by Amy Sumida
“Yes, well, there's a little more to it than that,” he folded his hands neatly on the table. “As twilight fey, we don't fear the spaces in between. Spaces like the dark beyond the path within the raths.”
“Yes, I figured that,” I went serious. I had already sensed that even were I to step from the path within a fairy mound, I would be safe. But I hadn't thought to ask my father about it.
“Danu gifted us with an ability to travel through the In-Between, beyond even the average fairy's capability,” Keir held up a hand when I started to question him. “Let me finish and then you may ask all of your questions. I can teach you how to use the In-Between to travel anywhere you wish. There are limits, of course. You must be able to envision the place which you want to travel to or it must have a name.”
“A name?” I lifted a brow.
“A name not given to any other,” Keir gave me a chastising look for interrupting him. “Such as; Twilight Castle. It must be very clear, so the magic will not be confused.”
“Ah,” I nodded and then teased. “No one wants confused magic.”
“Indeed, it could have dire consequences,” Keir misread my levity completely. “We can only access this ability in two situations. It must either be twilight or we must be on the path of a rath. Now, go ahead and ask your questions since you've already begun.”
“Can I take anyone with me?” I asked immediately.
“Only if they are twilight born,” Keir waved a hand at Cat. “Cat could follow you through but not Tiernan.”
“What would happen to Tiernan if he tried?” I whispered.
“He'd be lost in the Between forever,” Keir said gravely. “Never attempt to take a non-twilight being through the In-Between. This is powerful magic, Seren and you must respect it. We only teach our fairies the skill after they've proven themselves capable of wielding great magic.”
“That's why you waited until now to tell me about it?” I asked.
“Exactly,” he nodded. “The Goddess herself trusts you so I think it's safe to say that you're capable.”
“How do I do it?” I got right to the point.
“We must wait for twilight for the full lesson,” Keir said. “But for now, I'll tell you the steps to take. First, if you're outside of a rath, you must access the In-Between. This can be done easily enough if you've mastered control of air magic or, as in your case, you have the ability to levitate. All you need do is hover but not too high, mind you.”
“And if I couldn't hover?” I shrugged when Keir lifted a brow. “You never know.”
“Then you'd need to be somewhere that is an in-between place,” Keir said carefully. “Like the boundary between kingdoms or that between earth and sea. Somewhere you can access the twilight magic.”
“What about the space between people?” I asked and he gave me a grimace. “Well the term in-between is pretty vague. There's in-between my ears or in-between the sheets or...”
“I'm starting to have doubts about the place in-between your ears,” Keir huffed.
“Hey,” I protested.
“You cannot create an in-between place to suit your needs,” Keir shook his head. “It must be there already, born of nature.”
“The place between my ears is born of nature,” I pressed my point.
“But not somewhere you can physically go,” Keir gave me a reproachful look.
“Yeah okay,” I mumbled. “So I get to an in-between place and then what?”
“Then you either visualize the location you wish to travel to or you clearly state its name as your intended destination,” Keir continued. “Simply put; you pull on the twilight energy and ask the magic to take you there.”
“Just like that?” I sat back with a surprised huff.
“Just like that,” he agreed. “It's very handy when you need to make a hasty retreat or get the droppings of an enemy.”
“Get the what of a what?” I blinked in horror.
“The droppings...” Keir frowned. “Oh; get the drops of an enemy? Is that the correct term?”
“Get the drop on an enemy,” I corrected with a chuckle. “I don't want anyone's droppings.”
“No, definitely not,” Keir laughed with me.
“So that's why only the neutral court has this ability,” I suddenly whispered. “So we can use it to stop wars.”
“Yes,” Keir smiled. “Danu saw fit to give us a few advantages.”
“Bless her little goddess heart,” I smiled. “So how would I do it if I were able to enter a fairy mound?”
“The same procedure of visualization or declaration of destination,” he shrugged. “Then you would step off the path and let the In-Between take you there.”
“And it wouldn't matter what time of day it was?”
