Elf-Shot Book 6 in The Twilight Court Series

by Amy Sumida

  “Then why aren't you bringing them to justice?” High Councilman Murdock asked with a baffled frown. “Why protect them?”

  “Because they operated under the direct orders of the Goddess,” I said simply.

  The room went reverently quiet.

  “Yes, I see that you understand now,” I gentled my tone. “Danu had her reasons to direct them so. Mainly, it was to unify Fairy. Before you stand all the rulers of the Fairy Realm, and I assure you that we are united. In blood and love.”

  The truth sank in for me as it did for everyone else. We were united. This was no goal we were working towards anymore. My father was the King of Twilight and my husbands ruled the other two kingdoms. There would finally be peace in Fairy. Suddenly, my throat constricted with emotion. How did I not grasp that till this very moment? Danu had succeeded. She had unified her children. We had our peace.

  “Fairy is now a family,” I said proudly. “We are all children of Danu. This is what the elves fought for. This is why they followed Moire's orders, and they were her orders, not the will of the elves. Moire's evil has brought us together, and she has paid the ultimate price. My Aunt is dead- by my hand, the elves have become twilight fey, and Fairy is at peace. Now, how could I not protect them?”

  “Well said, Your Majesty,” Councilwoman Yuki Shinsato nodded, her fox tails rising behind her to twitch in approval.

  “Here, here,” Claybourn added.

  “You have made your point, Ambassador,” Murdock sighed. “We will drop the charges. Release the elves.”

  Extinguishers moved forward to unchain the three elves, who looked to me with relieved smiles.

  “Thank you, High Councilman,” I nodded to him, and then the others. “Thank you all. Now, if you don't mind, I'll be heading back to Fairy. I've only just returned from my honeymoon. And I still need to address the issue of my rushed marriage to King Tiernan.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty,” Greer said. “Our best wishes to your unions.”

  Cat yipped, and on that happy note, I headed out of the council chambers with my family.

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Married life was going to be complicated for me, but not as complicated as I'd originally thought. We worked out an arrangement where I spent equal time in each kingdom, with each of my men. They were happy, my father was happy, even Cat was happy (she went with me). And I, of course, was blissfully happy.

  Tiernan and I began to plan our wedding or the redo of it. It needed to be just as impressive as my wedding to Raza or Seelie would feel slighted. This time, I was able to make some choices. It was nice to not have to rush it, to be able to take it slow and look over my options. I was actually looking forward to choosing my own gown.

  Killian was even more laid back about our wedding. He said we could get to it whenever I was ready. He didn't mind waiting till after Tiernan and I had renewed our vows. I suppose the engagement alone made him feel secure. Plus, he still had a lot to do with the Councils, Coven, and Casters. He spent quite a bit of time traveling, but he always made sure he was back in Twilight for our time together.

  The sea fairies were among the few fairies who were actually disappointed by the outcome of Moire's war. They hadn't been called upon to help Raza you see, and so their contract with Unseelie was void. If they went to war with the Court of the Dragon Kings, they were on their own. Raza expected them to return soon with another offer, and so did I. There was no way they'd miss the chance to have Unseelie defending them on land before their enemies even reached the Básmhor Sea.

  But I hoped that would be far in the future. I wanted to bask in the glorious peace Fairy was presently enjoying for as long as I could. I wasn't so naive as to think this peace would last forever. If I learned anything from our recent interaction with the sea dragons, it was that war was always a possibility. We had united all of Fairy's land, but the sea was another story. Either Dragon Court could turn on us at any time. It would be unwise of them, but it was still possible. And a kingdom is never truly secure. Danu may be on our sides once more, but she cannot control all of her children.

  And my Uncle Shane is still missing.

  Grammar Giggles

  And just for a little giggle, here are some grammar mistakes found by my editor Michelle Hoffman and by myself, during the editing of this book.

  Correct Line: “Not at all,” Hinrik recovered. “I appreciate all of your truths. I was simply unprepared for that one.”

