It's been quite a wait, but I was busy. Then I was sick. Then I was busy again. You know the drill, the update's here now anyway.
Also, Queenie – I found what your second question was about: Grim was just being his usual snarky self. He didn't literally mean a year, but I understand your confusion. I should have said something about him being sarcastic. (Hopefully you read the first A/N, I know not everyone does.)
Anyway, now that that's cleared up, on to the chapter.
What am I, a Barbie Doll?!
"Kirie, it's time to wake up." The familiar female voice only made me cringe and attempt to cling harder to sleep. At least asleep I could pretend I wasn't having such a shitty time of it.
"If you don't get up willingly, I'll have Ice-boy poor freezing water on your head." Came a new voice, irritatingly chipper for this early in the morning.
"Ineffective, try again." I tried to growl, but my tired voice made more of a groan than anything.
"Boiling hot, then," The first voice piped up again, sounding more forceful, "Now up you get." Managing another groan rivalling that of a petulant child's I pushed myself up from the comfortable sheets and glared at the three beside my bed. My icy look did little to frighten any of them. Avaril snickered, Ash smirked, and Puck gave a wicked grin.
"That's more like it."
"Yeah, yeah," I waved my hand in a shooing motion to clear the way, "Outta my way or I'm going back to sleep." They obliged and I made my way to my discarded clothes, pulling them on lazily. When fully clothed, I met eyes with my two companions, adopting a serious look.
"You ready?"
Puck was the first to answer, rolling his eyes with a hood-natured smile, "Do you even have to ask, Sunshine?"
Ash stepped forward, "Whenever you're ready, Kirie." He gave a slight nod. "You lead and we will follow." This blindsided me, for neither Puck nor Ash had ever fully handed me the reigns before. I had only assumed it would be the same now. A warm feeling spread through me as I dipped my head to him in return.
Turning to Avaril, then, I spoke, "It would seem we're ready. I trust you have the means to help us?"
"Always," She replied with a mischievous wink, "Follow me."
...
Everyone, save for Minerva, was gathered near a plain-looking door. There was nothing special about it; no sign read its destination and nothing marred the wood to mark it, but Avaril insisted that she had every room in this house memorized. I trusted her well enough to believe her, but it was still quite a stretch.
"Through here, then. Come along." She pulled the door open to reveal a rectangle of pure darkness which engulfed her completely when she stepped through. I exchanged looks with the guys before shrugging quickly and stepping through first. Pitch black swallowed me whole, but a single blink found me in a bustling hair salon. People - both human and fey - sat in a waiting area I currently occupied, chatting or reading magazines.
To my left I saw a reception desk with a petite pretty girl with colorful hair talking on the phone with a customer. Behind her was a wall full of differently labeled hair products. Beside it, Avaril stood laughing with a young-looking human man.
He was good-looking enough, with shaggy jet-black hair and sparkling blueish green eyes. There were rings through his ears and lips, and a few through one eyebrow. He was also very tall and slim, dressed in all black - sneakers to t-shirt.
Avaril noticed me almost immediately and waved me over with a smile. The man turned to study me, but I avoided eye contact - hunching my shoulders and keeping my gaze low as I approached. Yeah, I admit I was never one for crowds unless there was a copious amount of alcohol in my system. "Dante, this is Kirie. She's an old friend."
The man - Dante - revealed two rows of pearly whites and extended a hand. I noticed a thick black thumb ring to go with his golden wedding band. Married, huh? Humans grew up fast, these days. I reached out and shook his offered hand politely. "Ava's told me so much about you." His accent was a faded one, as if he had been in American for a long time, but I detected Australian. "It's a pleasure."
"Same to you," I managed an only slightly forced smile. I sensed a presence at my back and Dante's eyebrows rose.
He tsked at Avaril playfully, shaking his head and smiling. "You sneaky minx, Ava."
"Surprise," Puck singsonged.
"Lovely, aren't they?" Avaril sighed, she held out a small velvet drawstring pouch as she spoke. "When she came barging in with these two in tow, I figured you'd want extra. Dragon scales, and maybe a little extra surprise." She tossed the bag to him with a wink.
Dante caught them easily and blew her a teasing kiss. "If the 'surprise' is one of those blimey pixies I'll hunt you down, sweetie." I couldn't help but smile at their banter. It would seem that not all of Avaril's friends were as crazy as she was.
He turned back to us and pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Hmm. Well for starters, Viviana and Clarice will take you two boys." As he spoke, two women with unbelievably bright hair appeared at their sides. "Shoo, shoo. Go make them pretty...er. I'll take our girl over here." I watched in amusement as the "two boys" in question were practically dragged away.
When they were gone, I turned back to Dante. "So where to? You're the boss, I suppose."
