A/N: So this story is going to have a lot of storyline and description. It should be updated at least once a week, hopefully more. I used to write under a different pen name, but I decided to switch it. I may pick up some of my older stories that are unfinished on here. I know that introducing a new character is a risk, but I'm going to give it a try anyway. I'm going to try and make an honest attempt at connecting everything the LG writers set up in season 4. Hope you enjoy.
I have been on the road driving for a day and a half. The amount of money I've pumped into the Jeep Wrangler is absolutely ridiculous, but it was either the jeep or the bike and I wasn't sure if I would be able to find a place once I arrived in Toronto, so sleeping in the jeep seems like a valid option. Plus the bike didn't have enough space for my equipment. I was born and raised in Vancouver, although I have recently spent a lot of time in Dublin, Ireland as well. My clan originates from Ireland, but my mother had to take me into hiding as an infant because I was being hunted by the elders. I suppose being the devil's spawn kind of forces people to jump to conclusions about you, but I do have one or two redeeming qualities. I need answers. Mom always said that often new beginnings are disguised as painful endings, so here I am, trying to find what's next.
The city is in the distance and I can see the exit that I am supposed to take that will lead me to what could be my new home. Trying to merge into traffic is a total bitch, and my road rage quickly takes over.
"Fuck…" I sighed as I rolled my eyes. "The douche behind me could at least have enough courtesy to pull my hair if he's going to ride my ass that hard…"
I slowed down just to piss him off and smirked as I glanced up in my rearview mirror to see his hands flailing from behind the steering wheel, clearly enraged. I finally made it into the lane I needed to be in and cranked my music to let Sara Bareilles accompany me for the remainder of the trip.
I pulled up to the Dál Riata next to a black motorbike. This side of town seemed a bit less hectic where it wasn't right in the middle of the city. I pushed open the doors to the pub and immediately felt like I was back in Dublin. The Dál was an Irish themed pub, and a waypoint for the light and dark fae. There were only a few patrons spread out across the bar, drinking and chatting amongst themselves. As I scanned my surroundings one lone wolf caught my eye. A tall man, sitting at the bar alone drinking his beer in solitude. He had short blonde locks of hair, neatly groomed scruff on his face, and was wearing a white dress shirt with his first two buttons undone. His deep brown eyes while gorgeous were also sad as he starred off in a daze while slowly turning his mug of beer between his hands. Desperately wishing that I didn't look like a girl who had just finished driving for nearly two days, I approached him anyway.
"I'm sorry, but I had to come over here and save you," I said in a concerned tone, sitting at the bar leaving one stool between he and myself.
He seemed caught off guard. He cocked his brow and turned his head in my direction, "I'm sorry, do I appear to be in danger?" His voice was deep and smooth as silk, and fortunately for me appeared to be amused.
I looked around as if I was making sure no one was listening before leaning towards him and whispered, "Mortal danger…"
He leaned closer to me, playing along, "And how exactly did I end up in such a precarious situation?"
I looked down at his beer and then back up at him, "It's noon and you're sitting at the bar alone. No one wants to be that guy."
He smirked and nodded realizing what I was referring to, "Ahhhh, so you're saving me from myself?"
"Exactly," I said with a slight cheeky grin.
He took a sip from his drink and set the mug away from him indicating he was done with it. "Is that better?" he asked.
I shook my head and gave him a confused look, "No, you clearly need the beer," I quipped before reaching over the bar, grabbing a mug and pouring myself a glass as well. "Now see, doesn't this feel less doom and gloomy?"
"Much," he smirked, reaching back over and grabbing his mug again.
"Always willing to help a damsel in distress," I joked in a sly tone before taking a drink.
He laughed and moved over to the seat directly beside me and reached out to shake my hand, "Dyson Thornwood."
"Taylin O'Leary," I responded giving him an alias name, not knowing who he served.
"That's a strong Irish name," Dyson responded, "Where are you from Ms. O'Leary?" he asked in a charming tone.
"Originally, Dublin. But I grew up in East Vancouver. I actually just arrived from a two day road trip from there," I responded, surprised that I actually answered honestly.
"Dublin? I spent a few months there myself," he smiled, "I thought I could hear a bit of an accent."
"Impressive," I credited him. "My mother had a thick accent, I suppose I picked some of it up. Were you in Dublin for business or pleasure?"
"It would have been about 24 years ago now," he responded. "I was doing some inquiring on behalf of a king I was serving at the time."
My heart sunk for a moment. "You serve a king here in Canada?" I tried to mask the fear in my voice.
"Well you are curious aren't you?" Dyson replied, seemingly catching on to the fact that I had an agenda aside from innocent bar banter with a hot stranger.
"Hey, I'm just a girl in a bar," I said in a cool tone, smiling as sweetly as I could manage.
"You're much more than that," a voice suddenly chimed from behind the bar. I watched as an older gentleman walked up behind the bar and approached us. I could feel him studying me. "You're also new here. Have you signed in?" The man asked.
"At least let the poor girl finish her drink Trick. She's had a long trip." Dyson said with a chuckle.
