29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Iwas grateful Heath stayed by my side, holding my hand as we entered the main bar. We looked at the group we had left downstairs, and I decided I needed a safer place. I pointed to the bar stools, and Heath got my meaning quickly. He sat down, and I went behind the bar, beginning to make drinks. I poured us both a glass of our favorite whiskey and proceeded to will myself into relaxing a hair. I took a moment to watch the fae and consider what was happening in my bar.

Kick Shot wasn't built for the events it had seen over its lifetime. It hadn't been built for an attack from werewolves, and it didn't survive Lani's arson. Since then, it had become the chosen battleground for my meetings with the BSA. Luckily for me, that part of my life hadn't raised its ugly head yet. It would eventually, but if this cleared up before my next meeting with them, I could possibly get away with never dealing with it.

No, Kick Shot had been built for what it is—a bar. From a tiny dive bar to bar and grill under Oliver, it was meant to serve people, give them a place to unwind and have a bit of fun or commiserate with each other over their long days and weeks.

Now, it was hosting fae nobility.

At least this isn't likely to destroy my bar.

"Carey goes back to school tomorrow, doesn't she?" I asked Heath suddenly.

"She does," he confirmed. "Landon will handle it."

"Has the BSA tried to get a hold of you about all of that yet?"

"I sent in all the paperwork last week. It's in review. As is the incident at the school, which is being looked at closely in the light of your testimony to Agent Kirk and Carey's conversation with the agent who showed up Friday."

"I hope it comes out in your favor," I said softly, leaning on the counter. "I hope this doesn't get in the way."

"Landon knows how to wrangle the BSA if it's needed. This won't be the first surprise business trip I've taken," he explained with a sharp smile. "Actually, it's good for us. It gives Landon a chance to remind everyone in our lives, they would rather deal with me than with him."

"He's so ruthless," I mumbled, shaking my head at how the son was far more vicious than the father.

"He's what he needed to be for a long time," Heath said softly, looking down at his glass. "He's loosened up over the recent years, coming out here, getting out of the pack. It's been good for him. It doesn't mean he's not my second, but he finally has a chance to kick his feet up. He's never been able to before."

Knowing what I knew about Landon, I could understand that. A biracial man after the Civil War, a gay man before the turn of the century, and in an environment that wouldn't give him a chance to hide. Landon grew up in dangerous times. Not that modern times were less dangerous, but it was better.

"I'm glad my territory has given your family at least one good thing," I said with a small smile. "You know, as long as we can survive everything else."

Heath laughed. Pulling out his phone, he started texting. He showed me Carey's responses and gave me a chance to send along a message, then ended it by telling her to get to bed because she had school again tomorrow. It was already after dark, and we both knew she probably should have been heading to sleep an hour before.

"She's fourteen and in high school," I reminded him as he put the phone away. "She's going to push those boundaries. Bedtime at ten? You'll be catching her staying up all night, working on projects from here on out."

"Yeah, I'm thinking of changing up the system because it's not working anymore. Landon doesn't even enforce it anymore. I'll give her a curfew to be inside and let her manage her own sleeping schedule. If she gets detention for sleeping in class, I'll revisit it."

"I've never been a parent, so I couldn't tell you what to do. I can only talk as someone who experienced modern high school." I looked around Heath to see Cassius coming to us.

"She'll be here any minute," he warned us.

"Perfect timing," I mumbled as I walked out from behind the bar. Heath hopped off the barstool and stood at my side. "How is she coming in?"

"The same way Brion did," the prince answered.

I looked over at Brion with his wife and the sons he shared with her. Sorcha kept herself separate from them, sitting at one of my smaller tables near the back wall. Cassius saw what I was looking at but said nothing. He walked back to her, his posture reminding me of something I would see in a period piece movie.

Less than a minute later, I saw the main entrance of Kick Shot open, and beyond it was a beautiful room with a fire going. Alvina came into view and stepped through. Like with Brion, it was then I felt her presence in my territory.

