The Autumn Prince

46. Illusions

The girls welcomed Amy into Meridian with a great deal of enthusiasm and their impromptu party lasted until well after midnight. The hob's transformation was nothing short of miraculous, and she seemed to effortlessly shed the weight of her experiences. It was good for me too. If we had lived in a house instead of an indoor fairy village, and if Amy hadn't been a foot and a half tall, it might have seemed as thought life were returning to normal.

The following day fell back into routine, and I picked up groceries with Becca, spent four hours on class work, and ended with another lab session under the supervision of Miss Barnes. She kept me in conversation for thirty minutes afterward, and I enjoyed the opportunity to talk with her about something other than school, but it was also the first time I'd seen her without a lab coat, and that subtle difference marked a shift in my perception of her. She carried herself with a casual elegance I hadn't noticed before, confident but restrained, as if her body contained something that reached beyond the space it occupied—like Penny's overt sexuality but more refined, more nuanced and sensual. I never would have picked up on those details in Professor Barnes, but they would have been impossible to miss in the woman, especially once she let go of her professional veneer.

Though I enjoyed her company, I kept a close watch on her anima, with its reds and golds and a hint of spiced apples, and when the lights began to brighten I made an excuse and left.

Late the following morning we received a surprise visit from Finn, encumbered by two over-sized binders. She quickly thrust them into my arms.

"What's this?" I asked cautiously.

"Legal documents"

"For..."

"Amy told me you agreed to foster her."

"Well sure, she's welcome to stay with us, but why—"

"In case you haven't noticed, Fae culture is a little chaotic. If you take Amy under your wing, you need a certain standing or another brunaidh clan will step in and challenge you for custody."

"But why?" I asked, looking for help from the girls who were gathering around me. "Isn't it her decision?"

Finn shrugged complacently, "Sure, but she'll have to deal with the fallout. Fae don't have rights the way you think of them, and out of necessity we've always been a little feudal. By striking out on her own she'd be risking harassment at best, and at worst, attempts on her life."

"Her life?" I was stunned by her reply.

"What did you think would happen?" Finn said, her tone still casual. "Clan strength depends on numbers, and lone hobs are wasted resources. It's worse in her case because she has unique gifts and there are plenty of groups, not just the brunaidh, who would want to claim her. That doesn't even include those who consider her people a delicacy."

"I had no idea..." Becca whispered behind me, her eyes wide with shock.

"It shouldn't be that surprising," Finn said. "Tom's in danger because he had the audacity to be born, and the rest of you are along for the ride. Get the idea of fairness out of your head. You do what keeps you alive."

"What about you?" Rachel asked her. "You have a whole staff, couldn't you take her in?"

Finn chuckled. "They're my employees, not my subjects. Especially the brunaidh. They're a little like gypsies, but those that haven't sworn themselves to the courts belong to... call it a co-op. Their leaders sit on a council, and they work together to benefit all clans."

"What about the others?" Katherine asked.

"Many of them are members of underground groups, like the elves, who have their own governments that are strong enough or clever enough to exist in spite of the Courts. Some have powerful patrons. Others, like Gold and Julius, are tough enough to make it on their own."