Too late

Friends in high places

Haley's pov

"Haley darling, this is my cousin Mitchel," Hillery introduced me to a man in his thirties with light red hair and a square formed face. He smiled politely and held out a hand for me to shake. "Mitchel this is Haley Wright, the guard I told you about," she told him and he nodded.

"Yes, I have heard a lot of great things about you Haley. Is it true you made your first kills before even graduating?" He asked curiously and I had to hold back a snarky comment and smile politely instead.

"Yes, but it really sounds more impressing than it was." Everyone was always so interested in my accomplishment when in reality I had just been lucky. If Jack had been just a second later those two werewolves would have eaten me alive.

"Oh Haley, don't be so humble, today is about making yourself look good," Hillery told me with a light touch on my shoulder. I looked down at my champagne-colored silk blouse, tight pencil skirt, and high heels.

"I thought I did that already?" I mumbled and she laughed.

"Yes dear, and you are stunning, but these people want to hear your résumé, and since most of it is undocumented it doesn't hurt to brag." She turned back to Mitchel, "Haley is probably the youngest guard ever to have so many kills! Did you know she participated in the battle at La Croix too?" Mitchel nodded impressed.

"Yes I heard, the first battle star to be given in a long time. I must say, it is very impressive, but why haven't you been given an assignment yet? You sound fully qualified to be protecting some of the most influenced people." Hillery tensed, hoping he wouldn't have brought that up. I did too but to my own surprise, I didn't even flinch.

Instead, I smiled a tight fake smile and told him: "I had an accident a few years ago, it took some time to regain my full abilities again, and the headquarter thought it was a bad idea to put me back before I was back to a hundred percent." It wasn't a lie, I had been in an accident and it had taken some time to get my strength back, just not the years he thought.

He bought it however and nodded seriously. "But you are completely retrained now?"

I smiled glad he didn't dig into it. "Better than before." That was true too, I had definitely learned a few things at Skt. Croix.

He nodded satisfied with my answer and smiled politely. "Well, I will be putting in a request for you Haley, I don't think I will meet a more qualified candidate," he told me then excused himself.

"Very good!" Hillery praised me, before dragging me along to the next person she wanted to introduce me to.

"That was the seventh request today and news like that spread! I promise you, Haley, you can pick any assignment you want after today. You have done very well!" She said but then I spotted Tristan at the end wall talking to some far-off cousin, I assume.

I stopped and took her hand from my arm holding it a moment while thanking her. "Thank you, Hillery, so much for helping me out with this, but I think I will already have a hard time deciding as it is, so if it is alright I would like to talk with Tristan?"

She looked taken aback but smiled and nodded squeezing my hand. "Yes of course and Haley? I know what I said before… everything but if you want to be with my son, then I won't stand in your way."

I blinked at her surprised. Hillery had never been unpleasant, but she had never been discreet about the fact that she didn't expect me to be the mother of her grandchildren. I think her exact words were 'high school-floozie. "Thank you, Hillery, really, but why the change of heart?"

She shrugged but bit her lip nervously. It might have been the first time I saw her bite her lip. "I saw him after he got the news… I don't know how you feel, Haley, but it is clear to me he loves you dearly. Now go, you have done well today." She turned me around and gave me a small push in Tristan's direction. I went over and slipped my hand under his arm without interrupting their conversation. He looked down at me in wonder.

"Princess," he breathed then looked over to where I had been with Hillery. "Is my mother done with you?" he asked with a crooked smile. I nodded sending him my man-eater smile.

"Yeah, this is really nice of her though. I would probably just have gotten a random assignment far off, but now I think I might have some options."

He grinned. "Really? I sort of hoped you would shock them all, so you'd have no choice but accept when I put in a request for you," he joked and winked and I swatted his arm.

"What would you need a guard for? You never leave protected grounds?"

He smiled like a Cheshire cat. "Oh, but that is because I don't have a strong guard like you to keep me safe. If I had you guarding my back, then I suppose I could go anywhere, couldn't I?" I couldn't figure out if he was joking, so I laughed anyway and took his arm.

"Come on, I think I've been here long enough for us to leave now," I told him and he agreed.

"We need to say goodbye to my mother first," he told me when I skipped to the door. I wanted to groan but he was right, after all, Hillery just pulled me a huge favor. He spotted her quickly and dragged me with him.