  Giggle: “Not at all,” Hinrik recovered. “I appreciate all of your truths. I was imply unprepared for that one.” (I guess Hinrik's not an elf, he's an imp)

  Correct Line: “Really?” Raza lifted a brow. “How shall you make me pay, mo shíorghrá? I await your punishments eagerly.”

  Giggle: “Really?” Raza lifted a brow. “How shall you make me pay, mo shíorghrá? I awake your punishments eagerly.”

  Correct Line: “And you don't even register as fey to my psychic senses,” I added. “You're evolved, remember? A new race descended from the fey, but not exactly fey.”

  Giggle: “And you don't even register as human to my psychic senses,” I added. “You're evolved, remember? A new race descended from the fey, but not exactly fey.” (This was in reference to the elf-shot and how much damage it could do humans. Michelle said “Wouldn't this be a good thing? Or did you mean to say 'fey'?” ~Yes, Michelle, I meant to say fey.

  Correct Line: “That was gross,” Killian made a disgusted face. “Whomever he is, he's Moire's lover.”

  Giggle: “That was gross,” Killian made a disgusted fave. “Whomever he is, he's Moire's lover.”

  This one isn't a mistake, but I wanted to share with all of you what Michelle noted: “Impossible,” Raza said, “I already feel your absence.” ~ There's nothing wrong with this line. But I wanted you to know that I love this line. If a man ever said this to me, I'd melt. Right into a puddle of Michelle goo. Haha.

  And please feel free to write me at vervainlavine@yahoo.com if you spot any grammar errors yourself. I'm a poor self-published author who must rely on the kindness of my super-smart friends for help in editing. Please have mercy on my writing.

  Keep reading for a sneak peek into the next book in the Twilight Court Series:

  Fairy Rings and Dragon Kings

  Chapter One

  “Thank you for coming, Your Majesty.”

  I was still getting used to my new title. I had gone through a lot of titles since my first foray into Fairy. From Extinguisher to Princess, to Ambassador, and now Queen. I was still a princess, despite my recent elevation to queendom in two kingdoms, and I hoped I'd stay a princess for a very long time. Because the only way I'd become Queen of Twilight is if my father were to die. Depressing thought. Let's not talk about that any further. At the moment, I was being addressed by my loftiest title, something done less often by humans than fairies. But I didn't know this particular human. So, perhaps he was choosing the safe route.

  “I'm happy to help if possible, Councilman...?” I held my hand out to the unknown man.

  “Daryl Spalder, Your Majesty,” he shook my hand, then brushed back a lock of blonde hair which kept curling over his eye. “I'm the Head of the Oregon Council House.”

  “Nice to meet you, Head Councilman,” I nodded and slid into a chair at the meeting table.

  We were in Ireland, at the Human High Council House, which was actually more like a castle. It was just a little ways off from the Fairy High Council House, which is where I'd entered HR (the Human Realm). I'd walked Anu's rath into his world for this emergency meeting. It had been four months since my last emergency meeting here, but the last time we'd met in the High Council Chambers; a vast room with an imposing table at one end. This time, I'd been led into a more modest space, more comfortable, with a smaller meeting table and padded chairs.

  Cat settled in on the floor beside me. I only left my puka bestie behind if I absolutely had to. It upset the both of us to be separated. My personal Guard, the Star's Guard (it's
a Twilight Princess thing), stood behind me, against the wall. But Killian, my fiancé and caster witch turned twilight fairy, took a seat at the table beside me. He was considered royalty now, even though we weren't married yet. Once we were, he'd be Prince of Twilight, and that future was enough to gain him respect. If only he'd learn to give as good as he got.

  “Someone wanna tell us why we're here?” Killian directed his question to High Councilman Murdock, not to be confused with my friend, Head Councilman Murdock of the San Francisco Council House.

  “We couldn't tell you before we informed the Ambassador,” Murdock was a no-nonsense sort of guy, and he didn't mind Killian's direct approach. “It's hierarchy bullshit.”

