Free The Earl's Childe by T. J. Wooldridge Page B

how I felt about my dad to the child-murdering monster I’d adopted seemed… worse…than just thinking it. My mind spinning in a cycle of the vividness and the memory and the overwhelming desire to forget it all, I could only find these words. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. I won’t!”
    Ermie slowly blinked his eyes, not moving any other muscle in his body besides an uncontrollable twitch when a fly landed on him. He wasn’t sharing what he was thinking, either.
    Arms still crossed, I balled my hands into fists. “I swear, I won’t let anyone hurt you!”
    He tilted his head, then turned away and trotted in a circle before returning to the gate and lifting his head over again to regard me. You say that in full earnest. I am both honored and amused, and I refuse to hold you to that oath. There are many, many beings out there that you could not protect me from—even if you were an adult human. But I do appreciate your dedication to a creature you still consider a monster .
    I screwed up my lips in his direction. The “amused” part was quite evident in his voice. More than any honor or appreciation. “Whatever! Fine!” I turned away, ready to storm off, but not sure where I’d storm off to. There was just as good a chance Dad had gone down to the main stable, hoping I’d be there, as staying in the house and hoping I’d come back. And I was still grounded. Just coming to the stables without parental permission was breaking my grounding rules. I didn’t care. As far as I was concerned, Dad had just broken some major parenting rules.
    I didn’t mean to offend. You really must be careful what oaths you take—particularly with fey .
    Of course, he had to have a point and be annoyingly right. Then, another thought hit me. “Wait, you know rules about faerie and stuff!”
    He didn’t even bother to put his response into words.
    â€œOkay, maybe you can help with part of the problem.”
    Go on .
    â€œSo Tom had me do this astral projection thingy last night, and we went to a faerie meeting, and they said an Unseelie had, like, applied to move in, and they didn’t think they were going to permit him. They wanted my family to swear allegiance to help them, so they could use you, but I said I had to talk to my parents first, and I’m supposed to get back to Lord Cadmus and Lady Fana, but now I can’t, and even if I could, I don’t know what swearing an allegiance means, and I don’t know what is going to happen.”
    Ermie raised his head and took one step back from me. After another lick and chew, he responded, Blood and brine, child, permit me access to at least what you are thinking in regards to whatever you’re havering on about because I am not even sure what your spoken words have said .
    I scowled at him. “I’d rather not, please? Just—just…what would swearing an allegiance to Lady Fana and Lord Cadmus against a cheesed-off Unseelie entail? And would that hurt you?”
    The kelpie sighed, lowering his head again. He gave a shake that started from his nose and wiggled down to his tail. Most simply, that you each would promise to share all of your available resources, including me, obviously, to protect each other and each other’s lands. Most likely, there would be some clause or agreement that would leave you, your family, and me—as I belong to you and would be a resource—at a disadvantage unless you are very, very careful .
    â€œSo, we shouldn’t? Swear alliance or allegiance or whatever, then?”
    He half-pinned his ears and wrinkled around his nose. You would then be without their protection against a possible attack from an Unseelie. You have me, and I will protect as you command. But, if it is a large contingent, as fast as I am, I can only be in one place at a time .
    â€œI…” I tried to remember what I could from last night. “Tom said