“Not if you were walking through a rath,” Keir shook his head. “But remember, if you're heading somewhere where there aren't any raths, you'll have to wait for twilight or return another way.”
“Good to know,” I chewed my lip and then something occurred to me. “That's how you got to the apartment, isn't it?”
“What's that?” Keir frowned.
“When you kicked Uisdean's ass in San Francisco,” I clarified. “It was twilight and you came out of the bedroom. I had assumed that you were waiting in there the whole time but you weren't, were you? You came through the In-Between and exited right into your apartment.”
“Yes, we didn't want to risk Uisdean sensing my presence,” he gave me a wide grin.
“Now that really is an awesome ability,” I grinned back at him.
“On this first trip I'll lead you through, so you can get the feel of it,” Keir glanced out towards my balcony, which gave a great view of the Twilight Kingdom. “We have a few minutes to decide where to go. Any suggestions?”
“We can go anywhere?” I lifted my brows.
“Preferably in the Human Realm,” Keir specified. “I want you to get the feel of crossing over realms. Also, we probably shouldn't go traipsing into another kingdom uninvited.”
“There is that,” I grimaced. “Well...”
“I would actually like to visit your mother's grave,” Keir whispered. “If it has a named location.”
“Oh, Dad,” I swallowed hard. “It doesn't, I'm so sorry.”
“Oh, I see,” his face fell. “I didn't know how to ask you before.”
“She was supposed to be cremated and interred in the castle walls of the Human High Council in Ireland,” I began to explain but I had to swallow a few times before I could get past the lump in my throat and continue. “It's supposed to be this great honor to be put into the wall. You protect the Council even in death, some crap like that,” I sighed and ran a hand over my face. “They make a hole in the wall and stick your ashes in the stone, then put a brass plaque over it for your memorial.”
“That sounds horrid,” Keir made a disgusted face.
“Exactly,” I huffed. “Me and Da- I mean Ewan, we took her there and were about to put her into that damn wall, when I just grabbed her urn and started running,” I stopped and covered my face as I began to cry.
“Seren,” Keir got up and came to sit beside me so he could pull me into a hug. “It's okay, just tell me.”
“I ran,” I wiped my eyes, sniffed, and looked up at him. “She spent her whole life protecting them. I couldn't let her be sealed up in a wall to guard them forever. She didn't deserve that.”
“No, she didn't,” he agreed. His gentle understanding calmed me enough that I was able to take a deep breath and go on.
“Ewan caught up to me,” I swiped at my tears again as my voice grew steadier. “He didn't say anything, just nodded and walked with me to the car. We drove out to this mountain range and hiked up into the peaks. The Twelve Bens, do you know it?”
“Yes, Catriona loved it there,” he blinked away the sheen of his own tears.
“She did,” I agreed. “I wanted her to be free, completely free. I mean, I know those ashes weren't her, she wasn't ther
e anymore. I know that but...”
“The freedom was for you, Seren,” he put his hand to my cheek. “You released that last part of her so that your heart wouldn't be held down with the knowledge that they had her still, that the Council ruled her, even in death.”
“Exactly,” I whispered. “I scattered her to the wind, so I could think of her soaring over the Earth, not trapped in some wall.”
“Was it Benbaun? Was that where you released her?” Keir asked gently.
“Yes,” I nodded. “The highest peak of the Bens.”
“And it's named,” Keir gave me a shaky smile.
“So we can go there,” I leaned forward and hugged him just as twilight fell.
“Are you ready, Sweetheart?” He asked, still holding me.
“Yes,” I welcomed in the twilight magic and began to use my air magic to lift us.
“Then let's go see your mother,” Keir's voice was filled with power.
The power surged through him, vibrating along my skin until I realized that I was vibrating with it too. I closed my eyes as the room began to spin and then the breath was pulled from my lungs as we were sent through the In-Between. It was cold for a moment but my body adjusted almost instantly. Then the feeling of movement ceased and the power filling me drained away. I felt solid ground beneath my feet and when I opened my eyes, I found myself standing on Benbaun, still wrapped in my father's arms.
