The Glass Scepter

by Bekah Harris

  After dragging Odhran’s body into the secret passage and leaving it there for the rats, Teagan hurried off in the opposite direction to the family vaults. Not many Fae in Odhran’s family had been buried within the castle, since Fae were immortal unless killed, but there were a few. Thanks to Odhran’s misplaced trust in her, she also knew that there were secret portals there that not even Padraic knew about. It was how Alena managed to sneak back and forth so easily between Winter and Unseelie. Now, Teagan would use them once more to find her sister.

  Slaine hadn’t been answering her messages. She knew her sister had received them. She had paid the Seelie Court Brownie, Ludlow, handsomely for the task. But there had never been any reply. Teagan shook her head as she wandered through the maze of ancient bones. Slaine had every reason to act with caution. Endellion may have made an Incorruptible Vow with Alena, but if it came down to Bear’s happiness or Endellion’s life, the Seelie Queen wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice herself. But in her current condition, Slaine’s future security rested in the healthy delivery of a Seelie Prince. Just before the end of her life, Alena had confessed her worry that Slaine had fallen in love with Bear.

  Maybe she had, the stupid little fool.

  But when it came down to it, Slaine and Teagan were both their mother’s daughters, and blood was always more powerful than love.

  With a smile, Teagan approached the vault at the very end of the dark corridor. She pressed the latch and the stone wall slid away, allowing her to step inside. Odhran’s great great grandfather stood upright in the vault, the empty sockets of his skull unable to see or know how she had betrayed his grandson.

  “Why so serious?” she asked, as she passed by his fully intact skeleton.

  In the back of the vault, the tall standing stone towered above her, its power humming like buzzing bees. Smiling, she closed her eyes and pictured Slaine’s room inside the Seelie Castle. Last time she had paid her sister a visit, she hadn’t been there. This time, Teagan was hoping for better luck.

  She felt the energy pull her forward, calling to her. When she placed her hands on the stone, she fell through time and space, the magical energy tearing through her like electricity. Finally, the buzzing stopped. When she opened her eyes, she was standing in Slaine’s fireplace flue. Her sister, hearing the rippling of energy, startled up from her resting position on the bed.

  Teagan stepped from the portal, eying Slaine.

  “Hello, sister,” Teagan said. “I trust you are well?”

  Chapter Twelve

  Bear stopped outside Slaine’s door and raised his hand to knock.

  He froze just before his knuckles were about to rap against the ornate wood. He heard voices inside. The memory of his conversation with Ardan replayed in his mind. Doubt washed over him. Closing his eyes and reaching out with his Fae senses, he listened.

  “What are you doing here? You can’t be here. Get out before someone sees you.”

  Slaine’s voice sounded panicked. Bear’s initial instinct was to burst through the door, yet he lingered outside.

  “What’s the matter, sister? Aren’t you happy to see me?”

  “Of course not,” Slaine hissed. “Mother is gone. I’m happy here. I simply wish to be left alone.”

  “I think maternity has gone to your head and weakened your resolve. It’s our duty to see this through.”

  “See what through?” Slaine asked.

  “Did you receive my letters?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you bother to read them?”

  “Of course not. I have a place here. I have a life. I can’t risk that, I won’t risk that, for your delusions. I tossed them in the fire as soon as Ludlow handed them over.”

  “You weren’t even the least bit curious what I’ve been up to?”

  “No. I haven’t been. I’m with child. I have responsibilities now. I want you to go.”

  “I’m not going anywhere until you hear me.”

  So Ardan had been wrong. Slaine hadn’t betrayed them. She wasn’t in league with her vicious sister. Teagan had been acting alone. If Bear lingered, he might get more information, but he couldn’t put his child at risk any longer.

  He burst through the door without knocking.

  Slaine stood in the middle of the room, folding her arms protectively around her protruding belly. Teagan stood in front of the fireplace, smirking.

