"Val!!" her mother called up the stairs, "Your boyfriend sent you another pidgeon!"

Upon hearing her mother's calls from her room, Val rushed down the staircase, loud, wild stomps resounding as her feet made contact with the stairs. The bird was perched outside the windowsill, pecking at the glass as if to break it. Val laughed, "It's not a pidgeon, Mom, it's a raven."

She opened the window and allowed the bird to hop onto her forearm. It's talons dug into her flesh like razors, piercing her pale skin. In her excitement to recieve Ravus's letter, Val had completely forgotten to put on something that would better protect her arm. "Well, well," Her mother began, "When am I going to meet this boyfriend of yours?"

"Never." Vall snapped.

After what her mother had done with her last boyfriend she never wanted her to meet Ravus. Of course, Val had to put some faith in the troll... she didn't believe that he would ever sink that low for any reason.

"Valerie, it is my responsibility as your mother to make sure that he isn't ever going to hurt my baby girl!" She paused slightly, "You write that boy back this instant and tell him I want to meet him before your relationship goes any further!"

The girl sighed, she hadn't been completely listening to her mother, but it was kind of hard not to hear her. "Look... I'll... try to convince him to come out here... but he lives all the way in New York... Mom, I just don't know if he would-"

"Well, if he doesn't come here, then we'll just have to go there, now won't we?" She strode away in triumph.

"Damn it... there's just no winning, is there?" Val asked the raven, who cocked his head in response.

xXx

"So... who's your friend, Kaye?" Heath asked her.

"Hm? Oh! This is Roi-uhm Robin!"

Heath extended an arm to the man with white hair. "Nice to meet you, Robin. My name is Heath. Any friend of Kaye's is a friend of mine."

"I did not realize that Kaye was familiar with you. All the same it is a pleasure." Roiben announced, clasping hands with the human.

Heath sighed, "Well, since you are here now, Kaye, I think I'm going to head home. Your grandma only needed me to watch Kate for a bit, but she should be coming back any time now."

Kate wrapped her little body around Heath's leg, still munching on the glamoured apple, "NO! Heath!! You can't leave!"

Roiben took notice of Kate's apple... it displeased him to find that it was glamoured to resemble fey food. Kaye removed Kate from Heath's leg, only to recieve a thorough beating from the girl, which included a punch to the mouth. Blood dripped from the right side of Kaye's mouth as she handed Kate over to Roiben, he always seemed able to calm her down... probably with a light enchantment of somekind. "Thank you so much, Heath."

He could only stare at the blood, "Huh? Sure... no problem. Are you going to be okay, though? Your mouth is... bleeding..."

"Hm?" Kaye wiped the blood onto her fingers, "Oh, yeah... I'll be okay... Kate just really enjoys your company."

"Well... okay then... if you need anything you know where to find me." she watched as he walked across the street and continued to follow the sidewalk on the other side.

Kaye and Roiben took Kate inside the house. The King's two guards were already inside waiting on them, Kaye often found herself annoyed by their presence. She flopped onto the couch and stretched. Roiben sent Kate upstairs to bed, telling her she could finish her apple when she woke. He exhaled a heavy breath, "It bothers me..."

Kaye sat upright. Nothing ever seemed to bother Roiben. The fact that he was even openly admitting his troubles worried her. "What?"

"Her eyes never change... soulless... emotionless... blank."

"Who?"

Roiben looked at her with a stern gaze, speaking the following name with visible displeasure, "Rune."

Kaye looked at him confused. She had no idea who he was talking about. She allowed him to continue, thinking perhaps he would explain, "The woman with Heath and Kate... her name is Rune... not human nor faerie, Rune is a witch... she is one of the most powerful beings to walk these lands... but she is so tricksey. Seeing her here is what bothers me..."

"Why? Have you two met before?"

