, or fix what's going to happen." She waved a hand out the window, toward the skyline of towering buildings.

Rodan pondered her first option. Disconnect the Realms from Earth? How? "Do you know how to do such a thing?"

She seemed to catch his meaning, and shrugged. "I think I might have some ability to do something, if it's a last resort. With my father's power, there's a lot I'm capable of."

He knew that, but wondered if there was something she had gleaned from the knowing he had not understood, some god-to-god communication that made her understand things with more of an edge. Like she could shape the events to come.

Nath was watching Maeve, and he asked her, now, "My Queen, did you truly come from this world?"

She nodded, sliding to the opposite couch. Lydia and Jen were still over by the others, finishing up. "It ends up I wasn't born here, but I lived most of my life in California. On the other side of this country from where we are." She glanced around and grasped one of the massive books lying on the low-slung tables between chairs. When she opened it, the pages were filled with maps. "This is an atlas," she said, twisting the book so Nath could see. He craned forward, looking with interest. "It's a book of maps of this world. Here is the entire planet."

Rodan studied this, as well, though he had seen some facsimile of the atlas on the small smart phone device he had used while tracking Maeve. That had only helped him get from the Western coast of Canada down to Los Angeles, however, so he had not looked much at the terrain beyond.

Maeve's slender finger came down on one of the thinner continental bodies. "This is the United States, and we're here." She circled one side, close to the ocean. "I'm from here," she pointed to the other side, next to another ocean. "I think Rodan and I might be able to move us around easier, but if we're to use the fastest transportation available to humans on Earth, it would take about ten hours to fly there."

"Fly?" Nath gasped.

Maeve giggled, echoed by a newly familiar-sounding throat as Lydia joined them. She had a large device in her hands. She motioned to the seat by Nath. "May I?"

He moved over, a flush rising in his cheeks that made Rodan look sharply at him. Maeve nudged him with her foot. Calm down , she said through the bond. She's a pretty girl.

She's more than that, he growled back, and Maeve laughed out loud.

"This is a tablet," Lydia said, showing Nath the device. "I keep a bunch for guests, so this one is ready to use. Here, let me show you."

Rodan watched the two of them, skin prickling a little as Nath leaned closer, but he maintained a fairly respectful distance, sometimes glancing nervously at Rodan and Maeve.

Lydia provided tablets for every one of the non-Earth guests, showing them what to do and how to do it. "Phones are being charged as we speak," she said. "I called my man about it. We need to be able to find each other in case anyone is separated."

Now they were all here, there was the question of what to do next, and for that he turned to Jen. "You are the one who, to our knowledge, has experienced the most visions in regards to Earth and the Realms. We need to understand everything we can from you."

The petite human flushed from where she was sitting on Troy's lap, their arm draped lazily around her waist, looking smugly content. "I think this is where we're supposed to be," she said. "New York City has a very distinctive skyline, and it's the one I see the most when I have those visions." She shuddered. "I think whatever happens, it starts here. That feels right."

Maeve nodded. "I agree. That does seem right."

"It also seems—foreign? Does that make any sense? As though whatever starts here, it wasn't born here. It didn't grow here." She looked flustered, passing a hand over her face and mussing her short dark hair. "This is stupid. I'm not a woo-woo spiritual type."

Thea gazed at her, a smile curving her full lips. "You may have more to do with spirits than you think, Jennifer Casper."

Troy scowled, though thankfully not in the High Priestesses direction, and Jen asked, "What do you mean?"

Thea's tone was enigmatic. "Only there is more than just the mark of a god upon you. You have gifts."

"I did tell you, you are interesting," Elias said, walking behind Jen and Troy to perch on a chair near Rodan. "It would be even more interesting to see what would happen if you were to bond."

"Not gonna happen," Jen said, gripping Troy as they bared their teeth at the Fae lordling. "And you're going to find one of Troy's arrows inconveniently in your eye if you keep up that talk."

Elias laughed.

There was a slight silence, and then a strange cawing sound from the tablet in Pike's hands as he cursed under his breath.

Maeve burst out with laughter. "Pike, are you playing that game again?"

"The bomb bird is phenomenal," he said, not bothering to look up from the lit screen. "It does incredible amounts of damage."

"You're kidding," Jen said, deadpan.

"What's that?" Troy asked, picking up their own tablet and tilting it so Pike could show them where to get to the app.

Rodan was feeling restless, watching them all play with the technology he had accustomed himself to during his time on Earth. It was amazing, yes, but they had to figure out what was going on with this planet before long. There was a sense of urgency he felt and could not shake.

And he had learned to trust his instinct in this regard.

We have to do something. Go somewhere.

Maeve nodded without responding either out loud or through the bond, but she stood, brushing imaginary dust from her pants. "Rodan and I need to walk the city for a little bit. Get our bearings. Elias, you'll come?" He nodded, and she went on, "The entire group of us would be too conspicuous, but we could bring two of you."

Pike and Corra, the guardswoman Lizette had hand-picked for Maeve, stood at once. The others grumbled, some of them half-heartedly, and Thea spoke up from her place on a lounger where she was playing with her guards hair. "We will all need to be there, for however this culminates. I know that."

"Once we have an idea, of course," Maeve said, tilting her head in acknowledgement. "Lydia, how do I get back here?"

Their daughter went to the kitchen and rummaged around in one of the drawers, coming back with a silver key and several black handheld devices. "This is to the front door, and to the private elevator. The doorman has been given all of your pictures and knows to let you in. And your phones."

Maeve shook her head. "You are thorough."

"I've had practice. It's a bit different." She smiled shyly, gaze flickering to Rodan. "Thank you for coming back to me. This makes things easier, and I finally met my father."

His chest warmed. Rodan wanted to embrace her, but Lydia ducked back into the kitchen, busying herself with setting out breakfast for everyone.

Instead, he held his arm out to Maeve. "My lady?"

She wrapped her hand around him and smiled into his eyes. "We still have some time, I think."

He nodded, understanding her meaning.

These might be the only moments he ever got to spend with his third child.