Chapter Six
I woke up disoriented and blinked until my eyes adjusted to the moonlight. On the bedside table, my scry phone chimed. With consciousness returning like a bullet, I dove for the phone. Killian stirred beside me. He sat up as I opened the leather case and swiped the crystal.
“I don't know.”
The vestiges of my dream burned to ash and floated away as the mist condensed. Oh, Gods! Was it Star? I should have gotten out of bed. But no, Star had tried to keep me in the dream. He couldn't be the one who was scrying.
The mist focused into the face of my son, Falcas. His silver eyes were wide. I'd never seen him so worried.
“Falcas?” I jerked forward. “What's wrong?”
“It's Fal?” Killian leaned in. “You okay, kid?”
“Mother, Father needs you. Now!”
“I'm coming, baby!” I snapped the phone shut and shot out of bed. “Tell the others, Kill. I'll scry you later.”
“Okay. Go!” He motioned me away even as he climbed out of bed, and then he followed me into the closet.
I yanked on pants, a tunic, and boots in case I needed to run, and then strapped on my Demon sword in case I needed to fight.
One last look at Kill, and I laruked away.
Killian's eyes were full of worry but also support.
He knew I could handle whatever was happening in Seelie, and that trust centered me.
The air condensed around me, swirling to transport me instantly to Castle Seelie.
I arrived in the royal suite I shared with Tiernan, but it was empty.
Running for the door, I called, “Tiernan! Falcas!” I burst into the corridor, startling a maid.
“They're below, Your Majesty.” She pointed towards the stairs. “The entry hall.”
“Thanks!” I ran for the stairs and then used my Fey beag magic to float down the flights until I reached the entry hall, saving me several minutes. My husband was there, straightening out of a hug with Falcas. Tiernan's stunning silver eyes, the irises ringed in indigo, went wide when he saw me.
“Seren? What are you doing here?” Tiernan's fey ombré hair—platinum at the roots that darkened through shades of blond and then of brown before it became black at the tips—swung in a shining arch as he rushed to meet me at the bottom of the stairs.
“Falcas scried me.” I looked at our son and then at Tiernan's guards. His King's Guard was composed of twelve men, and none of them would meet my gaze. I looked back at Falcas. “You said your father needed me right now.”
“Falcas?” Tiernan turned to look at him too.
Falcas had gone through a recent growth spurt and stood nearly as tall as I.
With his black hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail, the length shifting with shadows, he looked far older than ten.
The silver streak at his left temple was in the same place as my ombré streak, but it matched his eyes—eyes that were identical to his father's.
Falcas had always been a somber child, but these days, his somberness carried weight.
He, like all my children from my first pregnancy, was maturing rapidly.
“You should have scried her, Father.” Falcas lifted his chin. “She is your queen. She deserves to know what's happening here.”
Oh, shit. Did our son just reprimand his father? I looked at Tiernan as my jaw fell.
Tiernan grimaced. “It is not for you to decide, Falcas. This is an adult matter.” He strode over to Fal and took his shoulder in hand. “I understand that you're worried, but I said I would handle this, and you should have trusted me.”
“I do trust you, but I have a feeling that you need Mother's help.”
“Why didn't you mention this feeling to me earlier?”
Falcas was developing an incredible intuition. Rowan inherited premonition from me, and I suspected she would exceed me in that talent. I was starting to think that Fal had gotten it too.
“I did tell you.” Falcas didn't get angry, just presented his case with calm assurance. “You said it would be all right. I decided that it would not, and I should bring Mother here so she could decide.” He looked at me. “Father is leaving to investigate a missing regiment.”
“What is he talking about, Tiernan?” I went to stand with them.
Tiernan sighed and motioned his guards away. “Wait for me in the courtyard.”
They marched out, all of them dressed for war. A shiver went down my spine.
“Tiernan?” I demanded when the last one closed the keep's main doors behind him.
“There is a strange blight infesting Seelie,” Tiernan said. “It's been appearing randomly in the forests and has now crept into farmland.”
“What kind of blight?”
“It is poisoning the plant life; beyond that, I'm not sure. The reports are mixed. I sent a regiment of soldiers to investigate a week ago. They never returned.”
“So, you're going after them yourself?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “You're not a hunter anymore. You're the King of Seelie!”