Avaril and Dante both laughed, though I didn't see what exactly was so funny. "I like her." He told Ava before linking arms with me and casually saluting. "I'll have her back by eleven."
Avaril giggled and gave a little wave, "Be safe, you two." With that, she went to sit in the waiting area.
"Come with me, honey. We'll make you the Belle of the Ball in no time." He led me to his chair in front of a mirror as big as a window and buttoned some sort of plastic cape around my neck. He herded me to a series of sinks where he washed my hair until it smelled of caramel apples and he had to keep playfully swatting my hands away when I reached for a strand to sniff. He left me to sit under a drier with a plastic cap on my head for a good fifteen minutes - leaving me to twiddle my thumbs in wait - before guiding me back to the chair.
As he dragged a extremely hot straightener through my hair, I noticed a photo taped to his mirror. In it, Dante crouched on the carpeted floor with his arm around another man. He had blonde spiky hair and grey smoky eyes. The edges of some kind of tattoo were visible from under the deep V in his shirt. A little baby girl chewing on a plastic toy sat on the ground in front of them. A Brother and a niece, maybe?
"Is that family?" I asked, still studying the photograph. I looked to see Dante's sparkling eyes glance briefly at it and crinkle at the corners when he smiled.
"Those are my babies, yeah. Not bad, eh?" His tone was light, but pride shone through and it put a smile on my face to sense such love radiate from him.
"Well, they're beautiful."
"Oh how sweet are you? Zach and I adopted Arah not too long ago. June 21st."
"Arah. That's adorable. How old is she?"
"Turning one in few months." He said, "She's started crawling now. Things already seem to be moving so fast."
I smiled wistfully at the immortalized little girl on the mirror. I wondered if I had ever looked that content and surrounded by family. I blinked a few times and lowered my gaze then, as a pang of longing stabbed me unexpectedly. "She's lucky," I spoke slowly, testing my voice, "To have such great parents, I mean."
"We do our best. Sorry hon," He apologized with a laugh as a cloud of hairspray sent me into a bout of coughs. "What about you? Got any family?"
I was caught off-guard by the innocent question. Family. I had never thought of it. I had never known my parents - they were banished long before I was able to make a lasting impression of them. As far as I know they had no living relatives, and if they did whoever it was had surely cut all ties after word of their abomination got out. I'd asked Puck about my father before. He had been a respected knight of Seelie, easily catching the eyes of many women - nobles and citizens alike. He had been the typical beefcake, dark skin and darker hair.
Ash said my mother was a pale, redheaded duchess of Unseelie. She had been well respected and almost as fierce and volatile as Mab herself. As a young woman she had been a rebel and constantly tested the rules given to her. She had been cocky and stubborn where my father had been cool-headed and modest.
According to Goodfellow, they had met in the Wyldwood one day while my father was training alone and my mother was hunting with her two hounds.
It was only a story to me - told before bed on nights I couldn't sleep when I was young and still cared about the two fey - I didn't know its characters. I had no blood relations to speak of.
But Puck...
I stopped myself from shaking my head to clear my thoughts. Anger filled me and took place of nostalgia. I wouldn't forgive him so easily because of a few memories. I was fine on my own. "I used to..." I murmured when I realized I had been lost in thought for a second too long.
Dante fiddled nervously with a lip ring, pushing it round with his tongue. "Sorry, sweetheart." He spoke quietly, but I heard him, even in the loud building. I felt him squeeze my shoulder once. I managed to quirk a careless smile at him to say it was okay - that it didn't bother me. Dante was sweet, and I didn't want him to fret over my problems. "On the bright side, we're done. Take a look." I gazed into the mirror, shocked I hadn't noticed him finish. Another thing that threw me for a loop was that my hair had seemingly grown at least an inch and a half.
"How...did it get longer," I ran my fingers through the silky, curl-less curtain of hair. It was soft to the touch, and smooth.
Dante laughed out loud. I looked at him, confused. "You don't get your hair done much, huh? That's what happens when you yank all the curly out of hair, doll." I nodded in awe and turned to stare at myself again. "Let's snazz it up a bit, now." And after tons of hair pulling, a trillion apologies, and one sore scalp later my hair was twisted into two braids that pulled back into one wavy tail that hung to my shoulders. A nice fringe of bangs hung almost to my eyes, parted to the right. He did my makeup, too. My eyes were lined darkly like a cats and he used foundation and different shades of brown eye shadow to complement my medium tone.
I grinned at my reflection through glossed lips, "I love it." I did. I barely recognized this beautiful stranger to be the same dirty-faced, messy-haired girl who skulked around the Wyldwood in her free time.
"Good, my hands are ready to fall right off." I giggled as Dante massaged his fingers tenderly. Despite it, he seemed to love this job. I didn't think I'd have the patience for it. "Let's go see Ava. Your two gorgeous bodyguards should be done by now."
