Blog story #18

Sigh! Don’t worry about inconsistencies, I’ll clean them all up before the final version 🙂

When he imagined what the dark fae kingdom would look like this wasn’t it. Finn watched as they approached a large castle with wide eyes. White stone glowed beneath the bright sun and flowering trees lined the street.

“Beautiful,” he whispered.

“It really is,” Criss agreed.

“Pfft it’s not as big as ours,” Amon scoffed.

Finn snorted. “Are you really going to argue over whose is bigger.”

Criss leered. “I’m sure there is more than one way to answer that question.”

A jolt of desire spiked through Finn. He licked his lips and grabbed onto his self-control with both hands. It had to be part of being fae. Before this he’d had a low sex drive not really craving the slide of skin against skin.

“Fae do have a stronger sex drive,” Criss said.

“Do they?” Finn scratched at his chin. “Wait, did you read my mind?”

“A little.” Criss’s predatory grin did little to make reassure him.

Amon snickered.

“For two men who don’t get along you don’t seem to have a problem ganging up on me.” Finn sulked. His emotions had been all around the place since the serum.

Criss squeezed Finn’s shoulder. “You’ll get used to being one of us.”

“I highly doubt it.” Finn raked his fingers through his hair and sighed. “I didn’t really think through the emotional changes.” Instead he had focused on the obvious physical transformation, especially the wings.

The carriage came to an abrupt halt. Before Finn could adjust to the change in motion the carriage door was yanked open. A man with bright blue hair and matching eyes offered them a cheery smile.

“Hello visitors,” he greeted them.

“Greetings Krane,” Criss called out to him.

“Welcome back, my lord. Lord Amon.” Krane bowed to both of the men in turn before turning his bright green eyes on Finn. “And who is this?”

“This is Finn. King Eohric is waiting for him.”

“Yes he is!” Krane’s excitement watched up even higher as if he had never done anything more exciting than meeting Finn. “Welcome Prince Finn.”

Finn didn’t get a chance to question the ‘prince’ thing. Criss had him by the arm and was pulling him out of the carriage. “Tell the king we are coming.” Criss addressed Krane.

“Right away.” Krane ran off into the castle.

“Now we can take our time.” Criss offered his arm.

Finn slid a hand around Criss’s arm. A spark shot from his palm into Criss’s arm. “Lead the way.”

Amon wrapped an arm around Finn’s shoulders on the opposite side. “Let’s go meet the king.”

Finn had an almost irresistible urge to sing “we are off to see the wizard” from The Wizard of Oz. He resisted, barely. Instead he let the powerful men on either side of him escort him to see the dark fae king.

The dark fae court was a different animal than the light court. It was more than different magic. The dark fae weren’t like the light fae with their almost human appearance. Instead there were many that didn’t resemble humans at all. Extra eyes, limbs, scales and feathers were not unusual features of the dark fae. It didn’t take away from them being living, intelligent people but it did take a little while to get used to.

He had approximately ten minutes before he was standing before the dark fae king. It took all his forbearance not to stare. The king had brilliant blue feathers crawling up his neck and framing his face. An almost peacock like iridescence had them shining beneath the sunlight filtering through the windows. His eyes were raptor yellow and held the keenest of a hawk not certain whether it should devour the prey before it or let it run away.

“Finn, royal fae, to greet his majesty,” Amon declared bowing low.

“Come closer.” Eohric waved one clawed hand beckoning Finn forward.

He had never experienced bone deep terror before. It wasn’t something he wanted to feel again. The quick gulping breath didn’t settle him like he had hoped. Setting his shoulders back, Finn took three slow, dragging steps forward until he stood at the bottom of the dais.

“Show me your wings,” the king commanded.

Before he could even think of them, his wings snapped out of his back as if they obeyed a higher power than the person who housed them beneath his flesh. Finn winced at the sting against his back.

“Beautiful. Not as pretty as mine of course, but quite respectable.” The king made a considering hum in the back of his throat as he surveyed Finn’s wings.

Finn bit his lip to hold back the dozens of sarcastic remarks begging to be spoken. He would probably only be able to speak a few before the king speared him with his sharp nails. A buffalo wouldn’t survive a kingly clawing.

To Finn’s consternation the king stood, towering over Finn. As the royal climbed down the steps Finn spied a set of even bigger claws in place of where humans would have feet. Finn would bet his shaky retirement plan that Eohric had ripped apart more than one enemy beneath both sets of claws.

Eohric towered over Finn seven feet of powerful, intimidating bird man. He flashed Finn a grin of razor-sharp teeth. “It’s always nice to meet more kin. Come we will discover how you fit into our world.”

Finn wasn’t completely convinced he belonged at all but he didn’t dare voice such words when the king appeared so pleased with himself. Instead he meekly followed the king and tried very hard for his face not to look as if he were going his death. He had to make friends with the royals or at least appear neutral to any conflict if he wanted to be let into the investigation into the fae deaths. Because despite the transformation Finn was still very much an investigator and he wanted more than anything to figure out what was going on in the fae kingdom, both of them. Determination washed away the grinding fear. He would survive this then he would make his way back home. He had his cat waiting for him.

.