Chapter 239: Fergus
Fergus finally broke free of Liam, grasping a hold of me, green eyes locked on mine as his old face twisted into fear and deep regret. "I'm sorry," his voice climbed in volume as Liam desperately tried to hush him, glancing at the door. "I'm late, I know I'm late, but I have one more night, the Gate should still be closed. Why are you here? WHY ARE YOU HERE?" He shook me, harder and harder, forcing me to shove him away. My hand brushed his, skin on skin and Shaylee's power instantly swelled.
Fergus fell to his knees at my feet, wrapping his thin arms around my legs, sobbing. "Forgive me, Princess. I need to go home, are you here to take me home at last?" I stared down into his eyes, feeling frozen and useless, unable to comfort him, an unbearable longing in his gaze that made me want to cry along with him. "Please, I promise I will never fail you again if you just take me home."
He lurched to his feet as two nurses rushed in, Fergus lunging for clothing in the nearby dresser, jerking the drawers open as the one male, one female attendant grasped his arms and tried to pull him back.
"Time for your medicine, Mr. O'Dane." The male nurse was rougher than he had to be, I thought, until I watched Fergus turn on him with a snarl, shaking him loose. He pointed at me without looking, eyes locked on the orderly. "Do you not know who she is, you fool?" His voice boomed, deep and powerful, humming with the same undercurrent of earth magic as Galleytrot's, as Gwynn's. For a moment, Fergus O'Dane was himself again. "She is Princess Shaylee of the Sidhe and I must escort her home."
Oh boy. As much as I knew every word he said was true, I could see the looks on the nurse's faces, the knowing expressions as they approached him again. They thought he was crazy. Hell, I would have too if I wasn't, in fact, exactly who he said I was.
"Fergus," I said, voice low, "it's okay. Just tell us where it is."
Liam shot me a look, a warning, full of anger. Was I going to far, feeding the old man's need to reach the Gate? Maybe. But I had to be ruthless if I was going to save us.
"I can take you, Highness," he said, trying to free himself again. "If these fools will just let me find my pants."
I saw the needle emerge from the male nurse's pocket, the twitch in Fergus's lips as the sharp end punctured his arm. He scowled at the man in white beside him, gaze whipping around to me.
"This can't be," he said as he instantly started to sag. They eased him back into his chair as he struggled with consciousness. As he spoke, his words began to slur together, but to his credit he held on to the truth. "You must go back, Princess. You cannot be here." His watering eyes flickered to Liam. "Boy," he whispered as he slid deeper into the chair, "you must take her back and answer the knock."
Well, so much for that idea. He didn't tell us anything we didn't know already. I had to wake him up.
I didn't get the chance. Liam's mom stormed into the room, the front desk nurse right behind her.
"What the hell are you doing here?" She scowled at Liam, voice ringing in anger. When she caught sight of me, her rage doubled. But under it, simmering below her fury, was the most fear I'd ever seen. "How dare you intrude on our family? I told you to stay away from my son!" She reached out and grabbed my arm to forcefully shove me out of the room.
Funny thing about touching. If you have power and don't shield it, you reveal all kinds of things about yourself. And in that instant Sonja grabbed me, I learned what I needed to know.
Her eyes flew wide and she let go immediately. "This is all your fault." There was little volume behind her words, but her rage and shock and crushing terror spoke volumes.
"You've been lying to him his whole life," I said. "Don't blame me for this."
"Get out." She turned away from me, toward Liam, hands shaking, pulling him to her. "You are grounded for the rest of your life."
Fergus continued to mutter, one hand fluttering like a wounded bird, gesturing for me. I sent a soft thread of Sidhe magic to him, letting him drift the rest of the way to sleep. It was the least I could do.
I turned then and marched out, back into the hallway to catch my breath. Sonja dragged Liam out past me, but he jerked himself free of her and faced her down, probably for the first time in his life.
"Why did Syd mean?" He shot me a look before focusing back on his mother.
"Let's go." She tried to drag him away again, her fear clear to me, but he wasn't having any.
"Syd?" He caught my eye, but I just shrugged. It wasn't for me to tell.
Not that I was done with her. "What are you so afraid of?" I looked right at Liam when I said it. Why hadn't she told him what he was?
She shuddered all over, refusing to meet my gaze. "Liam, please." Her voice shook as much as her body. "We have to leave now."
He went with her, casting looks at me over his shoulder all the way to the elevator. I sighed and headed for the small sign with the stairs on it. I took my time going down, reaching out to Galleytrot.
Where were you? His voice growled soft and deep, rage bubbling along with his own concern. I couldn't feel you anymore.
I let him touch the barrier as I'd found it and felt him curse as much as heard it, a ripple of echoing thunder in his mental voice. They dare hold him so.
There's more. I told him about Sonja, her terror for Liam. He owns her, I told Galleytrot as I thought of Venner. That has to be it. She must know about him, be under his control somehow. He has something on her. And yet, she's tried to escape before.
She can't lie to the Keeper like that. Galleytrot didn't sound very forgiving.
Shaylee was just as angry and it was only because of her I really understood.
We had no way of knowing Sonja had power, I told the big dog as I pushed against the exit door and headed across the fresh-cut grass to the car. The aroma reminded me of the mess we were in, solid earth magic stirring.
No wonder she kept all of this from him, dragged him away. Galleytrot's eyes glowed red behind the windshield. I climbed inside Minnie, started the engine as he went on out loud. "What I want to know is, what is an Unseelie woman doing with a husband who is clearly Seelie blood. And did he know?"
Before I had a chance to pull away, a sleek black sports car pulled up and parked. I felt a twinge in my stomach even before the driver's door opened and Venner climbed out. He smiled at me, waved before going inside the hospital.
Galleytrot's growl made the car shake. "You're right," he said. "The Unseelie lordling does own her." Venner. Sonja was his, and fully aware of her heritage, I knew that much now. She'd screwed up, had no idea who I really was or she wouldn't have risked that touch. Clearly the one holding her leash hadn't told her everything.
Idiot.
"He's gathering all his little underlings." It made sense there were more Unseelie-blooded mortals here, just like there were those of the light court, like me and the O'Danes.
Galleytrot nodded, snorting out an angry breath. "At least his power is reduced." The dog was right there, too. The barrier was subtle, took talent, but very little strength. I'm sure with time to focus I would have broken through it, though the need to do so now was gone. I knew where Fergus was hiding. But Venner's magic, thought backed by talent, was so weak it had taken a touch and Shaylee's fear to tell me what he was.
One bonus at least. Until he got a hold of the Sidhe magic coming through the Gate. Then all bets as to who would be more powerful would be off.
"How did an Unseelie-blooded mortal come to be the mother of a Seelie Gatekeeper?" Galleytrot's musing broke me out of my thoughts.
"Very good question. No Unseelie would willingly marry one of the light." Shaylee shuddered at the thought. "And how would she hide it from him?"
Galleytrot sighed. "This grows worse and worse, Syd," he said. "It's possible Liam is of both courts now."
"What does that mean?" More bad news? Really?
"He has no alliance. And more, he could access both sides of the power."
"Giving Venner access not to just his own court's power, but to the Seelie magic as well."
"Exactly." He huffed out a breath reeking of shadows and doom. "And with this being the last night, having control of both of them, Venemeth is now poised and ready," Galleytrot said. "For the Opening."
"We need to find that Gate."
Our chances of that were now almost gone. Looked like the Unseelie might get his wish after all.
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