I snickered. "Gorgeous? I would have expected better taste from you, Dante." He gave me a wink and led me back to the waiting area where all three of my companions were waiting. The boys were turned away slightly, so I only got a side view. Puck's hair was cut slightly shorter on the sides than the top, and gelled to spike just a little in the front. Ash's was trimmed neatly and pulled into a low tail, a few well-placed strands framing his handsome face. My breath hitched as I was forced to realize for the first time in a while their fey-given beauty.
I wouldn't give Dante the satisfaction of admitting it, but from the smug grin he gave it seemed he knew anyway. "Told you so," He winked again. "Go on, dear. Break time is calling my name. Come back to see me, sometime." I smiled warmly.
"I'll make sure to do that." I agreed sincerely, for I had come to like this man. He gave me a quick hug and headed to one of the back rooms. I turned and took a deep breath, walking towards my group.
Puck, Ash, and Ava all turned. For some reason, my eyes wandered to Puck to gauge his reaction. I held my breath, and he seemed to as well. His eyes widened a fraction and his jaw worked for something to say. I tore my gaze away from his, suddenly self-conscious, and looked to Ash and Ava. "Too much?" I asked.
"Not at all. You look fantastic," Ash mended smoothly, a small smile on his lips. Straight on, he looked older; more mature. I briefly saw his late brother Sage in the dignified way he held himself.
I tilted my head teasingly and winked, "Careful, Prince. You're spoken for, now." I allowed myself to look at Puck again, but his eyes were cast casually at the ceiling. "You two certainly clean up well." His glance returned to me, caught off-guard, and he grinned and scratched the side of his neck.
"Okay, gorgeous, you and your pals are all set. While the three of you were getting all gussied up, I took the liberty of picking out clothes for you to wear. It shouldn't be too formal, knowing Amendiil." Avaril clapped her hands once and led us back through the trod.
...
Back in my room, Minerva was lounging lazily on the bed. Her head rose from her paws and she watched as I entered. She tilted her head, surprised, "Well, look at you."
"Hey, Minerva." I smiled and waved slightly.
"Avaril left some clothes for you next to me here," She said, "For you, I'm sure."
"That assumption would be the most likely one." I huffed as I took in the tight mid-thigh length black dress. The straps were thin as noodles. Beside it lay a light denim vest, distressed and torn with the sleeves ripped off. The only thing acceptable about this outfit were the black leather boots on the floor at the foot of the bed. "Why that little..."
Minerva gave a little chuckle, watching with mirthful eyes. "It would seem she is enjoying this, wouldn't you say?"
"Oh, I'd say more than that." I shrugged out of my comfortable, familiar clothes and pulled on the stupid dress. Ava liked to poke fun at my mild dislike of showing skin, this was just another way to get under my skin. In my huff, I found myself unable to reach the zipper in the back. "Now would be a great time for you to grow opposable thumbs, 'Nerva."
The ginger wolf hummed in amusement. "If only."
"If only." I repeated on a sigh. A knock at the door made me turn. "Who dares?"
A quiet laugh came from the opposite side and Ash's voice followed. "Only me. May I enter or have I disturbed your slumber?"
I sniffed with faux-snootiness, "Proceed." The door creaked open to reveal an amused prince consort. "Come, servant, I require your assistance." He rolled his eyes and stepped inside. He was dressed neatly in black slacks and a dark blue dress-shirt. I had to hand it to Avaril - she knew how to dress.
"Yes, mistress? How may I be of service?" He gave a teasing bow and all at once I realized how much he had changed. The old Ash wouldn't have joked around so much, or smiled as warmly as this Ash did. Since he had received his soul, he allowed more of his natural charm and humor to escape. I suspected the girl may have had something to do with it, too. It made me happy that he had found someone to care for him as Ariella had so long ago.
I turned and revealed my exposed back. "Zip?" I peeked over my shoulder at him, and he smirked and nodded. I felt the dress constrict and for a second it was horrible. It pushed at my stomach and lifted my breasts, I couldn't breathe as well right away. "I can't believe she's making me wear this." I sighed as I pulled on the vest and buttoned it halfway.
Ash chuckled and sat on my bed. "You look great, Kirie."
"And you as well, your High-and-Mightiness." I turned and smiled at him. He sighed at his nickname and I giggled.
"I told Puck to meet us here to discuss the plan." He said, serious now. I nodded and slipped into my boots. "I don't know what's taking him."
"Probably primping in the mirror. You know how he is." I muttered, not really wanting to talk about Puck at the moment. Ash was easier to be around; as an Unseelie prince without a soul I hadn't expected much from him, anyway.
