by Amy Sumida
Davy, the new Lord of the Alaskan Rath, came out to greet us when we pulled into the driveway. I had put him in a bit of an awkward situation with Raza awhile back, but Davy wasn't the type to hold a grudge. He was smiling when I got out of the car.
“Welcome back, Queen Seren,” Davy said to me, then transferred his gaze to Chad. “And welcome home, King Chiwen.”
“Oh, this is your home now,” Chad said graciously, “but I appreciate the warm reception. I've just stopped by to drop off Her Majesty and her Guard at the rath.”
“But you'll stay awhile?” Davy asked hopefully. “I'd love to have some company for lunch, and maybe you could give me the rundown on the house—anything I may need to know about caring for it or the rath.”
“I'd be happy to join you for a meal,” Chad said with a smile. “Your Majesty”—he bowed to me—“safe travels. I shall scry you as soon as I hear anything.”
“I appreciate the help, King Chiwen.” I shook his hand.
“Anytime.”
The old and new rath lords went into the house while I headed into the backyard with my Guard and Cat. I knew I should go home to see my father, but I missed Tiernan, and I needed to get his report anyway. So, we headed to Seelie.
I twilighted with Cat into the royal bedchambers, but the others traveled into the courtyard. No one wanted a repeat of the Killian debacle.
It was night in Seelie, and the King was preparing for bed. Tiernan sat in a massive armchair before the fire, brushing his hair. The chair was a solid piece of tourmilated quartz, carved into ominous shapes and padded in black velvet. The spikes of black tourmaline within the crystal made the carvings feel even more menacing. I knew it was a tribute to Tiernan's mór magic—shadowcall—but it disturbed me. The chair didn't matter, though, not when Tiernan sat in it. He was wearing loose pants and a velvet robe, open at the front. The fire's glow warmed his pale chest, light licking over his skin like an eager lover, all within the sinful frame of black velvet. The firelight also cast Tiernan's face into shifting shadows and made his silver scar gleam brighter.
“Are you going to stand there staring all night?” Tiernan teased as he shifted his gleaming gaze to me.
“I was just admiring you as you brushed your hair.” I smirked. “Sitting there like a mermaid with your golden comb.”
“You'd prefer that I let it tangle?” Tiernan asked as he stood.
“Not at all,” I protested as I took the comb from him. “I love watching you brush your hair. It's mind-boggling how you manage to make it look so damn masculine. But I'd prefer that you let me do it for you.”
I led him to the bed and sat on the edge, pushing him down on the floor in front of me.
“You want to brush my hair?” He gave me a skeptical look over his shoulder.
“You don't want me to?” I challenged.
He just settled back against me.
“That's what I thought.”
I started running the comb gently through his hair, easing it against his scalp and then to the ends. Tiernan sighed and propped his arms on my knees like I was his chair. I smiled at his bent head and kept working. In seconds his hair was shining like silk and running through my fingers like water. I put aside the comb and used my fingers instead. First, I gave him a scalp massage, then I worked my way to his shoulders.
“What have I done to deserve this treatment?” Tiernan asked.
“You helped me without throwing a fit.” I realized it as I said it; I was grateful for Tiernan being the easy-going one for once.
“Raza threw a fit?” Tiernan chuckled. “About what?”
“Searching for the missing humans.”
“Is he having trouble in his kingdom too?” Tiernan took my hands and shifted them down his chest as he leaned back into me.
“No, he thought I was being unfair to the unseelie,” I said. “That I was behaving like an extinguisher instead of a queen.”
“Ouch,” Tiernan whispered.
“Yeah, we had a bit of a fight,” I admitted. “He walked out and told me not to step foot in his kingdom until I was ready to be its queen.”
“He said that?” Tiernan sat up straight and looked back at me in shock.
“Not those words precisely, but pretty close.” I rolled my eyes. “I understood, but I was still mad at him. I let him walk out.”
