When All is Lost

31.

We stop as hundreds of eyes look at us, and we stare back in surprise.

"Get out!" A voice as deep as the rolling thunder outside tells us.

"We don't want any trouble..." I barely get another thought out before two hands, take us each by a shoulder and spin us around.

"You're not welcome if you're not Fae." The part giant, part troll, part thunder person says.

"I am half Fae," Nate says raising a hand.

"And I have shadow sprites." I add with a smile.

"Are you being removed tomorrow?" A frail voice asks, he sounds exactly how I imagine an old librarian might sound.

"Removed?" I question, and the hands resume their pushing.

"This is for Fae who are leaving tomorrow. Not beggars." The troll - I've decided he has to be a troll - says pushing us to the door again.

"Beggar?" Nate sounds particularly disgruntled about that. "These are nice clothes." He points to the label in the jacket, and he's right, that's Adam's favourite tailor in Verene.

"They're not yours though are they, beggar?" The troll is annoying me now.

"We just want somewhere dry to wait out the storm." I look for anyone who might seem reasonable.

A bolt of white purple light shot into the air and I smile, we can't be that lucky. Can we?

"Queenie?" Veva calls, a smile in her voice.

"Veva!" The hands stop pushing as Veva, my favourite Unseelie warrior steps forward.

"What on earth are you doing here?" She asks, giving me a punch to the shoulder.

"Trying to escape the storm, but someone won't let us in."

Veva gives the troll a look, that speaks of disappointment, the troll huffs and disappears back to his spot in the warehouse.

"Everyone's wary, this new law hasn't made it any easier to be Fae." Veva explains, guiding us over to a table where she's sitting with Aefric and Freya.

After we've said our hellos and taken a seat, Freya pours us glasses of warm honey water and I drink it gratefully.

"So, why are you dressed like you've escaped a circus in the clown's costume?" Veva asks, and I frown looking at my outfit. I don't look like a clown, do I?

"We've had an eventful few days," Nate says diplomatically.

"We're looking for my father, do you know where he's camped," I add.

Veva nods, "He's on top of the hill, there's a whole camp of Fae up there, some want to fight, others are ready to go, like this lot."

"The new law you mentioned, it removes the right to live in Albion, doesn't it?" Nate asks and Veva nods.

"I saw it." He says to me, and I sigh, resting my chin on my hand, elbow on the table.

"You saw something?" Veva queries.

"Like I said, it's been an eventful few days." Nate sighs, and I can tell he's debating whether or not to trust her.

Veva nods, knowing not to pry and turns her attention to me.

"Do you still want to learn how to fight?" She asks and I nod.

"Maybe not today, but yeah, at some point..."

Shadows appear behind her and her brother steps into the warehouse. Murmurs and whispers ripple out from the Fae around us, many of whom are trying to sleep in makeshift beds.