  “Your white knight has arrived just in time,” Teagan said. “How long do you think he stood outside the door, listening? Testing your loyalty? Or did you know that all along?”

  “What is it you want, Teagan?” Bear demanded. “I have about a dozen guards on their way to this room, so you’d better explain yourself immediately.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “Then, I won’t tell the Seelie guards to play nice.”

  She watched him coolly from across the room, not looking the least bit concerned. “Loyal Barrett, always so honorable. Do you think Slaine is in love with you? Do you think her capable or anything but malice and spite? Look at her. She’s so lovely, especially now with that maternal glow. But is she truly loyal to you? Or is she getting rid of me while she plays out her own game? Or is she neck-deep right along with me in Alena’s ultimate end game?”

  “Don’t listen to her, Barrett,” Slaine said. “She’s lying. She’s trying to get inside your head.”

  It was working.

  “Slaine isn’t capable of loving anything, probably not even her own child. It’s just a means to an end. A way to secure her safety until she can seat herself on the Seelie throne. I’d sleep with one eye open if I were you.”

  “Shut up,” Bear said. “And tell me what you’re up to. Tell me about the black butterfly you gave to Ivy.”

  “How do you know about the gifts Ivy received for her graduation? Still holding onto that spark for her? How pathetic.”

  “Ardan told me about your alliance with the creatures of the dark. What are you planning now?”

  “Tell me, Barrett, does it pain you to think of Ivy? Of the way she shivers when Ardan touches her? When you think of the bed they share and what they do when no one is watching?”

  Bear ground his teeth together. Images of Ivy tangled together with Ardan flashed through his mind. Anger rose just as quickly. He fought against it, refusing to play Teagan’s game. She would try to turn him and Slaine against each other, and it wasn’t going to work.

  “Who are you allied with? The Brags? The Laltogs? Both?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She hesitated a moment more until she heard the footsteps of the guard thudding down the hall. “It’s been eye-opening,” Teagan said, “but I’m afraid I can’t linger. So much to do.” She stepped backward, still facing them, and ducked into the fireplace. With a mocking wave, she disappeared.

  A moment too late, the guards stormed into the room. Bear glared at them.

  “Perfect timing,” he said. “You just missed her.”

  Slaine shot him a scathing look and turned her back to them. Bear went to her, gently taking her by the elbow.

  “Let’s go to my room where we can be alone,” he said. “The guards will probably be here for a while, trying to figure out how Teagan got past our wards.”

  Once they were in the hallway, Bear offered her his arm, and clasped his free hand over hers.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Tired,” Slaine said. “Swollen.”

  “You look beautiful,” Bear said. And he meant it. Something about her had changed. Maybe it was the extra weight. Maybe it was the “glow” of motherhood women always talked about. But her face was less shadowed and gaunt that it had been six months ago. She was rounder, fuller. More serene. Or, at least, she seemed to be.

  “You believe her, don’t you?” Slaine asked. “You think I’m working with her.”

  Bear stopped in front of his door and opened it wide, standing aside to allow her inside. She walked in and settled on the bed.

  “If I re
ally thought that, you’d already be in shackles.”

  “The mother of your child? That’s harsh.”

  “That is life,” Bear said. “I would like to know if this is the first time you’ve seen her or had any correspondence with before now.”

  “She did send me several letters. I never opened them, though.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t want to know what she’s up to. I don’t want to be any part of it. And I didn’t want you to find out because I knew you would be angry with me.”

  Bear sighed. “You didn’t want me to be angry with you, so you deliberately kept important information from me? Information I’ve needed for months. “

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “Really and truly.”

  Bear was about to press her again when the sound of her growling stomach interrupted them. Slaine played off the sound with an embarrassed laugh, but Bear smiled.

  “Come on. Let’s get you something to eat.”

  Slaine smiled and walked past him.

  Bear followed, more confused than ever. He had already doubted Slaine’s loyalty if he was being honest. Ardan had only deepened that sense of doubt. And now, with Teagan’s visit and her divisive speech, Bear was less certain of Slaine’s motives than he had ever been. Maybe his mother was right. Maybe she was using his kindness to her advantage.