Trick paused for a moment and looked at Dyson, "She seems to have made you smile for the first time that I've seen in weeks." He smiled and looked back at me, "It's on the house dear. Just come in back when you're finished." He said before walking away.
I took another drink from my beer and looked back at the charming man sitting beside me, "I knew those were sad eyes."
He pointed up to his eyes jokingly, "What? These old things?" he said, trying to mask whatever emotions he had been feeling earlier.
I nodded and took another drink, finishing off the last of the beer before I stood up to go sign in. I could feel Dyson's eyes on me as I walked away and was quite content with myself. "I didn't even have to use my charm," I thought. My hunger was beginning to perk up again. I hadn't fed since yesterday and could use a top up. Usually my appetite wasn't this fierce, but staying satisfied had become much more of a challenge since the strange turn of events that led me here in the first place.
I walked into the back room where the small man was waiting for me with a pen and ancient looking book.
"Do you plan on staying long?" he asked in a kind tone.
"I haven't decided quite yet," I replied with a smile as I signed the book with the same alias I had given Dyson earlier. "I still need to get settled in. I don't have a job or place to live yet, so I'm going to start there. If things work out I might stick around for a while."
"I may be able to help," Trick responded, clearly mulling some idea over. "Do you have any skills?"
"I tended bar for a few weeks while I was staying in Dublin, but my main job at the bar was performing," I replied.
Trick's face lit up, "I could actually use a good performer. What do you play?"
I chuckled, "Guitar, tin whistle, ukulele, harmonica, piano, harp, and I do my own percussion as well. I'm a bit of a one woman band. I use a looping station so I can play more than one instrument at once. I use my own equipment so you wouldn't have to pay for any kind of equipment rentals. I play everything from traditional celtic music, to classical, and I do covers of more modern stuff too." I paused for a moment trying to get a read on Trick's face, "Sorry, I am really trying to make the sale here," I laughed nervously.
Trick smiled, "Come by the Dal tomorrow afternoon and play a bit for me, if it goes well I would be more than happy to have you work here," he paused and looked down at the book to figure out my name, "Taylin O'Leary… I used to know a Taylin O'Leary. She was Fae-Irish royalty."
My heart skipped a beat and a sense of panic began to take over. Clearly this bartender had quite a few lifetimes on me. "Oh really?" I asked, trying to sound as naïve as possible. "That's very strange? I'm afraid I don't know a lot about the history of the fae in Ireland. I actually grew up here in Canada and was brought up with stories of the great Blood King."
"If there is anything I have learnt over the years it is that you should always know where you came from," Trick replied.
"We will have to sit down over a few drinks sometime. I would love to hear about it," I said quickly, instantly wanting to smack myself over the head for making the suggestion.
"Absolutely," the man responded. "Thank you for stopping by to sign in."
"It was my pleasure," I said respectfully, getting up to leave.
"Oh and Taylin," I heard Trick say from behind me. I turned to face him. "My granddaughter recently acquired an available room if you need a place to stay. I would be more than happy to ask if you could stay with her for a few days while you get on your feet here."
I smiled, "Thank you so much Trick, but I couldn't impose on you anymore than I already have. I don't think I will have a problem finding a place to stay." I said, walking out.
I headed back over to the bar where Dyson was still sitting so I could grab my black leather jacket. I leaned against the bar next to him and allowed my eyes to study his chiseled features.
"Are you heading out?" he asked, giving me a flirtatious smile.
I bit my lower lip like I do whenever I'm thinking, "Fuck it," I thought to myself. "Yeah, I was just about to head back to your place," I said in a confident tone. I paused and smiled, reaching out to slightly adjust the collar of his shirt, "You coming?" I asked, the corner of my lip perking up into a half smile.
Dyson looked stunned, but only for a moment before quickly gathering himself and putting on a cool façade. He handed me my jacket and stood up from his stool, finishing off the last of his beer before throwing some money down on the bar to cover the drinks. "You can follow my bike," he said in a playful tone.
"Yesss, I was hoping the bike was his," I thought to myself, stepping out the door of the Dal as Dyson opened it for me. "Lead the way," I smirked, climbing up into my jeep.
We burst through the door to his apartment, kissing hard, taking out whatever pent up frustrations we were having on the other's body. I ripped my hands down the buttons on his shirt and backed him into a wall letting my hands run over his toned body. I moved my lips down to his neck and felt a great deal of satisfaction feeling his breath quicken.
"You really don't waste anytime do you?" he asked in a rough voice, as though an animal was taking over.
I chuckled and moved back up to his lips, letting my mouth linger over his as my bright green eyes turned a glowing blue.
Dyson's whole body froze for a moment, while he put two-and-two together. "You're a succubus?" he asked, still breathing heavily.
"I probably should have mentioned that, huh?" I said slowly, practically a whisper, gently running my lips over his. He closed his eyes and I could tell that a fog was setting in and he was losing himself. "Do you want me to stop?" I asked against his mouth, grinding my hips slowly into his, letting my fingertips glide down his sides.
"No," he said, putting his head back against the wall clearly enjoying himself.
