Page 12 of Beyond the Veil (Endangered Fae #4)

“Right now, my staff has to be my first priority.” Diego drew in a steadying breath. “I was born to the heat, but most of them are from places where ‘too hot’ is a good thirty degrees colder than out there.”

“Poor Theo. Finn, how is he doing?”

“Breathing, my heart. Some ice, some rest, he should be well.”

“He’d better be, or this isn’t going to be a quiet diplomatic incident much longer.”

Limpet sat by the Nightwalker’s bed. The others had gone to a meeting in this strange place where the heat made shimmering pools in the air.

Diego said they were safe here with the Swiss.

He trusted them, so Limpet resolved to as well.

He had no room to complain, of course, since he was here because he had indulged his curiosity without thinking again.

“That’s what nearly cost me my ear, you know,” he said to the unconscious Nightwalker.

Theo, his name is Theo. He’s not a monster.

He’s Theo. “Always sticking my nose into hollows and crevices. It was a small kraken, mind you, but still a kraken, and very much determined to take my head off. My pod sent it off with a good thrashing, thank the currents. But that’s why I have scars, since it happened when I was a child.

Do you have a pod? No, I suppose you were human once.

Humans don’t have pods, really, do they?

Pairings with children, mostly. Like birds.

Seems odd. Would be safer with more family. ”

He readjusted the icepack on Theo’s forehead, guzzled some more water and tucked his feet up on the chair.

Chairs were outrageously uncomfortable but this odd habit humans had of sleeping up high made it difficult to keep watch from the floor.

Theo most likely couldn’t hear him, but Limpet kept talking to let him know someone was there.

He certainly wasn’t babbling because he was frightened.

“These humans are lovely. They left us water and said I could take off those horrid shoes. How do you wear them all the time? Although you’re not wearing them now.

You look rather handsome in just your small clothes.

I like these humans better than the ones on your night patrols.

I don’t think they liked you. Or me. Or that I was with you.

It was difficult to say and you wouldn’t let me ask questions.

I would have asked you what a vamp fairy is.

I suppose if you woke up now, I could ask you questions.

So long as no one’s about. I do hope you will.

Wake up, that is. The humans said it was sunstroke.

I suppose that’s why they always have you on guard at night. ”

Limpet took a breath, wriggling on the goddesses-forsaken chair. “I liked walking with you.”

Theo shifted on the bed, dislodging his icepack again.

His forehead creased as he worried at something in his sleep, but he didn’t wake.

Carefully, Limpet replaced the ice and took one of Theo’s hands in his.

The long, pale fingers twitched, then curled tight around Limpet’s.

That strong hand around his felt lovely but now he was trapped.

He didn’t want to wake Theo by pulling away.

Nothing for it, he would simply have to sit still for a bit and it really was a wonderful hand.

“Prince Faisal, thank you for taking time out of your schedule to meet with me on such short notice.” Sitting on cushions on the air-conditioned veranda, Diego took a sip of tea from the delicate gold-etched cup.

Beside him, Finn carefully mimicked his mannerisms and kept his mouth shut.

Though he had to be careful of the black tea since it gave him raging headaches, he could still go through the motions to be polite.

Filigree shadows decorated the tea setting from the pierced-carving arches that led out into lush, manicured gardens with softly laughing fountains.

All a bit too controlled for Finn’s tastes, but the surroundings did make their point.

Here was vast wealth and power, a human privileged to live apart from his fellows.

“It is a delicate situation, Mr. Sandoval.” The prince folded manicured hands in front of him, his mocha skin beautiful against the table’s white marble.

“Laws governing witchcraft are very strict here. Please understand that it is considered a great sin. Some have suggested that perhaps deportation to a more permissive country would be preferable, but my father and his advisors believe that it is better, safer, for the world to contain as many witches and demons as we can.”

Demons, indeed. There is only one race of demons in this world. Finn bit his tongue, though. Prince Faisal was the second youngest of King Aziz’s sons, considered the most liberal minded of the royal house. The Swiss ambassador had suggested the prince might be their best hope for an ally.

“We haven’t come to interfere in your laws or court systems, Your Highness.” “ Although I certainly want to,” Diego sent internally to Finn. “The three young people in question are Canadian citizens, though.”