“You run off to Earth to fight humans, Demons, and Angels, but you dare to remind me of my status? Perhaps you should rethink your words, Seren.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Fine, yes, you're right. I do that.”
“And you are queen of two fairy kingdoms as well as the princess of the third.”
“Yes, Tiernan, I know who I am.”
“Do you?” He leaned in to whisper, “Ever since you returned from your last mission on Earth, you've been acting strangely, Seren.”
I went still. How could I have thought that no one would notice? I'm almost never alone. Still, I tried to play it off. “What do you mean?”
Tiernan's silver eyes narrowed. “You make odd sounds in your sleep and wake up tired. There's a shadow in your eyes.” He took my hand. “Is it in your heart as well?”
“What?” I whispered.
“Do you still love me?”
“Tiernan! Of course, I love you. I will love you until my last breath.”
“Then what is it, Seren? Why do you pull away from me in your sleep and reluctantly go into my arms when awake?”
“Reluctantly? I don't—”
“You sigh often. Not in a good way,” he cut me off. “And there have been times when I feel as if you're not mentally there with me, even when I'm inside you.”
I glanced at Falcas, but, as usual, he had sensed what the people around him needed and had retreated to another room.
It was just Tiernan and me in the huge entry hall.
I looked back at Tiernan. “I'm sorry, T.
I've been so tired lately. You're right. It feels as if all I do is travel between kingdoms and have sex with my husbands.”
Tiernan blinked. “I see.”
“I want to be with you.” I squeezed his hand before he pulled it away. “I've just been tired. Miri is so active these days. She's nearing the terrible twos.”
Tiernan frowned. Falcas, like Rowan, didn't go through that phase. So, Tiernan only had stories of Shahzadi and Caelum to go by. And he knew me. He knew when I was misdirecting him.
I tried again. “I'm sorry. I'll do better.”
“Seren, none of us wants you to feel as if you have to constantly perform sexually to satisfy us. It's just that we get only three days with you.”
“I know. And I want to make the most of those three days too. It'll get easier again. Babies always make things more difficult.”
“I think there's more to it than Miri.”
“I'll be fine. Now, tell me about the blight. Where were you going?”
“The last report came from Begonia, an Anthousai village. I'm headed there. Do you want to come with me? It's only about an hour's ride by cair.”
“Yes, all right.” I looked down at my clothing, glad I'd prepared for an adventure.
“You'll need a cloak.” Tiernan went to the wall where a service cord hung and pulled it.
One of the staff appeared seconds later—a Glastig woman whose goat hooves announced her arrival. “Your Majesty?”
“Fetch the Queen a cloak, please.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” The Glastig hurried off.
I glanced at the window high up in the front wall. Seelie was about eight hours ahead of Twilight and got a lot colder. At this time of year, that translates into rain. The sky was clear so far, and bright blue. Two in the morning in Twilight meant it was around 10 AM in Seelie.
“Falcas,” I called out.
Falcas hurried back into the room. “Yes, Mother?”
“I'm going with your father. Come give me a hug.” I opened my arms.
He hurried over to hug me and even offered me a rare smile. “I'm glad you're going. He needs you.”
“Thank you for scrying me. I love you, Fally.” I kissed his cheek.
“I love you too, Mother.” Falcas looked at his father. “I'm sorry, Father.”
“It's all right.” Tiernan hugged him. “Next time, try speaking to me again before you go behind my back.”
“Yes, Father.”
“We should be home by tonight. If we aren't going to make it back, I'll scry you.”
Falcas nodded.
“Seren?” Latharna, Tiernan's sister, came into the room with a cloak in her hands. “I heard you were here.” She hugged me. “You're going with Tiernan?”
“Yes, Falcas called me.” I took the cloak she offered. “Thank you.” Then I smiled at her rounded belly. “How's the baby?”
“Active.” She grimaced. “Gabrielle sings to my belly, and it calms the babe.”
“You both must be getting excited.”
“All three of us are, yes.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Is, uh, um, are you still with Kofi?”
Latharna grinned. “We are. He's become dear to us.”
“I'm glad. The more parents, the better, in my opinion.”
“Yes, that's clearly what you think.” She laughed. With a hand on her belly, she looked at Tiernan. “Be careful, Brother. Falcas is worried, and when he's worried—”
“I know.” Tiernan cut her off, but kissed her cheek to lessen the sting. “We'll be careful.”