Maverick sat on the large carved stone in front of the stone table with his crystal goblet of wine. His one arm was folded across his body, while his other hand remained placed at the base of his glass, swirling the ruby liquid around as fireflies lazily drifted around the serene clearing. The other Fey folk present sat at their own respective tables under the heavenly starry sky while drinking their wine, and eating the ripe fruits and soft cheeses on medallions of wood. Their conversations appropriately quiet, and sounding like pleasant whispers from far away.

Each of the Fey were exquisitely beautiful, and each one of the ethereal beings stole less than discreet glances at the strange human that sat wearing dirty clothes, unwashed hair, and presently had her forehead pressed against the table, shoulders slumped dejectedly.

“Well, I don’t think anyone would ever accuse you of over thinking your actions.” Maverick picked up his glass and drank peacefully. He was fully enjoying his paradise regardless of his company.

“I did give it thought! It actually happening is different. I can dream about sailing around the world, but discover I’m prone to seasickness. It’s the same.” Aggie mumbled finally raising her head and staring bleakly at her own full wine glass.

“If you say so,” Maverick murmured as he continued to stare around him casually. After a moment of silence from his companion however, he once again turned his gaze to the Lady who was rubbing her face aggressively.

“So does the separation from your former ally change your rescue plans for Lady Maude?”

“Maybe. I need to find out what Chay meant about her being ‘good as saved’ first.” Aggie finally raised her goblet and drank. Her eyebrows shot up in obvious surprise at the flavorful beverage that blew away any wine she had ever tried before. She quickly took a far bigger gulp immediately after her first.

“I must confess, I have only ever seen two or three humans at most in Tara in my life, but you seem incredibly jaded to its charms. Why is that?” Maverick asked with a complacent tone.

“After the things I’ve seen in the past few months I’m a bit tougher to surprise.” Aggie managed flatly between mouthfuls of wine that she was hastily gulping.

When she had drained the glass, the Fey woman who had first served them floated back with the full decanter that matched the crystal goblets. Her rich purple dress fluttered with every movement as she gracefully refilled Aggie’s glass and shot curious glances at the human who gave her a quick thanks without raising her eyes.

“In hindsight, is there anything you wished you had said to Arlen before freeing him?” Maverick asked while still managing to sound bored.

Aggie was resting her head in her hand while she studied the intricate swirls and knot work of the table off in her own thoughts.

She lifted her gaze to stare levelly at Maverick whose black eyes hid no secrets to his thoughts.

“I’d want to thank him.” Aggie leaned back then, her hands falling to her lap as she straightened her shoulders then lowered her gaze to her goblet. “I would tell him what he means to me as a friend, and apologize that he has had to go through hardships because of me.” She took another mouthful of wine, and rested the glass down with a ‘chink’.

“I’ve been through hell the past few months, and he… he saved me in more ways than one.” She twisted the stem of the glass between her index finger and thumb as her vision began to spin.

She chuckled darkly to herself while Maverick continued to study her silently.

“Honestly, if it weren’t for him, I probably would’ve gone on a killing spree that ended with myself.” She laughed a little a too brashly while shaking her head. “Actually, never mind! I’d still be dead if it weren’t for him.”

She drank again, not noticing that every head in the clearing was now turned, and staring in shock at her.

Maverick was no exception.

“So you did see the afterlife?!” He couldn’t hide the note of slight awe.

Aggie grunted in an unladylike manner, then drained most of her glass as a reply.

“Care to enlighten me on what awaits us on the other side?” His eyes were shining with interest.

“If I thought for a moment that it would give you a moment of comfort, I’d say nothing.” She drank more. “Or I’d just lie and say it is like being faced with clouds of black flies and mosquitoes after a sugar bath.”

“It is that bad?” Maverick’s grim expression made Aggie laugh bitterly.

“It isn’t. There is a kind of in-between you cross before the final doorway to the afterlife, so I didn’t see much.”

“An ‘in-between’?”