"Have you ever been with a succubus before?" I asked, pulling away for a moment wanting to make sure he wasn't going to be taken by surprise.
He smirked as though he had just remembered some inside joke, "Once or twice," he replied before suddenly grabbing me by my waste and throwing me up onto the counter.
Generally when I was with someone they would let me take control, not that they had much choice when I started feeding, but it was obvious that Dyson was a strong fae which was a pleasant surprise. I was able to feed from him and not have to worry about killing him, at least not as much as usual. He only had to stop me once which for me was pretty good control.
After we had finished we laid in his bed and continued talking.
"You're a younger succubus aren't you?" Dyson asked, catching his breath as he stared up at the ceiling.
I laughed, "What is that supposed to mean?" I asked in an offended tone. "Was my performance not experienced enough for you? I haven't had any complaints before." I said elbowing him in the ribs.
"I didn't mean it like that!" he laughed playfully, grabbing my arms and pinning them above my head so I would stop poking at him. "I've just been with younger and older succubuses before and the younger one's tend to have a harder time maintaining control." He grinned down at me seeing that I was still slightly offended.
"You want to talk about control?" I asked, trying to escape his firm grip. "You should have told me we were running a sprint and not a marathon."
He paused for a moment trying to figure out what I meant, when suddenly he glared down at me once he realized what I was saying. It was obvious that I was joking, but no less funny. "Oh I was just getting started," Dyson said in a cocky voice, leaning down and kissing me again.
I showered and snuck out early that morning so I would be presentable for my audition with Trick later in the day. I picked up some breakfast and left Dyson's on the counter in his kitchen. He seemed like a nice guy and I didn't want to just bail without a trace.
Knowing I needed somewhere quiet to tune my instruments and practice I drove until I found a secluded field outside the city. I had to drive on a rough back road, deep into the woods, but it was worth the trip. I was surrounded by nothing by trees and it was completely serene. It was a beautiful day. There was a warm breeze, and the grass and flowers in the field blew ever so slightly in the wind as I played my guitar, while sitting on the front of the jeep. This was the most at peace I had felt since my mother died a few weeks ago. It was so sudden and I didn't understand how it happened. All I knew was that it had something to do with my biological father.
I am young for a fae, only 24 years old. I came here in search of someone with knowledge and experience that I can trust. My mother, Taylin O'Leary, always used to talk about my half-brother. She had him when she was married to the Sight King in Ireland. The king was extremely powerful, but also corrupt. He loved his son with all his heart and had him lead his armies into battle against the Blood King. He treated my mother terribly though. Monogamy is rarely possible for a succubus. Not unless they are wed to a powerful fae that is able to handle providing her with all she needs for feeding. My mother only ever had half her strength because the king could not achieve this. As time passed, he became resentful towards my mother creating a terrible environment for her, but she knew she needed to stay to care for her son so he would not end up like his father.
The king was known as the Sight King because he had the power of foresight. He could see different possible outcomes giving him a significant advantage when planning a battle. His son however could not see as far into the future, but he could see moments before his enemies attacked, leaving little room for error when battling, making him a deadly warrior.
The king died at the end of the great fae war against the Blood King. The Blood King also cursed my older brother, and because of that I have never had the chance to meet him. I was always taught that you can only trust family, but now that my family is gone, I have to come here in search of a new beginning.
I rhythmically plucked the strings of my guitar, letting the sound soothe me. I sat there on the hood of my jeep for hours reminiscing over the old stories my mother taught me, but eventually I had to pack everything up to go see Trick.
Standing up on the stage at the Dal, I performed in front of Trick showing off the variety of music I could play. I had never been nervous during a performance before, but this was a very different environment. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't read the expression on the man's face. After about 4 different pieces he stopped me and asked me to step off the stage.
He looked down at the ground for a moment before looking up at me with a serious face, "That was wonderful," Trick said in an excited tone, "You've got the job. You start tonight. I trust you to play whatever type of music you feel suits the tone of the room. Generally on Friday's there is a large crowd and as the night goes on the environment becomes more upbeat."
I stared at him for a moment trying to grasp what he was saying, "So I'm hired? Just like that?" I said in disbelief.
"Well yes of course! We are lucky to have you here." He said practically beaming, "You can take breaks whenever you feel like you need to. There is a sound system that you can play music on when you aren't playing. Drinks are free where you're an employee here now. I'll see you tonight at eight. When you get a chance come and find me. I want to introduce you to Ysabeau and the rest of the gang." He said walking toward the back room.
"Thank you," I shouted after him.
He waved his hand without turning his head and then stopped just before leaving the bar. "Oh and Taylin," he paused, "when you're ready to tell me your real name just let me know."
I dropped the tin whistle I had in my hand and watched in disbelief as Trick walked into the back without saying another word.
I set up the stage for the gig and quietly left, hoping that I wouldn't have another run-in with Trick when it was just the two of us. I had obviously underestimated him, and suspect there is more to him than a mere bartender. "Suppose I'm in as good a position as any to learn more about him," I thought to myself. "Maybe he has information about my brother. After all he did know my mother..."