Free My Soul to Take by Amy Sumida

thank you.
    “And she knows how to make an entrance,” I chuckled. “Hey, Faerie, come to watch Rian fall out a window?”
    That and admire your beautiful grown sons.
    “Hey, I don't know if I like you slobbering over my sons,” I growled.
    “She's slobbering over us?” Vali chuckled and elbowed the silent Vidar. “Faerie thinks we're hot.”
    Vidar just gave Vali a blank stare.
    They're beautiful, you should be proud.
    “First of all, I had Vidar in another life, so his beauty has nothing to do with my current body,” I snapped. “And secondly, Vali is adopted. He's mine through love not blood, so the same applies to him.”
    “I love you too, Mom,” Vali kissed my cheek and my irritation receded to a simmer.
    “Faerie talks to you?” Kaitlin's eyes went wide. “The land can speak?”
    “She's the consciousness of the land,” I explained while Faerie laughed in my head.
    The land can speak? She chortled.
    “Shut up,” I ground out under my breath. “She's human... mostly.”
    Oh please, it's not like she can hear me.
    “Yeah, alright, whatever,” I rolled my eyes.
    “Mom, it's so weird when you talk to her,” Vali observed. “You look like a crazy person.”
    Vidar nodded and Dexter stopped fidgeting long enough to stare down my sons.
    “Thanks, Dex but they're just teasing me,” I laughed and gave him a quick scratch. “You know I feel crazy sometimes, with all the voices in my head.”
    “I think that's actually a symptom of insanity,” Vidar said with all seriousness.
    “I don't care how big you are,” I pointed a finger in his face. “I'm strong enough to take you over my knee and give you a good spanking.”
    Dexter huffed in agreement.
    Ooooo, can I help?
    “Faerie, I'm about to use a nasty word with you,” I narrowed my eyes.
    “Queen Vervain,” Fearghal came up to me and I saw Kaitlin take a step back. The red cap Captain of the Goblin Guard could be a bit intimidating. “The King is ready. Vidar! Vali! Good to see you two,” Fearghal fist-bumped them both.
    Roarke had taught Fearghal the gesture and it had become his new casual greeting. Unfortunately, receiving a fist-bump from a red cap could be more of an attack than a howdy-do. There'd been dazed goblins all over the castle for weeks until Fearghal learned to control the power of his bump. But my boys were gods and they probably could have taken a full-strength Fearghal fist-bump.
    “Thank you, Fearghal,” I glanced at the wide-eyed Kaitlin. “You remember Thor?”
    “Oh yes. Greetings, Thunder God,” Fearghal held his fist out to Thor. Thor lifted his brows but obligingly tapped his fist to Fearghal's. It was best to not disappoint a red cap.
    “And this is Kaitlin,” I waved a hand to Kaitlin. “She was Ull's girlfriend and she's come to meet Brevyn. Kaitlin, this is Fearghal, he's the red cap Captain... red cap Cap'n,” I paused to laugh. “Why have I never put that together? Red cap Cap-tain, that's funny and kind of hard to say,” of course no one laughed, though Vali did smile at me indulgently. “Anyway, he's the Captain of my Goblin Guard.”
    “Ull's girl friend?” Fearghal frowned, his furry brows furrowing over his bulbous nose, and Kaitlin started to tremble. “Oh! Brevyn's lady? Welcome, Miss,” Fearghal gave Kaitlin a bow, bringing his crusty, blood-soaked cap into her line of sight. “We heard about you. Didn't expect you so soon.”
    “Um,” Kaitlin took a hesitant step forward and cleared her throat. “Thank you, Sir Fearghal.”
    “Sir?” Fearghal blinked in confusion.
    “Oh!” Kaitlin got flustered. “I mean Captain! Captain Fearghal.”
    I shared an amused look with Vali.
    “Um, you're welcome, Miss Kaitlin,” Fearghal cleared his throat (which for a red cap sounds something like a chainsaw starting).
    “Sir Fearghal!” Roarke came up to us laughing, which made his son, Hunter, start laughing too. Roarke tossed the child up in the air and caught the giggling fire-cat toddler