"Once. It was during the time I was serving under Lady Nicnevin. She had summoned her to the court for reasons unknown. Rune made one comment out of place, and was severely punished... I was her punisher... much of her blood was shed on that night... it is not one I wish to remember... had anyone else gone through the same pain they would have been long dead."

Kaye placed a hand upon Roiben's shoulder, "I'm sorry... I didn't know..."

The doorbell rang. Kaye opened it, curious to see whose face would be on the opposite side. There stood Val, whom Kaye and Roiben had only met once before.

"Hey, Val... are you looking for Luis? He and Neil-"

Val shook her head from side to side. She was obviously upset about something. Val's gaze shifted upward from her shoes, "I... need a place to stay..."

Roiben, who was only listening to the conversation from the couch, wore a perplexed look upon his face. Why would Val ask to stay here? Why here when she has so many other places she could stay? Unless... she wasn't really Val. Seeing how he and Kaye didn't know much about the girl... she could very well be Rune in another powerful glamour. Though why? Roiben wondered. What purpose would either girl have for coming here?

"Well... sure... c'mon in, Val." Kaye ushered Valerie into the room.

Roiben saw the iron sword clinging to Val's back. Even the mighty Rune could never wield a sword made of iron. Though the prescence of the sword made him that much more curious as to her visit.

"My mom is unloading the car... I told her to travel light... but..."

"Valerie, when will you realize that traveling "light" is more than just a trinket and the clothes on your back?" Her mother dragged three suitcases in behind her.

Val was styling a tangerine boy cut now. She was wearing a pair of baggy camo-pants with black sneakers. Her black spaghetti-strap shirt revealed her belly button, complete with diamond stud. Val was also wearing black-and-white striped arm warmers.

Whereas her mother had shoulder-length tangerine hair and a face completely covered in make-up. She had jewelry all over her neck, up and down her arms, over her fingers, and an earring on either side of her head. Kaye couldn't even stare at what she was wearing because of its bright colors.

"Ravus told me I should go somewhere safe... I figured... this would be the place." Val explained with a shrug, hoping that Roiben especially wouldn't mind.

"Why? What's going on?" Kaye asked curiously.

"Talathain... Ravus says he's rallying some troops... the "true" members of the Seelie court. Many of them were loyal servants of Queen Silarial or something... apparently Talathain thinks he can either persuade or blackmail some of the exiles who haven't retreated from the city yet. Ravus says he refused Talathain's offer the first time, but he didn't want that guy using me to bargain with... I don't want them to be able to use my mom either... so I brought her with me too."

"What becomes of your friend?" Roiben inquirred.

Val smiled, "She's on vacation in Unseelie territory..."

Roiben nodded. He could always send someone to look after Ruth if need be. Val noticed a book on the coffeetable. She picked it up, surprised to find that it was backwards. Kaye saw her reading it and smiled, "It's called a manga book. Neil was loaning that one to me... I think it's the only one he owns that the pages aren't filled with shonen-ai."

The two girls exchanged smiles.

xXx

Rune's hands were deep in her pockets now. The rain pouring over her head. She heard someone calling behind her, though she dared not turn to see who it was. A motorcycle pulled up beside her. Whoever the idiot was on the bike was probably getting soaked from all this rain.

"You need a ride?" The rider asked her.

"No. Go away your assistance is unwanted."

The motorcyclist continued to follow her as she walked onward. "Looney, it's me!"

Rune looked at him out of the corner of her eye as he removed his helmet. Heath. "You idiot! I told you not to try and stop me! I'm leaving whether you like it or not!"

He smiled, "I know that... I'm not trying to stop you... I'm coming with you."

"It's impossible for you to accompany me where I'm going..."

"Even if you're gonna try and commit suicide... I'm still coming with you."

Suicide. Rune always felt that the word had a nice ring to it. But she didn't want to die like that... to waste the precious gift Minnow had given her in such a way. No... Rune would wait out this life. She would die by another's hand... not her own. Her only remaining question was why Heath would leave his happy life to follow her... to journey with her? It was obvious now that she couldn't continue hiding her secret from him.

