by Amy Sumida
Daiyu shrugged, not bothering to deny it.
“And you're willing to help us?” Killian resumed his seat with a speculative look towards her.
“We will bring a contingent of sea fey to Craos-Teine in support of the true King of Unseelie,” Daiyu nodded.
“In exchange for what?” Killian asked, making me smile. We could be so alike sometimes.
Daiyu grimaced.
“In exchange for King Raza's friendship,” I answered for her. “Now, does this friendship require the unseelie to assist you in the war you have brewing beneath the sea? The one with the Court of the Dragon Kings?”
There are two underwater dragon courts; the Court of the Nine Sons, and the Court of the Dragon Kings. All dragons were considered monarchy, so the whole Dragon King title seemed silly and redundant to me. But I'd yet to meet a dragon from the King Court, so I probably shouldn't call them silly. In fact, after meeting those from the Nine Sons, I highly doubted their silliness. Especially when it came to war. The two courts were constantly fighting, but things had recently escalated when one of the dragon kings from the Nine Sons tried to frame the Court of the Dragon Kings for my murder.
Raza had saved my life that time. The thought made me look from Raza to Killian in consideration. All three of the men who loved me had saved my life. What did that say about me? That I had a thing for heroes? Or maybe it took a lot to impress me. Then again, it could simply be the fact that so very many people wanted to kill me. It gave the men who loved me lots of chances to shine.
“We are not at war,” Daiyu pulled me back from my violent musings. “Nor are we planning to go to war anytime soon. Regardless, we need no help in our kingdom, especially not from land fey.”
“In your kingdom,” Raza's shrewd eyes narrowed on Daiyu. “You are anticipating an attack coming via land?”
Daiyu sighed, “Possibly.”
“Interesting,” Raza wasn't upset in the least about Daiyu trying to manipulate him. In fact, he looked intrigued. “Through the Human Realm or Fairy?”
“Fairy,” Daiyu admitted. “We believe the Court of the Dragon Kings will make their way through the Seelie rath, near the Unseelie Castle.”
“And then on to the Básmhor Sea,” Raza nodded. “Which puts me in a prime position to stop them.”
“Yes,” Daiyu said. “So do we have an agreement, King Raza?”
Raza contemplated it. He glanced at me, and I nodded. The help of the Sons had been significant during the last battle for Unseelie. We could definitely use their strength again. Especially with iron arrows in the mix... twenty-thousand of them.
“I'm uncertain where this war is headed,” Raza narrowed his eyes on Daiyu. “What if you send troops to Craos-Teine, and we are attacked elsewhere? Or what if we are not attacked at all? Then I have gained nothing in return for aiding you.”
“Yes, true,” Daiyu pursed her lips. “But such is war.”
“No,” Raza shook his head. “I won't take on a commitment of this magnitude without an absolute exchange.”
“I see,” Daiyu exhaled long and loudly. “What if I agree to send troops here, to take up residence in your lake? You will see to their care, and if they are not needed, you owe us nothing. You will have fed and housed our soldiers, and that will be payment enough.”
“Agreed,” Raza said immediately, putting his hand out to Daiyu.
The Dragon Queen smiled viciously, and shook Raza's hand. “Excellent. Now, back to more pleasant pursuits,” she looked towards Killian.
Killian's panicked stare shot to mine.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“I hate you,” Killian said as we left the dining hall. “I hate you both,” he extended his stare to include Raza. “You're horrible people and even worse fairies.”
“Come on, Killian,” I pushed his shoulder. “It was funny.”
“That woman wants to eat me alive,” Killian's eyes were wide and troubled. “And I'm not sure if it's in the good way or not.”
“Most likely she'll start with the good way,” Raza offered. “Though how she finishes is up for debate.”
“Thanks a lot,” Killian huffed. “You're just relieved she stopped chasing you.”
“No doubt you are a brief distraction,” Raza smirked as he led us upstairs. “Daiyu is too discerning to choose you over me.”
