Shadows & Secrets part 5
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D
Deryn nodded as Cáit told him they would talk to Maeve’s brother between her morning and afternoon classes tomorrow. He felt relief at having a plan in place, though he was still quite nervous. Dealing with the lesser Fae would be a challenge, he knew, but a familiar one. This hunter, however, was unknown to him. Maeve was a force to be reckoned with and he wondered what her brother would be like. How anyone could even handle growing up with such a sibling perplexed him greatly.
He watched Cáit slip into her bedroom after they wished each other good night. They agreed he would spend the night curled up on the armchair in his malk form, but first he wanted to finish the book in his lap. He found a small collection of candles in a basket beside the chair, likely for this purpose, and used his magic to light one. Shifting himself to maximize the light and maintain comfort, he continued with his reading. The information was fascinating and he found it helped him understand a great deal of the behaviors he had witnessed in his time observing humans.
The candle beside him was little more than a lump of melted wax by the time he closed the book. Placing it gently on the table beside him, he stood and stretched. He arranged the blanket Cáit had left him on the chair, shifted into his malk, and curled up in the soft folds.
Dawn’s gentle light crept into the room and caressed his dark fur with its warmth. He stretched, rolling onto his back, and let the warmth sink deep into his muscles. The bandage had loosened overnight, but he noted the wound beneath was no longer present, his healing abilities finally back to normal. He lazed in the growing sunlight, waiting for Cáit to emerge from her bedroom.
A knock on the door jolted him from his relaxing, but with so much sun he couldn’t shadow travel and only had time to roll himself onto his stomach before the woman entered. It was Biddy, a tray heaped with food skillfully balanced partly on her shoulder as she closed the door behind her.
“It’s been quite a while since we had a true kitten roaming these halls,” she said softly. “Ye dinnae need to hide from me, hun. Yer secret is safe with me.” Deryn paused his attempt to slink under the chair and considered his options. He noticed her wording and realized this woman had been privy to Lady Arianwen’s secret. He returned to the chair seat and she set the tray beside him. He saw the spread of food and nearly pounced on the meal. The tantalizing smells teased his nose and his mouth watered, but he remained sitting primly on the chair. Biddy merely chuckled at his restraint. “I didnae want ye starvin’ because Cáit is likely to sleep past noon if allowed to. I prepared some of Lady Aria’s favorites fer ye.” Deryn watched her stroll into Cáit’s bedroom and close the door. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he shifted and dug into his breakfast.
C
Cáit groaned as sunlight abruptly streamed onto her face. Blinking blearily, she saw Biddy standing before her window. It was unusual to see the cook outside of the kitchen and Cáit wondered why she was in her bedroom now.
“Lady Aria was my friend,” Biddy said softly, her gaze pointed out the window, but Cáit had a feeling she was looking into the past instead. “She would frequently go out at night for long stretches then raid the kitchens when she returned. As a new mom, sleep wasn’t easy fer me so I managed to notice her nightly prowls. One night I caught her shifting in the kitchen, but I had already put the pieces together by then.” Cáit sat in silence, stunned that she had not known this about her mother. Biddy turned away from the window and smiled, sadness weighing heavy in her eyes. “I did what I could fer her that night,” she explained, “I helped her pack plenty of provisions and slip out unseen. I never asked her why, but I knew she wouldnae have left ye if she felt she had a choice.”
Cáit felt tears prick her eyes. She had seen how warm her mother had been to Biddy, but hadn’t realized the extent of their friendship. It explained why Biddy had always fervently opposed the rumors others had put forth, rumors that besmirched her mother’s loyalty and honor. Words failed her, but Biddy didn’t seem to need any. Instead, the cook pulled out a travel sack, hidden behind the frilly gowns in the closet. Cáit was surprised Biddy knew where to find it, but she realized Biddy likely had been far more observant over the years than she’d thought. Without a word, clothes and supplies were pulled out and arranged on the bed.
“Yer father will come in here if ye dinnae get yerself to breakfast, kitten.” Biddy paused and winked at her, “I’ll have this packed and ready by the time yer done.” Cáit couldn’t help the stunned expression on her face, but quickly got dressed. She headed out of her bedroom and saw Deryn digging into a plate of breakfast that likely had started out twice as piled as it was now. His eyes met hers from under his tousled black hair and Cáit found her heart rate picking up its pace.