Heath was holding a helmet out to her, "Here... hop on... I'll take you wherever... even off road."

She stared at the helm then at the bike. "I... can't..."

"Huh? Sure you can, c'mon."

"No... Heath... you don't... understand..." Rune began.

He looked at her for a moment... the way she was avoiding his gaze. Heath knew something was on her mind. "Tere's a coffee shop a few blocks from here... if you wanna walk there, that's fine with me. I'll meet you there so we can chat outta this storm, okay?"

Lightening flashed overhead and the loud booming of thunder followed as Heath sped off up the road. She could always just go somewhere else... leave him there at the coffee shop waiting on her, only to find out she never showed up. Yet, somehow Rune was unable to do that. She stared at the sign in the window. 'Moon in a Cup'.

"A pathetic attempt at cleverity..." Rune spat.

She saw Heath's motorcycle parked under the awning that shielded it from the rain. He opened the door for her when she arrived.

"There you are... for a moment I thought you stood me up."

She didn't lie to him. She probably could have... although, Rune found her lies were limited, but nonetheless it was possible for her to do so. "I thought about it."

Heath laughed, "I wouldn't put it past you. I can take your coat if you want me to."

Rune slid her jacket off and handed it to Heath. He hung it on an iron bar attached to one of the walls. "You want something to drink?"

"Hot chocolate is fine."

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Heath walked up to the counter. He figured that Rune wouldn't have come here if she didn't intend to stay for a bit. He trusted her judgement. Heath laughed when Corneilius Stone came to take his order. "Hey, Corndog... long time no see, huh?"

Corny sighed, "My name is not Corndog... don't you ever read name tags?"

Heath looked at the name tag on the left of Corny's chest. "Neil... Since when do you go by Neil? Everyone 'round here still calls you Corny... well... save for myself, heh."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, Candybar. I remember the football team calling me that the whole freshman year after you sent me that dumb note in Spanish class."

"Oh yeah... the one that said 'Corndog, Don't piss off Pip. -Signed, Candybar', right? Didn't Tim Fletcher intercept my pass?"

"The same Tim Fletcher who was Captain of the Football team? Yeah, that's the one. Teacher took it from him and read it out loud but she had no idea what it meant."

Heath laughed again, "Whew... yeah, good times, good times..."

"So... can I get you anything, Mr. Candyman?"

Heath chuckled, "Hm... I'll take a Moon in a Cup, and a hot chocolate for the lady."

"'Kay, you got it..." Corny stepped away for a moment talking with another guy behind the counter.

Heath sighed and turned to look at Rune. She was staring out the window at the bleak nothingness, watching the cars pass by. She almost looked like she was counting how many drops of rain were hitting the ground, or how many puddles were outside, or something. She just seemed really focused... or perhaps she was just really lost in thought. Heath sighed again, losing himself in her lovliness. He'd always had feelings for her, but Heath sort of felt them to be one-sided. He didn't mind though... as long as he could make her happy... that was all that mattered.

He turned around, not wanting to be seen staring at her. He watched Corny swipe a kiss from the dark-toned man. As Corny brought the two drinks over, the other man went into the 'Employees Only' area. "Okay, your total is 6.89."

"Man, you guys don't run cheap... so uh... you and that other guy an item or somethin'?"

Tints of pink sprouted across Corny's face, "Well... yeah... his name's Luis..."

Heath smiled, still rummaging for some spare change in his wallet, "Good for you, Man, I'm happy for ya!"

"Thanks. What about you though? Who's the chick in the corner booth? You're girlfriend? Or is this like a first-date kind of deal?"

"Naw, naw... Dude... that's Pip! There' no way in hell she and I would ever be an item! We're just dropping by to get outta the rain's all." Heath placed the rest of the due amount on the counter for Corny.

"Are you serious? Good Ol' Looney Runey? I haven't seen her since Freshman year!"