What a shitty workaround of my territory magic. A fae assassin who can do the door portal thing would find it so easy to come into my house before I had the chance to fight back. I need to ask Zuri if there's a way to stop it.

Alvina was followed by two others, keeping themselves just behind her, one to the right and one to the left.

"Brother," she said, sounding as if she was finally breathing after a long time, the longing and love clear. "You're here."

"Cassius told you I would be," Brion said with a small smile. Standing, he went to her, and they embraced tightly, a warm welcome, considering the circumstances.

"You ran for months." Alvina pulled away but moved her hands to his shoulders. "I didn't know how to reach out to you to talk, then Oisin figured out what I was doing, and…"

"He's been trying to kill me." For the first time since I had met him, Brion seemed hurt.

"Yes, I know. I knew he would. I tried to keep it quiet, but someone in my household leaked the information when pressed by someone from his. That person has been punished for lack of loyalty." She dropped her hands and stepped back, putting enough distance between them that I understood the message. Personal time was over, and there was business to be done.

"Oisin has been corrupted by the power of the throne. He will not give it back to you. You know what must be done."

"I do," Brion agreed. "Why don't you meet the reasons I was away for so long?" He shifted to stand at Alvina's side and put his hand on her lower back. "Alvina, this is my wife, Fiona, and our sons, Eamon, Fergus, and Rian."

The sons bowed, and Fiona curtsied. It was all very charged with the formality of nobility I wasn't used to.

"Well met," Alvina greeted. "And welcome to the family."

"Thank you," the oldest said, speaking for everyone in the group. Rian seemed to be the most uncomfortable, fidgeting as his older brother stepped forward. "We're glad to finally meet our aunt."

"And I'm glad to see the family my brother has made for himself," Alvina returned, her smile just as dazzling as Sorcha's could be. Before she continued speaking to Brion's new half-human family, she turned to Cassius. "Nephew, I'm so glad you're here."

"I'm not," he answered honestly, which only caused Alvina to laugh.

"Yes, I can imagine," she said, bowing her head slightly in acknowledgment. "Sorcha, it's nice to see such a strong ally on our side."

"Not doing this for you," Sorcha whispered, looking up. Her moon grey eyes seemed more like hard steel, threatening to cut the queen in half.

"Of course not, but still, your presence is appreciated."

"They've both been somewhat cranky with me," Brion cut in to add. "But I'm glad to see my son has found such a perfect match for himself. I take it you gave your blessing to the union?"

"I did. It was better than the alternative." As Alvina spoke, I watched Cassius flush.

"There was a second option?" Brion's eyes went wide as he turned away from Alvina to his son. "Who?"

"None of your—"

"Cassius is better with Sorcha than he was with Kaliya," Alvina said, her lips pursed. "I like Kaliya, but she's a wild card. Dangerous. You've missed her ride to fame as a Tribunal Executioner. She's no longer working for us, however. She's now the Demon Serpent, Queen of the Nagas. A strong ally for your son and a much healthier relationship than the one they had as lovers."

Brion laughed harder than I figured he had the right to. "Ah yes," he tried to say between fits of laughter. "Sorcha is a much better choice than Kaliya."

"She's a dear friend of ours, so I recommend you keep your opinions to yourself," Sorcha said sharply. "Or I'll remind you who her mate is and the power he also wields."

"I'm not scared of Kaliya or whatever fool she's convinced to marry her," Brion said, wiping his eyes. He was still fighting off laughter. That much was clear in his expression.

"You should be," Cassius whispered.

That made Brion pause and narrow his eyes. "Excuse me? You really think she's that powerful now?"

"I know she is," his son answered stiffly. "But she won't be helping us. Sorcha and I already made the decision not to call on her or Raphael, Warlord of the Cambions."

"I see," Brion murmured, suddenly more serious. "The Demon Serpent indeed."