“I’ll be back after breakfast with my father,” she told him. He nodded and she swept from her rooms, hoping the heat in her cheeks didn’t mean she was blushing noticeably. Her emotions stayed a jumble as she made her way to the dining hall. She had not thought to pack, thinking they would be just talking to Maeve’s brother, but she had to admit it made more sense for Deryn to go to the border as soon as possible. She knew that her father would want her to stay here, but she found herself reluctant to leave Deryn’s side and it would seem Biddy had not only noticed, but agreed. Cáit took a deep breath as she reached the doors to the dining hall, suddenly weighed down by the realization this would be the last conversation with her father for quite awhile. Squaring her shoulders, she pushed the doors open and entered.
D
Deryn watched Cáit leave for breakfast with her father as he continued to demolish the tray’s contents. Much of the meal was unfamiliar to him, but each bite was a delight to his taste buds. Lady Arianwen was a legend to his kind, yet here he was eating her favorite foods prepared by not only a human that served her, but someone that viewed her as a friend. The thought was as hard to believe as the fact Cáit was Arianwen’s daughter and, according to Fae law, the rightful High Lady of the Cat Sith. He did not want to think of the potential backlash from his father over that bit of information reaching him. Cáit deserved to live the life she wished to and he found himself determined to do whatever he could to not only ensure her safety, but her happiness as well.
The bedroom door opening drew him from his thoughts and he watched Biddy bring out a rather stuffed looking travel bag. She smiled at him then glanced at the empty tray.
“Guess ye didnae care fer yer breakfast,” she joked. “Promise me one thing though hun.” He nodded, already guessing the promise. “Take care of her. I have a feelin’ she’ll be goin’ on quite the adventure with ye.”
“I promise to do everything within my power to take care of Cáit,” he swore, feeling the magic of his promise settle over him. He knew his father would have chided him for it. To swear to keep a human safe and provide for her would have him labeled a fool at court, regardless of her bloodline. He had not given himself loopholes or set an expiration like he was expected to either and Biddy’s raised eyebrows told him she realized it too.
“Yer a good lad,” she told him gently, “my kitchen will always be open to ye.” He nodded his thanks, his throat suddenly too choked up for words, and watched her slip out into the hall with the tray. His father had expected this mission to sour him on humans, he knew, but it was having quite the opposite effect. He stretched, enjoying the drowsy contentment the meal had given him, and settled comfortably in the chair to wait for Cáit.
C
Cáit left the dining hall, her whole body buzzing with excitement and nerves. Breakfast had gone smoothly and her father was busy having messages sent out to the various lodges hunters frequented, informing them of the new restriction on trap use.
As she entered her rooms, Cáit was not surprised to find Deryn dozing in the chair. The tray was gone, but she suspected it had been practically licked clean even though it had been piled with enough food to feed three people, possibly more. She wondered if it was a Fae attribute or just a boy one to be able to eat like a bottomless pit and still keep a lean physique.
She strode to the far corner and collected her violin. She had practice today before they visited Maeve and her brother. A shudder ran through her at the thought of traveling with him. Maeve had always been boisterous and outgoing, a cheerfully crackling fire that made you comfortable. Lonán, however, was quite a different story. He was icy brooding to his sister’s friendly warmth. Though he had merely rolled his eyes at their antics, Cáit had always felt uneasy around him.
“Should I be in my malk form for your lessons again?” Cáit pondered the question, grateful to be pulled from her thoughts, and nodded.
“The fewer people that see me with a boy they don’t know the better,” she explained, “Word will get back to my father and that’s not a conversation I’m keen to have with him.” She watched him nod in understanding then shift. It was strange how she couldn’t help the eyeblink everytime he shifted, but she shrugged it off and slung the travel sack over her shoulder. Magic, she decided, was like the gravity she learned about. It did what it did by its own set of rules and she just had to adapt to them.
D
Deryn followed Cáit out into the sun-soaked street, an eager bounce to his step. She was carrying her fiddle and he was near bursting with excitement at hearing her play. His excitement drooped as they approached a building that looked barely able to stand. From the mismatched roofing to the patchwork walls it seemed to be constructed of leftover pieces of other buildings. A soft thump inside caused a lime green plume to billow out the chimney and a few of the cracks in the roof. He regarded the picture on the door again, dismissing his first thought it was pottery. Cáit knocked and let herself in. Deryn followed and fervently hoped he’d manage to leave this building with his fur intact.
Inside was a chaotic mess to his eyes, but he had learned from his observations that it was likely perfectly organized to the spindly creature that ruled over it. Long arms with even longer fingers balanced bubbling concoctions in glass containers that mirrored the image on the door. A slightly singed looking mop of hair sat in an unruly nest above a face covered almost entirely with a strange array of glass circles. He had seen some humans wearing what he overheard them call spectacles, but those only had two such circles while this easily had a dozen in varying sizes.