"Yeah... we didn't know you worked here..." Heath grabbed the two drinks, "Don't let Rune's nickname get around... she might beat your ass to a bloody pulp."

"Luis would save me."

Heath laughed heartily, "Not from Rune he wouldn't... she'd beat his ass too! Hahaha!"

"Tch whatever... nice talking with ya."

"Yeah, same to you, Man."

Heath took the drinks back to the table. "Here ya go, one hot chocolate."

"Thanks." She said bluntly, still gazing out the window.

He took a sip of his drink before talking again, "Hey, don't get too lost in thought there, or I might have to send a search party."

She looked over at him and sighed. "Heath... I'm not what you think I am..."

"It doesn't matter... I know who you are... so what you are is irrelevant."

She removed her glamour. Heath blinked several times before realizing he was still looking at the same Rune. She had beautiful wavey blonde hair, her blue streaks were still there and the length was the same too. Her eyes were still blue as a cloudless afternoon sky, and her face was still the same.

"How'd you do that? That was awesome!" Heath asked, a bit oblivious to what just occured.

"This is what I really look like... the appearance you're used to seeing is a glamour... magic used to keep humans from seeing the faerie for what they truely are..."

"So you're a-?"

"I'm neither faerie, nor am I human... I've lived a much longer life than I should have."

Heath downed the rest of his drink, "Okay... so let me ask you then... how old are you, Runey?"

She was glad he wasn't freaking out. Rune also liked how he still used her name as casual as he always had. It madeher feel comfortable... it made her put some of her trust in him. "I've lost count... somewhere around 200 years."

"Wow... okay then... so where do you plan to go? We can take my motorcycle when the rain lets up-"

Her hair swayed from side to side. "We can not... I am vulnerable to iron."

He raised a brow, "But I thought you said you weren't of either race? Aren't Faerie also hurt by iron?"

She nodded, "It is that weakness that makes me inhuman... but there are things about me... like my smoking habit or the fact that I can lie... those things make me an outcast from the land of fey."

"Okay... uhm... well... my motorcycle is the only way we can get anywhere... so what do you want to do?"

She slurped the remainder of her hot chocolate, "I know not."

Heath laughed. Rune tilted her head at his sudden outburst, "What causes your laughter?"

"Do you always talk like Yoda outside your glamour, Pip?"

She smiled some. He was comparing her to a character from the famous Star Wars series. "Well, it the appropriateness of a woman of my stature and sophistication should not condone such habits as.. gutter-talk..." she paused, "Although, I have to say... I don't give a fucking shit what I talk like anymore... how's that for being badass?"

"Yeah! That's my Rune! Okay... so we just have to figure out how we can get on that bike without you touching any of the iron, right?"

She nodded lighting a cigarette and re-glamouring herself. "Corneilius is friends with Kaye, right?"

"Corndog? Yeah... why?"

"We should ask him and Luis for some help..."

"Say... how did you know about Luis?"

Rune put out her cigarette, noticing a sign across the room that said smoking wasn't allowed within the building. "Kaye is actually a faerie... she's a pixie... and that Robin-fellow that she introduced you to... he's the King of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts... the Black Knight, Roiben. Kaye is his consort. Corny knows about faerie, and Luis has the True Sight. A gift I had... once upon a time when I was human. It allows a human to see through a faery's glamour. I met him while I was in New York, bartering with a troll named Ravus for some potion that wards off the effects of iron. Luis was his delivery boy at the time."

"Whoa... man... makes me feel useless... just a regular Joe Shmoe... a good old fashioned human... I kinda wish I was a-"

Rune stood up, slamming her hands on the table's surface, and puther face so close to Heath's that the tips of their noses were touching. She glared at him with cold eyes.

"Believe me... you don't want to be anything else, Foolish Mortal."

What have we learned from this chapter? Don't piss off Pip! -nod nod- lol XD Please Review!