Blood of Half Gods Read online

  Alita is standing outside talking to Kegan. They had followed Dagda and Kallen out earlier. Probably to try to get the honey flavored tension out of their hair and off their skin. Alita’s my best friend, as well as Dagda’s assistant. It turns out, her special Fairy talent is being able to detect black magic; making her extremely useful to have around if you’re King. She smiles when she sees me. “I am half surprised you are going. I know your parents hate the idea.”

  I roll my eyes. “That’s an understatement.” Looking around, I ask, “Where’s the carriage?”

  “It is coming now,” Kegan says, nodding towards the corner of the house where the garage is.

  I admit, I often have preconceived notions about Fairy things, so I’m usually surprised when they get blown out of the water. When Dagda said carriage, I expected one like Isla has. Hers is large enough to fit six comfortably for short distances, but it would be cramped on a long trip like this. So, when this mammoth carriage, that has two stories and is about thirty feet in length, pulls slowly around the corner, my mouth drops open. Basically, it’s like a double decker motorhome that floats. And I have never seen a motorhome as big as this in my realm. Not even on television. Actually, it’s more like a house floating through the air. A skinny, long house that is painted a gaudy gold with dark blue trim. It’s hideous, yet regal at the same time. “What is that and how is it floating?”

  Kegan laughs. “Did you really expect Dagda to travel in anything less?”

  I shake my head and laugh. “No, I guess not.” He is King, after all. I guess this is his equivalent to Air Force One.

  “It takes six Fairies to keep it off the ground and moving forward,” Kegan explains. “Plus, there are several Fairies inside making sure everything stays in place while it is moving. It takes a lot of magic to power it. It is also slow. It goes half the speed a good Fairy can do in a carriage about Isla’s size.” Not so much like Air Force One then, which goes faster than twenty-five miles per hour. He sounds like he’s describing the horse power of a car back in my realm. I wonder what the equivalent of nine Fairies would be in relation to speed and performance of a car. I’m guessing a thousand horsepower or more. But, since I know absolutely nothing about cars, I’m probably way off.

  The monstrosity comes to a halt in front of us and Dagda steps out of the door near the front. With a smug smile and a flourish of his arm, he says, “Your carriage awaits.”

  I roll my eyes. “You know they don’t use that expression in my realm anymore, right? We have cars and airplanes now.”

  He laughs and holds the door for me. “Yes, the trappings of a non-magical world.”

  “Our vehicles go faster than twenty-five miles per hour. No wonder the trip is going to be long,” I grumble.

  “Do they resemble a palace on wheels?” he asks. He seems bothered by the fact that I’m not impressed.

  “Where’s Kallen?” I ask, changing the subject. I am not getting in this thing without him. I wouldn’t put it past Dagda to try to separate us so he could attempt to have more influence over me.

  Some of my concern must show in my face because his sobers even more. Then it sours. “I have done nothing nefarious to my nephew. He simply went back into the house to say his goodbyes."

  Relief floods through me. Probably more so than the situation indicates. “Okay, I’ll wait for him out here.”

  Dagda cocks his head. “As you wish.” He closes the door, letting it slam, and walks around me in a huff to the front of the carriage, presumably to calm down or talk to the drivers. Probably the former.

  “I believe you have not started our trip off on the best note,” Alita says, amusement laced in her speech.

  I shrug. “It’s not like it was going to be a great bonding experience. I can’t stand the man, and he only wants to get to know me better because I’m more powerful than him.”

  Alita looks at me thoughtfully. After a moment, she says, “I am not sure I believe all of that.”

  I’m saved from saying anything by Kallen coming out the back door. He walks behind me and pulls me back against him, wrapping his arms around me. “What has you two looking so serious?” he asks.

  “Nothing, Alita just has some crazy ideas about reality.” She sticks her tongue out at me, but then laughs.

  Kallen leans down and kisses my cheek. “We are all set. Your clothes are inside, waiting to be taken to our rooms.”

  Alita blushes a little bit. “Thank you again for loaning your clothing to me.”

  Mom, Dad, Zac and me decided to stay in the Fairy realm, but Aunt Barb decided she would rather be in her own realm. I think after the whole Shadow experience and being controlled by black magic, she’s had enough magic to last a lifetime. So, I opened a gateway and took her home so she can figure out what she’s going to work on next in the field of science. Obviously, she’s not going back to prove astral projection works. I’m pretty sure she burned all of her notes on that.

  While back in my realm, I moved the things the rest of us decided we couldn’t live without. One of those things was my clothes. I don’t like having to rely on other people to dress me all the time. Hard to feel like an adult that way. Since Alita is incapable of making her own clothes as well, I insisted she go through my closet and pick whatever she wanted for the trip. She’s taller than I am, so most of my pants don’t fit her, but everything else does. That’s why we have suitcases (also brought from my realm) that needed to be loaded into the carriage. Or carriage monstrosity as it turned out to be.

  Dagda walks back around the front of the carriage and towards us. Walking next to him is a tall, stocky Fairy woman. She looks to be around thirty, maybe a bit younger, and her hair is pulled back into a tight pony tail. Her features are too square to call her beautiful, but she is definitely pretty. Her eyes are the vibrant green of the Fae and her pale skin would hide her thin lips if they were not so red. I’m assuming this is Dagda’s wife. Of course, I’m wrong.