“Souls stuck between the living and the dead, either their threads to the world are holding them back, or the doorway has yet to grant them entrance, I don’t know. It’s just an empty dark space that is only lit up by the entrance to the next place.”

Maverick sat completely stilled, as no one around them dared to breathe. All pretenses of pretending not to be eavesdropped had fully dissolved.

“So the in-between is where you turned around and came back?” The Magee’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“More like I was dragged back,” Aggie slurred as she once again finished her drink, then at long last noticed the numerous looks she was getting of shock and horror. She raised an unenthused eyebrow in response, and turned back to Maverick.

Was she dashing some secret hope that there was something different after death?

“My Lady, do you mean to say that you do not wish to be alive?” A Fey man stepped forward from the shadows of the trees where the Fey woman had emerged before with the decanter. Aggie assumed they were a married couple that ran the… tavern? If the garden of wine and fruit even was a tavern…

The Fey man wore a frown, his long ebony hair was tied up in a bun, his eyes an electrifying blue, and his flowing dark blue robes were wrapped around his slender frame.

“I… I’m trying not to think about that. I have things to do, and for now that’s enough.” Aggie suddenly noticed her audience, and became uncomfortable at the outrage on the beautiful Fey’s face.

“Beatha, respect for the gift of life is one of the most holy things to the Fey. Those with any disregard for it are sent to the Grove of Sorrows.” Maverick had dropped his voice, but the intensity of his gaze conveyed how serious he truly was.

The clearing erupted in whispers, her name was being repeated in waves amongst them all, as the fireflies suddenly burned brighter, and even the massive ancient trees rimming the clearing seemed to somehow grow and twist in shock.

“I’ll take you there in the morning,” Maverick announced his eyes briefly sweeping across everyone’s mixed expressions, until finally resting on Aggie once more. It seemed that he was attempting to appease his people.

Aggie’s arms were crossed and she began to laugh as she stared at him incredulously. She laughed harder and harder, but it was such a cold sound that many of the Fey shrank away from her. The alcohol had loosened her inner self beyond its normal restraints, and the results were frightening.

“You would have to shove almost everyone from my world in there.” She stared at Maverick without an ounce of feeling, and her words were weighted in truth.

“All of you are hypocrites if life is what you consider ‘holiest’.” Aggie stood up, and faced the judgmental stares head on, all traces of inane mirth gone.

“The world is tearing itself apart. War, slavery, human trafficking, blood sport, political corruption, sexism, and prejudice for Beast Awares and Beast Fey. Yet where are all of you? You come, fuck us, then high tail it out of there back here to play high and mighty in Tara. You don’t even look after your own children. If they live or die… you don’t even know if they are starving, or abused… you simply don’t give a shit! You see them as beneath you, and you want to pass judgment on us?! All of you can fuck off. If you want to kick me out of Tara for being a monster, go ahead, but I am not the problem." Aggie panted as her heart beat hard enough to rattle her ribs.

" All I am is a symptom of the state of the world.” Aggie glowered at each Fey present, and watched as their faces paled. Some looked guilty, others looked infuriated, then there were those that were staring at her with strange curious expressions.

“It is easy for me to kill someone. It is easy for me to want to mutilate someone, and that is from me being subjected to the regular lower class for a matter of months as a pure human. Once I do what I can to help the world, I should be lanced off like the boil that I am to make way for better people. Believe me, I know how much of a monster I am, but you lot are no better.”

With the end of her righteous speeh, Aggie turned and stalked away with her hands clenched.

As she stormed through Tara, floating pixies and other magical beasts frolicked in the shadowy trees completely ignored by the Lady, when a slow realization began to settle over her.

If Arlen refused to help her free the other Servicers, should she just kill herself and get it over with? It’s not like she could accomplish it alone, especially with being wanted by both Kings…

It was during that train of thought that Aggie emerged into another clearing; only this one was on a cliff side, overlooking an unending expanse of forest under the waxing moon. She stopped as the ever-present fireflies followed her out, and she stood stunned at the beauty around her as flower bushes of bright purples and blues seemed somehow even more vibrant in the moonlight.