Faisal swept a hand in a half-apologetic gesture. “The crime was committed here. But I appreciate that you wish to resolve this quietly, before it becomes an international media circus.”

Diego put his cup down, the exaggerated care a measure of how tightly he held himself in check. “Thank you, Highness. I am authorized by the Fae Collective to offer whatever reparations the law deems necessary, or to otherwise negotiate for their release and subsequent return home.”

A bitter smile flitted across the prince’s face. “And you are here, rather than a Canadian diplomat, because they cannot be seen negotiating with such a barbarous regime, I suspect.”

“I only know that we were asked to mediate, Highness.”

With a tiny flick of his fingers, Prince Faisal waved away the attendant trying to pour him more tea. “I know what Westerners think of us but there is so much you don’t understand about this region. However, I—”

Another palace employee hurried up on slippered feet to whisper in the prince’s ear. His forehead creased as his expression darkened. Then he rose gracefully from his cushion and inclined his head toward them. “My apologies, Mr. Sandoval, Mr. Shannon. I shouldn’t be more than a moment.”

As the prince hurried out, Diego put a hand to his earpiece, his expression darkening. Kurt, outside with the car and the rest of their security, obviously didn’t have anything good to say.

“Local police, you think? Or some government branch?” Diego asked before tilting his head to listen again.

“All right. Keep everyone calm, please. The last thing we need is to start a shooting war.” He halted again then went on.

“No. If that happens, you get back to the embassy and call it in. No heroics, all right?”

Finn waited until Diego glanced up. “Your half of the conversation has not made me feel at all secure, my love.”

“I don’t think we are.” Diego gripped his arm. “Kurt says there’s trouble. Armed men in official vehicles pulled up, police of some kind. They have paperwork the prince’s men are looking over and they’re holding our security at gunpoint. Don’t do anything threatening if they come for us. Please.”

Finn swallowed hard, memories of previous arrests threatening to bury him.

Diego in a past life burning at the stake.

Diego being thrown to the ground and cuffed before a seizure hit.

No matter that he had several friends who worked security now, he simply couldn’t get past his fear of armed guards of any sort. “Diego…”

“I know. Me too.” Diego’s hand slid down, fingers twining with Finn’s. “Terrified. But we’ll get through this. They can’t simply haul diplomats away. It’s just not done.”

Booted footsteps rang in the hall. A crowd of uniformed men burst through the doors onto the veranda, their expressions grim and forbidding.

Finn’s heart sank when he realized neither the prince nor any of his staff were with them.

In fact, all the soft-spoken staff who had been attending them through the tea service had suddenly vanished.

“At least their guns aren’t drawn,” Diego sent in wry bravado.

“Leastwise not yet.”

Diego stood slowly, pulling Finn up with him. “Can we help you, gentlemen?”

The man in front hesitated as he looked at a photo in his hand then back at Diego. When he finally spoke, it was in English. “Mr. Sandoval, you will come with us.”

“May I ask where and for what purpose?”

“You are under arrest, sir.”

Finn fought panic. He wanted to shift, to charge these men, bowl them over and fly Diego away. He forced his voice to remain calm. “He’s done nothing wrong.”

“What are the charges?” Diego asked in that even, flat tone that told Finn he was frightened.

“Suspicion of being a witch and harboring demons.”

Diego ran a hand back through his hair. “Officer, with all due respect, this is absurd. As far as I know, it’s legal to be a magic user here if you don’t actively use magic. And I certainly don’t know any demons.”

“The new law mandates arrests for suspicion.”

“New law? When?”

“This morning.” The man motioned to the guards on either side of him.

Both men moved forward and when Diego stepped back and continued to protest, they pulled out things that looked like pistols from space shows on the picture box.

Finn couldn’t imagine why they were carrying toy guns, so he could only stand by in stupefied horror as these things suddenly shot out tiny wires that attached themselves to Diego.

“What in all go—”

Diego’s thought cut off mid-word when strange clicks came from the wires. He stiffened, eyes wide and terrified, and collapsed. “ Finn! Oh… Dios …it hurts…run! Get to Kurt!”