“Oh, dear Danu,” Tiernan whispered as he turned to face me fully. “You just let Raza walk away after he said that to you?”
“It was either that or kick his ass,” I said seriously.
I held my expression for five seconds, and then we burst out laughing together.
“So, what happened?” Tiernan asked.
“He came back,” I said softly. “He was hella pissed, but he came back.”
“Good.” Tiernan got to his knees, placing a hand to either side of me on the bed, and leaned in to kiss me. “Because I don't need you distracted with thoughts of Raza tonight.”
“Not possible,” I whispered as I looked him over.
Tiernan smiled wickedly and kept pushing me backward until I was lying beneath him.
Then a knock interrupted us.
“What is it?” Tiernan snarled.
“Tiernan?” Cliona's voice came through the heavy wood door. “I thought you might like a glass of wine before bed.”
My jaw dropped open, and my eyes widened on Tiernan's horrified expression. He began to shake his head as I pushed out from beneath him.
“Seren, I haven't been encouraging her, I swear.”
“Oh, I believe you,” I said as I headed to the door. “It's not you that I'm mad at.” I yanked open the door and glared at Cliona Timberstride, Tiernan's ex-wife.
Cliona's large, blue eyes widened when she saw me. The glasses on the silver tray she carried started to clink as she trembled. Her deep brown skin flushed pink to match her hair—hair which tumbled down her shoulders in loose, bedtime disarray. She was dressed only in a silk robe, leaving very little to the imagination.
“You walked through the hallways like that?” I asked in horror.
“My room isn't very far from His Majesty's,” she said as she lifted her chin and found some courage.
“Oh, now it's 'His Majesty'? Nice recovery.” I took the tray from her. “Thanks for the wine and the head's up. Obviously, your proximity to the royal bedchambers has been a serious oversight. I'll have you moved in the morning. In fact, Cliona, you'll be leaving court entirely.”
“What?” She gasped and looked over my shoulder to Tiernan for help. “Are you going to let her do this?”
“Don't look to him for help.” I handed Tiernan the tray, and he took it with a little laugh. Then he walked pointedly away. I turned back to face my nemesis. “You don't get to look at him anymore, Cliona. You lost that right when you abandoned him.”
“I didn't—”
“Don't you dare fucking interrupt me ever again!” I roared into her face, and she went silent. “This isn't His Majesty's chambers; it's our chambers. I'm his wife, and I'm the one who won the Seelie crown, but you seem to have forgotten those two, very important facts. So, now you'll remember them; you'll remember them every day when you wake up in your new bed, far away from my court.”
“You can't send me away,” she whispered. “I haven't done anything wrong.”
“Do you really want to get into that with me right now, Cliona?” I growled. “You just interrupted an intimate moment between my husband and me, because you were trying to get into Tiernan's pants. I'm pissed off on so many levels right now that I can barely think straight. I feel like maybe I've inherited some of my grandmother's fury and it's finally rising to the surface. Do you remember how Iseabal reacted when someone dared to challenge her?”
Cliona paled.
“I've obviously been too kind to you,” I went on. “You interpreted my mercy as weakness and thought that you could wheedle your way back into my husband's arms. You sought him out when you thought I wasn't here. Well, that was
a big mistake, bitch—huge! Seducing the Queen's husband is considered a traitorous act, isn't it, Tiernan?” I cast a glance at him over my shoulder.
“That would be something for the Queen to decide,” Tiernan drawled.
“How ironic would it be for me to banish you, Cliona? It's so damn tempting right now. Except, I'd have to banish you from Fairy entirely since I rule every kingdom.”
“She could seek sanctuary with the sea dragons,” Tiernan suggested.
Cliona's jaw fell, and she started making a choking sound.
“I suggest that you take this last kindness that I'm offering you and leave court tomorrow, or I will banish you, Cliona,” I said with cruel calm. “And if you don't get your disloyal ass out of my sight in five seconds, I'm going to lose my patience entirely and not only will I banish you, but I'll roast you alive first.”