"Mother." He announced and she turned around, taking us in with a wide smile.

"We will be leaving now, I am afraid we have other people to meet," he told her kindly and hugged her briefly.

She smiled with a knowing look that I didn't really like. "Of course, it was wonderful to see you, love." She turned to me and I stepped forward to put a hand on her shoulder before she could bid me goodbye.

"Thank you again, I really appreciate all of this," I told her sincerely and she just smiled and gave me a small hug.

"No trouble Haley, it was great to see you again. Now skip off you two, there is no reason for you to be around us boring old people," she chatted and we didn't need to be told twice. With one last wave in her direction, we left to get our coats from the housekeeper and went out into the mild afternoon.

"So Princess, where to now?"

"I don't know, got a couple of hours before Calvin is going to be here. Guess you got me all to yourself."

He smiled but sent me a weird look. "Calvin? Is that someone I should know about?" He asked a bit jealous.

I couldn't help but laugh. Why did everyone think Calvin and I was a thing? "No, absolutely not. He just helped me train and we've become friends nothing more." He didn't look convinced but let it slip.

"So that is the plan now? No more crazy adventures, just boring work life?" He asked curiously and shrugged. I hadn't really thought about it but the thought appealed to me and scared the crap out of me at the same time.

"I guess? I don't know but I somehow doubt my life is ever going to be boring." He made a small noise of agreement then suddenly out of nowhere placed his arm around me and changed direction.

"Where are we going?"

He shook his head. "Somewhere you have never been."

***

Somewhere I had never been, turned out to be a bar. It was quiet as it was still noon for most people, but Tristan apparently didn't have that inner restraint on his drinking habits. He ordered us two spiced hot chocolates and took me out to an outdoor table.

"By the way, my parents have invited us for brunch tomorrow," I told him as casually as I could.

He looked at me amused. "Really? Brunch with your hippie-mom and Wallstreet-dad? Where did I sign up to get such a pleasure?"

I signed with despondency. "I am asking myself the same question, but you have to come – she asked Alishia and Kian too, and Alisha is always bringing Jack around with her, so you have to be there for moral support!" I warned him, an underlying treat of what I would do to him if he didn't come.

He laughed and held up his hands. "Relax Princess, I am not missing out on a chance to eat brunch with you and your family, but why am I invited?"

I shrugged. "My dad seems to like you or something. Don't ask just accept his weird affection."

He laughed then frowned. "What is wrong?" I asked him confused.

He shook his head. "Nothing."

I sighed. "Oh come on! Tell me?! You've never been one to keep things from me!" He shook his head.

"No, really, I was just thinking – shouldn't Jack be with his family, now that they have come all this way?" I realized I hadn't given the Donnovicks a thought since the airport.

"I guess. What is your point?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, do I need a point?"

I shrugged as well. "Guess not." I took a sip of the chocolate and winched at the taste of liquor. "What is the clock?" I asked, suddenly remembering Calvin.

Tristan pulled out his phone and frowned. "One AM."

I sighed relieved and fell back in my chair. "Great. Calvin won't be here before three. Tristan!"

He held up the cigarette he just lit. "What?! We are outside!" I grumbled knowing he had a point.

He smirked at me. "You know, one of these days you'll start too. It is just a matter of stress!"

I tried to raise a brow but it just ended up as a grimace. "When have you ever been stressed?" I asked him doubtfully. Little fairy boy hadn't had a day of hard work in his life. Ever the laid-back type, I don't think Tristan had ever given anything a second thought.

He smirked and did a dramatic gesture.

"Do you think being me comes without commitment? I am hurt! My life isn't just lying in a bed of roses – wish it was," he winked at me and I grimaced. No matter how little I liked to admit it, Tristan had the same flair for good comebacks I had.

"Whatever."

He smirked and took a long drag. "You love me. And one of these days, you'll know it too, it is just a matter of stress," he joked and I rolled my eyes.

***

"Hi, Rose!" A cheerful voice startled me. I looked at the owner of the voice suspiciously.

"Kian…" He smiled. It looked weird on him.

"So, where are you heading this afternoon?" He asked still cheerfully.

"I was actually waiting for..."

"Yo Wright!" Calvin came over and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Who is your friend?" He asked and I narrowed my eyes at Kian who wore a smug smirk. Something was up.