It was one of the most spectacular sights she had ever seen in her entire life.

A warm scented breeze gently caressed her cheek, making her take an unconsciously deep breath. A faint rustling of leaves from behind drew her attention, and without thinking, Aggie spun around with one of her throwing knives in hand.

Standing just clear of the line of trees, was a Fey man clad in an extravagant red robe, his long black hair partially pulled back, and his pale blue eyes carefully examining the strange woman in his presence.

Unlike the Fey man who had the electrifying blue eyes back at the wine clearing, this man had hard angular features. His age was impossible to determine, but he had a regal fierceness to him that was both attractive and intimidating. He also seemed a little familiar…

“Good evening. I did not mean to startle you.” His stare was smoldering as he tilted his head and released a small-amused smile at the sight of her dagger.

His voice… was unbearably familiar.

“Sorry. Habit.” Aggie managed after blinking a few times at him. She stowed the knife hastily away, and awkwardly stepped away from the man as he seemed to float over to her.

“A good habit to have for a human given what I have heard of your world, so no apology required.” He nodded respectfully, his hands tucked into his sleeves as he stared out at the view before them.

“Er… yeah. Sorry if this is your spot. I can go.” Aggie began inching away awkwardly from the clearing, but froze in place when his pale eyes cut to her again.

“Nonsense. Why enjoy a view alone when you can have company?” His heart-melting smile stirred something strange in her heart. She could not put her finger on where she remembered hearing his voice or seeing his smile.

“Depending on the company it may be preferred,” she blurted while distracted.

He laughed out loud before turning to give her his full attention.

“There is one old-fashioned way to discern if we are compatible companions then. Talking. I am Carnicus.” He gave a slight bow, and the strange scent of burning hickory wafted from him.

“I-I’m Aggie. Aggie Beatha.” The man’s eyes immediately sharpened, and for some reason, it made Aggie take a step back.

“A Beatha… here in Tara…” He whispered softly in disbelief. “I should’ve guessed with your unique eye color.”

“I don’t have any abilities,” Aggie spluttered out awkwardly while hoping to the Gods he wasn’t getting any perverted ideas.

She was relieved to hear him laugh again, and decided to change the subject before any uncomfortable silences could drag on.

“You seem very familiar to me. I know we haven’t met before though because Chay was the first Fey I encountered,” she managed to say while studying Carnicus.

The Fey man's smile dimmed ever so slightly before addressing what crossed his mind.

“Chay is my younger brother. I’m told we have some similarities, though they escape me personally.”

Aggie failed to mask her surprise at the news.

“Are you another Eyes of the Portals?”

Shaking his head, Carnicus turned back to the view before him.

“No, I am not. A single Fey is chosen to be the Eyes of the Portals per continent, and they must be of the water element to do so as our gateways need to maintain a flowing connection between the worlds at the bequest of the Gods.”

“You… You can actually talk to the Gods here?” Aggie stammered in shock.

“Of course. While it has been a century or two since we’ve last seen them, the Green Man and The Goddess appear for specific events and sometimes for reasons unbeknownst to us. For naming the new Eyes of the Portals, they always come to declare who shall carry on the holy duty.”

Aggie blinked rapidly.

“… Has anyone told them how awful everything is on Earth?! What the fuck have they been doing?!” Her voice was steadily rising, her heart pounding in her chest at the news.

It was Carnicus’ turn to look taken aback.

“As I mentioned before. Ms. Beatha, they have not been here for sometime.”

“It isn’t like my world being a calamity is new,” she snapped angrily.

When the Fey shook his head dismissively, she couldn’t help but add under her breath, “I’m beginning to see what Tork means.”

“I cannot answer for the Gods,” Carnicus admitted as the Lady let out a low growl, and turned to stare at the view with her arms crossed across her chest.