  Killian grimaced but accepted the explanation. He was actually an Ambassador too, but I was a bit higher up on the totem pole. He had been brought in to assist me in dealing with the Human Council, the Coven, and the Casters. So generally, Killian conveyed any news directly to me. Including news on why we were having a meeting in HR. But they hadn't told him anything this time. I wasn't too worried. If it had been really bad, the full High Council would have been in attendance, including the Fairy High Council. But there were no fey councilmembers present. In fact, there were only Murdock and Spalder present as far as councilmen went.

  Councilman Spalder's eyes widened on Murdock with his brusque behavior. Murdock shrugged and settled back into his chair. Then he waved a hand at Spalder, in a go-ahead gesture.

  “My apologies for the secrecy, Your Highness,” Spalder said to Killian, who smirked- he was still getting used to his new title too. “Your Majesty,” Spalder nodded to me. “I asked that we keep this under wraps until we were able to determine exactly what we were dealing with. I don't want to threaten the truce.”

  “There's an issue that may threaten the truce?” I lifted my brows.

  “Humans are disappearing in Oregon,” Spalder reported. “The local authorities have only recently connected the disappearances by location.”

  “They've only gone missing in one spot?” Killian asked. “That seems like a rather obvious connection.”

  “It's not one spot,” Spalder explained. “There are several locations, all over the state, with groups of individuals going missing in each of them. The separate groups were connected immediately by locale, but on the larger scale, it took longer for the police to realize that there were similarities between these mass disappearances.”

  “What kind of mass are we talking about?” Killian narrowed his vibrant, reptilian eyes on Spalder.

  “Between ten to fifteen in each location,” Spalder shifted uneasily under Killian's stare. The slit pupils were a bit hard to get used to. “And there are seven locations.”

  “So, roughly a hundred people,” I leaned forward. “Tell me more.”

  “As you know, we monitor the local police, and have several council members inside the force,” Spalder went on. “They conducted their own investigations into the disappearances. And they found another connection.”

  “Fairy rings,” Murdock stole Spalder's thunder.

  “Fairy rings?” Killian asked.

  Behind me, my guards were shifting uncomfortably. I was shifting myself. A horrible shiver was coasting down my spine as the ramifications of the disappearances hit me.

  “Fuck,” I whispered.

  “Yes,” Spalder sighed. “Now you understand our need for secrecy. We're not sure how to proceed. A few disappearances, here and there, we can turn our heads away from. But this... something has to be done. We just don't know what, Your Majesty. We're hoping that your unique skills, knowledge, and position will help us come up with a solution.”

  “It's possible it's not even fey related,” Murdock shrugged.

  Spalder gave him a look.

  “Well, it is,” Murdock huffed.

  “What the hell is a fairy ring?” Killian asked. “And why does it have you all spooked?”

  “Remember that war clause I invoked to defend the elves?” I asked Killian.

  “Yeah, of course I do,” he frowned.

  “Well, it's not the only clause in the truce,” I said. “We really need to get you caught up on all the specifications of the truce.”

  “I know the new aspects of it,” Killian offered. “The ones pertaining to the witches. I just haven't had time to go over the full document. It's huge, Twilight.”

  “I know it's huge, Blair,” I growled. “I've studied it since I was a little girl.”

  “So there's a clause about fairy rings in it?” Killian asked.

  “Yeah, but to understand it, you must first understand what a fairy ring is,” I said.

  “A bunch of mushrooms growing in a circle, right?” Killian asked.

  “Man, you really need to study our culture more,” Conri shook his head. “Since it's kinda your culture now too.”

  “I'm working on it,” Killian growled at Conri.

  “It's more than just mushrooms,” I shot Conri a look and he shut up. “It's a place in the Human Realm where the magic of Fairy has bled through.”

  “Bled through?” Killian narrowed his eyes on me. “How is that possible? I thought the only paths connecting the realms were the raths.”

  “The raths are the only connection we can travel,” I explained. “But our realms are so closely bound, and magic has a way of... spreading, for lack of a better term.”

