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Of course, he was completely unapologetic. "I wish I could do it."
Khala turned to him. "Can you use magic?"
He responded with a gusty sigh. "No I can't. I've had to get by on looks and brains alone. And a bit of muscle." He raised his bicep.
"One out of three is right," Vayne said.
"Thanks for saying I have good looks." Tavian grinned at him.
"If that's how you want to interpret it," Vayne grunted.
"It is," Tavian said lightly. "But I have the other two as well. You know whatyouhave, my friend?"
Vayne rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. "There's no way in hells I'm taking the bait." He looked back down and narrowed his eyes to the other Fae man.
As if Vayne went along with him, Tavian said, "You have jealousy. A great deal of jealousy. I think you should go to one of the temples and see if they can treat you for that."
Vayne stuck two fingers up at him. "Fuck off, Tave."
I looked over to Khala and sighed out my nose. "You see what I have to put up with day after day? No wonder I drink."
She smiled. "It's different from the Temple. So far I haven't had to sweep the floor, listen for a gong to tell us when to eat, and I haven't been yelled at by Sister Geralda. On the other hand, I don't have Tyla here to confide in." Her smile faded and she exhaled softly.
Zared hurried over to crouch in front of her and took one of her hands in both of his. "You have me," he told her earnestly. "I might not be an alpha, but I care about you. If anyone here understands, it's me. We are both a long way from home. We can rely on each other."
She looked back at him and for the first time since I met them both, she seemed to actually see him. Perhaps she realised they were the only humans amongst a group of Fae who were slightly insane at best, and more than slightly insane at worst. Unapologetically so. When you lived as long as we did, you got by however you could. We used humour.
"I care about you too," she told him. "I'm sorry you got dragged into all of this."
"I let myself be dragged," he reminded her. "I don't mind, as long as you are here."
"I know this is going to be difficult for you, but you have to let whatever happens, happen." Her expression was firm, yet gentle at the same time. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she wasn’t taking any shit either.
For a human, she was remarkably resilient. If I’d learned what she just did, I'd need at least twenty years to get used to the idea. Then again, humans didn't live long enough to have the luxury of that much time to acclimatise to sudden upheaval. They had to deal with it and move on.
Zared didn't look happy about it, but he clearly knew when he had no choice. If he wanted to be in her life, he had to deal with what and who she was. And who, I strongly suspected, he wasn't.
He looked up at me. "What happens to me? Am I supposed to sit around here for the rest of my life? Watching you make cubes out of ice?"
"You don't have to watch," I said dryly. "If you wish, you can train with the guard, or the army. I can tell them to go easy on you."
"Don't bother," he snapped. "I can hold my own against any Fae."
"Suit yourself." I swallowed down the last of my whiskey. "You can train with Tavian and Vayne. They'll figure out where you need to be."
I didn't expect a thank you, and I didn't get one. He simply inclined his head and looked away. I made a note to suggest my captains train some respect into my men and women. That was sorely lacking from my court. I supposed it was my fault for not insisting on it from the beginning. Vayne and Tavian had been with me since my father died and I inherited his role. Since before that even. One hundred and fifty years might be too long to break the habit.
"You can come with me now," Vayne said to Zared as he pressed his hands to the arms of his chair and pushed himself to his feet. "I have a few new recruits to assess anyway."
Zared glanced at Khala, but she nodded. "I'll be fine." She offered him a smile, but looked relieved. If he wasn't hovering around, ready with a snide remark or a dark look, it might be easier on her. The gods knew it would be easier on me.
Zared looked reluctant, but followed Vayne from the room.
"I also have things to do," I said with at least as much reluctance as the human had displayed. "I have yet to discern a way to have the court run itself."
"He's tried," Tavian said. "He really has. But then someone has a problem with someone else and he has to interject. And then the cycle starts all over again."
"Precisely." I put my empty glass on the table beside my cold tea and stood. "Perhaps you two could spend some time comparing notes about life as an omega? I'm sure Khala has questions."
