“Absolutely.”
The two fae drew her close, bracketing her between them. Maybe it was her imagination, but Rain truly smelled like fresh droplets of water gliding over the flower petals, while Fen reminded her of freshly turned farmland and the verdant smell of new life breaking the surface of the earth after a long winter. Each embodied springtime in a different way, and Iris came out of the hug feeling dazed and delighted.
“I came from the two of you. Really?”
“Are you happy about that?” Rain asked.
“Yeah. It doesn’t feel quite real, but I’m ecstatic.”
“As are we,” Fen said.
Before she could respond, a knock sounded at the door. Sally called, “Keep talking with your visitors. I’ll get it.”
The older woman darted from the kitchen, through the front room, and into the foyer, where Iris heard her speaking to someone. She couldn’t make out the words, but Sally’s tone shifted from inquiring to annoyed.
Then she came to the archway and said, “Looks like they need a word with you. It’s about the complaint Susan Grumpyguts filed.”
“Grumpyguts?” Rain repeated. “What a curious surname.”
“It’s not her legal name,” Iris said, like that was the salient point here.
She gestured to indicate she’d be right back （hopefully）。 No way to be sure if Rain and Fen understood, but she shouldn’t keep the inspector waiting. It was a middle-aged man, balding, plaid shirt tucked into a pair of khakis. He was carrying a sheaf of paperwork, and he radiated impatience as he waited for an invitation to enter.
“Come in, what’s this about?” As if Iris didn’t know perfectly well.
“It says here that you’re the homeowner, is that correct?”
“Yes, I own Violet Gables.”
He snorted. “Violet Gables, is it? Hopefully I won’t be here long. By the way, the city may cite you for the unregulated application of hydroponics on the exterior of your house. Here I thought I’d seen everything.”
“It’s not hydroponics,” she said, but he wasn’t listening, moving down his list of questions like he’d be fined if he slowed even for a second.
“Are you Iris Collins?”
“That’s correct.” She was already tired of his attitude, but she couldn’t afford to snap or act rude. Not when she still didn’t know how she was getting out of this situation. “Do you want to sit down?” she added.
“Who is this man?” Fen demanded.
Iris shrugged. “He hasn’t seen fit to introduce himself.”
“That seems rude,” Rain noted. “Or have customs changed this much?”
Sally chimed in then. “They haven’t. This guy is being exceptionally impolite.”
The inspector sighed. “This isn’t a social call, people. But fine, my name is Melvin Terry. I work for the city of St. Claire. All good now, can we continue?”
“Go ahead,” Iris said, trying not to wince at how peeved he seemed.
“Thank you. Now where was I…？ The nature of the complaint is that there are too many unrelated persons living here. This is a single-family dwelling—”
“Who are you to arbitrate such a thing?” Rain asked in a deceptively gentle tone.
Melvin spared a baffled glance for the person questioning him. Iris could tell that the man registered…something being off, but she guessed he’d never imagine in a thousand years that he was being asked to justify himself to a pair of ageless fae. “I just told you, I work for the city.”
“But Violet Gables is an anchor point,” Fen said.
He turned to Iris with a scowl. “What are they yapping about?”
Yet Iris couldn’t help because she had no idea either. Sally gave up pretending she wasn’t involved and came to perch next to Iris on the sofa. “This is better than daytime TV,” she whispered.
“We are fae,” Rain said simply. “I am from the Summer House. Fen represents the House of Winter. Iris is our child, and she has established an anchor here, the first fairy mound in these lands since we withdrew in ages past. That makes this place our sovereign ground. Here, your petty mortal rules hold no sway.” Then Rain grew in size to dominate the space, voice booming like a clap of thunder. “Do you understand, child of earth?”
Melvin blinked so much that it looked like he had dust in both his eyes, stumbling back in instinctive self-protection. He practically had his back wedged against the front door. “I, what? No. Are you joking right now?”
Fen rose and dropped some of their human shape, allowing their true form to bleed through at the edges. Magic stirred around them like a dragon waking from a long slumber. “Not even slightly. Do you want to start a war with the Otherworld?”
“No,” Melvin said uncertainly. “But—”
Frankly, Iris was impressed that the man hadn’t already fled.
Fen went on, “Think of it this way. This place is our embassy. We’re willing to remain on good terms with you mortals as long as Iris is content here. Should that change, should you trouble her in any fashion, you will face our wrath.”
“Uh. Yeah. I…see. I think I need to pass this up the chain of command. This is way above my pay grade. Sorry to bother you, Ms. Collins.” The man raced out of the house as if he might be turned into a newt.
And who knows, maybe they can do that. Maybe I can too.
“Holy shit,” Sally said. “I think your problem is solved, dear.”
* * *
Eli opened his door to find a familiar dark-skinned woman reclining in the chair on his small porch.
She had her hair in cute Bantu knots, a different style than her social media photos showed. “Surprise,” said Liz.
Elizabeth Fielding had been his attorney for several years, and they’d always skirted the line between colleagues and friends. So Eli couldn’t believe she was here, checking on him in person just because he hadn’t answered her last few texts. They hadn’t spoken since he blew off the AroTech deal, and they didn’t have this kind of a relationship—or at least he hadn’t thought so. Liz apparently believed otherwise.
“How did you even find me?” he asked.
She waved a hand like that was no big deal for someone of her impressive abilities. “I talked to an old man at your former address. He said you were staying here for the time being while you ‘iron out’ some complications between you and your lady friend. His words, not mine.”
“You met Henry Dale. He’s a character. Come on in then.” He stepped back and waved at the small living space. “This is me.”
Liz swept past him with a small suitcase, looking none too impressed by his choices. “You’re here in a sad single boy apartment when you have that gorgeous condo? It’s not even seven hours away. Why didn’t you get in your truck and go?”
Because I love Iris.
He didn’t tell Liz because it felt wrong to say it to someone else first. And maybe Iris would never get over the betrayal of trust, which would mean he had to figure out some way to move on too. But not before he gave this everything he had.
“Because it’s time for me to put down roots,” he said.