At Cáit’s greeting, the concoctions were put down and the strange spectacles were removed. Deryn was relieved to see a normal human face behind the contraption and not some spider Fae. His relief was replaced by surprise as the woman did not stand up from the chair she was in, but moved it along with herself. Her long arms propelled the chair’s two large wheels as she made her way over to greet Cáit. Her legs were hidden beneath a bedraggled and stained blanket which she happily patted when she noticed him.
“These legs may be useless for walking,” she admitted, her voice rough but warm, “but they make a good lap.” He approached cautiously, his nose sifting through the various smells of the blanket. Most were actually just from food so he hopped onto her lap. He sighed as her long bony fingers began combing her fur gently. The lesson was interesting, but he found it difficult to concentrate on it over the steady strokes and scratches. His purr had rumbled to life once again and seemed to encourage the fingers dancing along his back.
C
Cáit usually had mixed feelings about her lessons with Madame Byrne, but she thoroughly enjoyed them today. She had worried the presence of a cat would be met with anger, the risk to her fragile experiments too much for the woman. Instead, Deryn had been welcomed with enthusiasm and spent the entire lesson purring his heart out on her lap. The lesson itself was also a bit less intensive which Cáit appreciated. Science was an interesting subject, but Cáit found much of it too complicated to properly understand.
The lesson done, Cáit went to scoop a very drowsy Deryn up into her arms only to remember her violin case. She would not be able to carry the sack on her back, the violin, and a rather large, mostly limp cat without something going wrong. Madame Byrne simply smiled at her and began tapping Deryn’s nose with one of her long fingers. Cáit didn’t expect a reaction, but almost immediately she saw his face scrunch up, his dismay at the tapping obvious on his furry face.
“Come on kitty,” she crooned, “it’s time to go.” A green eye opened and glared at her, but she found his vexation adorable rather than frightening. She watched him reluctantly stretch and leave the lap, a slight wobble in his movements. She bid Madame Byrne goodbye and headed to her favorite lesson.
Cáit had been encouraged by her mother at a very young age to pursue music and now that she knew her mother had been Fae, it made more sense to her. Fae loved music, she knew, and her mother had always been eager and attentive when Cáit played. She had tried every instrument available to her and was passable with a few, but the violin was her favorite in spite of the steep learning curve. There had been many a wince as she learned the instrument, but years of practice had her teacher beaming with pride.
The house she sought stood along the southern part of the stone wall and overlooked the lake. The stone walls were barely visible thanks to ivy and wisteria. The grounds surrounding the building were just as packed with flowers and herbs. Cáit headed around to the porch in the back and was not surprised to find her teacher sitting in the well worn rocking chair there.
D
Deryn sulked. He knew he shouldn’t, knew it was foolish and pointless, yet he sulked anyway. He trailed behind Cáit, his legs still unsteady from the petting, his mind berating him again and again. He had let himself slip completely and had even glared at Cáit for reminding him they had more important things to do than laze about in laps.
The next house looked nearly consumed by the garden around it, yet Cáit did not approach the door. Instead, they followed a small trail through the garden to the back of the house. Deryn’s nose twitched incessantly at the chaotic array of scents as they made their way around to a small porch. A young man sat in a rocking chair, his gaze on the lake.
“You have a guest with you.” Deryn was surprised the man noticed considering he hadn’t stopped gazing at the lake. “A stealthy companion to be sure.”
“This is Deryn,” Cáit replied, “he’s my friend.” Warmth filled him at hearing her call him such though he wondered why he had been ‘kitty’ at the other house and yet she used his name here.
“Friends with a Fae,” the man commented with a smile, “I imagine your father is quite unaware of such.”
“I’d appreciate it if it remained so, Master Rian,” she countered, earning a scoff.
“You can drop the ‘master’ bit, Cáit,” he said gently, “your skill is equal to mine and has been for a while.” Deryn narrowed his eyes at the man, not because of the familiarity in which he talked to Cáit, but because he had not once turned towards them. He’d observed enough humans to know it was considered rude, yet Cáit showed no sign of being slighted.
“You figure it out yet Deryn, Fae friend of Cáit?” The voice was challenging in its tone, urging him to solve the puzzle before him. He studied the human, the face was unlined and his gray eyes gazing out at the lake. Not gazed, he amended, stared, hardly blinking at all.
“You’re blind,” he answered, finally understanding.
Continue Reading: Part 6
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