Etched in Stone: Twilight Court Book 9

by Amy Sumida

  “I haven't been to Fairy for centuries, and you want to leave already?” Daxon asked with horror.

  “You want to leave those men stoned while we take a hike through the Twilight Forest?” I countered.

  “It's not like they're going anywhere.” Daxon's lips twitched, and then a full smile blossomed across his face. “Danu appeared,” he whispered in awe. “She physically appeared and spoke to me, Seren. She kissed me; I can still feel her lips on my forehead.”

  “I saw that.” I smiled softly. “Maybe we have time for one short walk.” To the rest of our group I said, “We'll be back in a few.”

  “You gonna go make out in the bushes while we wait?” Killian teased me.

  I widened my eyes at him pointedly.

  “Oh,” he said and then looked at Daxon's shell-shocked face. “Oh! Yeah; okay. We'll just wait here.”

  “I don't know about you guys, but I'm going for a walk as well,” Sanna said. “It's been just as long for me as it's been for Daxon. And I've never seen Twilight.”

  “I'd be happy to accompany you,” Ainsley offered. “I know this forest well.”

  Sanna tried out one of her new smiles as the couple walked off into the woods.

  “Anyone else weirded out by that?” Killian asked.

  I grimaced at Killian chidingly before I took Daxon's hand and headed into the forest with him. The air grew heavy with the scent of ripe fruit and tempered with the aroma of rich soil; sweet and earthy all at once. We were fairies—we shouldn't have needed a path—but I was still part human, and Daxon had been away for a long time. We made a bit more noise than we should have, and it attracted the attention of the animals of Twilight.

  You'd think they would have scurried away, but I had been crowned by the animals, and they didn't fear me. Fairy creatures were connected intimately to their land, and this particular land was mine by blood. It had recognized me and bonded with me; which meant that the animals had bonded with me as well. They scurried down trees, crawled out of bushes, and descended from the sky to greet me.

  Daxon was startled at first, and then amazed. He watched as a miniature deer nudged my hand, and I leaned down to pet it. Butterflies and birds were landing on my shoulders, and a tursa—a fairy bear—even plodded up to me to snuffle at my hair. Daxon's eyes blinked rapidly at that last one.

  “Sorry,” I said. “This doesn't happen often; I'm not sure why they're doing it now.”

  “They probably felt Danu,” Daxon whispered as he stared at my forehead. “And then they felt you.”

  My hand went automatically to my temple. “You see it, huh?”

  “You mean; do I see the crown the animals of Twilight placed upon your head?” He asked with wonder. “Yes, Seren, I see it. Now that I'm looking, I see it. I can't believe I didn't notice it before.”

  “You were a little distracted by the lower regions of my body,” I teased him.

  Daxon was so impressed that he didn't even rise to the bait. He just continued to stare from me to the animals and back. But they didn't stick around for long. I suppose they were just coming out to say hello before they went about their day. The tursa was the last to leave; he whined a rumbling goodbye and then turned; nosing his way back into the thicker parts of the forest.

  “Are you all right?” I asked Daxon.

  “Huh?” Dax blinked at me; his eyes going indigo in the shadows. “Sure. Yeah; I've seen a tursa before.”

  “Not about the animals.” I took his hand. “About Danu; her appearance and what she said. You looked shaken; you still look shaken.”

  Daxon breathed deeply and glanced away. His awed demeanor gave way to grief, and then his expression hardened.

  “Don't do that,” I whispered. “I was hoping we were done with the Daxon mask.”

  “You want to know about my father,” he said without looking back at me. “And I can't talk about him without my guard up.”

  “You don't have to tell me, Dax,” I said gently.

  That shocked him enough to jerk his gaze back to mine. “I don't? You're not going to be upset at me for not sharing my past with you? Isn't that what couples are supposed to do?”

  “It's not about sharing,” I said. “It's about lightening the load. If you want to unburden yourself, I'm the one you can safely do that with. That's what being a couple is about. But I won't be mad if you want to shoulder it alone.”

  “You're okay with not knowing about my past—my family?” Daxon pressed.