  “Xandra, this is Radella. She is head of my security team and she will be taking lead on the journey in regards to necessary use of force.” He looks at me pointedly for a moment.

  What? So I’ve used force against him a few times. And against others who made me mad. And sometimes against people when I didn’t mean to. Okay, maybe I have a problem deciding when to use force and when to talk it out. Having someone else to guide me isn’t a bad thing. Kallen tries, but I usually ignore him.

  I hold my hand out to her. “Nice to meet you.”

  She hesitates for a moment, and then takes my hand limply. Wow, hope she has more oomph in her than that if Dagda’s in danger. “Likewise,” she says, obviously not meaning it.

  I raise my brows in Dagda’s direction. He seems to have caught her lackluster response to meeting me, as well. “Radella, is there a problem?” With a hard look in my direction, she turns around and faces him.

  “Of course not,” she replies. Good thing she’s in security and not acting.

  “I hope not,” Dagda says with a definite threat in his voice. “Come, we will discuss the route again with the drivers.”

  I turn to Alita when they’re out of hearing range. “She seems nice,” I say facetiously.

  “She is not. I find her to be rather scary,” Alita says, totally missing the fact that I wasn’t serious. “I try to avoid her as much as possible when I am at the palace.”

  I scrunch my brows. “You only started working there three days ago. She’s really that bad?”

  Alita nods. Kegan, standing at her side, asks, “Has she done anything to make you so afraid of her?” His face is set in a hard line. I think he’s ready to kick Radella’s butt if necessary. Go Kegan.

  Alita shakes her head and says shyly, “No, she has not.”

  “We should get inside,” Kallen says, bringing me back to reality with a kiss on the cheek. I nod but I’m still reluctant. I force my feet to lift up and start walking towards the carriage. It would be a lot easier if they didn’t have about fifty po
unds of trepidation on each of them. Now that the shock is over, I’m glad this carriage is so big, even if it is slow. Better chance of not seeing Dagda much.

  Chapter 4

  The inside of the carriage is just as magnificent as its size. The first area we step into is what looks like a living room. There are a couple of dark blue velvet couches and chairs that look comfy, sitting on plush rugs that you can sink your toes into. Several tables are strewn about the room and two walls are lined with books. Not like the kind that Isla has in her office. These look like they would be nice to curl up with in one of the chairs and read. The room is not large, but it’s really cozy.

  “Want a tour?” Kallen asks. He’s obviously ridden in this thing before.

  “Sure.”

  “Please, allow me,” a voice drawls from behind us. Radella, who must have come in right behinds us, walks around Kegan and Alita, to take the lead. I make a face at her back as she starts to walk ahead of us, taking charge of our tour.

  “That door back there,” she says, pointing behind her without turning around, is the kitchen and where the drivers and overseers are. They should not be disturbed as it takes a great deal of concentration to keep this thing afloat and steady.” Opening the door in front of her, she brings us into a narrow hallway that butts up against the left side of the carriage.

  Pointing at the first door we pass, she says, “That is my office where I brief the security detail, take reports and see to the protection of the King.” Deigning to look over her shoulder at me, with quite the nasty face, I might add, she says, “There is absolutely no reason for you to be in there.” She turns back around and keeps walking. I look up at Kallen in a ‘what did I do to her’ look, but he gives me an ‘I don’t know’ shrug.

  The hallway is only about ten feet long. It ends with a door and the bottom of a circular staircase. “That,” Radella says, pointing at the door, “is the King’s office and his private quarters. He is not to be disturbed under any circumstances if the door is closed.” Again with the snarky look over her should at me. I’m getting mad, now. What is her problem?

  Dagda’s office and quarters must be huge, considering how much of the first floor they take up; but obviously, I don’t get to see them. Not that I really wanted to, I’m just annoyed that she’s making such a big deal about it. Walking up the narrow circular staircase, we follow Radella into another hallway. This time on the right side of the carriage. Several doors line this hallway that extends from one end of the carriage to the other.

  Pointing at the first door, Radella says, “That is the staff quarters. Alita, you will be bunking in here with the other employees.” She seems to get a little pleasure out of the fact that Alita has just paled to almost the same shade as my parents’ ghostly shade. From her face, I’m thinking that she might be the only other female employee other than Radella.

  “Who else will she be bunking with?” I ask.

  Annoyed that I dare ask a question, Radella says, “That is not really your concern. While we are on this trip, all personnel matters will be handled by me.”

  Did I mention I was getting mad? Well, I am. Know what I do when I’m mad? I draw magic. Wild, sometimes uncontrollable, magic that often goes seriously awry. That’s what I’m doing at the moment. Kallen gives me a warning look, but I don’t care. Something flashes in Radella’s eyes that tells me she can sense how much magic I’m pulling, as well. I don’t think she likes it. Pulling herself to her full height, she opens her mouth to say something.

