As they lay there, catching their breath, they clung to each other, with the ease and comfort of long-time lovers, despite their short association.  When they’d recovered, Maeve glanced over at Shane, seeing a slight frown on her face and a very distant look in her emerald, amber and gold eyes.

“What is bothering you, dear child?”

She sighed, focusing back on Maeve’s face.  “Will it only be this good with you…or with another sidhe?”

Maeve shook her head.  “I cannot really say, Shane.  In my experience, being with another sidhe is so…beyond all others.  All other humans anyway.  I have no experiences with other races to share with you.  But I do know that it can be magical in its own way, when you are in love, regardless of race and mortality.”  She contemplated her friend.  “You have never been is love?”

“I…I dunno…I thought I was, once…but now…I’m not sure,” she looked confused.

“If you’re not sure, then I am sure that you were not.  If you had been, you would know.  Not only that, but, as powerful as you are, something would have manifested itself if you had ever let your walls down enough to feel true love.”

“Well, yesterday, there was this babe…and I…well, you know…”

Maeve smirked, “And…?”

“Well…it was a little different.  I think she must have something extra, too.  Not just plain human…’cause she had these really cool tattoos, and they felt really…electric.  Kinda sparky…like us, that first time…”

“Hmm…that is a very interesting development,” she mused.  “Do you know the origin of her power?  Is she aware of it?”

“She said something about her father being a Mayan medicine man.  It’s gotta be from him, but she never knew him, so I don’t think she knows about it.”

“Well, I think you should still be very careful with her.  At this point, it could be very dangerous to make any assumptions.  You might consider keeping it superficial with her, at least until you know more about her.”

“OK.  I’m not really ready for anything more right now, anyway,” Shane stated.  “What was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Ahh…yes, I wanted to ask you a bit more about your father.  We might find out a great deal about your powers if we know who he is.”

Shane sat up abruptly, pulling on her clothes, her face expressionless as she shuttered her tri-colored eyes with glamour, hiding the glow under her skin as well.  It was almost eerie for Maeve to see how well she shielded herself for someone so young, by faerie standards.

“I…he…” she started haltingly.  Taking a deep breath, she shook her head and suddenly, the words burst out of her.  “I never knew him…My mom said he was just a one night stand.  All I know is that he called himself Ash, and according to her, he was insanely beautiful.  I don’t think she ever really got over him…used to talk about him all the time, even though they only met once.  She’d get this…weird, dreamy look on her face every time I asked about him and then she’d go on these week-long benders—drinking and drugs, so I didn’t ask more than a few times.  So I…just don’t know anything about him.  When I was a little older, about 8 or 9, I remember, she’d say that I looked a lot like him, but it just…made her seem sad and depressed.  So that’s when she started going away for a while—for longer and longer stretches of time, leaving me behind with friends or neighbors…or alone, until CPS finally came and put me in foster care.”  She sat on the ground, her legs pulled in tight, her chin resting on the worn knees of her jeans.

Maeve sat up and pulled on her robe as she listened to Shane’s story.  As she finished, Maeve wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into a comforting embrace.  “I am sorrowed by your suffering,” she began.  “In faerie culture, children are so rare…such a blessing, that they are rarely, if ever, abandoned.  I cannot imagine that your father, whoever he is, would do so if he knew of your existence.  There are ways…I will look into them…we shall find out his identity.”

“It doesn’t really matter to me anymore,” Shane replied gruffly.  “If you find out something that’ll help me, that’s cool.  But otherwise, don’t sweat it.”

“Alright Shane,” she agreed gently.  “It is time for me to contact the Princess.”