Chapter 131 - The Thorns

Cordell and Foster met for breakfast for one last conversation before the read-headed fairy would make his way over to the daunting home of the Thorns to meet with Mrs. Thorn.

Cordell was nervous. He wanted so badly to do this for his wife. Trying to ease the tension a little he asked his new friend about his phone call home. "Were you able to talk to your family last night?"

The man couldn't help the sad smile that formed on his face and looked at his plate. "Yes. My wife was upset but I told her I was helping out a friend and would be home tomorrow. Then she told me that my boss called. If I am not back tomorrow, my job will not be waiting on me."

Cordell swallowed back his nerves. The last thing he wanted was for his newfound friend to lose his job. "You don't have to do this. I told you..."

Foster cut him off, "No. I told you I would do this and I will - but if she won't see me or you there is nothing more I can do."

"Before you leave, I have one more question. My son, he has inherited the gifts of the fae and has started to use his magic." Cordell laughed nervously. "Any tips you can give this old Genie to help with his education?"

Foster stood up to leave and was taken aback by the question. He didn't know that Cordell's son was a fairy. It was remarkable that the son of a Genie and half-fairy could produce a child with those abilities. That made him think that there was more to his new friend than met the eye. "My friend, we can talk when we get back home. I didn't know your son had inherited his grandmother's gifts. He should meet my son. It would be good for him to be around others that have the same abilities. Now, I must go or I may have nothing to return to."

Cordell was humbled, "Thank you. You truly are a good friend. God's speed."

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Foster walked to the Thorn estate. He was amazed at how magical it was.

Foster walked up the walk to the front door.  A very elegant older woman answered. He knew it must be Delia Thorn. Trying to be as polite and respectful as possible, he took a deep breath and introduced himself, "Good morning Ma'am. My name is Foster O'Malley. I traveled here from Lucky Palms and the fairy clan there to request a short audience with one Mrs. Delia Thorn."

Delia stuck her hand out to shake the man's hand and knew through their touch that he was what he claimed, a fairy, and she had nothing to fear from him, "Pleased to meet your acquaintance Mr. O'Malley. Delia Thorn. You may call me Dee. What brings you all this way?"

"My pleasure, Mrs...uh Dee. I am here on behalf of a good friend of mine and his wife. He wanted me to deliver some news that may or may not be upsetting. It depends..."

"Son, please, stop beating around the bush. What is this news you traveled so far to tell me?"

Foster didn't really know how to say it except to just blurt it out. "My friend's wife is very likely your granddaughter."

Dee couldn't disguise the hurt look that crossed her face. "Mr. O'Malley, as much as I would love that to be true, that is not possible. My husband and I have no living children, much less any grandchildren that would still be living."

"Cordell, your granddaughter's husband said you might not believe me. Family is important to her. The two of them have seven children. One is a fairy."

"I need you to speak with my husband. If he agrees, we will meet with her husband. Come, I will take you to him, he is in the gardens."

Foster was terrified. Niall Thorn was a strict ruler of their clan. He didn't put up with anything. Rumors were he was ruthless. And yet the woman that was his wife was very pleasant and non-threatening even if powerful and wise.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Thorn," said Foster.

"My wife wanted me to hear you out. She said you had a story that could possible change our lives if true."

"Yes sir." Naill laughed at the younger man's nervousness which helped him to relax a bit.

"Come inside and let's sit. I want to hear your story."  Foster followed the older man into his sitting room.

"So, do tell. You are here from Lucky Palms?" said Niall.

"Yes, I am here with your granddaughter's husband. She is not aware he is here. He wanted to be sure you would welcome her before letting her know anything. He loves her very much."

"Humph! If he loves this woman so much why are you here in his stead? He's a coward. It's time for you to leave.

Foster swallowed the lump in his throat before replying. "No sir. He is not a coward but he wanted to be sure his story had a chance to be heard and didn't think you would welcome him into your home."