“Hardy har har,” Killian grimaced. “In this one instance, I'd be happy to lose to you.”
“Killian, I need you to get some supplies for us,” I interrupted their banter.
“Supplies?” Killian frowned, then his expression cleared. “To deal with the elves? We talkin' scopes?”
“Yes. How many do you think you can get?”
“How many do you need?”
“At least enough for all of the knights,” I looked to Raza. “How many knights do you have?”
“Roughly two-thousand,” Raza shrugged. “Why? What would help my knights battle elves?”
“Thermal imaging scopes,” Killian explained. “They allow you to see someone's body heat. Even through objects. As long as the other objects aren't hotter than the bodies.”
“No hiding,” Raza whispered.
“No hiding,” Killian confirmed.
“Brilliant!” Raza declared. “Yes, we need these scopes. Many of them.”
“I can get 'many',” Killian chuckled. “But it will be expensive.”
“I have the resources,” Raza shrugged. “Both here and in the Human Realm.”
“You have resources in HR?” I asked him.
“I'm a dragon, darling,” Raza kissed my forehead. “I have treasure everywhere.”
“Excellent,” Killian nodded in approval. “Two-thousand scopes then?”
“Make it four,” Raza looked to me, “in case we have other supporters who need to be equipped.”
“My father will send troops,” I said. “I'm sure of it. He did so last time, I can't see him abandoning you now.”
“Not when you're fu-” Killian cleared his throat when he saw my look and tried again. “I mean, not when you're in a relationship with his daughter.”
“Better,” I grimaced.
“Do you drink spirits?” Raza asked Killian as we came abreast with Raza's office.
“Uh, sure,” Killian looked from Raza to me in surprise. “You inviting me in for a drink, big boy?”
“I was, until you revealed your homoerotic nature,” Raza frowned. “I am flattered, but not interested. I have never found men to be attractive. My apologies.”
“It was a joke,” Killian said dryly as I chuckled.
“I know,” Raza gave us both a huge grin before heading into the room.
“Slam!” I made a dunking motion at Killian before I followed Raza in. “Score one for the Dragon King.”
“The dragon always wins,” Raza poured our drinks. “It is the way of the world.”
“Not my world,” Killian accepted a crystal tumbler from Raza. “Thanks.”
“You're welcome,” Raza sat beside me and handed me a glass.
“What's this?” Killian sniffed at it.
“Dragon's Brew,” Raza smiled.
“What?” Killian scowled.
“Just drink it,” I huffed. “It can't be any worse than that Tequila we drank in HR.”
“Oh that stuff was foul,” Killian agreed as he took a sip. “But this is not. Well done, Dragon.”
“Thank you, Lizard,” Raza shot back smoothly.
“Nice one,” Killian leaned his glass over to Raza's, and they clicked their crystal together.
“What the hell is happening here?” I looked from one man to the other.
“What? I can be an adult,” Killian made a face that was the exact opposite of being mature.
“No, it's not that,” I narrowed my eyes. “You guys are... Are you getting along?”
“For the moment,” Raza gave me a pointed look.
“Way to ruin said moment,” Killian shook his head.
“Oh, I'm
terribly sorry to interrupt your bromance,” I waved my hand. “Please proceed.”
“I wanted to speak to you about developing your magic,” Raza said to Killian.
“What?” Killian gaped at him. “I'm good, man. I know how to use my magic. Thanks anyways.”
“No, you know how to use your old magic,” Raza corrected. “You're a fairy now, which means that your magic has either been altered, replaced, or magnified. You need to discover which, and then you need to acquaint yourself with those changes.”
Killian and I both gaped at Raza.
“I see that this hasn't occurred to you,” Raza transferred his golden stare to me. “To either of you.”
“Uh, okay,” Killian cleared his throat. “I see your point, and I will try to do as you've suggested. Just one thing I'm not clear on.”
“What's that?” Raza asked.
“Why you would care,” Killian narrowed his eyes on Raza, going deadly serious.