“You have an admirable fire in you to even deign to challenge the higher powers. A trait I can respect.” Carnicus shot a long look at the woman beside him with a raised eyebrow who was not at all swayed by his compliment.

“I take it your element is fire then?” Aggie managed, though it pained her to be civilized for that moment. Her rage had flared as easily as dried pinewood would upon being exposed to open flame.

“It is indeed.”

Silence lapsed between the two beings as they continued to stare off in the distance, each having their own thoughts.

“Have you… Have you ever seen a Servicer be freed here in Tara?” Aggie asked suddenly, scuffing her feet uncomfortably at the emerald grass.

After a moment of careful thought, Carnicus answered.

“I met one once, yes.”

Aggie turned excitedly, her previous ire forgotten entirely.

“Really? What happened to them? Were they okay? Did they hate their former Mistress or Master?”

He turned a skeptical eye to the young woman.

“This was… a while ago. I do not remember time like you humans do as it moves differently all over Tara, but… I recall there was a lot of violence, and shouting. It was a woman with her Master, and she raged for days at him.”

Aggie winced, and her brow furrowed in sad concern.

“Eventually however, I believe they became even closer friends than before. There were even rumors of them being in love as they worked to accomplish some greater good in their world together…”

Aggie felt her blood turn cold.

A human in love with their former Servicer…

“Were… Was the human a pure-blooded Shield named,” Aggie licked her lips, her stomach churning already. “James Murphy?”

The Fey man frowned as though trying with great difficulty to remember.

“I believe so, yes. In truth, I remember the woman Guardian far more clearly… Ida I believe.”

Aggie felt her knees begin to grow weak.

“Wait… Ida was a Servicer, not a Guardian or whatever you said-”

“Ah!” Carnicus turned while cutting her off, and the pair stood once again toe-to-toe with each other, his face enlightened at clearly having remembered something.

“That was one of their goals. To inform your people that Servicers weren’t what they were said to be… That they were in fact Guardians enslaved by the Ruling Family. This was recently addressed at a council meeting, so those details remain fresher in my mind.”

Aggie’s jaw dropped.

She had to tell Arlen! He needed to know about this, and then they could ask Carnicus together and-

Her thoughts stopped.

Arlen hated her now.

He may not want to hear about the love story between James and his mother…

“Was the human with Ida… wasn’t he… awful?” The Lady ventured on, afraid of what might happen if she weren't prepared with all the facts.

Carnicus wore a strange expression as though he couldn’t understand what language she were speaking.

“He committed no crimes while here-, that I know for certain. What is your interest in those two?”

Aggie swallowed past a hard lump in her throat. “No reason. I should go find my guide… It was nice to meet you.” She gave a crude bow and began to walk away.

“I hope to see you again Ms. Beatha, this interaction has been quite refreshing.”

Aggie didn’t look back-, she couldn’t. Her heart was going to explode at the rate it was going, and her legs felt like jelly.

Somehow… she needed to find out exactly what happened between Ida and James, and she needed to learn what in the world a ‘Guardian’ was.

***

Chay stared at Arlen’s pale unconscious face as the nymphs dabbed his shirtless chest with a cool damp cloth, and lit spices aglow in a silver bowl. The clearing was lit with torches of varying heights, and a large ledge of moss ran around the circular space approximately two feet off of the bottom of the grassy ground. Vines and white blossoms curtained the space to appear like a private room though the sky was perfectly visible above.

At long last, Arlen began to stir, sending the very skittish nymphs scattering into the forest surrounding them.

They had good reason to be afraid.

As he slowly opened his eyes, and registered the trees, then Chay, he sat up slowly and frowned at his lack of shirt.

“Forgive the nymphs. They saw you sweating and wanted to help. I convinced them to leave your pants on for your sake.”

“Thanks,” Arlen managed hoarsely while rubbing a hand wearily over his face.

Chay handed him a goblet of water, which he drank gratefully.

“Is it always so painful and strange being freed?” Arlen asked aloud while sitting up, and turning to face Chay better, while resting his back against the nearest tree.