"Can we get on with business?" I asked. While I was curious about everything I was hearing, I also wanted to expedite the event unfolding in my bar. Alvina turned to me slowly, eyeing me, judging me. She knew me from what happened back in April. I was the reason she discovered who Brin actually was. She watched me kill a werewolf Alpha after he tried to destroy everything I had built, everything my father had built.

"Jacqueline, daughter of Hasan, you do seem to find yourself in the most interesting positions, don't you?" The way she phrased it, it could have been one of my sisters saying it—the light, teasing condemnation, the hint of declaring someone a troublemaker. With my sisters, I knew it was loving, a gentle tease, just as they gave each other. From her, I knew it was a cunning barb. I was in too precarious a position in the supernatural world to be getting into so much trouble.

"I do, though I firmly lay the fault of this event at your feet," I countered. "I kept Brion a secret for two-and-a-half years. You were the one who went digging and forced Brion to come to me to protect Fiona. You were also the one who let his identity slip to his enemies by trusting the wrong people."

She narrowed her eyes. "I can't find an argument against that," she agreed, displeased with me. "But play nice. Your father isn't here to protect you. I like you, but not that much."

"You're in my territory purely because I've allowed it. If you raise a hand against me, there are several people willing to take offense to it. He might not get the chance to protect me, but we both know he'll certainly find a way to avenge me."

"And what of the laws of hospitality?" she asked simply.

"Would you like a drink?" I retorted, smiling broadly enough to show teeth. Anyone who spent ten minutes with the moon cursed, werecat or werewolf, knew it wasn't a smile at all. Alvina got the message.

"No, thank you," she said, sighing. "But yes, we should talk about what needs to happen next before this spirals even more out of control. Brion, seeing you at the Black Market was a shock."

"I was trying to find an old contact. I sent my sons regularly to the Black Market, but this particular contact was one I lost touch with before they were born."

"Who were you looking for?"

Brion turned to Sorcha. "This is why I was asking where you and Cassius had been. I was looking for you. I was curious because you used to bunker down in the Black Market when you didn't want to deal with other fae, particularly me."

Sorcha laughed, a cruel sound, then the laugh morphed into a sneer. "Like I would give you a single weapon I've ever made."

"Yes, I have realized that," Brion snapped.

"And honestly, I gave up my position in the Black Market when you granted me nobility. Why would I go back to hide there? None of them are my allies now. They were barely my allies to begin with." She rolled her eyes. "You don't need anything of mine to defeat Oisin."

"I was going to bargain for my sons," Brion clarified, trying to keep his cool. I could see the tightness of his neck. He wasn't used to or amused by Sorcha's disregard for him and his position.

"Your sons?" Sorcha's mouth fell into a thin line.

"Let's move on," Cassius ordered. "Alvina, how would you assess my father right now?"

Eyeing Brion, Alvina slowly walked around him. "He seems ready. He'll need his armor, of course."

"Easy," Brion said, then snapped his fingers, and it appeared on him just like that. "My armor and sword have never been far from me."

"Good," Alvina said softly, patting his chest. Her hand met with a breastplate. "I'll contact Oisin and tell him he's been challenged to a duel. Tomorrow, midday in the King's Courtyard. Do not be late."

"And the Tribunal?" I asked.

"They'll be who I call after Oisin. They'll attend. I'll have to do some spells of protection for Isaiah and Maria, but they won't want to miss this."

"Bringing vampires to the fae realms is dangerous," Brion warned. "They might take advantage of the situation."

"We'll have more than enough people to kill them if they try," Alvina promised, patting her brother's cheek. "But they can't sit out of everything because they are creatures of the night."

"They can sit this out because they are creatures of blood."

"Then you can try to press that upon your arrival tomorrow. I will be inviting them and following the protocol and procedure of the Tribunal. You ignored it when you left. I will not embarrass the fae like that again." Alvina turned on her heel, walking to the door. The two fae in her entourage, quiet and still as statues, moved once more. They left the way they came in, heading through my door back to whatever realm they had come from, outside of my territory.