A/N: Please forgive any mistakes… I decided it was a good idea to start writing this chapter at 10:30 last night. Hahaha
~~ Savannah ~~
Meeting with one of her contacts in the Towns in a hotel room she'd rented out, Savannah had made sure to wear something revealing. She often dressed to suit the person she was meeting with, sometimes even adopting a personality they might like. That night she'd scheduled to meet with Brayden, a werewolf in his mid-thirties who collected information with some of his pack. She knew he enjoyed letting his gaze linger on her skin for extended periods, so she often indulged him. That evening she wore a short, slinky black dress, which showed plenty of leg and cleavage. He sat on a chair on the balcony while she poured them both a glass of wine inside, careful to fill hers less than his. She found that a bit of alcohol made him more inclined to share.
Bringing the glasses out, she passed him his glass and he thanked her, his gaze lingering on her as she sat down nearby. "Did you drink some already?" he asked, as if he'd noticed the difference, gesturing to her glass as he took a sip of his own. He was more perceptive than usual, and she frowned inwardly.
"This is my second glass," she lied, smoothly. "I already had one while I was waiting for you."
He seemed to accept that, and they chatted about benign topics, before she directed it back to what she was there for. "And? Have you any news for me?" she asked, watching him expectantly as she took a small sip of her wine. She did not like drinking when she needed to keep her mind sharp, so she was careful not to have much. Only enough to keep up the ruse.
"Just a couple of things," he replied, his hand rising to the stubble on his chin as he thought. Werewolf features were certainly rugged compared to the elegance of faerie features, she couldn't help but think. "That Shadowhunter is still buying drugs from the shop on the corner."
"Yes, I know about him," she said, with a wave of her hand, trying to hide her impatience. "What else?"
"A Shadowhunter was spotted talking to a Hunt faerie down an alleyway two days ago," he described, pausing to take another sip.
"What did the Shadowhunter look like?" she questioned, watching him. It would be easiest if she went straight to the source to ask about the conversation.
The werewolf considered. "Short. Blonde hair, blue eyes. She was dressed in Shadowhunter gear," he explained, with a brief shrug to show that was all he knew.
"Good," she said, thinking it was likely Steff. She would be able to track her down to question her about it later. Sightings of Hunt faeries was something that made her uneasy. "Any updates on movements of the Seelie? Or the Unseelie?" she asked next, shifting to face him better.
"Nothing that we've heard of," he responded, unhelpfully, but that wasn't what she really wanted to know about.
There was a careful glint in her eyes as she paused. "And the description of that Unseelie faerie I asked you to look out for? Has he been sighted?"
"Sorry. No luck there either," Brayden replied, and she resisted the urge to sigh. Standing up, she reached for his glass, even though there was a small amount of liquid left.
"I'll get you a refill," she offered, mostly wanting to hide her disappointment. He obliged, and she slipped back inside, setting their glasses down on the counter. It wasn't the outcome she'd hoped for and she sensed that he had little else of importance to share, otherwise he would have led with it. Still, she'd sit with him while he finished off another glass, she decided, before moving on.
Hearing him step inside, she turned around to face him, hiding a frown. "I thought the fresh air was nice," she remarked. "Don't you want to stay out there a little longer?"
"I can't bear to wait any longer," he stated, reaching forward boldly to brush his thumb against her bottom lip. "Seeing you in a dress like that turns me on so hard. You can't wear that and not expect me to react."
Before she could say something to dissuade him, he had already grabbed her, turning her around and pressing her against the wall with his body. She hadn't drawn a new strength Rune before coming, so his werewolf strength surpassed her own, and she could not stop him. Bracing a hand against the wall to catch her balance, she hissed as he started to push her dress up her legs. It was instinct to reach for the little knife at her thigh when it was exposed, pulling it out of the strap which secured it there, and slicing back at his arm. He made a sound of pain as he pulled back, and she whipped around, narrowing her eyes and quickly moving the knife to his throat. "Don't you dare grab me like that again, without my permission," she seethed. He held a hand to the cut on his arm which had bled at first, but it had already started to heal thanks to his werewolf abilities. "Or I'll cut off somewhere that can't grow back."
"What the hell, Savannah?" he said, staring at her, as if she was overreacting. "What's gotten into you? I was just having some fun."
