Blood Reunion

"Even you know that you can sell it for twice as much," Roff chuckled.

"Yes, you can certainly do that," Whilton laughed.

* * *

"What did you learn, child?" Roff asked Toff as they walked out of Whilton’s shop later.

"That some rare wines are worth a lot of Alliance credits." Toff smiled up at Roff. Roff laughed and hugged Toff briefly as they walked along the padded sidewalk. Toff didn’t fail to notice that every person they passed stopped to stare at Roff’s wings.

"Want to truly give them something to whisper about?" Roff was still smiling.

"What would that be?"

"This." Roff lifted Toff easily, as if he were light as a leaf, leapt into the sky and unfurled his wings with a snap, beating them in a steady rhythm as they flew over Casino City.

* * *

"Roff, did you frighten that child?" Lissa stood on a balcony attached to her suite, her hands on her hips as Roff and Toff landed there bare moments later.

"No, Queen Lissa, it was fun," Toff was completely out of breath—he’d laughed while Roff flew them along, shouting out questions as to what this or that was as they passed overhead. Roff had answered all his questions.

"Come inside—it’s nearly time for dinner," Lissa gave Toff a quick hug and then offered a longer embrace to Roff.

* * *

"So, how was it," Tory whispered as he sat down beside Toff at the table. Ry took the seat on Toff’s other side.

"How was what?"

"Flying. With Uncle Roff."

"Incredible." Toff still got chills, thinking about it. He’d never thought to travel that way.

"I have an announcement to make," a man walked into the room, dressed quite finely, Toff thought. He was handsome, too, with dark hair and eyes.

"That’s Flavio, Roff’s vampire sire," Ry hissed next to Toff’s ear. Toff stared.

"Flavio, please say it is good news." Lissa was now standing at the head of the table.

"Cheedas has just wakened and accepted his first meal from his sire. He is well, my Queen, and has asked about you already."

"Thank goodness," Lissa dropped into her chair with a sigh.

"Will we see him soon?" Toff asked.

"Perhaps in a few weeks, young one," Karzac came in late to the table. He’d overheard Toff’s question.

"Yes, the sire-child bond must be strengthened," Flavio replied, turning in Toff’s direction. Being vampire, he’d heard the question clearly, even from a distance. "That will take a month or two. After that, you may visit if you like."

* * *

"My Gren did this?" Gren’s mother asked in disbelief. Tiearan had to be lying. He was trying to implicate her son in an act that defied their race and its values. Bren, Gren’s father, a humanoid from Vionn, was just as stunned. "I think you are lying to me—that filthy Queen has somehow managed to put this lie in your mind, Tiearan."

"Dalla!" Rain hissed at Gren’s mother. "You know to be respectful!"

"But they say that my Gren invited an evil in and now that evil has stolen him away. I say they killed my son and are making up lies to cover their crime!"

"Dalla, you are the one making up lies," Tiearan breathed a tortured sigh. Gren had been before him all along and Tiearan had never gone looking for the root of the boy’s unexpected surge in power. He’d thought Gren had suddenly chosen to apply himself. He couldn’t have been more wrong. "I have checked this myself. I believe that the Queen does not realize the damage as yet, so we will attempt to set it right. Gren tapped into the core somehow. Most likely, at the insistence and with the instruction of the one who spirited him away from here. I was remiss in not looking for the reason behind his increased power. Yes, he displayed ability that I previously thought he did not possess. I admit I was hoping that he was one of the multitalented—we have none of those remaining, now."

"Except for you," Rain dipped her head respectfully to Tiearan.

"He did not get this from the sun crystal?" Gren’s father was bewildered. "He told me you were allowing him to use it."

"Not until there at the last, and then only a tiny amount. Nothing that would have enabled him to do as he did," Tiearan muttered.

"So, what will you have us do, since you are so sure my son is at fault?" Dalla wasn’t giving up on her son’s innocence.

"Your Gren allowed his mind to wander and it was ensnared by an evil. Do not think I have my head in the pastures all the time," Father Willow snapped. "All of you—I am ashamed to call you Fae. You betrayed yourselves the moment you chose to take that child. We all know of the mistake made after that. Then, when judgment was promised to all of us, we began to grumble and place the blame on the boy when it was our fault. Those words of blame were spoken in front of your children, were they not? What did your child do as a result, Dalla? Redbird, you should have sent that boy home long ago. Yet you remained selfish, and here we are. Tiearan, when you are ready to form the Circle, call me. I will be with my animals until then. They do not deceive." Father Willow stalked out of Tiearan’s home.

"We still have two of ours in the Queen’s dungeons," Clover’s mother wept. "What will become of them?"

"It was your son who got my Laral in this trouble," Laral’s mother pointed an accusing finger at Dalla. "If he dies, his blood will be on your hands."

"Stop this! Stop now!" Tiearan tried to calm the chaos erupting inside his home.

* * *

"Yes, good," Master Morwin nodded in approval as he looked over Toff’s report. "See, the Fae thought to protect themselves by placing one of their own upon the throne. Tell me what happened after that, young one."

Toff had never had lessons such as these. In the Fae village, he’d memorized his lessons and did his sums and such. Morwin was forcing him to think things through.

"Well, the Fae were peaceful and did not engage in violence," Toff was well acquainted with that concept, having lived among the Green Fae all that time. "King Corle, being Fae and not human as he appeared to the others, did not know how to lead his people into battle when he was attacked from the other side. The enemy overran his kingdom and then attacked the Fae forests, killing most of the Fae and destroying their forests and fields. The Fae should have left things as they were and tried to approach the real King Corle instead of taking him and placing a changeling in his stead. Master Morwin, did you hand me this assignment because it closely parallels my own situation?"