It was dark, the kind of dark you rarely see in human cities; only a sprinkling of lights in the distance. Still, I'd grown used to nights even darker than this now that I lived in Fairy and it didn't bother me. In fact, I loved the way you could see the stars so clearly and my fairy eyes adjusted to the lack of light quickly.
“I hadn't considered the time difference,” I softened my voice to suit the night.
“Yes, that works in your favor sometimes,” Keir smiled down at me. “We have about four hours till sunrise.”
“I should have brought some snacks,” I joked.
“A king is always prepared,” Keir winked at me and pulled a cloth wrapped bundle out of his cloak. He untied it to reveal a chunk of cheese and two coyans; which were round, green, citrusy, fairy fruit. Then handed me the bundle.
“Like a boyscout,” I huffed a laugh. “Well, allow me to get the fire,” I waved my free hand towards the edge of the mountain, using my apportation ability to bring us dried wood. I made a pile on the rocky ground before us but when I went to light it, Keir put a hand over mine and gave me a look. “I know,” I rolled my eyes. “I was going to use the fire magic. I used air to levitate us, in case you didn't notice.”
“I did,” he said proudly. “You may proceed.”
“Thanks,” I grumbled and lit the fire.
“Perfect. Well done, Seren,” Keir pulled a silver flask out of another pocket in his cloak before he swept the cloak off and laid it on the ground near the fire. “Shall we drink a toast to Catriona?” He held a hand out to help me sit.
“I'd love to,” I took his hand and settled on the cloak.
Then we passed the flask between us and traded memories of my mother until the sun rose on Ireland. I'd always thought the sunrises in Hawaii were the most beautiful on Earth but that was only because I'd never seen the sun rise over Ireland.
Just a hazy glow at first, the sun lightened the sky slowly, fighting back the cold and damp of the Irish night. It seemed at first that it would stay a muted gold but then it started to warm and the gold darkened to a gentle orange. We stood, holding hands, as the sky blazed brighter; into rouge red and then royal purple. Finally, as it lightened to lavender, our feet gently left the ground and for a brief moment we hovered above Ireland.
Holding onto the memory of my mother's touch on my face, I let go of my father's hand and made my first unaided trip through the In-Between.
Chapter Sixteen
After the diplomatic debacle of Bress' release, I wasn't looking forward to the Seelie Ball. But after all I'd done to make sure that Tiernan would go as my escort, I couldn't back down. So I found myself dressed in a frothy fairy fabrication, all lilac lace and silver silk, sitting beside Tiernan and across from Aideen and my father in our royal coach, as we traveled to the Seelie Court. Cat was decked out in a silver collar set with amethysts (hopefully she wouldn't ruin this one like she had the last) and was laying on the carriage floor between us.
There were two carriages behind ours, full of our attendants, because evidently fairy royals had to be attended to at Balls. There were a few lords and ladies of the Twilight Court among them, but mostly our attendants were members of both mine and my father's personal guards. It was unlikely that we'd be attacked but another thing royalty had to be, as my father had shown me in Ireland, was prepared. So our guard would be with us, blending gracefully into the background just in case we needed them.
Conri had put up a big fuss when we hadn't included him initially. We pointed out that we didn't want to draw anymore attention to ourselves than we already would but he swore he'd be on his best behavior. So we finally agreed that Conri could come, as long as his bad-boy bargest ways stayed behind.
I'd seen the seelie castle once before, right as night fell, and it had been glorious. An ideal fairy castle straight out of a children's book, all shining white stone with golden vines swirling over its surface. It had soaring towers and the highest one was crowned with a golden sun... and it had scared the bejesus out of me.
