he took it. If he wanted a woman, he took her. Some of those women thought it was an honor, some were taken forcibly.” Dorian paused, giving me a look both studious and sympathetic. “Some were human.”
I stiffened. “Like Aeson.”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“‘Unfortunately’? You’re one of them. You must have a thing for humans.”
“Of course I do. We all do-men and women alike. You all smell like musk and sex. It screams fertility. It calls to our most basic, primal instincts to reproduce. For a people whose children are dwindling, that means something. So, yes, I understand men like Storm King and Aeson, but”-he shrugged-“I’ve never been with a woman who didn’t want me, never taken one by force. Not even a human.”
“You seem to be in the minority.”
“No, as I told you earlier, it’s only a small number of us who infringe on humans. You have your own rapists. They too are only a small number.”
I shifted and leaned my head against the chair’s back. “Fair enough. Get on with the story.”
He paused a moment, looking surprised, like he couldn’t believe I’d conceded a point to him. I could hardly believe it myself.
“Very well. Storm King’s ambitions extended beyond conquering this world. He wanted to conquer yours as well.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Not so. The desire to return to our homeland burns in all of us; it would push many to extreme actions. He drew a lot of support, armies willing to cross over for this dream. He had the power to make it happen. He planned a massive Samhain invasion, consisting of shining ones and spirits alike.”
“What happened? Obviously it didn’t work.”
Dorian had propped up his elbow again, resting his hand in his chin as he had on his throne. That gorgeous hair hung off to one side, a stream of molten copper. “I’ll tell you in a moment. First I’d like your opinion on all of this. What do you think about this plan of his in light of your earlier noble words about conquerors and how the conquered must simply accept their fate? If our forces took yours in fair warfare, would you accept that so easily?”
“I hate hypothetical questions.”
He simply smiled.
“Okay, then. ‘Accept’ is a funny thing. I mean, I guess if our armies and infrastructure were destroyed, I’d have to accept that on a certain level. Would I like it? Would I just let it go? Probably not. I’d probably always keep fighting. Looking for some way to change things.”
“Then perhaps you understand our attitudes toward you and the world you live in.”
“Yeah, but…why not let it go? You have a perfectly nice world here.”
“You’re contradicting yourself.”
“Well, in the scenario you described, we don’t have a new world. We’re subjugated in your new one.”
“Would it make a difference?”
I stared off at one of the flickering torches. “No. Probably not. I don’t know.” He was making me empathize with the gentry, and I didn’t like it. I turned back to him. “What happened, then? Is this Storm King someone I should go hunt down?”
“No, alas. He’s already dead.” Dorian watched me for a moment, weighing me for some purpose I couldn’t understand. “Roland Markham killed him.”
I straightened up. “What?”
“You didn’t know that.”
“No. Of course not. I’ve never even heard of this Storm King guy until tonight.”
This answer turned Dorian pensive, momentarily halting his normal jocosity. “That rather astonishes me. Storm King must have been the greatest conquest of Roland Markham’s career. How can you not know? Isn’t he your father?”
“My stepfather. But he trained me.” I turned the information over in my mind. “I don’t know why he never told me. When did it happen?”
“Oh, about…thirteen years ago. Maybe fourteen.”
That was around the time Roland had started training me. Coincidence? Had the threat of Otherworldly invasion frightened him into defying my mother’s wishes?
When I didn’t say anything, Dorian continued: “Not surprisingly, Roland Markham has his own reputation around here. But some say with your kills, you have surpassed him.”
“I wish you guys wouldn’t paint me like some bloodthirsty avenger.”
“Prejudice works both ways.”
“Yeah, but come on. Half the time, I just send them back here.”
“You kill enough to scare most of the people out in the main hall.”
“But that’s not why you’re telling me this story.”
“True enough.” He poured another glass of wine. “You are brave, Eugenie Markham. You are brave and strong and beautiful. But your perspective and view of the world-worlds-are flawed. You don’t understand us. We don’t behave as we do out of an evil nature. We have reasons for our actions.”
“Just as I do for mine. I don’t kill because I enjoy it.”
“Well, I wonder about that, but yes, I get your point. You do what you do out of loyalty to your own kind. You want to protect them and see that they have the best lives they can.”
“This is where you say you’re doing exactly the same thing.”
He laughed out loud, the sound rich and melodious. “Why, Eugenie, did we just have a moment of rapport?”
“You’ve stopped calling me Odile,” I noted, deflecting the question.
“We aren’t in public. It doesn’t matter.”
“Whatever. So…when Storm King was gathering his armies and followers…were you one of them?”
Dorian’s levity faded. “Yes. I was. One of his biggest supporters, actually.”
“Would you do it again? If you got the chance?”
“In a heartbeat. I would give anything to see his vision realized. Since his death, prophecies and omens have abounded, whispering of other opportunities that might come in the future. I pay attention to them all.”
I didn’t respond.
“What are you thinking about?”
“I’m trying to decide if I should break my hospitality vow and kill you.”
His good humor returned. “Do you know how glad I am that you stopped by tonight? I haven’t had this much fun in years. But you won’t kill me. Not tonight, at least, and not even because of the promise.”
I looked up at him again, a smile suddenly playing on my own lips. “Oh? And why are you so sure of that?”
“Because I told you exactly how I feel. If I’d lied and said I had no interest in the human world or following Storm King’s vision, you wouldn’t have believed me. In telling you the truth, I shall live another night. You may not like me, but I think honesty might have bought me your respect.”
“It might have.” Again, I lapsed into silence. Dorian seemed incapable of handling that.
“Now what are you thinking?”
“That you almost seem human.”
He leaned toward me, a bit closer than I felt comfortable with. “Should I be flattered or insulted?”
I gave a small, rueful laugh. “I don’t know.”
“You have a lovely smile.”
“Hey, don’t start with that. I don’t care how honest you are or how musky I smell.”
He leaned back in his chair. “As you say.”
I still couldn’t get over the idea of a massive invasion. “So, is your attitude toward Storm King pretty common? Do others feel the same way?”
“Some do, some don’t. Maiwenn, queen of the Willow Land, believes he was evil incarnate. She wouldn’t join up with him and thought his plan would lead us to ruin. Others gave up after Storm King’s defeat. If he couldn’t do it, no one could. But others…well, many others still carry the dream. Including your King Aeson.”
