I awoke shrieking and scattering bits of stone skin about me in the traditional manner of Gargoyle awakening and looked around me. I was in a room that had been filled with cozy and cuddly pillows, stuffed toys, luxurious blankets, lush furniture and a full walk-in closet with an attached master bathroom. I used the necessary and swapped my torn and bloody clothing for fresh, clean stretch pants that flared over my haunches without snagging and a low-backed jersey-knit black shirt that I pulled over my wings with practiced ease. I opened the door of the bedroom and a little brownie zoomed in to clean my mess. A child, maybe only six. I smiled at his silly “maids” uniform and went down the stairs to the main living area and kitchen. A passel of small brownie children played with a sprite in front of the blazing fireplace, their mother in the armchair reading a novel, looking up ever so often to smile and speak quietly.
I looked over to the kitchen where three tall men were bustling about in black aprons and throwing vegetables at each other, only to be caught, chopped, and fed into a large pot. I could smell lamb, fresh tubers, spices, and barley. I smiled with pleasure and made my way to the small breakfast nook that lay next to the nearly floor to ceiling windows overlooking downtown. I was in my own home. I had been given this two story condo by the Prince of the New Mexico Fae, after I saved his life when some vampires and their hunters went rogue and kidnapped him. I managed to arrive before the hunters drained his magical blood into a chalice to summon a vampire-eating demon. After he recovered he named a holiday for me, and when I refused a place at court he granted me this building to call home. The humans just woke up one day and thought this building had always been there, and they were partially right. The building they knew hadn’t been this tall, nor so historically charming, but their memories were continually wiped and replaced by the solar-renewing wards that covered my building from foundation to skylight. The entire thing had been done for my convenience.
The prince had assigned a brownie woman to me to keep my home, and when I learned she had a large family I gifted what I could to her. The whole apartment magicked itself to accommodate everyone, and I grew to like my large, open home with children running amok, albeit rather tidily. They put Mary Poppins to shame when it came to making cleaning a game. I really enjoyed that warmth and love that exuded from them. I was always included in the little one’s physical affections, and the adults were always courteous and warm. I was quite used to having them around. What I did not like about being in a home the prince made, however, is a magic portal opening in my bathroom over my tub that only appears when I decline a party invitation. Having a half court of wildly drunk and musically disinclined fairies appear mid-bath and then nearly ruin my carefully decorated home goes a long way in changing my mind about attending fae soirees.
As I walked and mulled over how my life got to this point, I caught the eye of a wizened, older brownie woman who humphed at me and whisked a scone and cream onto a saucer and ambled it and a cup of green tea over to me. I paused midstride and waited for her to catch up. I accepted the plate, mug, and glare with a smile and sank down onto a barstool in the nook.
“Lichen, good evening. Thank you for the tea. It smells great and the scone,” I took a bite and moaned with pleasure. “mmmmf. Delifiof.”
Lichen clicked her tongue at me and said to me with a Irish brogue, “Ooch, lassie, why d’ye feel the need ta make a spectacle o’ yoreself?” She reached around me and brought forth a small stack of local newspapers and tabloids. “Ye soond liken a superhero, wit’ your new name: “Masked Vigilante” has a nice ring ta it, but the papers, missy, are on’y part o’ your problem.” She bustled back to the stove and continued, “Me boyos barely managed ta get tae ye before the school opened up and ye were discovered. That sylph was a bit…” she shuddered, “bloodthirsty. Wanted more payment than needed. Me daughter set it aright and here we are.”
I rifled through everything, laughing to myself over some of the more ridiculously accurate stories. She tched at me and ambled back and forth in the kitchen. I watched her go and banter with her sons, a sense of wistfulness filling me. I missed my mother, and over the years Lichen and her brood had become dear and, well, family-like to me. I had been with Lichen for the whole twenty years I had lived in this home, held her hand in my paw when her rock-troll husband left her and the children, shared and delighted with her in each of her grandchildren, and above all, lived with the brownie mum fussing over me like a princess for a long while. Lichen was almost like a mother to me, or maybe a crotchety old Irish aunt.
A clanging and a deep rumbling bass brought me out of my reverie and back to reality.
“Dinner is ready. Come down and sit at the table, kids!”
A small clattering sound came from the living area and a wearied sigh from their mother came from the living area. Four or five sets of brown and green eyes were eagerly watching me from the nearly filled dining table and their mothers eyes soon joined them in silent scrutiny. I shifted and began to excuse myself, but Lichen suddenly appeared and bent my ear to her mouth. She was quite a bit shorter than me and it set me slightly off balance.
“Ma’am, I know ye be plannin’ ta head oot there now, but ye haven’t been home in many weeks. Ye have been working yoreself ragged, an’ the children miss ye so much. Please, stay here tonight, just for dinner and until the wee ones are abed.”
I felt touched, but asked, “Won’t your family mind if I just insert myself…?” Lichen grinned and released my ear, saying, “A place has already been set for ye, milady.”