"Kian Kennedy," He introduced himself holding out his hand for Calvin to take.

Calvin that oblivious fool smirked and took it. "Calvin Mercury, great to meet you, I've heard a few things." Kian's eyes whipped to me in shock.

"Not a word!" I promised, holding up my hands in surrender.

Calvin chuckled. "True, she hasn't. One of my students did, her name is Jennifer, she said you showed her a few tricks?" I had seen Jennifer a few times while I was at the academy. She was a sweet kid, very enthusiastic, and very obsessed with being tough. She made me show her a few tricks, plus talk to her while her friends watched. I think it earned her some coolness points to be on a first-name basis with a legend. Jen had a specialty for fire energy, the same Kian did, but she was better with electricity. Kian looked surprised and, dared I say, a little bit touched?

"Jen is still practicing? I haven't heard from her in some time."

Calvin smirked. "Well she has become pretty badass, for a fairy anyway, but she said she learned most of it from you."

Kian shone with pride. "Well she probably figured a lot out on her own, but yeah, I introduced her to it." He scratched his neck.

"Cool, we should spare someday. I'd like to see what you fragile little fairies can do," Calvin joked, and Kian looked unhappy to be called a fragile fairy.

I sighed, boys! "Anyways, was there anything you wanted Kian?" Kian looked like someone who just got caught and hadn't thought of a backup plan but Calvin rescued him.

"Hi, why don't you come to hang out with us?"

Kian lit up like a kid at Christmas. "Sure! What do you guys do?"

I realized I didn't have an answer for that, and neither did Calvin apparently, cause he looked at me questioningly. "Uhm, well we usually train together then go somewhere to talk."

I couldn't help but giggle. "It is a lot like high school actually. We just found somewhere to hang. Well, sometimes we brought liquor and pretended we had to hide it," I explained and Kian looked a bit disappointed. Did he expect us to throw each other around like warriors all day?

"Oh cool, well where do you go now?"

We looked at each other again, realizing we hadn't thought this through. "Uhm, how about the park?" I suggested and Calvin winched.

"Too exposed, can't we go to your room?"

I shook my head. "No, it is a mess and it is in the guest housing. It feels weird." He didn't push the topic and I was glad. I felt some kind of protectiveness about my room.

"We could go my place," Kian suddenly offered. I shrugged.

"Sure, sounds good, we should pick up some stuff to eat first, though." We picked up chips and beer and let Kian lead the way to his place. Turns out Kian had a townhouse in the middle of the court – who would have known?

"This is really your place?" I asked in wonder, admiring the high, decorated ceiling.

"Aurora's and mine actually. It belonged to my grandparents, then my father and Aurora inherited it, and then me."

I nodded, the important families had lots of properties scattered around, but I somehow never considered Kian and Aurora owning a townhouse. It made sense trough, Aurora was often at court and now Kian lived here. Of course, they held on to the house!

"It is nice, I understand why you held onto it."

He quicked up at the compliment and lead us up the stairs. I gasped when we reached the top floor. They had made the celling out of glass, so we were looking straight up into the star-covered sky. There was arranged some kind of oasis with fancy pillows and divas and a fake pond in the middle of the room with different plants to give it a garden-like feeling.

"You like it?" Kian asked smug, knowing how impressive it was. All I could do was nod dumbfoundedly.

"Damn mate," Calvin found words when I couldn't. "This is pretty awesome."

Kian again shone with pride. "Thanx. Aurora told me to do something, so it would be more personal - less like what my parents did with it." His eyes got distant for a brief moment. "So, I used a bit of my inheritance and got this done. Most of the ceiling was made already – my grandfather liked to spot stars."

I finally found my tongue. "It is beautiful Kian, looks like a desert night."

He smirked. "That is big words coming from you, Haley. But come on, I don't want to talk about my renovation all day! Take a seat and I'll get us something to drink." It was weird seeing Kian as a host, but it fitted him somehow.

An elbow in my side brought me out of my thoughts. "Wright, you can stop looking after his butt, it is out of sight anyway," Calvin joked, and I glared at him and grimaced.

"Kian's butt? Does he have one?" I asked trying to sound truly surprised. Unfortunately, ten years of P.E together gave me a pretty good idea of Kian's butt, but I tried to suppress it.