By Fairy Means or Foul: A Starfig Investigations Novel(10)

“I—”

“You’re a Starfig, son. Start acting like one.” He jerked on his purple silk toga like it did him some grievous wrong. My dad always wore the most elaborate getup of any fairy I’d ever seen. It lent an air of formality to his garb others didn’t have. A large gold brooch pinned cascading layers of cloth onto one shoulder. The brooch bore an official insignia of the Alphae Guild and proudly displayed my father’s rank as a senior council member, a coveted spot among fairy kind.

“But—”

“If I wanted excuses, I would hold a council meeting.” His lips compressed into a thin line.

“It’s not what—”

“I’m waiting.”

“For what exactly?”

He harrumphed again. “An explanation, obviously.”

“Then you’ll have to let me get a word in—”

“Just like you to try to avoid the subject. My own son, incapable of getting to the point.” Then he smiled in a way that made my skin crawl and patted my knuckle. “Now, you’re acting like a council member. I’ll train you up yet, boy.”

I shuddered.

“I’m not going for a seat on the council. As it is, they barely tolerate me and only because I’m your son.” I glanced at Quinn who goggled at us both. His gaze bounced from me to my father and back again. Yeah, hard to understand, I know. My father possessed the fine features and slender figure associated with fairy folk as well as a distinguished cascade of silver hair. I took after my mother’s side with my messy hair that looked black except in the right light, strong features, and fighter’s build. That my father didn’t even come to the top of my shin only added to the lack of resemblance.

“Nonsense.” My father reclaimed my attention with his peevish tone. “You’ve been accepted into the ranks of premier fairy, fae, and sprites. You have the same opportunity as anyone else—”

“Lucky me. So good of the Alphae to accept a half-breed bastard into their glorious ranks.”

“—It even says so in Coppernials Bylaws, Book 135, Page 1745, paragraph B, subsection 3.041. Do I need to show it to you so you’ll finally believe it?”

An old argument.

“Dad, you can legislate it all you want, but as far as most Alphae are concerned, I’m little more than a freak of nature. You should have left me in the Lovely Creatures Guild.”

He snorted. “No Starfig will be in Last Chance Guild while there’s breath in my body. You’d never be able to hold a council seat.”

“I don’t want to hold a council seat. It’s full of arrogant, self-important Alphae. I’d rather claw my eyes out than deal with those dicks on a daily basis.” I raked a hand through my hair, accidentally loosening the leather cord that held my unruly locks at bay. How many more times would we have to have this conversation before he believed me?

“We’ll talk about it later.” He tilted his head toward the ceiling and let out a heavy sigh. “For now, I want to know what you’re planning to do about the human. You know I’ve been contemplating abolishing indentured servitude between the fairy, fae, and sprites.”

“Uh, no, I didn’t know.”

“If you’d come by the offices more often, you’d know.”

“Not happening. But thanks for the head’s up. I definitely agree with getting rid of the practice all together.”

“Who said anything about getting rid of the practice? No, I just don’t want fairies, fae, and sprites to be indentured. Other creatures”—he waved his hand around—“well, we’ll see.”

“Then why do you have a problem with me taking on a human servant?”

“How does it look when my son takes an indentured servant when I’m working on limiting that very issue? No, looks bad, that’s what. Like you’re flouting my authority.”

“I’m not flouting—”

“Excuse me, Councilmember Starfig. Your son did me a favor,” Quinn said, his voice a respectful whisper. “He was only trying to help me, sir.”

My dad turned his attention to Quinn, his lips pursed. Not good.

“Shouldn’t allow human males in the Elder. At least the females of your species are likely to have some magic. And I hardly think a Starfig needs a sex slave. Even men should want more out of life than that.” Dismissing Quinn, he chuckled and patted me on the knuckle again. “Besides, we’re a virile bunch. You’ve no need to sleep with a used up human.”

Quinn turned crimson under his makeup, his shoulders hunching like he’d taken a blow. Not one of his better looks and it left me feeling strangely protective.

“Dad, that’s enough. You don’t need to insult him. And I’m not using him for sex—”

“Of course you aren’t. Like you’d need to. He’d be lucky to have a Starfig. . . . However, others won’t see it that way. Appearances, you know.”

“Do you think you could stop worrying what others may or may not think for just a moment, please?”

My father looked like the very idea was preposterous. And I suppose for him, it was.

I turned to Quinn who crooned quietly under his breath. Another lullaby. He cut off when he noticed my attention focused on him.