I wasn't too fond of the unseelie castle either. Evil had been done in both locales, but somehow it was worse in Seelie. Perhaps because it made all the glamor seem like a malicious facade. A shiny front to hide the horror beneath. Like an anglerfish with its entrancing blue light, the seelie castle had the kind of beauty that felt like a lure; something to draw you in and put you at ease so it could gobble you up. I appreciated up-front, honest villains. It was probably the only thing I liked about my Uncle Uisdean. To smile and befriend me while you secretly plotted your evil machinations, was decidedly more heinous in my book.
At least this time I didn't have to sneak into Castle Seelie. I didn't have to infiltrate their dungeons or free unseelie prisoners. This time, I was a guest and I could walk right in the front door. I took a deep breath as our carriage wound its way up the steep cliff the seelie castle perched on. Night attempted to hold the castle in its shadowed embrace but the seelie weren't the type to give in to the dark. There were fairy lights everywhere, even along the path, driving back the shadows and turning the castle into a landmark of luminosity.
We rolled right up to the main steps, where some liveried leprechauns waited to open the carriage door and help us out. Tiernan wasn't down with that and he jumped out first so he could be the one to hold my hand as I exited the coach. The leprechauns drew back as soon as they saw him, exchanging horrified looks which I was certain had nothing to do with Tiernan's usurpation of their duties and everything to do with his status as persona non grata. Those little fairies stepped away from Tiernan like he was Typhoid Mary and they hadn't been vaccinated. Tiernan saw it, I'm sure he did, but he didn't let on that it disturbed him.
“Thank you, Sweetheart,” I drawled to him and then looked sharply at the leprechauns. “Are you gonna stand there looking for your lucky charms or are you gonna get the castle doors for us?”
Cat responded to my tone immediately, leaping out of the carriage to set herself in front of us. She lowered into an attack stance as her fur stood up on end. A low and long growl emitted from her throat, her lips pulling back to reveal sharp fangs. I sauntered forward and stroked her head lovingly as my father and Aideen exited the carriage.
The leprechauns launched forward like their butts were on fire and threw open the castle doors. We glided through without sparing them a single glance and I tried my best to not let their reactions color my whole night. Keir sent a look my way that was clearly an I told you so. If he hadn't been my dad, I would have smacked him. Instead, I just told Cat what a good girl she was.
Within
the shiny entrance hall, with its gilded arches and impressive artwork, we were met by yet another seelie attendant. This one was a gancanagh, also known as a love talker (a bigger romeo than even Conri) and I was a little surprised he'd been made an attendant. Surprisingly, he was very proper and much more circumspect than the leprechauns. In fact, he barely batted an eye at Tiernan or Cat. He greeted me and Keir appropriately and then led us through the blinding white hallways of the seelie castle without even a single naughty look at either me or Aideen.
Ironically, there were more living plants adorning the inside of the castle than the outside. The golden vines on the outer walls were made of real gold but the vines climbing the marble surfaces within Castle Seelie were living plants, twining out of discreet holes in the floor and large porcelain pots. Crystal columns soared to the vaulted ceilings, supporting walls of woven foliage between them. Consisting of vines, trees, and thick bushes, these walls grew out of slim, rectangular plots of earth. Flowers bloomed over the surface of the living partitions in patterns too precise to be natural, the sun motif featuring predominantly (as the star did in the twilight castle). Beneath them, quartz crystals bordered their blocks of soil.
A little pixie girl peered out of one of the plants and stuck her tongue out at me. I did the same back to her and she giggled before disappearing into the leaves. Then a group of stunning fairies glided by us, several of them showing signs of distress upon sighting us. No, not us; Tiernan. I was beginning to see what Keir had been trying to warn me of. I had pushed Tiernan into doing something that would be much more difficult for him than for me. I took a deep breath and set my shoulders, determined that he wouldn't regret his bravery.
I slid closer to him, squeezing his arm and giving him an encouraging smile. His arm was tense beneath my hand and his eyes looked just as strained when he set them on me. But then he blinked slowly. He searched my face and he must have liked what he found there because his whole demeanor softened. He relaxed into my grip and smiled back at me.
“I love you,” I whispered. “You got this.”