"Mr. Thorn, my friend is a Genie. Your granddaughter is half human and half fairy. They have 7 children and their only son is also a fairy. So I suspect my Genie friend must have some fairy blood as well or else the Thorn bloodline is quite powerful."

Niall looked at Foster in shock. "My granddaughter - if she IS my granddaughter is married to a Genie? How is this possible?"

"Sir, I am not privy to the whole story about their personal lives. I just promised my friend I would ask for you to give him a chance to discover if Delia is indeed your granddaughter."

Niall smiled. "Delia? Her name is Delia?"

"Uh, yes sir."

Niall got up and started working his magic to help him think while Foster stayed glued to his seat on the couch. Finally Niall turned to Foster and said, "Bring me this Genie. I need to see him. He was right to send you. I would not have let him past the gates."

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Foster found Cordell reading to try and calm his nerves. He began boasting as soon as he saw his new friend. "Well, Genie, looks like ol' "O'Malley pulled it off. You got yourself an audience with the most powerful fairies I have ever met. You are cordially invited to the Thorn residence to speak with none other than Niall and Delia Thorn."

Cordell just sat there with his mouth open.

"What are you sitting there for?" asked Foster, "You have been summoned!"

"Now?" asked Cordell.

"Now," said Foster as he turned to leave the room with Cordell sitting there stunned. He stopped and yelled over his shoulder, "By the way, they know about you - Genie."

Cordell called out, "Thank You!" to his friend's back then forced his legs to move and gathered his thoughts. At least he had read Adele's journals. He knew these were Delia's grandparents. He had no doubt.

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Cordell rushed to the Thorn's home built in the trees. He was so anxious to get there he forgot to walk and instead floated. Since they knew what he was, he didn't have to try to hide it, although he suspected they would have known anyway as soon as he entered their property.

Cordell rang the bell and held his breath. He didn't realize how nervous he was. He wanted this to go well and he didn't relish a meeting with Delia's grandfather. He was pure evil, but her grandmother seemed to be a gentle spirit according to Adele's journals.

Cordell's worst fears were realized when the man himself answered the door. For what seemed like an eternity the two men just stared at each other sizing up the other. Finally Niall said, "The Genie."

Cordell stuck his hand out in a greeting and introduction hoping the older man would be able to tell he had nothing to fear from him. "Thank you for agreeing to see me Sir. Cordell Shinn. Yes, a Genie but I mean you no harm."

"If I thought you would harm me or my family, you would not be here. Come inside, I want you to meet my wife too. We need to talk about my supposed 'granddaughter' that you have somehow tricked into marrying you and bearing your children."

"Sir, I love Delia. Nothing more and nothing less. I am blessed that she loves me back."

"Yes, yes...we will talk. Come inside. I need to shower before we talk, I just got off the treadmill."

A few minutes later Niall came out of the bathroom dressed in his robe. "Sorry about that and thank you for waiting. Now, I want you to meet my wife. She is convinced that your friend is telling the truth. I am amazed you even have any friends much less a fairy that vouches for you. If I so much as suspect you might start your mind control you are a dead man. Got it?"

"Of course. I would never. Delia would leave me in a heartbeat."

When Delia Thorn walked into the room, Cordell's gasped. The woman so closely resembled his wife that he felt like they could be sisters. They were most definitely related.

"What's wrong son?" asked Dee.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to stare. I didn't expect - the familial resemblance is remarkable."

Niall looked at Cordell, "Then your wife must be very beautiful if she looks anything like my Dee."



Cordell looked down, embarrassed for staring at his wife. "Yes, Delia is beautiful in mind as well as body."

Dee smiled and looked at Cordell, "Well, it seems our Genie is indeed very much in love with his wife. It's written all over his face. But you have to explain how you are married to a half fairy, even if it isn't our granddaughter."