  But with Ivy’s life threatened, he couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Padraic paced inside his father’s chamber. He’d been exiled for months and had never once made any attempt to escape.

  Why now?

  Padraic checked the clock on the wall that ticked away the seconds. He was supposed to meet Juliet and escort her to the Summer Wedding. There would be all varieties of judgment she would have to face because of her humanity and her close relationship to him, and he didn’t want to bear any of it alone. And yet, there was no help for it. He had to deal with this.

  “When was the last time you checked in on him?” Padraic demanded. “I thought my orders were explicit. The guards are to check on him every thirty minutes of every hour, day or night.”

  “Beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but unless these logs are forged, the guards have been doing just that.”

  Padraic tore the parchment from the guard’s hand and examined them. There were no rounds missing, nothing undocumented.

  “Well, something happened between the last check and the most current one,” Padraic snapped. “I want every area of this castle and beyond examined. I want him found, dead or alive. He can’t be trusted. For all we know, he’s the one behind the black butterfly. He’s the one raising the Hellhounds and Red Caps against Princess Ivy.” He gave the guard a pointed look. “No guard goes on leave until my father is found. Understood?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” the guard said. “We will find him.”

  Padraic stormed out of the room, slamming it behind him. Where was Odhran, and more to the point, what was he up to?

  Fear gnawed at Padraic’s nerves as he attempted to wrap his mind around his father’s sudden disappearance. Had he ventured into the Unseelie mines and gotten lost or trapped or worse? Or was there a more sinister reason for his disappearance?

  Until he had answers, Padraic needed to get to Juliet. She was with Ivy, and Ivy was under threat. That meant no one, including Juliet, would be safe until the threat had been contained. He grabbed his invitation and ran down the hall.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Are you sure it’s not…well…too much?” Ivy asked.

  She stared into the three-way mirror at her reflection—one she barely recognized.

  “You’re as hot as a hooker at a Sunday sermon,” Jules declared.

  Ivy groaned. “Yes, it’s the ‘hooker’ part that concerns me.”

  Lyric had ordered the dress be made to her exact specifications for the occasion in question, but Ivy was not comfortable in the gauzy layers worn by the Summer Fae. True, she was about to attend Violet’s wedding to King Damarion, but she still felt naked, even though Madra and Nareena had assured her that nothing scandalous would be showing through the crepe-like layers of silver fabric.

  “Lighten up,” Jules said. “Your mother is the epitome of classy. She wouldn’t tell you to wear something if it was going to be shocking. Besides, I’m more likely to draw disapproving looks and whispers than you. My dress is ten times skimpier than yours, and I’m human. Ten bucks says I’ll be denied entrance before even knocking on the door.”

  Ivy shrugged. It was true. Lyric was modest to a fault, and even she had dressed for the occasion, telling Ivy it would be rude to attend a formal Summer event in their typical Winter fashions. Jules looked the part, too. Her dress was more risque. It was a smoky lilac color draped over her pale skin and dipping low to reveal her pierced bellybutton with only two scraps of purple gauze covering up her “girls.”

  “My boobs look awesome, though,” Jules said, turning to the side.

  Ivy rolled her eyes. “Are you ready?”

  “But of course, darhling,” Jules said. “Where’s Unseelie Romeo? Isn’t he usually here before now?”

  Ivy smiled, thinking of Ardan.

  “You’re blushing!” Jules said. “I take it married life is better than you imagined?”

  Ivy threw a brush at her, which she narrowly dodged, just as she heard a rap at the door.

  “I suspect that would be your gentleman caller,” Jules teased.

  Ivy shot Jules a look, glancing in the mirror before smoothing her dress. Lochlan opened the door, and, seeing her, gave her an approving smile before announcing Ardan, which seemed completely pointless, considering they shared the room. But when Ardan walked in, examining her from her toes to her head, it felt like he had never seen her before, like he was noticing her all over again for the first time. An electric thrill shot through her body, filling her with a liquid warmth that made her feel sexy and shy all at the same time.

