I nodded, accepting his apology. “Go on.”
“As I said, the Fae have been at war with each other since the beginning of time. They were in danger of devastating the world, so my father and Morgana stepped in. She is the goddess of the Fae, both Light and Dark. Before you say anything, I know there are other goddesses who exist within that realm, but Morgana connects with the Fae more than any of the others.”
“My mother worked with her. She was pledged in her service,” I said quietly.
“Yes, and that is a plus for you. The Fae truly believe they will always be at war, and it’s lodged in the bones of their very nature. Very few exist who are like you, Ember. You contain both bloodlines, and you’re a rare specimen among your people. You are a threat—an example that the blood of either line will not poison the other side.”
“I never thought of it that way. If I can exist, then peace might actually be achieved. I’m not trying to kill myself out of self-loathing, that’s for sure.”
“Right. Morgana favors neither side and helps keep a balance of power between the two. She also happens to be my mother.”
I blinked. So he was part Fae—divine Fae, at that.
“When I grew to an age where I could be on my own, Cernunnos sent me into this world to keep watch. There are others like me around the planet, but this area is my territory. We keep a close watch over the battles, and step in when necessary. We enforce the necessary balance. One of my duties is to ensure that as little collateral damage happens as possible. Especially to those not of Fae blood, like your brother, Angel.”
All this was a great deal to take in. I found myself desperately wanting fresh air, and held up my hand for him to pause as I opened the door leading up to my balcony.
Fresh air swept in on the night breeze as the sounds of the city filtered in, ambulances and sirens wailing, traffic grinding its way through the night. I stepped out on the balcony, leaning against the metal railing. I had never given much thought to my heritage or the people who made up my bloodlines. They had no love lost for me and I had no love lost for them. But now it occurred to me that I should at least know the history of my ancestors, whether or not I ever was welcome there. There was so much about my parents that I would never know.
Overwhelmed, I suddenly felt dizzy. I grabbed hold of the railing, inhaling deeply, then let out a slow breath and returned to the table, making sure to close to the door so the cat wouldn’t get out there.
“So basically, the Fae are always at war, and you keep things from getting out of hand?”
He nodded. “That sums it up. Yes. I, and others like me. During the down times, the Wild Hunt Agency hires itself out for SubCult investigations.”
“And the Fae don’t try to kill you?”
He shook his head. “They are forbidden. Anybody who works for me, or anyone of my kind, is under what you might call divine immunity, which is why it would benefit the two of you to come work for me.”
“You can’t be killed?” Angel asked, her voice hopeful.
“Oh, we can—at least those who work for me can, given they aren’t of divine birth. But both sides—Light and Dark—agreed to abide by the rules Cernunnos and Morgana set forth. If we find out they’re breaking those rules, they are subject to dangerous punishment. That doesn’t mean some haven’t tried, and if they hire someone from the sub-Fae or one of the other Crypto races, those outlier agents are not bound to the agreement.”
I was beginning to get a picture of how this worked, although it was still confusing. Angel crossed to my cupboard and pulled out a box of cookies. She brought them back and tore open the package. It was covered with dust, and was probably stale, but in a pinch, anything would do.
“I don’t know about you, but I need chocolate and I need it now,” she said. “It’s past the expiration date, but I’m willing to take a chance, if you are.”
Herne laughed. “Mind if I join you?” He accepted a cookie. “It will fall into place eventually. But to cut to the chase: since you and Angel have ended up embroiled in this mess, I’m bringing you into my agency. You’ll have diplomatic immunity. Nothing else I can do stands as good a chance of keeping you both alive. Given they know DJ’s name and address, do you really want to take the chance? Are you willing to risk your brother’s life? Or your own lives? Ask yourself that before you answer me.”
Angel slowly raised her hand. “May I ask a question?”
“Of course. I will answer as thoroughly as I can.”
“Why are the Fae courts allowed in the United Coalition, if they are at war with each other?”
The United Coalition was the governmental structure in place that was composed of the Shifter Alliance, the Vampire Nation, the Human League, and the Fae courts. Most of the nations had adopted something similar—at least those that espoused democracy of any sort—once the human world realized it was not the primary inhabitant on the planet.
“Because it’s recognized that the Fae are like this. The other groups know, but they also know we do our best to keep the balance. If they tried to kick the Fae out, then Light and Dark would launch all-out open war on each other, and the rest of the world be damned. This way, it’s a delicate balance that’s kept and no one group can try to push out the others.”
He paused, then added, “I would have come to see Ember even if today hadn’t happened.”
I blinked. “Why?”
“As I said, you’re a rare specimen—half Light Fae, half Dark Fae. There are qualities about yourself that you haven’t yet realized because of your breeding. Both sides know this, and for that reason, if you had been at home the day your parents were killed, they would have killed you as well. When Morgana found out about your parents’ deaths, she visited Névé and Saílle and forbade them to touch you as you were growing up. Over time, we believe they forgot about you. And you’ve never done anything to bring yourself to their attention until now.”
“And now, if this Sasha is able to identify me, it will mean that I’m on their radar again. Just what kind of qualities are you talking about?”
He shook his head. “That, I cannot tell you. I don’t know and my mother has not seen fit to tell me. But if you join my agency, you’ll have some semblance of safety.” He paused, then added, “Did you know that your father was pledged to Cernunnos? You have a birthmark on your lower back—the right side—don’t you?”
I stirred, uncomfortable. “How did you know about that?”
“It’s the head and antlers of the stag, isn’t it?”
I nodded, not sure of what to say. He was correct. I had a jet-black birthmark at the base of my lower right side, right above my butt cheek. It was the head and antlers of a stag, all right. My mother never told me why I was born with it, only that I would learn when I was older. But they were killed before I did.
Herne cleared his throat. “You were born with the mark of the silver stag. It marks you as one of my father’s chosen hunters. Your father served Cernunnos, just as your mother served Morgana. So you see, you were already on my father’s radar.”
I caught my breath. I worked with Morgana with my water magic, because my mother had been pledged to her. But I had no clue my father had dedicated himself to Cernunnos. The Lord of the Forest was a primal hunter, and more often than not, it was humans who gravitated to him.
“You’re for real, aren’t you?” For months now, I had felt like something was about to happen. I hadn’t known what, but the anticipation, almost an anxiety, had been nagging at the back of my mind.