Cliona shrieked and ran down the hallway. I closed the door with a satisfied sigh, but I barely had the time to exhale before Tiernan was on me. He yanked me into his arms and kissed me, pressing me up against the closed door.
“That was one of the sexiest things I've ever seen,” Tiernan murmured.
“Me going psycho on your ex?” I laughed.
“You getting possessive over me,” he corrected. “You were a step away from burning her all because she was flirting with me.”
“That was a little more than flirting,” I huffed.
“That was Cliona.” Tiernan shrugged. “You know how she is, and you know I'm not interested in her anymore. Yet you were enraged by the sight of her at our door.”
“That bitch thought she could seduce you while I was away from court.”
“Yes, she did.” He smirked. “And you put her in her place.”
“You really are turned on, aren't you?” I nibbled my way up his neck.
“Dear Goddess, you have no idea.” Tiernan groaned and grabbed my thighs, pulling me up against him. “I never knew that a woman fighting for me could be so hot.”
“Sweetheart, if you want hot, I've got so much more to show you,” I purred.
I wrapped my legs around Tiernan's waist, and he carried me to the bed, kissing me as we went. We fell onto the mattress together.
“Then I intend to fan the flames,” he growled as he began to divest me of my clothing.
It was the beginning of a wild night. Tiernan was more aggressive than I'd seen him in awhile, and by the time I had thought to ask him how his searches went, I was too tired to speak. We fell asleep with our limbs and hair tangled around each other.
Oh, well; I'd just have to comb his hair again in the morning.
Chapter Sixteen
The King of Seelie and I emerged from the royal bedchambers the next morning with freshly combed hair and bright smiles on our faces. As soon as I saw our steward, I informed him of Cliona's new living arrangements; basically anywhere outside of my courts. The steward gave me a little smile before he hurried off to carry out my instructions.
I finally remembered to ask Tiernan about the search for the humans. He told me that there weren't any results yet, but there was still considerable amounts of land for the search parties to cover. Fairy, as a planet, was similar to Earth in land mass; its surface was roughly 60 percent water, which is slightly less than Earth's 71 percent. The 40 percent of dry land was split into the three kingdoms, making Seelie around 13 percent of the total surface of Fairy, give or take. That doesn't sound like a lot, but think of it this way; the Seelie Kingdom was as large as Europe and the continent of Africa combined. So, searching it would take awhile. I didn't have high hopes about Tiernan finding anything, and neither did he after I told him about tracking the missing child to a beach in Oregon.
What I was hopeful about was Tiernan's future as King of Seelie. He had taken my suggestion and punished the moomin in a way that he saw fitting.
“You did what now?” I asked Tiernan in surprise.
“I had all of the moomin's belongings moved from their cavern into Seelie Castle. And I didn't tell them about it.”
I burst out laughing. “Dear Danu that's brilliant.”
“Thank you,” he said smugly. “You inspired me. But the true punishment will come when they figure out where their things are and ask for their return.”
“What are you planning?”
“They will have their belongings back, but only if they move it all by themselves without the use of raths,” Tiernan declared imperiously.
“That will take them months,” I whispered. “By the time they get it all back to the moomin caves, they'll need to hibernate.”
“Yes, I realize that.” Tiernan smirked.
“They'll lose all that precious time.” I chuckled. “That is the perfect punishment, Your Majesty. I fully support your decision.”
During breakfast, Torquil and Conri showed up—fully rested and ready to get back to the business of guarding me. I barely had time to great them before a scry came in for me. It was Chad, telling me that the grindylows hadn't reported back yet, but I had been formally invited to the Court of the Dragon Kings. They'd even allow me to bring my Star's Guard with me. When I asked Chad if it was safe, he had chuckled and suggested that I wear a chastity belt.
Thank Danu that Tiernan hadn't heard that.
