Born Of Nothing

8

I shifted myself to put more space between us. “There’s a difference between protecting someone and indulging in irrational fears.” “What’s more irrational—guarding against a magical race of beings who feed off humans, or pretending those beings are harmless?” he asked with a lifted brow. “You know our history with the Fae; you know how important it is to keep our people safe, and yet you continue to make poor decisions. If you insist on associating with the wrong individuals, it may be necessary to re-educate you on the fundamental principles of our society.” “Are you saying the council would make me repeat my lessons?” I asked with astonishment. When druid children were old enough to be told about the Fae, they attended two years of lessons on our history and rune training. “I’m an adult, they can’t send me back to training.” “The council can do whatever they wish. For the moment, we are somewhat crippled while Paedar still presides as chief, but his days are numbered. Change is upon us, and in the months ahead, I see a new council with a clear understanding of the importance of a united druid people. Your continued actions will not go unnoticed. The decision is yours.” I didn’t know what Daeglan was hinting at, but it wasn’t good. Paedar O’Shea was known by all druids because of his role as leader of our people. He was a level-headed man, good at keeping the peace and diplomatic when spats arose. I couldn’t imagine him punishing me for having Fae friends, but Daeglan’s warning had been ominous. His eyes slid to the side, bringing my attention to where my boss, Fergus, stood at the museum’s front entrance. Fergus was a fellow druid and one of the only reasons my mother had allowed me to keep working at the museum. “Good day, Daeglan. Cat, I’m in need of your assistance, if you’re ready to clock in.” Fergus addressed us in an abnormally chilly tone, his eyes set harshly on Daeglan. Daeglan gave a cagey smile. “No problem at all, Cat and I were done talking. You two enjoy your day.” He gave us each a nod and strolled casually away from the building. I hurried up the steps to where Fergus held the door open for me, already returning to his jovial self. The tough-guy persona Fergus had just displayed in sending Daeglan away had been a far cry from his normal warm personality. One of the few druids born outside of Ireland, Fergus was originally from Scotland and had moved to Belfast later in life. He had red hair like me, but where I tended to be more reserved, he was outgoing and vivacious in a way that captivated everyone’s attention. He wore colorful suits with outlandish bowties and was perfectly suited for his position as museum curator. “Ach, that man. I hope he wasn’t bothering you, lass,” grumbled Fergus in his heavy Scottish brogue as he closed the door behind me. “Not exactly. I got into an argument with my mom, and Daeglan took it upon himself to smooth things over,” I explained as we walked toward my work station at the visitor’s desk. “That sounds about right—he’s always thinking he knows best.” I gave him a tight smile and set down my bag, unable to shake the sense of unease that had settled over me from Daeglan’s words. “Fergus? Could the council force me to retake my lessons if they thought I was behaving out of line?” He c****d his head to the side and looked at me as if I had told him it was perfectly acceptable to wear white shoes all winter. “Don’t be daft! If the likes of you is problem for the council, then we’re all in trouble. Besides, now that the Fae know about us, what is there to enforce? Our secrecy? It would be a little late for that. You just ignore whatever it was Daeglan said, you understand?” I grinned at the amazing man I was lucky enough to call my boss. “Thank you, Fergus. You’re pretty awesome, you know that?” “It’s all a part of being fabulous—a burden I proudly bear.” He flourished his point with an exaggerated bow before scurrying off toward his office. “It’s quitting time, let’s get out of here!” Becca called out as she skipped over to me from the museum elevator. I reached under the visitor’s desk and extracted the overnight bag I’d packed. “I’ve been counting down the minutes.” She gave a laugh as I eagerly jumped to my feet. “You think I’m joking? Some days aren’t bad down here, but today dragged from start to finish. We only had a handful of people come through the museum, and there’s only so often I can look through my social media feeds. At one point, I debated using my bag as a pillow and curling up for a nap under the desk.” Becca threw her head back on another laugh and waved for me to follow her. “My car’s out front. Fergus is still in his office, so he can lock up. Sorry about the long day—we’re working on setting up a new exhibit swap for next fall and have been swamped. You really ought to go to night school, get a degree in something you enjoy. You’re capable of a lot more than working a visitor’s desk.” I wrapped my arms around myself as we stepped out into the cool evening air. “You know I love making jewelry, but that’s not really something I would need to go to school to learn. Plus, school’s expensive. I’ll figure out something eventually. I’m in no rush.” “Totally understandable—you have plenty of time. Okay, no more heavy topics. Tonight is about fun and relaxation!” We settled into her car, and she zipped away from the curb. Rebecca and Ashley were amazing girls, and I couldn’t care less if they were human or Fae. I had hoped that as time went on, my mother would realize that they didn’t pose a threat and she’d learn to see them for the kind, generous people they were. After our fight a few nights prior, I was starting to accept that my mom would likely never change. We made the short drive to the Huntsman building where Ashley and Rebecca shared an apartment. The entire four-story building was owned by the Wild Hunt. The brotherhood of Fae warriors had split off from the Seelie Court centuries ago and were their own autonomous group. About a dozen or so lived in Belfast where they operated a nightclub out of the top floor of their building and were the self-proclaimed Fae police. They handled any escapees from Feary; a sort of vigilante group who got their kicks from hunting down bad guys.