Page 20 of Sidhe (The Incubus Saga #3)

“That was a long time ago,” Gwen said in regards to being the mother of all sex demons—with Malak as the father, “though with lasting effects I have no problem with. I don’t leave the Veil very often these days. Usually only my…counterpart has to deal with me.” She glanced at Oberon.

“I thought you were Oberon’s wife,” Nathan blurted, “and instead you screwed around with his brother?” He was angry and exhausted and just too overwhelmed to care that he was dealing with two of the most powerful sidhe in existence.

They didn’t seem ruffled.

“Did you know about this?” Nathan turned to Sasha.

Sasha had paled, no longer gently smiling and awed by being in Gwen’s presence.

“There were always rumors about who the dark and light sidhe from the legend really were, but I didn’t know the mother of my kind was literally The Fairy Bride until I saw her.

I definitely didn’t know about Malak,” he assured Nathan.

“Nathan,” Oberon tried to reason with him.

“Just hold on a minute,” Nathan said. “Why does she look like Malak then? You, I understand if you were twins, but her too? I figured Malak just liked it both ways, not that he was mirroring anybody.”

Gwen crossed her arms. “His own personal inside joke,” she huffed. “To mock us, since he blames Oberon for the separation of our kind and his own banishment, and blames me for… Well. It’s no surprise he’d add a female form. He always was…fluid in that regard.”

“Ahem.” Oberon raised warning eyebrows at his companion then turned back to Nathan. “We have come today for a reason. I understand your anger, I do. But now is not the time for resentment. The months ahead are more important than you realize. We can help each other.”

It was Jim who gave a sudden bitter laugh that made Nathan flinch for how it reminded him of his time in the Veil.

“We can help each other? Meaning you need our help now even though you were nowhere to be found when we needed you.” He even dared to take two solid steps toward Oberon, defiant.

“Don’t sell me free will. We didn’t suffer our whole lives for you to use us when you see fit. ”

“Jim,” Sasha stepped up next to him, sounding concerned, his eyes still reverent toward Gwen, and maybe at least wary of Oberon.

“Understand, the rules are in place for your protection,” Oberon said. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but believe me, you would think far differently if that freedom were ever taken away.”

“It isn’t fair,” Jim said through clenched teeth.

Oberon looked honestly compassionate in reply, not at all patronizing. “It is what men make of it. Please.” He gestured for them to sit.

At first, all of them stood frozen, but seeing as how they were rightfully exhausted, they soon obeyed—at least enough to sit down.

“You weren’t ready yet to make the right choice, Nathan,” Oberon said, “but when the time came, you did. I know that wasn’t easy for you. My brother’s gifts are always tempting.”

“So it really was all true,” Nathan said, feeling even more weight bearing down on him. “I’m supposed to be the bad guy and you want to help me?”

Gwen giggled as she returned to her lounge chair, allowing Oberon the floor. He remained standing in front of them.

“Nathan, do you really see yourself as the villain in this story?” Oberon asked.

“It doesn’t take a great man to know when the Devil’s temptations aren’t worth the sacrifice, but it does take a good one.

” He smiled. It was strange seeing such a kind expression on Malak’s face.

“You have made just as many good decisions as those bad ones you beat yourself up over. You had faith in your brother, when so few could. Because of you, he had faith in himself and did not fall prey to the evil that might have easily won within him. The potential for that was never a lie.”

He looked to Jim gravely. “We could be in the thick of another great war this very night if not for you. Each of you. I’m sorry if that’s not much consolation considering all you have been through, but we are on the same side.

“Nathan,” Oberon turned to Nathan again abruptly, “you are important. You denied Malak and refused his final temptation, something few have the strength of character to even contemplate. That does not mean the time won’t come again when you will be presented with a choice, but—”

“Yeah, Dave mentioned that,” Nathan broke in. “Or…whoever he was. Was that you too?”

Oberon and Gwen exchanged amused expressions, before the male sidhe spoke again.

“We are aware of your encounter, but that wasn’t us.

A much higher power called on you then. Your choice allowed him to cleanse you, to prepare you for the choice to come.

You have always thought of yourself as just a man, Nathan, and that is what you are.

But that is what makes you special. You are a good man who has lived an extraordinary life.

