“Why?”
“Why?” The Kelpie's brow furrowed. “We are Water Fey and they are Earth Fey.”
“So, you just hate them automatically?”
“We don't hate them.” He cocked his head. “We have always been at odds. That is the way with the kingdoms.”
“It doesn't have to be.”
“I have my orders.” He shrugged.
The Ballybogs crept toward us and grunted at the Kelpie. He waved a hand and water gushed forth, forming out of thin air. The Ballybogs made happy sounds and followed it out of the cave.
“Making mud for them?” I asked.
“They are simple faeries, more like animals than people.” He looked back at me. “They showed up at the first village and have been following me ever since.”
“You didn't think to kill them?”
“Kill them?” He gaped at me.
“Oh, right. You all fight a lot but even in war, death is frowned upon.” Except if you're Queen Aalish. Or Queen Dubheasa. Or the two of them together. Which happened. Or will happen. Ugh! Farfegnugen faerie queens!
“We are Fey.” He shrugged. “Battle is good for the realm. It keeps eternity interesting. But killing is not good.”
“Unless you're hungry?”
The Kelpie chuckled. “That is a different matter.”
“You don't find Ballybogs appetizing?”
He squished up his face at me. “Not all Kelpies like to eat other faeries. I eat fish and seaweed.”
“You eat seaweed? Am I sitting on your stash?”
The Kelpie sighed. “Yes. I suppose I shouldn't have set you upon it. Now, I'll have to rinse it and that will remove some of the salt.”
I laughed so hard that I snorted. Then I moved off his food stash and onto the ground.
This made him smile. “You are a strange impossible woman.”
“I can be,” I agreed.
“I have told you why I'm here. Why are you here?”
I thought about telling him the truth, but there were already too many people who knew about Queen Vervain of Fire. The last thing I needed was for it to get back to Dubheasa. But I had to tell this guy something.
“I'm not just a faerie. I'm also a goddess.”
“Impossible.”
“You've already determined that.” I lifted a hand before I remembered that I couldn't do magic. “Damn it. I was going to prove it to you, but I can't with these on.”
The Kelpie smirked. “Sure. I understand now. You are trying to trick me into releasing you.”
“Actually, no, I'm not. But whatever.”
“Whatever,” he repeated with a frown.