  “We all have our demons.” I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat. “Both of my fathers did some bad things, but they also made me who I am. I'm sure that yours had his good moments to go with the bad, or you wouldn't be such an amazing man today.”

  “You think I'm amazing?” A sheen coasted over his eyes.

  It was the first time I'd given Daxon a compliment that he didn't take with arrogant flippancy. This was the real Daxon; the insecure kid who thought he had to prove his prowess to be worth something; prowess on the battlefield and in the bedroom. I saw it clearly then, and I finally understood why he pushed the boundaries of sexuality so much. Daxon couldn't stand the idea that he might be average or unoriginal; that the sex we shared was same that I shared with Tiernan or Killian. Dax truly didn't see that there was something magical about him; the him beneath all the bravado.

  I was about to start listing all the things Daxon had done for fairies—not just his fairies, but all the Fey races—when I realized that he didn't need to hear that. He knew his accomplishments, and they didn't impress him. Daxon kept striving for more in life because each victory only became a new standard for him to surpass. No; he didn't need me to tell him that he had done some good. Just like Danu had with Delli, I needed to convince Daxon that he was good.

  “Daxon,” I whispered, “When we first met, I thought you were a bit callous.”

  Dax flinched, but I took his hand and held on tightly.

  “The way you pursued me,” I went on. “The way you cast aside others to be free to do that pursuing.” I shrugged. “I thought you were self-centered and a bit cold; more interested in the pleasure you could find than any real connection.”

  “Ouch,” he murmured.

  “And that's why I was hoping your mask was gone,” I said with a soft smile. “Because I know now that you're not that man. That man is a puppet; brought out by the real Daxon to entertain the public. It took awhile for you to trust me, but when you did, you stopped the puppet show, and I saw the humble, honorable, heroic man behind the curtain.”

  “I'm not a—”

  “Daxon,” I said sternly.

  Tears started to roll down my cheeks, and I wasn't sure if it was the tears or the tone that silenced him, but he stopped protesting.

  “I haven't told you this because it's a little sad.” I swiped at my face quickly and took a cleansing breath before I continued. “I have nightmares about that fight in the Underground; that moment when I was on the verge of death; when I knew we were all going to die, despite my efforts to save everyone.”

  “Seren,” Daxon whispered.

  “Do you know what always ends my nightmares?” I asked him as I laid my hands along the sides of his neck. I pushed open his collar and admired his beautiful tattoos; stroking my finger across an intricate swirl. “You. This memory of you rises in my mind. Bare-chested and beautiful; holding your sword before you as the power of your magic ran over your skin and onto your blade. Do you remember what you said to me then?”

  “Yes,” he whispered. “That moment will haunt me forever; the moment I nearly lost you.”

  “And I nearly lost you.” I lifted my hands to his wet cheeks. “But you wouldn't let that happen. You told me to let go; that you would take it from there.”

  “I loved you so fiercely,” he said. “I just hadn't known it until then. But when I watched you fight—clad only in your fire—I realized that I would do anything for you, Seren. And if you were destined to burn, then we would go up in flames togethe
r.”

  “And there is the amazing man I fell in love with.” I lifted my face to kiss him gently. “There is the man who saves me from my nightmares. Not Killian, not Tiernan, not even Raza. It's you, Daxon.”

  “Great Goddess, I love you, Seren.”

  “I love you too, my beautiful nightmare,” I said. “And I'm looking forward to burning with you forever.”

  Daxon lifted me up against his chest and kissed me until we were on fire; in the best way possible.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  “Do you know how rare it is for a ruler to be crowned by the animals of their kingdom?” Daxon asked me as we returned to the meadow.

  “Who was crowned by animals?” Killian asked.

  “I was,” I said. “It's this thing where the animals come out of the forest and gather around you, and then they kind of sit there and look at you.” I stopped when I realized that Daxon's Elite was staring at me in shock. “What?”

  “I see it now, “Matvei said as he stepped up to me. “How did I miss it?”

  “That's what Daxon asked,” I said.

  “Oh, that glowing crown around your head?” Killian asked. “I thought that just came with being a fairy princess.”