"Gossip is unbecoming, you two." The sneaky devil spoke from the doorway, making me jump. I turned and glared, but looked away quickly. He wore brown slacks and a deep green button-up with a matching brown vest buttoned over it. It all emphasized his slender, lean form. He had kept his scuffed leather boots, though. I focused on those. "Looking good, Sunshine." My eyes found his and I saw that his smile wasn't the usual teasing one. He was being sincere. A tingle ran up my spine and I cleared my throat.
"Yeah, whatever. You, too, I guess." I managed. He grinned. At that point I noticed something unsettling: his hands were behind his back. "Robin...?" I spoke cautiously.
"Yes, Sunshine?"
"What do you have?"
"Whatever do you mean?"
"Don't be cute."
"It happens naturally."
"I'm five seconds away from kicking the ever-loving shit out of you, Goodfellow."
An impish grin spread across his face and he slowly removed his hands from behind him. "A little difficult without these, eh?" He held out my whip in one hand and my double-bladed sword in the other. Excitement and relief rushed through me at the sight of them. "Avaril told me you earned them back for being a good little Barbie Doll." He tossed them and they landed easily in my hands. I fastened them to my body.
"Yeah, and you can tell her I'm gonna hunt her down for that." I replied.
"I'll get right on that." He smirked, "But we have more important matters at hand."
"Right. We're ready to hear the plan. Just tell us what you need us to do." Ash piped up.
I watched them both calmly, silently formulating an acceptable plan in my mind. I wanted to show them that I was capable of this - taking the lead and carrying out the favor efficiently. "Well, we shouldn't approach him right away. Thero will most likely be around for a while, drinking and eating and having a good time. So we wait till he has a few drinks in him. If we're lucky we'll get to him when he's feeling generous." Puck gave an approving nod and Ash motioned that he understood and I could continue. "Ash, since it's a summer gathering you should lay low. If anyone senses winter glamour, they'll think it's me. If anything happens, you'll have the element of surprise. Can you do that?"
"Of course," He agreed willingly. "Will you be alright?"
"I have Robin to count on if anything gets out of hand."
"Right, so we shadow the guy and move in when he's vulnerable. I can work with that," Puck looked excited, leaning against the wall with a wicked grin and blazing eyes. I smirked and agreed.
"There is one problem," Minerva spoke for the first time in a while. We all turned to look at her.
"The bargain we'll no doubt have to make, you mean?" Ash inquired.
"Indeed. You don't want to go in blindly like that. You'll end up indebted to yet another faery." She met my eyes, "I believe you would like to avoid that." I scratched the back of my neck bashfully. How could I have forgotten?
"Don't worry, Sunshine." I turned to Puck, who was staring straight at me. His face was calm for once and he seemed to be willing me to trust him. "I can handle that part of the plan." I was eager to do everything myself, but looking into his eyes I decided that this once it would be okay.
I sighed and nodded. "Let's go then. Its time. If we leave now we can make it in time."
...
Avaril saw us off. She stopped me before I followed the guys out and glared into my eyes. But she wasn't angry - more stern than anything.
"You be careful. I don't know what the Cursed Three are but I do know that this is going to be extremely dangerous. I have half a mind to come with you." She pulled me into a tight hug rivaling a boa constrictors' grip.
"There is no need for that. I will be accompanying the three on their journey." Minerva padded down the stairs and over to where we stood. I gaped at her and she gave me a look, "Did you expect me to leave you to it? When that cat is involved? Quite unlikely. You'll do well with some guidance."
I smiled gratefully. "Right. You're a good friend, Minerva." I turned back to Avaril. "We'll be careful. You'll be the first person I come to see when this is over, I know how you worry." I hugged her once more and she smiled as I pulled away.
"See you soon, then." She said. "And don't let the summer fool get his paws on you too easily." I sputtered uncontrollably, cheeks flushing. It only made her smile more before she led me out the door and waved innocently before closing it. I frowned, wondering what exactly she had meant by that.
"Hey, Sunshine! You aren't chickening out on is now, are you?" Puck called to me from where he and Ash waited.
I shook myself and turned, waving to let him know I'd heard. "Coming!"
And end scene. It was a little longer, right? I think it was. I hope so, you guys deserve it for being so patient. I know I'm not really running on a schedule, and I love you guys for waiting up on me anyway. You're all the bomb dot com in my book. Woo, party next chapter!
Aishachase97 – Wow I'm glad you liked it thanks for taking time to let me know. Sorry for the wait, but hopefully this was long enough for you.
My world is magic – Thank you so much :D
Koryandrs – aha, doge. It will never not be funny. I'm glad you liked it. Sorry for the wait, I hope this chapter made up for it.
Guest5 – I agree, Kirie deserved to know he wasn't going to be gone for good. She's really very nice when she isn't grumpy (which is all the time oops)