Chapter 12
Kieran
Viv returned to the council room with Samian in tow.
He looked tired. His face was drawn, his body tense.
I had just finished dressing in the all-black outfit Viv forced me to wear, nicer than most of the clothes I owned.
It was fit for a lord, not for a commoner like me, but the Seelie Court was different, and I had to look the part.
“I convinced Samian to join us today,” Viv said while she brushed invisible dirt from my shoulder.
She gave me a nod of approval before going to the armoire and pulling out an outfit for Samian.
She placed them in Samian’s hands, his face set in a grimace.
“You know the drill.” She gave him a pointed look until he sighed and left to change.
Viv chuckled and came to stand beside me. “Are we going to be nice today?”
“Yes, Mother,” I sighed, giving her a weak glare. “I do know how to behave myself, you know.”
“Yes, well, history suggests otherwise,” Viv scoffed, ignoring the snark in my tone.
Samian returned in an outfit similar to mine, though his was a deep blue. His face was still set in a wince and paler than usual. “Does this meet your standards?”
“Yes, it does,” Viv smiled. “Thank you for asking.”
I snorted a laugh when Samian rolled his eyes. “Let’s get this over with,” he growled.
Stepping up to us, Samian took Viv’s outstretched hand, and the world tilted, falling away.
Nothing but darkness swarmed us until the world snapped back into place.
My stomach turned, but I swallowed back the urge to vomit.
In all my years, transferring has been the bane of my existence.
While it came easily for Samian and Viv, I just could never get used to it and avoided it at all costs.
Breathing through the queasiness, I stared at the large city built along the mountains and valleys.
It had never failed to leave me in awe. The magic and nature here were different, wilder, and more unrestrained.
It made the power under my skin dance and pulse to a song I couldn’t hear.
The air was cooler in this court—lighter, like it was always stuck in a never-ending autumn.
The ground and trees appeared to be covered in jewels, each displaying bright, vivid hues of red, orange, yellow, and even green.
We stood at the edge of a white stoned bridge that loomed over a waterfall.
The mist reflected a myriad of colors from the sun.
Samian rolled his neck, fidgeting with the ring on his finger.
He never said much about his time here before the queen found him, though I could tell it wasn’t good.
However, his restlessness felt like something more this time.
There was a storm churning in his eyes, raging and fierce.
“Is everyone ready?” Viv murmured. Her face was stern, her eyes skimming across the city.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Samian frowned.
Viv stalked across the bridge first, Samian following soon after.
I took a glance behind me, carefully watching the mist that hung low along the trees of the mountains.
The sun barely reached the ground, leaving nothing but shadows along the forest floor.
A shiver shot through me. The magic that ran wild here created creatures that even I cowered from.
It was the very thought of those creatures that had my feet moving quickly, crossing over the bridge, and not daring to look back.
We walked through the city in silence, the tall, intricate structures and homes towering over us. Carvings of ancient warriors and gods etched the stones, depicting effigies of times before the realms were split.
The elves, fae, and gods of the Seelie Court ignored us as we passed. I could feel their eyes on us, though, staring when they thought we wouldn’t notice. Spies of the council weaved through the crowd, disappearing into alleyways to warn their masters of our arrival.
We finally stopped at a set of stairs in the middle of the city that led up to a large marble manor with stone columns of figures along the outside, rather than windows, as used across the fae kingdom.
A powerful male figure strode down the steps, his skin so pale against the brilliant red tone of his hair and the dark tattoos twisting along his neck, dipping into his shirt.
His yellow eyes held mine, his lips curling into a vicious smile.
“I thought you’d learn by now, Kieran Ithara, that you are not welcome here.” His tone was dangerously low as he stopped his descent, cocking his head to the side.
“I knew you’d miss me too much, Edris,” I grinned. “I figured it was time to come and say hello.”
Edris barked a laugh and moved his piercing gaze down the line, passing over Samian, landing on Viv. “I’m guessing you’re here because of the visions I sent you?”
“That,” Viv mused, “and other things. However, I believe we should speak of it with the rest of the council.”
Edris frowned, narrowing his eyes at Viv while he considered her words. “Fine, though I’m not sure if I should allow you inside,” he drawled, pointing at Samian.