I had to admit, it was a fair question. I looked to Raza too.
“Because you are with Seren when I can't be,” Raza sighed. “And you can get to her quicker than I can at times. So I need you to be as strong as possible for her. I can't have your magic fizzling out in the middle of an attack.”
“I don't fizzle, dude.”
“As you say,” Raza sipped his drink while continuing to stare steadily at Killian.
“Have you tried to access your magic lately?” I asked Killian. “I mean, besides twilighting.”
“I... uh, no,” Killian confessed. “There's been no need for it. I'll give it a shot tomorrow.”
“Somewhere remote,” Raza suggested. “Away from innocents.”
“Yeah, I'm not an idiot,” Killian huffed.
Raza gave Killian a look that clearly said he believed otherwise.
“I'm fine if you want to practice around Daiyu,” I said dryly.
Both men burst into laughter. Then their faces went serious, and they seemed to consider it.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
I made a lot of scries the next morning. My father being the first. I enlisted his aid in placing the rest of the scries. We had already put the Rath Lords (fairies who guarded raths on the HR end) on high alert for Moire. Now we warned them that it could be a full elven army trying to make their way through. The Fairy Council dispatched extra soldiers to the raths leading straight into Unseelie, and any which led nearby. The hunters posted in Iceland were tasked with spying on the elven enclave and were making hourly reports on any activity. I wasn't able to contact Soren, but he had spoken with the Icelandic hunters, and they were now working together. The Human Council was on the lookout for Moire as well, with every council house posting scouts in their area. Lastly, suvanis flowers had been gathered and were being sent to HR so that every extinguisher could be prepared. We were doing all we could to find Bress and stop Moire from returning to Fairy.
After I finished with my scries, I decided to give Danu another shot.
“Where are you?” I looked around Raza's office as if Danu were hiding in it somewhere. “How can you just stop talking to me? How can you do any of this? I don't understand you.”
Cat looked up from where she was resting on the thick carpet beside my feet and sighed. Her liquid, brown eyes seemed sad but resigned.
“Do you know what's going on?” I asked her. “Did she tell you?”
Cat just laid her head back on her paws and huffed some fur out of her face.
“Sorry,” I sighed. “I know, I'm losing my mind. But when you have a goddess turn against you, right when you need her the most, it can be a little disconcerting.”
“Seren?” Raza walked into the room, clad only in a crimson, velvet robe.
His wings were gone, as he'd made his claws vanish the other night. It was a trick I'd only recently learned he could do. Raza had revealed his djinn powers to me. Powers which allowed him to change into any form he wished. He had a whole wealth of magic at his disposal, but the changing shape thing was pretty impressive. He had been reluctant to show me, wanting me to get to know him as he was before he revealed that he could be anyone I wanted. I told him I didn't want anyone else. Except that wasn't really true anymore.
Sweet Goddess, I was dreading talking to Raza about Tiernan and Killian. Raza had cried when I told him I only wanted him, the real him. Cried. I had made a dragon cry. Now I was going to tell him that I changed my mind, and I did want other men... two of them. I couldn't. No. Looking at his proud face, his wicked beauty, and knowing it was all a mask, that the real Raza was as vulnerable as the rest of us, made me realize I couldn't ask it of him. I would be content with my dragon, which really wasn't a hard task, and I would find another way to unite Fairy.
“What is it?” Raza slid his hand up my cheek, and into my hair. “Why are you up so early?”
“I wanted to speak to the Councils,” I shrugged. “Killian has gone to meet with the Coven and the Casters. He left at dawn.”
“Stop worrying so much, Seren,” Raza got on one knee before me. “We will conquer this, as we have conquered everything else which dared to stand against us.”
“I know,” I slid into his embrace.
“There's something else troubling you,” he whispered into my ear.
“No, I'm fine,” I sighed.
“The added support from the Nine Sons will make Craos-Teine nearly impenetrable,” Raza pulled back to look at me. “They will not take Unseelie from us.”