"It's a long story. But the short version is she found the lamp where I had been imprisoned. I tricked her into freeing me. She hated me at first, but I helped her find her infant daughter that had been kidnapped in return for her freeing me. I fell in love with her while we were looking for her child and when I found her baby, I fell in love with her little girl too. Eventually I earned Delia's love. I NEVER used mind control or any kind of magic on her although at first it was tempting, but I wanted her to love me for me, not make her think she did. It wouldn't be the same. Your granddaughter has changed me forever."

"That's all well and good Genie, but that doesn't answer the question about why you think she is our granddaughter. What proof do you have?"

"Delia is able to create very powerful potions. She has been able to cure vampirism, lycanthropy and make a ghost child human again. She has also perfected a potion to extend the life of humans and even reverse aging. Your granddaughter is almost 200 years old but just gave birth to our 6th child a year ago."

Niall was not buying it. "This is ridiculous. No one can reverse or stop the aging process short of putting one into a deep sleep or "cure" as you put it, any of the occult states as you described!"

Dee calmed her husband. "Niall, let Mr. Shinn finish. If she IS our granddaughter, I am not surprised she would be talented enough to do these things. Now, Mr. Shinn, please continue. What proof have you that she is our kin?"

Talking more to Dee than Niall, Cordell continued. "Her mother left a journal. She described once having been a fairy but forced to leave home because she had become pregnant with a human man's child." He paused watching for a reaction from Dee before he continued. "She said her mother had helped her 'escape'." Then he looked at the elder man before turning back to Dee to finish, "She wrote that she feared for the life of her child and that her father had killed her unborn baby's father."

He noticed that Niall grimaced and tears began to form in Dee's eyes. "I am sorry. I know this must be painful." Then Cordell noticed the necklace that Dee was wearing. "My wife, she has the exact same heart shaped necklace that she never takes off. It was her mother's."

Dee gasped and her hands went to her chest touching the necklace. She had given it to her daughter. They were passed down from mother to daughter to signify the relationship between the two. She had given Adele one when she turned 18. Dee whispered, "I gave the mate to this one to our daughter, Adele, when she turned 18."

Then she looked at Cordell, "She was pregnant and Niall was furious with her. We both were. It, it is against fairy law to allow human's to know of our existence much less to mate with one. I saw her in the garden with him. He looked at her with the same look in his eye that you have when you talk about your wife. He loved her very much and she him. We didn't know what to do. Niall locked her in her room. He told her to forget about Newt - she would never see him again then stripped her of her wings to punish her for violation of the laws. I helped her escape that night. I didn't want her to have to live in shame."

Dee threw her hands in the air in a prayer of thanks. "Thank the Heavens our granddaughter has been returned to us!"

Then she threw her arms around Cordell in a bear hug.  "We want to see her. I need to see her. And there is another person that would give his right arm to see her as well, her father."

"What? He's not dead? How is that?"

"Deep sleep my dear."

"We looked for 20 years before he gave up and he has been under a sleeping spell ever since. He will want to meet his daughter. But it will take a while to reverse the spell. It has been a very long time."

Dee finally released Cordell. "Before you decide to come and meet Delia, there are things you should know about our children. They are unique to put it mildly. Our oldest, the child I rescued, is a witch. Her father was a witch and she is now married to a witch. Our twin girls have each married a vampire and a werewolf with both choosing to be Turned by their mates. Three of our other girls are like me, Genies. And our only son, he is like you. A Fairy. It took Delia a long time to come to terms with the occult as she was born human, a very special human. She naturally attracted supernaturals to her and wound up married to a number of them over the years. These are not HER only children but they are our children. Her other children are likely deceased by now as she has moved around the world trying to take care of her children and protect them using the aging potion to do so. So you see, I am not her first husband, but I do plan to be her last. You will have to be ready to accept us all or I will leave here and you will never see or hear from us again nor will you be able to find us."

"Cordell, there is no need to threaten us." Then she looked at her husband daring him to say anything, "We accept our granddaughter and her entire family as they are our family too." Then she laughed, "Who would believe it. I am hugging a Genie - mortal enemies of fairies. Only Adele's daughter could have made this happen. When do we leave?"

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