Read Online Strangeness and Charm: The Courts of the Feyre by Mike Shevdon - Free Book Online
Authors: Mike Shevdon
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one thing, though."
"And what was that?" asked Garvin.
"This isn't about me, is it? It's about him." She gestured to where I was sitting half-upright on the floor. "This started long ago and I am only the latest link in the chain of events. I'm not the first to speak of a rising sun, am I?"
"Nor the last, probably. How about you Dogstar, what did you see?"
I looked up at Garvin and wondered what he wasn't telling me. "To me it seemed to be more about the past than the future. Maybe whatever it is has already happened and we're just not seeing it?"
"Seeing what?" asked Garvin.
"Perhaps if you told me what you were looking for, I could help you find it," I said.
"If we knew what we were looking for, I'd be able to find it myself," said Garvin. "Fellstamp, give Dogstar a hand, will you? He'll need to sleep it off. I'll ask Mullbrook to find room for Angela."
"I'm not staying," she said.
"On the contrary," Garvin said. "I insist."
"You did what?" Blackbird was incredulous.
"It was a calculated risk."
My head was thumping and my vision had acquired a strange heat-haze effect. Maybe that was causing the nausea.
"After our conversation this morning, when I specifically mentioned the dangers of letting her touch you, you let her do it again? What were you thinking of Niall?"
"We need to know what this is about."
"Who is this 'we', that needs to know?" she demanded. "Why don't you let Garvin dirty his own hands?"
"It wasn't Garvin's idea, it was mine."
"Then why, Niall? For goodness sake why?"
I sighed. "You didn't see her room. It's covered in images and clippings and scraps of paper, and as far as I can tell they all link back to me. It's like she's been following my progress without even knowing who I am. How can she do that?"
"She's fey, and a seer to boot. Who knows what her motives are?"
"You took me to see Kareesh. She's a seer."
"Yes, and I had doubts about that. Kareesh has cared for me since I was a girl but I don't just let her lay her hands on me any time she likes!"
"I had Garvin there to help. He could have stopped it if it was needed."
"What's he going to do, chop her head off? You had no idea what she was capable of – she was imprisoned the same as Alex. Do you think they were treating her any more gently than they did your daughter? She could be insane for all you know."
"She didn't seem insane."
"Your daughter didn't seem insane until she… no, sorry Niall, I didn't mean that. Alex isn't insane, she's just…"
"What?" My expression had darkened at the mention of my daughter's mental state.
There was a sound like a mewling cat from the next room which quickly changed to a more persistent cry.
"Now you've woken the baby," said Blackbird, an edge of irritation creeping into her tone.
"Me? I wasn't the one making all the noise."
Blackbird bustled into the nursery, and in a moment the curtains were drawn back and she reappeared carrying a flushed and rather cross baby.
"Don't you worry, Daddy's going to stop yelling at you now." She rocked him in her arms, though he continued screaming.
"I wasn't yelling…" but it was useless to argue since he didn't understand the discussion anyway and Blackbird was just making a point.
"Here," she said, handing me the screaming bundle. It never failed to amaze me how someone so small could make so much noise.
"There, there," I said, trying to make my voice soothing and still be heard over the din, "there's no need for all that, now, is there?"
I held him, being careful to support his neck which had a tendency to flop over to one side, and transferred him onto my shoulder, putting his mouth next to my ear, but making it easier to stroke his back and comfort him. I rocked from side to side and gradually the yelling subsided to a low-level grizzle.
Blackbird opened drawers and pulled towels from the rack,
"And what was that?" asked Garvin.
"This isn't about me, is it? It's about him." She gestured to where I was sitting half-upright on the floor. "This started long ago and I am only the latest link in the chain of events. I'm not the first to speak of a rising sun, am I?"
"Nor the last, probably. How about you Dogstar, what did you see?"
I looked up at Garvin and wondered what he wasn't telling me. "To me it seemed to be more about the past than the future. Maybe whatever it is has already happened and we're just not seeing it?"
"Seeing what?" asked Garvin.
"Perhaps if you told me what you were looking for, I could help you find it," I said.
"If we knew what we were looking for, I'd be able to find it myself," said Garvin. "Fellstamp, give Dogstar a hand, will you? He'll need to sleep it off. I'll ask Mullbrook to find room for Angela."
"I'm not staying," she said.
"On the contrary," Garvin said. "I insist."
"You did what?" Blackbird was incredulous.
"It was a calculated risk."
My head was thumping and my vision had acquired a strange heat-haze effect. Maybe that was causing the nausea.
"After our conversation this morning, when I specifically mentioned the dangers of letting her touch you, you let her do it again? What were you thinking of Niall?"
"We need to know what this is about."
"Who is this 'we', that needs to know?" she demanded. "Why don't you let Garvin dirty his own hands?"
"It wasn't Garvin's idea, it was mine."
"Then why, Niall? For goodness sake why?"
I sighed. "You didn't see her room. It's covered in images and clippings and scraps of paper, and as far as I can tell they all link back to me. It's like she's been following my progress without even knowing who I am. How can she do that?"
"She's fey, and a seer to boot. Who knows what her motives are?"
"You took me to see Kareesh. She's a seer."
"Yes, and I had doubts about that. Kareesh has cared for me since I was a girl but I don't just let her lay her hands on me any time she likes!"
"I had Garvin there to help. He could have stopped it if it was needed."
"What's he going to do, chop her head off? You had no idea what she was capable of – she was imprisoned the same as Alex. Do you think they were treating her any more gently than they did your daughter? She could be insane for all you know."
"She didn't seem insane."
"Your daughter didn't seem insane until she… no, sorry Niall, I didn't mean that. Alex isn't insane, she's just…"
"What?" My expression had darkened at the mention of my daughter's mental state.
There was a sound like a mewling cat from the next room which quickly changed to a more persistent cry.
"Now you've woken the baby," said Blackbird, an edge of irritation creeping into her tone.
"Me? I wasn't the one making all the noise."
Blackbird bustled into the nursery, and in a moment the curtains were drawn back and she reappeared carrying a flushed and rather cross baby.
"Don't you worry, Daddy's going to stop yelling at you now." She rocked him in her arms, though he continued screaming.
"I wasn't yelling…" but it was useless to argue since he didn't understand the discussion anyway and Blackbird was just making a point.
"Here," she said, handing me the screaming bundle. It never failed to amaze me how someone so small could make so much noise.
"There, there," I said, trying to make my voice soothing and still be heard over the din, "there's no need for all that, now, is there?"
I held him, being careful to support his neck which had a tendency to flop over to one side, and transferred him onto my shoulder, putting his mouth next to my ear, but making it easier to stroke his back and comfort him. I rocked from side to side and gradually the yelling subsided to a low-level grizzle.
Blackbird opened drawers and pulled towels from the rack,
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