  “So, wait; you saw it, but we didn't?” Rodaidh asked Killian with horror.

  “In our defense, he's part human and psychic, so he can see auras,” Sanna said. “But you're right; we all should have noticed. That's what living on Earth has done to us; it's made us lazy. We don't even think to look for magic like this anymore.”

  “It's beautiful, isn't it?” Ainsley asked her. “I try not to look too much because I end up staring.”

  “Anyway,” I said awkwardly, “we should get back to LA and retrieve the princes for Danu.”

  “And Reese,” Killian said.

  They all went quiet.

  “What?” Killian frowned. “Seren just got through lecturing us on how they are all our people. You guys remember that shit or not?”

  “He's right.” I grinned at Kill. “Reese needs to be brought to Fairy as well. Danu didn't say 'Bring me the princes.' She said 'Bring the other victims to me.' So, we're bringing the others; all of them.”

  “And after Reese is healed, we can question the hell out of that bitch,” Killian growled.

  The others began to smile, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Said like a true fairy prince.” Conri smacked Killian's shoulder approvingly.

  “Thanks.” Killian smirked.

  “Just stop using the 'B' word, Bro,” Conri added in a lower tone.

  “Oh; sorry,” Killian whispered.

  “Con, you need to get over it,” I said. “You're kinda being a bitch about the word 'bitch.'”

  “That wounds me, Your Highness,” Conri said with a straight face. “Deeply.”

  “As your poor acting wounds me.” Torquil sighed. “Now, do we need to take the Elite on a tour of Twilight or can we head back to the Human Realm and set about accomplishing the task assigned to us by the Goddess herself?”

  “This is why no one likes you, Torque,” Conri said with dramatic sadness.

  “I'm okay with that,” Torquil said dryly.

  “I like you, Torquil,” I said. “You keep us on track. We can bring the Elite back later. Right now, we need to get some people un-stoned.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness.” Torquil bowed to me.

  We all headed for the golden gate set into the side of the fairy mound.

  “Thank you, Your Highness,” Conri mimicked Torquil under his breath.

  I swear; having a royal guard was sometimes like carting around a class of third-graders.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Killian went to pick up Reese from the SF Council House. I didn't anticipate any trouble, but Killian warned me that the Extinguishers might want to join us on the trip back to Fairy, so they could promptly put Reese into some magic-suppressing handcuffs and arrest her. I was perfectly fine with that, and Killian agreed with me. Either way, Reese was about to have a rude awakening.

  The rest of us made the long trek back to LA. We took the faster route—according to our GPS—and went inland this time. It shaved a good hour off the journey at that time of night. Which is good because a visitor had arrived at Enchantments only minutes before we did.

  “Oh, damn.” Conri whistled. “Looks like you're all about to meet the King of Seelie.”

  “What?” Daxon narrowed his eyes and peered out the window as we passed the front of his club.

  Sure enough, there was my husband; dressed in a tailored leather jacket, expensive jeans, and his old hunter boots. His hair was long and loose down his back; the platinum roots standing out against all the black he was wearing, while the ends of his hair blended in. It looked like silk; hand-dyed a chic ombré.

  Tiernan lifted his head as if he could sense my stare on him and smiled; his silver eyes catching the light of the streetlamps and amping them up. The matching silver scar on his cheek shimmered as well, and I realized that Tiernan hadn't bothered with a glamour. His Kings Guard surrounded him anyway; no one would get close enough to notice that it was all real.

  I laid my hand against the window glass and smiled softly back at him. It had been awhile since I'd seen Tiernan on this side of the Between, and I loved him in human clothes. He looked like the hunter I'd first met, and I hadn't realized how much I had missed that Tiernan until that very moment. Tiernan bowed to me and then turned back to the club; the bouncers were leading him and his entourage inside.

  “He's taller than I'd imagined,” Rodaidh noted. “And shinier.”

  Desmond chuckled.

  “That's the shine of power. Tiernan's one of the few seelie fairies who can turn darkness into a weapon,” I said proudly.