And because of that, Malak needs you for the same reason we do.

You, Nathan, someone who is...just a man…

you will be the turning point in the war when it comes to a head.

What side you choose to fight on is up to you. "

Those words seemed to be accompanied by a great gong that clanged in Nathan's head. He didn’t want this burden that was slowly taking shape, more whole and frightening before him. He’d had enough burdens in his life; he didn’t need anyone placing the world in his hands.

"Jim has great gifts, from a dangerous source, true, but he chooses to use them wisely. Sasha too,” Oberon nodded, his lips curved in a subtle smile as he looked to each of them.

“Because of what you both are, you could be a great threat to us, a great ally to evil, but instead you use your abilities to help others.

So you see," he returned his attention to Nathan once more, "why they are your consorts, so easily made to be good or evil depending on choice. Depending on you.”

Nathan didn't want to hear this. It was one of his worst fears, to know that whatever choice he made might make theirs for them too. But before he could respond, he looked up and caught Sasha’s expression, that sinking horror having returned to the incubus’ face.

“I shouldn’t be a part of this,” Sasha said, his voice cracked and shaken. “I killed that girl when I was younger. I didn’t know what I was doing. And…God, is it true, would you really have been able to save Nathan from the Veil sooner if I hadn’t made that deal?”

“Honestly,” Gwen said with a touch of annoyance.

“Between the three of you, the amount of angst and guilt in this room could suffocate one of those emo teenagers.” She smirked, taking Oberon’s place in front of them as she swiftly rose from her seat.

“Choice is a constant thing. We don’t run out of them.

We don’t build up so many bad ones that we can’t make a good one in the end.

Nathan’s guardian might have been able to rescue him, that’s true, but for all we know it would have taken months instead of a week, so don’t go hating yourself over a decision you made because you love someone too much to be without them. Any of you.

“We aren’t here to talk about mistakes or reasons you don’t deserve your destinies. We’re here because of your future. We have work for you in the battle ahead because you are all going to be a part of it on one side or another. And we want you to fight with us.”

A sudden flash of Keanu Reeves with that bad southern accent in The Devil’s Advocate flitted through Nathan’s mind.

Nathan didn’t want to be Keanu Reeves and face the Devil head-on, the fate of the world on his shoulders, but if being on the opposing side meant kicking Malak’s ass, it might be worth it.

He just wished it wasn’t all up to him.

“So it's not all or nothing, it's all or everything ," Nathan chuckled darkly.

"We're in this war one way or another." He looked up at the sidhe, at both of them, standing side by side now, with kinder versions of Malak’s form, but still intense, still radiating power.

Nathan could feel Jim and Sasha watching him.

“If you choose us," Gwen said, "you, Nathan, will be our warrior, not merely a vessel, as Malak would have you. And your crew can fight beside you.”

Frightening as it all was, something in those words spread a warmth through Nathan’s chest. In a way, what they were offering was Malak’s deal exactly, except Nathan would have to fight just as he was instead of being imbued with power.

And hell yeah, he liked the sound of that better.

He wanted to still be angry, but it was hard when he could see the truth before him, hard when he knew that Dave’s touch, a strong but kind hand over his eyes to take that awful blackness and his mark away, was like every kind of peace Nathan had ever longed to feel.

He didn’t know what Dave was, who he really was, but he wanted to hope that it was something he could believe in.

“Choosing us now will not be enough to keep you out of Malak's clutches forever," Oberon said. "That choice still lies ahead. Be you, Nathan, and I am certain all the choices you make will be the right ones.

“We can’t tell you what’s coming. We don’t know. When we do, we will help you as much as we are able. Malak will likely be making further plays for you and for others to join his cause. Your guardian will return to you to speak on our behalf and…on Dave’s behalf very shortly.”

“Guardian? You said that before. Do you mean Walter?” Nathan said. “He hasn’t appeared to me since I woke up, not even away from the Gatehouse.”

“He will,” Gwen said. “He is waiting for you just outside, actually. He’ll fill you in on what comes next.”

“In the meantime, we have an army to prepare,” Oberon said. “And so do you, from those who remain in this realm. It is your job to gather them, and to lead when the time comes. I think the three of you should be able to handle that. We’ll see you again. Soon.” He nodded at his companion.