  She doesn’t, though. Because I take her voice. “Listen, I don’t know why you don’t like me, and frankly, I don’t care. At all. Not even as much as the tiniest little iota on a fleck of flea poop. If you stay out of my way, I’ll stay out of yours; but, you will not treat my friend in any way besides respectfully.”

  “Xandra,” Alita says softly. I can hear the embarrassment in her voice. “This is not necessary.”

  I frown at her over my shoulder. She is way too used to people treating her poorly because she has so much human blood in her. “Yes, it is.”

  Turning back to Radella, her whole body is trembling in fury now, as she begins to draw her own magic. I sigh and shake my head. “It has to be like this, huh?”

  I feel when she has pulled enough magic to fling it forward, trying to do me harm. She is strong, I’ll give her that. Not nearly as strong as Isla or Kallen, but she’s far from weak. Except to me. I hate having to prove all the time to others that I’m stronger, but, sometimes, it has to be done. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, my brain is trying really hard to squash the little voice saying that I do so like it. Fine, I admit it. I like being powerful. Who wouldn’t?

  I meet her magic with mine, and with very little effort on my part, I push it back inside of her. Then, I let a little bit of mine seep into her as well. It burns when I do this. A lot. It’s just a moment before she drops to her knees. “As I was saying, iota, fleck, flea poop, I don’t care what you think. But, you will treat my friend respectfully. Do you understand that? Or do I have to send you flying through the carriage wall?” I give her her voice back, even though I’m tempted to keep it the rest of the trip. I have a feeling that I’m not going to like anything she says. Pulling back my magic, I set her free.

  She is pissed. Standing up again, she says, “You speak of disrespect? You, who is an abomination to all that we stand for; a creature who should never have seen the light of day. You speak to me of respect? You know nothing of our ways, our customs, nor do you care. You flaunt your sexual relationship with him,” she practically spits as she points at Kallen with her head, who, I will mention, I am not having sex with. Technically. “You befriend the weakest link in our race, and you trap us in this realm like wild animals. You are not worth the amount of time it takes me to say respect, let alone deserving the meaning behind the word.”

  Wow, Radella, don’t hold back. Tell me how you really feel. “Do you have a point?” I ask her. For some reason, this pisses her off even more.

  “My point is,” she says, coming ominously close to me, pointing her finger millimeters from my chest, “you will not tell me how to do my job. I am in charge on this trip, and that,” she points at Alita, “is just a short step ahead of you on the food chain, and I will use her as a punching bag, if I see fit. You have nothing to say about it.”

  For a second, I’ll admit it. I’m stunned. First, she’s in my face. Secondly, she thinks she outranks me, and thirdly, she referred to my best friend as an ‘it’ and threatened violence against her. I sigh. I guess I am going to have to prove my status is higher than hers, as well as my power being stronger. After all, Dagda did say he wanted me to start acting like a princess. I think I’ll skip being the damsel in distress kind of princess, though. A smile creeps on to my lips that just may resemble a sneer. I’d have to look in a mirror to know for sure. But, the fact that Kallen and Kegan have moved back a couple of steps, though, with Kegan pulling Alita behind him, tells me that I probably don’t need that mirror.

  “What on earth makes you think that you outrank me in this little power play you’re trying to have here? You seem to have forgotten that I am Princess of this realm and you are a servant to the crown. That includes my crown.” I don’t really have a crown, but I might ask for one just to make my point. “But, that is nothing compared to the fact that you dared to talk about my best friend as if she is an object, worthy only of contempt. That was where you really went wrong.”

  Mustering as much bravado as she can, Radella says, “I am not afraid of you.” Right, that’s why she’s taken a couple of steps back, so that her back is flat against the wall.

  I shake my head. “Did your parents raise you to be so stupid, or did you strive for it all on your own?” Her eyes spark, but she doesn’t say anything.

  Unfortunately for her, I’ve pulled so much magic now, there’s no way I’m going to be able to let it go before it starts to wreak havoc on its own. So, I do the most logical thing I can think of. I u
se it to blow a hole through the wall Radella is leaning against, and then propel her backwards through it, across the servants’ quarters, which are pretty sparse, by the way, and then through the far wall. I hear her hit the ground with a loud thud and a groan. Oops. Maybe I should have magicked a mattress down there to break her fall. Or a giant bowl of pudding.

  The sound of clapping makes me turn around. Dagda is standing at the top of the stairs with a grin on his face. “You may deny our mixed blood, but you do become more like me every day. I would have reacted the same way had she dared to confront me in such a manner.” Looking smug, he says, “Now that you have acknowledged you are a princess, would you prefer a crown, as you mentioned, or a tiara?”

  I was already starting to feel badly about what I did, and he just clinched it. I do not want to be like him. At all. I open my mouth to say that, but he interrupts. “I did warn her.” He nods his head towards the hole in the wall. “Radella can be quite stubborn, though. It is lucky for her that I like her parents, and that she is good at her job. As for you, I must say, reminding her that you are a princess and above her did warm my heart.” I groan inwardly. Now, I’m wondering if he set me and Radella up for this little showdown to prove his point about him and me being alike. Turning to Kallen, he says, “I am assuming you can restore the carriage to its former state so we can be on our way?”