“In some ways,” the Fey answered vaguely while studying the night sky for a moment as though watching for something.

“I don’t think I should ever look at… her again,” Arlen said grimly after a moment. He felt as though he had been run over by a carriage, then dragged behind it for leagues.

“That might prove to be futile, but if you’d like to try go right ahead.”

“I might hurt her if she gets near me,” Arlen uttered feeling his chest constrict as he actively worked to not bring her face to his mind.

“I’m aware. Your mother was quite the beast when she first came here.” Chay’s aloof smile did nothing to distract from the information he had just shared.

“My mother was here?”

“Yes, with her Master at the time.”

Arlen closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure he was ready to hear confirmation about his biological father.

“James Murphy. My father,” he forced out after deciding that pulling out the proverbial arrow all at once was better.

“Yes, James was her Master.” Chay paused with a bewildered expression. “Why you think he is your father is beyond me. Nor do I see why that would be a bad thing.”

Arlen was on his feet in an instant, the pain in every molecule screamed, but he was deaf to it.

“James Murphy isn’t my father?!”

“No. He should’ve been though, if you ask me.”

Arlen’s hands began to shake.

“How could you say that? Before his death the man was involved in slave trade, blood sport and … he… violated women.”

Chay’s face paled as his expression of gross horror grew.

“Their gamble didn’t pay off," the Fey man whispered more to himself than his guest- though it was heard all the same.

“What gamble?! What… What happened?!” Arlen’s heart was skipping beats at an alarming rate, and his breaths came out in short gasps.

“Arlen you need to sit do-”

“No! Enough! I need the truth!”

His voice echoed throughout the trees, and suddenly the forest fell completely silent. Crickets didn’t dare chirp; bats landed and didn’t dare squeak.

Chay let out a sigh before standing, and placing his left hand back into his pocket.

“James and your mother were trying to free Servicers- whom are actually Guardians. I will explain that later. I believe the other matter is more important to you at this time.” Chay looked gravely serious, all former levity of his character long gone.

“James and your mother worked here in Tara for years during the War of Kinds. They would use a portal near the docks where The Ruling Family shipped captive Guardians, and would recruit them over the course of a day or two in your world before they were sent to the Island. They had to be careful as the Ruling Family had already sent people to retrieve your mother the minute she returned to their world. For nearly a decade they were successful in avoiding capture and in recruiting a great number of Guardians. That is until…” Chay appeared to be bracing himself.

“Until?”

“Your mother discovered she was pregnant with you.”

Arlen’s heart seemed loud enough to echo through every corner of the supernatural world.

“James wanted to protect her the best he could, which was when a Seer approached them. A woman named Marney. Together, James lied to the Ruling Family saying they were a poor match, and hid Ida’s pregnancy with another Guardian they had recruited to their cause named Quinirius.”

Chay began rubbing his forehead.

“Their gamble was that they would not have to be re-bonded before the Ruling Family agreed to take Ida back, and it apparently didn’t pay off. I don’t think I need to explain to you how a forced broken bond that isn’t merely dissolved by Tara, or death, can warp someone. I am very saddened to hear that the once good, and clever man became… vile.”

Arlen swallowed. He felt as though he had only been able to absorb half of what he had been told, as he waited with baited breath for the entire truth.

“Your mother arranged it so that you would be paired with a prophesied Savior of sorts, so that the both of you could finish what she had started. Marney was the one to help with that. Your mother couldn’t keep you here. Word would get out to the Ruling Family somehow through the Fey, and my people themselves would most likely be far too… possessive of you.”

“Chay?” Arlen’s voice was faint. “Who… who is my father?”

The Fey man looked pained, then took in a deep breath of air.

“You are… The first mix blooded Fey and Guardian in all of history.”

Arlen felt as though he’d been hit by lightening as the shock bolted through him, paralyzing him to the spot.

“Arlen you are… You are my nephew. Your father was my brother, Carnicus.”