“That was hundreds of years ago, and I have since grown. I will not make the same mistake again,” Samian growled. I could feel his magic rising, coiling around him.
“Oh, testy testy, little half-seelie,” Edris chuckled. “Fine, I’ll allow you this time; however, if the ‘mistake’ is repeated, you will be dealt with swiftly. Understood?”
“Understood,” Samian scowled.
Edris nodded and turned, making his way back up the stairs. Viv followed, but I grabbed Samian’s arm before he could move. “What is he talking about?”
“Nothing,” Samian hissed, jerking his arm away.
“Samian,” I exhaled. “Didn’t we go through this last night? I thought we were good.”
Samian looked away, sniffing, his fingers drumming against his legs. “I’m sorry,” he breathed, looking back at me. “I found out Sybil talked to Cassia before we met you in the forest. That's why she is acting so distant toward us.”
My magic pulsed, and I fought to pull it back, silently cursing. We should have talked about this before coming here. I should have asked him when I noticed him acting so reserved. “And?”
“And she knows, Kieran. Sybil knows we are her mates.” Samian's shoulders dipped, and he looked away again, his eyes full of anger and sadness. “Cassia said they spoke of something else, as well, but wouldn’t tell me before berating me like a fucking child.”
“Right, I guess that means either Sybil is upset that we kept being her mates from her, or she’s upset about whatever was said after?”
“Pretty much,” Samian sighed. “This is the second time we fought before she left.”
“She’ll be fine,” I murmured, putting my hand on his shoulder. “She has Ivara and Daelan with her. Ivara will raise hell if anything happens to her.”
Samian huffed and shook his head. “I would hate to see the trouble she would cause. Daelan, too.”
I chuckled, picturing Daelan destroying Lowell’s estate bit by bit. The bastard was chaos and mayhem mixed into one. “Come, let’s get this over with.”
We walked up the stairs, catching Edris and Viv serious and contemplative, though whatever they were discussing was dropped the moment they noticed us.
Edris led us through the manor, where ten thrones sat in a semicircle, every seat but one filled with a mix of fae, elves, and gods, all more magnificent than the last. Edris walked to his empty throne while Samian, Viv, and I bowed low, waiting until permitted to stand.
These ancient beings loved formality and decorum.
“You may rise,” King Aetherin spoke, his voice booming like thunder.
Intricate braids held back his long, golden hair, and a crown of gold and silver branches mixed with leaves sat atop his head, with a soft green gemstone in the middle that matched his serious eyes.
He still looked like a warrior, muscles corded along his tanned arms, though the age of war had long since ended.
“Thank you, my king,” Viv spoke softly as she stood. “And thank you for allowing us to speak with you all today.”
“Edris told us you would be coming, that you had news of war?” Queen Isolde asked, her voice as light as calming rain. Silver chains from her delicately woven crown mingled with her thick, jet-black hair, flowing down her body as her midnight-blue eyes observed us.
“Yes, that’s right,” Viv said, her face grave. “We have recently learned that Ambrose Farra has been hiding Queen Cassia in the dungeons for decades now, and he is making his move for a war between our courts.”
The council members looked at each other, whispering too low for us to hear.
“And how did you come to find this out?” Zarina said gingerly, her white horns glinting in the light, the slitted pupils of her blue-and-amber eyes thinning. The water dragon’s pale skin looked almost iridescent in the sun; a water goddess as powerful as the king himself.
“We have learned this from Samian Olokas, though I have foreseen it as well.” Edris peered down at Samian, his face hard.
Xandros snorted, lifting his chin in the air, his ruby eyes peering down at us. “I thought you had died, soul-meander. Guess we didn’t do our job well enough.”
Samian growled low and deep, baring his teeth at the god.
He opened his mouth to speak, but Viv put her hand on his shoulder, giving him a slight squeeze.
“Please,” she breathed. “Now is not the time for this. War is at our door. We are here to ask for aid against Ambrose’s army.
They are coming for the rebels first, but they have already started their movement against this court.
Ambrose has the lords in his grasp, and they tell the people that this court is the reason for their downfall.
Without aid, we don’t stand a chance. After we fall, they will come for this court next. ”