Breathing hard, she drew the knife back, stepping out away from the wall and him. Shit. At this rate she would have no contacts left in the Towns if she kept turning them all down. She had to stay on good terms. Usually, she handed things much smarter and more diplomatically, but she was touchy and not in the mood.
"Sorry," she muttered, slipping the knife away again and pulling the bottom of her dress down. "Just… not tonight. I'll make it up to you next time, I promise." Her gaze flickered to the side, before back at him. "I have to go," she said, stepping forward to press a kiss to his lips, before pulling away quickly. "Feel free to stay and finish off the drink," she said, before starting towards the door.
He was surprised, she could tell, and likely a bit annoyed, but she didn't want to stick around to explain, so she slipped out, trying to compose herself as she started down the hallway.
~~ Kellan ~~
Meeting with one of his advisors in a small clearing in the forest, Kellan tried to concentrate, resisting the tempting urge to let his gaze wander to the scenery. His advisor, Adelina, was a pure faerie with wings that had a slightly golden tinge. She was dignified and very knowledgeable about the Seelie. While she was young in appearance, Kellan didn't doubt she was much older in age, with all that she knew.
She had started off teaching him about traditional Seelie banquets, and he made sure to take notes in a small leatherbound book that he carried around. Of course, he had always preferred practical learning to theory, but he wanted to make sure he showed he was eager to learn, and he didn't want to forget anything important, either.
They then moved on to his lesson in one of the ancient fae languages that the Court members often spoke in. The sounds were foreign to him, and he found it harder to speak than to interpret.
Adelina said something to him in it, before asking what she had said, in English.
Thinking, Kellan replied with, "Would you like to come to see the festival with me?"
"Good," she nodded in approval, before gesturing towards him. "I'd like you to reply in the same language."
Replying hesitantly, he tried not to wince at some of his pronunciation, embarrassed as he knew it had not been perfect.
The good thing about those in the Seelie however, is that their expression rarely changed. "Try to roll your tongue on the last part. Like this," she said, demonstrating with ease.
As they continued, he couldn't help but think that it was a language that Ethos likely hadn't been taught, and he spoke up without thinking. "Do I get to learn any of the more common fae languages?" he asked.
She looked over at him, tilting her head to the side slightly. "Perhaps after you master the others, if you really want to. I would not say that they are a priority right now, though."
"Of course," Kellan replied, hiding his disappointment. He could not help but want something that he could converse with Ethos in.
When she paused for a long moment, looking behind him, Kellan turned, looking surprised when he saw the Queen approaching. She was wearing a flowing white dress embroidered with bronze flowers, making her look angelic, more than anything else. Adelina did a curtsy, while Kellan quickly inclined his head politely.
"Kellan, it is nice to see you working on your studies," she remarked, before glancing over at the other faerie. "Thank you, Adelina."
"Anytime, my Queen," Adelina replied, before starting away, to give them some privacy.
"Do you think you are picking things up quickly?" she asked him, once her gaze returned to him.
"I am trying my best," Kellan acknowledged. "The fae language is hard to pronounce, but I will work on it. Everything else that I am learning is very interesting."
"I'm sure you will," she replied, and he wondered whether he was too honest in his answers. She gazed at him and as always, he felt like she could read him easily. "I sense you may have some reservations?"
He paused, embarrassed that she would pick up on that. "I only… wonder how suited I am as Prince. I have not grown up learning these things, and I feel that I am far behind everyone else. I often feel that I am making mistakes."
She was quiet for a long moment, and he wondered whether she would even reply. His words were weak perhaps, and too honest. Maybe she would prefer it if he pretended everything was fine.
After a pause however, she stepped forward, resting her fingers under his chin and tilting it up. "You are my son. Of course your place is here, by my side," she said, slowly. "Your blood dictates your suitability for this Court. Any mistakes you make are ones you will learn from."
Kellan swallowed, meeting her gaze tentatively. "…Then I will be here by your side."
"Good," she said, a hint of approval in her tone. She tucked a curl behind his ear, gently, before drawing her hand back. It was almost a gesture that he would have anticipated from a mother, if he had grown up with one. "I expect that you will."
He hoped that he would not let her or the Court down, but that was not something that he could voice. Instead, he followed when she beckoned him onwards.
"Come," she said, "Some members of the Court await us."