I muttered, “Stop that,” but she hummed blithely, ignoring my protests again and waving me over. I sat at the table and smiled at the children, who immediately verbally bombarded me about their days, school, field trips, friends, and every other little thing they thought was important. The sprite danced around the table once and flew back into the fireplace with a musical twinkle. I felt myself relaxing, and spent a very happy evening with them, everyone, eating, playing games, and reading stories and cuddling the children. I felt at peace, and for once in many years, like I had my clan back. A clan that actually loved and accepted me. I felt like crying when I had to give up the little brownie baby that had fallen asleep on my lap and had to be transferred to her bed. I untangled my hair from her fist and asked, “Who was on guard duty tonight?”
Our home was magically guarded, yes, but we also had fae, were, and human security guards. My favorite were shapeshifters who reminded me strongly of a couple of WWE superstars.
Louelle, the children’s mother, oldest of Lichen’s brood, smirked and batted her eyelashes. “Darrin and Dewain. I have my eyes on both. Wooohoo, they so fine!” she exaggerated an eyeroll and licked her lips. Her brothers, Gabriel, Leif, and Ishaim all made rude comments. We ignored them and I set out towards the front door. I opened it and asked if either guard was hungry, or wanted to play designated driver. I had my pre-official meeting at a locally spook-owned bar called Hypnotics, and I couldn’t go anywhere like that without a bodyguard disguised as a drinking friend. After some discussion they called another guard on duty named Hanlan to go with me. He was only a few weeks on the job and they thought to tease him a little. He was tall, fair, and smelled of wet earth and rich leaf-mold. His eyes were a shining gold color, and they shone with a youngness, a newness, that made me want to weep. Hanlan was a Homunculus Troll, and possibly Elven too. What flavor was yet to be determined as they tend to come into their power at one hundred and fifty human years.
Gabriel shuffled his way past me, grinning and saying, “Last week before finals, gotta go.” Gabriel was Lichen’s youngest boy. Her last child by her ex. The bastard had beaten her until she lost her babes, then made sure she could never have any again. I pulled his good shoulder and asked. “Do you want us to give you a ride?” He had gone to live with his father for a few years after he turned eighteen, then returned mangled and missing a chunk of his shoulder. I had never asked how it happened, and figured that until he told me, it was none of my business.
“Nah, I am good, milady.” The way he said the last word was lightly mocking, but almost sensual. “Colin’s meeting me downstairs, he has everything under a glamour. We will be fine until we reach the school.” The local college offered night classes and was glamoured to hide the true appearance of its students, a benefit of having a Wraith for a Dean.
I smiled and let him go, then went into my room to change while Hanlan waited in the living room, eating some leftover dinner foisted on him by Lichen. I slipped on a Mandarin collared dress that had an open back and long slits up each side, dusted some makeup on, placed a light layer of lipstick on that was vanilla-mint scented, and stepped out to the living room. Louelle was talking with Hanlan, Leif, and Ishiam while they drank coffee. She looked up and smiled at me. I went to her immediately and thanked her for dealing with the sylph. She waved me away and murmured that it was her pleasure, the least she could do. I noticed Hanlan staring at her, barely participating in the conversation, and whispered it in her ear. She blushed and laughed, embarrassed but pleased. Louelle’s children’s father was of the Fae court, but abandoned her when she became pregnant. He felt it diminished her sexuality and disgusted him. She had decided to continue with the pregnancy regardless, and found she had not one but five children in her womb. The Fae lord’s mother had been a shapeshifting hound, so it made sense, but the children seemed firmly rock-troll/brownie. To have a man’s attention like that after six to seven years of (as far as I was aware of) celibacy and virtually no male interaction outside the bodyguards and her brothers, I felt she deserved that heady rush of pleasure. I made a note to scheme together some “them” time and told Hanlan twice that I was ready to leave. He didn’t seem to hear me until Ishiam dropped his mug onto the coffee table.
Blushing, Hanlan stood and escorted me to the door, head hanging slightly. We got to the elevators and halfway down before I spoke to him.
“Hanlan, I noticed you looking at Louelle.” I raised a paw at his stuttering and continued, “She has been alone for some time now, and I believe she would welcome an advance. She does seem to like you, and if I am wrong you will still retain your job, provided you survive the hazing. Now, we will not discuss this until she gossips with me about your size, or until a wedding invitation appears for you.” Upon reaching the bottom floor I told him, “Come” and swept out into the lobby, through the doors, and into the waiting car. We drove in silence the whole four blocks and parked outside Hypnotics, then he performed his duties and escorted me to the building once he was certain it was clear. We went in, and sitting at the high table on the balcony of the two-story building were the Five Coven and Pack Leaders of Albuquerque, and a few other unrepresented shifters. Every face that turned to me at our entrance was a were-animal of some sort or a witch. They were all there to judge me, and decide my residency.
I held my breath, smiled, and walked slowly through the throng of preternatural creatures, slowly and delicately, Hanlan at my back. I swept up the stair and halted before the local leaders. Gargoyles do not bow, nor recognize any sovereignty, but I inclined my head and gretaed each leader by name.
“Marius, Denise, Thundering Coyote, Dear Song, Lupe, and Lucius. Thank you for meeting me.”
They murmured their greeting, then Dear Song came up to me, serene as her name implies, threw hew arm around me and said “Enough politics, let’s party!”
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