  “Shadowcall,” Rodaidh murmured. “Yeah; I remember you telling us about how King Tiernan used it to fight off the Sluagh.”

  The van had a moment of silence in deference to Tiernan's mór.

  “Well, they didn't make him a Lord of the Wild Hunt for nothing,” Gradh pointed out. “All of the women in the Twilight Court have had a crush on King Tiernan at one time or another.”

  “Why do you keep saying shit like that?” Conri growled.

  “I'm just being honest,” Gradh said with surprise.

  “Stop it!” Conri demanded. “I want some sweet lies, lady. Leave honesty to the idiots.”

  “You got it, gorgeous,” Gradh said without missing a beat.

  Conri narrowed his eyes at her. “Was that compliment a lie or are you just trying to be funny?”

  “You'll never know,” Gradh said airily.

  “Why do I love you so much?” Conri wailed.

  “Because I can bend my body into unusual positions,” Gradh said.

  “Oh; that's right,” Conri murmured.

  We parked down the side alley, and I was still rolling my eyes when I got out of the van. I strode to Enchantment's alley entrance with Daxon, and he pulled out his key to open the door. But before he could set it into the lock, the door was opened for us. Fell—a redcap who worked for Daxon—swung the door wide and ushered us inside.

  “The fucking King of Seelie is here, boss!” Fell hissed. “No one knows what to do. We put him in one of the private rooms. Thank the Goddess you got here when you did.”

  “Hey, Fell,” I said.

  “Hi, Your Majesty,” Fell said distractedly.

  “Pull yourself together,” Daxon growled. “You didn't have a problem when King Raza showed up.”

  “King Raza is Unseelie,” Fell said. “And he's a dragon-djinn; I can relate to that. But King Tiernan is ex-Hunt and a seelie to boot. He makes me nervous, truth be told.” Fell lowered his voice to a whisper. “Did you know he's scarred? I ain't ever seen a scarred sidhe before.”

  “Tiernan shielded his mother from Queen Iseabal's magic once,” I said. “And Tiernan's mother used her magic to dilute the Bloodburn so that it only scarred her son, instead of killing him.”

 
; “He stood against his queen?” Fell asked with shock.

  “Yes,” I growled.

  I was about to get angry. I couldn't understand the fairy concept that you bowed to the will of your monarch, even if they were about to do something horrible to someone you loved. In my opinion, what Tiernan did was heroic, but his court had cast him out as a traitor and snubbed him for centuries.

  “That's so fucking bad-ass!” Fell declared. Then he lost his smile. “But now, I'm even more nervous.”

  “Well, it's a good thing that you don't have to entertain the Seelie King, then,” Daxon huffed. “Which room is he in?”

  “The Silver Room,” Fell said.

  “You matched the room to his eyes?” Conri chortled.

  “I couldn't think straight!” Fell wailed. “Should I have put him in the Gold Room? I should have, shouldn't I? Gold is a Seelie color and silver is Unseelie. I just insulted the Seelie King by putting him in an unseelie room!”

  “Fell, how's your sister?” I interrupted Fell's panic attack.

  “Huh?” He blinked. “Oh; she's good, Your Majesty. Thank you for asking.”

  “That's good,” I said. “Tell her that I said hi.”

  “I will.” Fell started walking off before he realized that he wasn't freaking out anymore.

  “Thank you,” Daxon huffed. “For Danu's sake, the man is a redcap. How does one seelie sidhe do that to a redcap?”

  “I remember the first time I met Tiernan,” I said a little wistfully. “He was a little intimidating. We had a whole love/hate thing going on for awhile.”

  We were walking as we talked, and Daxon slid a side-look my way.

  “And you liked that?” Dax asked.

  “It was kinda sexy,” I said. “Then Tiernan saved me from the Sluagh, and it shifted away from hate.”

  “That could be one of the reasons he bothers Fell so much; no one survives the Sluagh,” Daxon pointed out. “For an unseelie, the mere possibility is a bit offensive. The Sluagh is our greatest weapon.”

  “Yeah; I like to tell people how I survived them twice,” I said. “But really, it was all Tiernan. I just ran like hell.”