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Raven let out a soft sigh of delight as she pulled the pants on as they fitted like a glove. She crouched, feeling them give and move with her motions, and decided that they were the smart choice. Tulle skirts were great for performing, but likely not the best for battle. A dark purple tunic was next, which actually made her lavender hair look extra purple, and Raven almost whimpered at the soft wool against her skin. She honestly felt like a new woman, which didn’t entirely sit well with her. Grabbing her jacket, she went into the main room and spied her boots. At least those could work well with her outfit.
“You look much better,” Bianca said from the sideboard where she picked at a pile of grapes. “That’s a good color on you. You’ve kind of got this Lara Croft vibe going on now with the lavender hair and the leather pants.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about…” Raven said, dropping into a chair and lacing up her boots. She was glad that she had tucked the contents of her pockets into the guitar case, for the Fae would have likely found her coins if they had cleaned her clothes without asking. A reminder that she had no real privacy here, Raven told herself, and was instantly brought back to her foster home days.
“Tomb Raider?” Bianca looked at her in question.
“Is that a show?” Raven raised an eyebrow at her. “I don’t have a television. I never had one growing up either. I rarely watched television, have seen very few movies, and reading and music is my only form of entertainment.”
“No television, huh? Why’s that?” Bianca asked, a curious look on her face. Her energy wasn’t judgmental, which Raven appreciated, so she gave the condensed version of her life.
“No parents. Raised in foster homes and then on the streets. Didn’t have the budget for a place to lay my head. Let alone a luxury like a television.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Bianca said, her face serious. “When things die down, I’m going to introduce you to Tomb Raider. It’s based on a video game, and there’s this badass female lead called Lara Croft. She kicks serious ass. Tough as nails. You reminded me of her. Maybe it’s the way you carry yourself.”
The breath left Raven’s body for a moment as she struggled with the unfamiliar emotion of wanting another woman to like her. As in, really like and admire her. What a friend would be like. She wasn’t sure how to proceed, not with compliments like this, and she looked helplessly at Bianca.
Bianca, seeming to sense her awkwardness, prattled on.
“Anyhoo, there’s loads of badass female characters. Well, actually, not as many as there should be. Sarah Connor in the Terminator series is another one. We’ll have a movie day one day and go through some of the good ones. I bet you’re probably wondering what’s all going on here, huh? It’s wild, isn’t it? This Fae world?” Bianca grabbed the plate of food that Kellen had left on the bed and offered it to Raven, who sighed before taking it. It seemed that everyone here was hell-bent on making her eat, so it would be rude of her not to. She’d long ago gotten over any awkwardness about accepting free food.
“I don’t even know where to begin. I’m still tripping over the fact that we’re floating on a castle in the middle of the air. If I think about it too long, I’ll panic. I’m guessing it’s what people feel like when they fly on a plane.” Another luxury that Raven had never been afforded.
“Yeah, that’s a riot, isn’t it?” Bianca grinned and tossed her head, standing up to pace the room. “I used to give tours in Dublin when I was in university, all about the historical myths of Ireland. Little did I know that one day I’d find out that so much of the myths were based on reality. What do you know about the Fae?”
“Um, basically what I could get my hands on in the library.” One of the few buildings that Raven could enter without being expected to spend money. The library, a bastion of knowledge and inclusiveness, and one of the only places she’d ever felt welcomed. It was where she’d learned about everything from songwriting to basic arithmetic. The librarians had always been kind to her and had looked the other way when she’d spent extra time in the bathroom freshening up. Raven liked to think they respected the fact that she actually read the books she asked for, plopping down at a table and devouring the pages from cover to cover. The fact that she’d been given enough basic schooling to learn how to read was the single greatest gift Raven had ever received in her life.
“Hmm, so brooding heroes and murderous rampages?” Bianca grinned when Raven looked askance at her.
“More like tricksters and you don’t want to be upsetting them.”
“Gotcha. You must not have gotten into the Fairy smut then.” Bianca chuckled at Raven’s expression. “Hey, don’t knock it until you read it. I, for one, can attest to the magickal powers of having a Fae lover.”
“Is this some sort of weird sex den that I’ve been kidnapped for?” Raven narrowed her eyes at Bianca, and the woman laughed, clearly delighted with Raven’s humor. Though Raven hadn’t been kidding. Why were they talking about sex when there could be an imminent war?
“Not in the slightest. Though the Fae are quite…free…with their love. Either way. Since you don’t seem all that shocked about Fae actually existing, it seems I can skip forward to give you a quick overview of what we’re dealing with?”
“Please.” Raven fervently hoped there wouldn’t be any more sex talk. Though she wasn’t a prude, by any means, if there was danger coming her way she’d like to be as prepared for it as she possibly could.
“Right, so, let’s see…” Bianca tapped a finger against her mouth as she thought about how to summarize decades worth of Fae history. “There are two sisters. Goddesses. Danu is the goddess of all that is light and good, and Domnu is the goddess of all that is dark and evil. Centuries ago they had a terrible falling out and Domnu put a curse out, hoping to one day gain the greatest of powerful items—the Four Treasures. If Domnu could acquire those, she’d be all powerful and rule the world. Not just the Fae world. All of the world. We, and I mean myself, my honey, and those destined to seek and protect said treasures, defeated Domnu in her task about twenty years ago. She’s a touch angry about that, if I must admit.”
“She waited centuries to win, and you guys beat her? Yeah, okay, I’m guessing she’s worked up a head of mad over it,” Raven agreed. She ate a piece of fruit that was delectably sweet, and she glanced down to see what it was. It didn’t resemble anything she knew about, and she wondered if it was a type of magickal fruit. The thought made her nervous and though she wanted another piece, she left the rest untouched on her plate.
“That she has. Now, she’s trying a different tactic. See, Domnu has her own dark army—the Domnua. Those are the silver guys that keep trying to kill you. Danu rules the Danula Fae, which is what King Callum is. Between the two Fae lie the four elemental Fae factions. Each has their own ruling house, world, and they all work together to keep, well, everything in nature in balance. Domnu has taken it upon herself to disrupt the Elementals, seeking to gain allegiances, infiltrate, and upset each faction. Her goal is to sow distrust, get them fighting with each other, and to eventually rise up and take down the Danula Fae. It’s another step toward getting what she wants, which is total domination.”
“And we’re meant to stop her?” Raven paused, a piece of cheese in her hand.
“That’s the short of it, yes.”
“Gotta find her weak spot,” Raven muttered, chewing thoughtfully on the cheese, enjoying the way the taste mingled with the flavor of the fruit she’d just eaten. She didn’t much know about fancy palates, but they paired really well together.
“Why do you say that?” Bianca asked, coming over with the water pitcher to refill Raven’s glass.
“Um.” Raven shrugged. “If you watch people carefully, you can figure out what they’re playing at. Everybody, you know, they put on an act. They’re posturing, I guess. Everyone has a weakness. It’s an ego thing. The loudest guys are usually the most insecure, that kind of thing. Just gotta find her weak spot.”
“You’re not wrong,” Bianca agreed. “But there’s that whole immortality thing that makes it a bit trickier.”
“Oh, right. What do you plan to do about that?” Raven looked up when Bianca laughed again. She liked this woman, Raven realized, and it made her feel just a touch uncomfortable. Bianca’s easygoing nature seemed to suggest that Raven could trust her, but it wasn’t in Raven’s nature to take people at face value. For now, she’d sit back, observe, and ask questions. She also needed a moment alone so she could get her weapons tucked away in her pants.