  “Your Highness,” Ardan said, his eyes glinting wickedly. He approached, dropped to one knee before her, and took her hand. “I am ever your dutiful servant.”

  Then, with a wink, he turned Ivy’s hand over bringing his nose to the delicate skin of her wrist, inhaling slowly before planting a kiss right in the center. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. Though she and Ardan had struggled to get along when they had first met, physical attraction had never been a struggle.

  “You look positively scandalous,” he said. Then, as if he hadn’t noticed her before, Ardan slid his eyes toward Jules, raising his brows. “And just wait until my brother gets an eyeful of you.”

  “You always know just what I want to hear,” Jules said, checking out her boobs in the mirror one last time before they left.

  Ardan offered his arms to them. “I shall be the envy of this wedding. I don’t know how anyone will even notice poor Violet with the two of you in the room.”

  Though she didn’t say so, considering Ardan had enough self-confidence for three people, he was gorgeous. He typically chose dark colors, as was customary for an Unseelie Prince, but since his marriage to Ivy, he had taken to wearing silvers, charcoals, and navy blue to adhere to the norms in Winter. But today, he wore white, more the traditional style of the males of Summer. White pants with a white gauzy shirt pulled together by a white doublet embroidered with silver vines and held together with the most beautiful silver buttons Ivy had ever seen. He wore the black leather riding boots most of the Seelie males wore, and Ivy was shocked to realize that, even with the old-fashioned style of the Summer Court, Ardan looked more handsome than she had ever seen him. She was so pale, she rarely dared to wear full white, but against Ardan’s olive green skin, the white made him look like a rakish hero from the cover of some regency romance novel.

  “So, isn’t anyone going to compliment me on how pleasing I am to the eyes tonight?” he asked.

  Jules and Ivy both groaned, which elicited a laugh from Ardan.

  “Fine,�
�� he said. “I’ll just have to dance with myself tonight.” Then, he pulled a note from inside his doublet. “I have been instructed to give you this note. I already took the liberty of reading it in an effort to obtain blackmail should I ever need it, but all it says is that Padraic is dealing with an urgent matter and will meet us at the wedding.”

  Jules plucked the note from his hand, ignoring his comment.

  “I wonder what happened,” Jules said. “I hope it’s nothing bad.”

  “Rest assured, my brother will be fine,” Ardan said. “He probably just popped a button on his doublet. I told him to avoid eating so many desserts.”

  “Trust me, Unseelie Romeo. Padraic is as chiseled as a statue,” Jules said. “And yes, I would definitely know.”

  When Ardan stopped, giving Jules a disgusted look, Ivy burst into loud peals of laughter. It was rare to ever seen anyone match Ardan’s love for shocking details at inappropriate times. With a smirk, Jules held up her hand for a high five, and Ivy slapped it.

  Lochlan followed them through the hallway that led to and from the royal bed chambers and down the winding stairs, where they met Lyric, who was a shimmering vision in a smoky blue gown that stole Ivy’s breath. She had never seen her mother look more beautiful. The gown plunged into a deep V like Jules’ dress, but where Jules was covered by two strips of loose material, Lyric’s breasts were covered by a bodice of delicate blue and silver flowers that looked almost like tattoos from a distance.

  “Mother, you look…Wow,” Ivy said.

  “Thank you, Ivy. As always, you look lovely, as well. And Jules, you look every inch a Fae tonight.”

  “Stop it,” Jules said, “You’ll make me blush.”

  As Jules prattled on, Ivy couldn’t help but notice Lochlan noticing Lyric. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of her, and she was returning his admiring stare full-force. For the first time in her life, though the situation was complicated, Ivy had a mother and father together under one roof—and they loved her and each other. Without warning, Ivy felt the tears sting her eyes. She blinked hastily away and turned to Ardan.