“I know. I trust you,” I said. Then I admitted, “It's Danu that has me worried. Why would she desert us?”
“I don't know,” he sat back on the floor and pulled me into his lap. “It troubles me too, but I keep having this feeling that Danu is not betraying us. She has a plan.”
“Danu's plans are often in opposition to what I want,” I stroked the blood-red strip of hair back from his temple. “What if it tears us apart?”
“Nothing can do that,” Raza vowed his jaw clenching. “I will be dead in the ground before anyone takes you from me.”
“You're right,” I kissed him gently, “and I will be down there beside you because no one can take you from me either. But what if it's not about taking? What if something happens to make you cast me aside?”
“Seren,” Raza scowled at me. “Tell me what's going through your head, that you would say such things.”
“It's just that Danu's plans have a way of unfolding, even when I try to stop her,” I chewed on my lip. “Sometimes, they even become my own plans, and that's what scares me the most.”
“You're talking in riddles,” Raza scowled. “Tell me plainly.”
“I'm changing,” I whispered. “My personality, my perspective, everything about me is altering, twisting, and I don't know if I like who I'm becoming.”
“Changes have happened in your life, and in your heart,” Raza shrugged. “You've taken on several roles that are each challenging in their own right. It may seem like these things have altered who you are, and I'm sure they have in small ways, but the real you, the one who I love, will never change. You are simply Seren; strong, brave, generous, kind, perceptive, and magical. Those are your truths. Hold to them, and when you start to falter, I'll hold them for you. I'll remind you of who you are.”
I kissed him, loving him completely. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered another man who had sworn to remind me of who I was. The human part of me. And that part of me was drawn to Killian. Was it traitorous to think of Killian while I held Raza? Or could one woman truly love more than one man without betraying any of them?
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The sea fey soldiers arrived two days later. Daiyu was true to her word, and a huge host of assorted water fairies took up residence in the lake, at the foot of the mountain which held Craos-Teine. The lake was vast, which was a good thing, since not only were the new soldiers staying there, but there were already several unseelie water fey in residence. Raza had a few tents constructed on the shore, where pro
visions were stored and meals distributed, but for the most part, the sea fey remained in the water.
“I don't think it's fair that most sea fairies can breathe air in addition to being able to breathe underwater,” I mused as I stared down at the lake from Raza's window.
“Think of it as one of their magics,” Raza slid in behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “You have numerous talents, breathing air is simply one of theirs.”
“Fair enough,” I conceded and turned to face him. “I like this view a lot better.”
He smiled before leaning in to kiss me, and we were just settling in for a nice, long, make-out session when someone knocked on the door.
“Enter,” Raza called over his shoulder, then went back to kissing me.
Tiernan cleared his throat. Raza shifted his head down and over in a menacing arc, bringing it up to fasten his eyes on Tiernan. Tiernan lifted his chin and an eyebrow. Raza growled. Tiernan crossed his arms. Raza went back to kissing me. If he wasn't such a damn good kisser, I would have stopped him sooner. As it was, I let it go on until Tiernan spoke.
“As much as I can appreciate how distracting Princess Seren can be,” Tiernan drawled. “We need the both of you downstairs.”
“Raza,” I pushed him away. “Come on.”
Raza heaved a deep sigh and reformed his wings. Tiernan's eyes widened. I don't think he'd noticed that Raza's wings were missing until they had returned. Tiernan gave me a look and I shrugged. I had figured that Tiernan would already know what Raza was capable of, but then again, dragon-djinn were rare, and Tiernan didn't know everything about every fairy. That would be like me knowing everything about every race of human. Just impossible... wait a minute. So why was I studying all the fey races so hard? Oh, right, fairies had magic, which made knowing about them important if you were going to deal with them. And my ambassadorial status nearly guaranteed that I would deal with most types of fey eventually.
“When did you arrive?” I asked Tiernan.
“Just now,” Tiernan said. “Your father sent me with the Star's Guard. He didn't like you being here without them... and we weren't too happy about being left behind.”