The Dragon Kings were sending a coach for me, but it would be surfacing on the shores of the southern tip of Seelie. The Seelie Castle was at the northern end of the kingdom. It would be the equivalent of traveling from Ireland to the end of Africa. Thankfully, there was a rath that would speed things up considerably. To get to that rath, though, we'd need to twilight over to it from a much closer rath. We couldn't twilight directly to the southern tip of Seelie because none of us had been there before. Getting around Fairy was easier than traveling the Earth, but sometimes it could be complicated.
I said goodbye to Tiernan, wishing him luck with his traveling moomins—to which he replied with a smack to my ass—and then my Guard, Cat, and I left for the closest rath. Chad had assured me that even the coach the Kings were sending would be airtight, and none of us would need to get an underwater breathing spell cast upon us in order to make the trip. Which had me thinking that it would be just as easy for them to send one of these coaches to the Oregon coast for a human passenger pickup.
The thing was; I didn't have a solid plan on what I'd do if I did find the missing humans in the Court of the Dragon Kings. I was flying by the seat of my pants... again. Worse comes to worst; I could probably steal one of their air-filled coaches and run off with the humans.
One trip through the In-Between and one through a rath brought us out onto a cliff. I was surprised by that; normally, raths led out into a meadow or a road. The cliff situation was new to me. It was a beautiful view, though. The Seudachan Sea spread out below us in sparkling, cerulean splendor, stretching to the horizon without interruption. Behind us, the rath arched up in a soft, grassy mound, its silver and gold door gleaming in the sunlight. It was warm but a light, salt-scented breeze cooled my skin. I scanned the area for a path down to the buttery spread of beach at the cliff's base and finally spotted a trail half-hidden by overzealous bushes.
We ambled our way down to the shore. There was no sign of our transportation yet, so I figured that we had a bit of time to waste, and I wanted to get a good look at this section of Seelie. The fairy kingdoms weren't divided by regional names; there were only directional attributes like “South Seelie,” or town names for the settlements. But there was a clear distinction between locales of the kingdom and a clear correlation to the connected region on Earth. The flora and fauna in this particular area were all fey, but the weather was something you'd expect to experience in Africa.
The plants weren't just fey; they were also unique to this region. I'd never seen the orange, trumpeted blossoms before, and I marveled at their massive size, some as long as my forearm. Nor had I ever seen the pink, spiked fruit hanging heavily in the trees and adding its ripe fragrance to the salty breeze. There was color eve
rywhere; a riot of violet, crimson, baby blue, and peach. Even the leaves seemed brighter there, and the grass curled beneath my feet like plastic ribbons, making every step bouncy. Little creatures peered at us through the underbrush and scurried off while larger animals roared in the distance.
The beach was mostly an expanse of powdery sand, but there were rocky areas surrounding some tidal pools. Cat ran off to inspect one as we stood staring across the gently rolling waves. She came back whimpering in a few minutes, and I glanced down to see a bright yellow blob on her nose. When I tried to remove it, the blob squeaked, sprouted wings, and flew away with the sound of wet feet running in rubber sandals. I flinched back in surprise.
“Best to leave the tide pools alone, Cat,” I said.
She gave me a look which I translated to mean, “Duh.”
Then the surface of the sea rolled and bubbled; a massive object came forth, and sunlight glared off polished gold. I squinted my eyes as an elaborate, extra-wide carriage rolled onto shore, pushing the water away as it came so that it seemed as if the sea backed away out of respect. The vehicle was similar to the coaches used in all of the fey kingdoms on land; with large wooden wheels set with metal hardware and an enameled, barrel body. Except, when I looked closer, I realized that the wheels weren't made of wood at all. They were a chestnut coral, and the crimson enamel finish was embedded with pearls. A liveried coachman sat on a seat in front of the behemoth, holding the reins to four, perfectly normal looking horses. The beasts stamped at the sand as the carriage came to a stop.