  “That sounds like an infection,” Killian said.

  “It kind of is,” I sighed.

  “What?” Killian's eyes went round.

  “Magic isn't natural here,” Murdock tried to help me. “It can only disperse so far before it fades. The circular pattern of the mushrooms occurs when the magic is able to latch onto the land. It's simply Earth's reaction to the magical infection.”

  “Magic mushrooms?” Killian chuckled.

  “A magical mushroom warning,” I gave him a grim look that stopped his laughter. “The mushrooms sprout at the border between magic soaked land and normal soil. They remain until the magic fades.”

  “And while the magic is there, the land is considered to be fey,” Spalder added.

  “The land is fey?” Killian shook his head. “I don't see how.”

  “It's magic land,” I huffed and rubbed a hand over my face. “Think of it like an embassy. A US Embassy in any other nation is still considered to be US soil. If you're a US citizen, you can seek sanctuary there.”

  “So fairies can seek sanctuary in fairy rings?” Killian asked.

  “In a way,” Murdock snorted.

  “Fairy rings are sacred spaces,” I tried once more. “For however long that magic remains, the land belongs to the fey. It was decided long ago, for several reasons, the biggest being that the humans had no idea what to do with magical land if something were to go wrong with it. By giving the fey rulership over it, they gave up responsibility for anything that occurs on it.”

  “Okay, okay,” Killian held up a hand. “I get it. Fairy rings are a piece of Fairy here on Earth. They're off limits for humans.”

  “Exactly,” Spalder muttered.

  “Wait...” Killian frowned.

  “Oh, I think he's figuring it out,” Conri smirked.

  “Shut it,” I snapped at Conri.

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Conri pulled himself up into full attention.

  “If it's fey territory,” Killian ignored Conri entirely, “then the laws regarding humans don't apply there.”

  “Now you see the problem,” I nodded. “Fairy rings are loopholes, physical loopholes. If a human goes into one willingly, they're fair game. None of our laws can protect them.”

  “'Willingly' being the key word,” Murdock growled. “That many humans, wandering into the same fairy rings, where they just happen to go missing? That's a little too coincidental.”

  “There's a problem with that too,” I sighed. “It's hard to prove if a human was willing or not.”

  “And luring a human, through the use of bargains and such,” Spalder
grimaced, “is completely legal. The only crime would be using physical force to pull someone into the ring.”

  “That hardly seems fair,” Killian growled.

  “No, it doesn't,” Murdock sighed. “But our laws allow for some rather unfair treatment of fairies too.”

  I looked at Murdock in surprise.

  “Just because I'm human, doesn't mean I can't admit to the truth about the truce,” Murdock snapped. “We have the better end of it as far as the laws go. But there's a reason for that; this is our world. The fey are only visitors.”

  “Looks like the visitors are taking home some souvenirs,” Killian muttered.

  “From my state,” Spalder nodded. “Will you help us sort this out, Your Majesty?”

  “I'll do what I can,” I said evasively. “Honestly, Head Councilman, if the fey aren't breaking the truce, there may not be much I can do.”

  “You could at least investigate,” Spalder said. “You can go where we cannot. You can explore other options.”

  “You're not even limited by kingdom anymore, Ambassador,” Murdock noted.

  “Fair enough, High Councilman,” I agreed. “But I am limited by the law. Because of my close ties to both worlds, I cannot play favorites. I must stay neutral, like a judge.”

  “We understand,” Murdock sighed.

  “As far as criminal behavior goes, I will follow the truce. I won't apprehend any fairy unless they've broken the law,” I held up my hand. “However, if I see humans in Fairy, being kept against their will, I will be forced to act on their behalf. As someone who is part human, I will feel compelled to do so. The humans may have no rights in Fairy, but I do, I have quite a bit actually. I'll use my rights to correct any wrongs, as I see fit. You may not get to punish those responsible, but I'll do my best to get the missing humans home.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty,” Spalder stood, smiled, and held out his hand.