Chapter Eight #2
Ironically, I'd always wanted a two-story library.
You know, one of those with the rolling ladder so I could pose on it like a girl from Bridgerton.
But I had envisioned something warm and cozy, not a room large enough to have a concert in, the ceiling looming three-stories above.
I wanted one rolling ladder, not two sets of spiral stairs, tucked in corners on opposite sides of the room.
I certainly didn't think to have bookshelves lined up like soldiers under the mezzanines of the library.
Mezzanines! Yeah, that's what they called the upper two levels that opened to the central space.
I had to learn that when I first moved in.
Maybe I was just annoyed that I couldn't read most of the books there. You know, cause they were written in Fey, and I still don't know the language. Ugh! That's so embarrassing.
A few fairies strolled through the stacks on all levels, but the space was so enormous that they didn't notice us coming in. But then I remembered that I hadn't scried Killian and exclaimed, “Damn it!”
A few of the fairies glanced at us and bowed. I waved distractedly with one hand as I pulled out my scry phone with the other.
“What is it?” Tiernan glanced back at me on his way to the stacks on the right.
“Nothing. I just need to tell Kill what's going on. He's probably worried.” I opened the phone. “Prince Killian Blair Firerain of Twilight.”
I kept walking as the clear slice of crystal filled with mist. It condensed into Killian's face seconds later. He must have had his phone out. I felt horrible.
“Seren, what's going on?” Kill demanded, his auburn hair wild.
“I'm sorry I haven't scried sooner, babe. It's been a long day. There's some kind of blight here. It came up through the ground, seeped into plants, and covered fairies in dark rope. It . . . did something to them. We're not sure what. They're physically drained but act calm. Too calm.”
“A blight that makes people calm?” He scowled.
“Seren, what did it look like?” Sever leaned into view behind Killian.
“Like oil. Crude oil. Fey magic didn't work on it. I had to use Light. The Light drove it back, and it made a terrible shrieking sound.” I followed Tiernan and Falcas down an aisle formed of bookshelves and lowered my voice.
“I don't like the sound of that,” Sever said.
“Yeah, no shit, dude. She just said the sound was terrible.” Killian smirked at Sever.
Sever rolled his eyes.
“Where are the girls?” I eyed the old Seelie books.
Each one of them looked like a wizard's spell book, even though they were probably books on plants and geology or some shit like that.
Fairies loved horticulture. I mean, they loved it.
Those who didn't have the magic to help plants grow, learned how to do it the old-fashioned way. It was like a sacred duty to Danu.
“Miri's asleep,” Sever said.
“Rowan's in her room, getting ready for bed,” Killian added. “We're here with Dad and Eibhleann, having some hot cider while we waited for you to scry.” He moved the phone so I could see them, sitting on a couch in the family room—a hub in the royal suite that connected the towers.
“I'm sorry I kept you waiting.” I glanced down.
We'd gone from the old rugs in the main part of the library to a hardwood floor.
But even the wood was pretty, polished to a shine that made it look as if it were infused with gold.
Ugh! Why was beauty bothering me? How ridiculous!
“We had to free people from the blight and bring them back here.
We're still in the process of moving them, but Tiernan, Fal, and I are in the library now.
We're going to see if we can find anything about this blight.
It couldn't have just appeared. Someone must have dealt with it before.”
“I'll look through my books too,” my dad said.
“Thanks, Dad. The blight touched Tiernan briefly, and he said it felt like it was seeping into his heart.”
“His heart?” Keir leaned forward.
Tiernan held out his hand. “May I?”
“Sure.” I gave him the phone. “Your Majesty.” Tiernan inclined his head.
My father smiled, but it was an expression of affectionate tolerance.
Tiernan had been like a son to him long before I came to Fairy.
When he'd been cast out of Seelie, my dad gave Tiernan sanctuary in Twilight.
He was there for years before he became a hunter, and then a Lord of the Wild Hunt.
Years later, we met and got married. He was technically Keir's son by marriage now and did call him father on occasion.
But this was a serious conversation, and in Tiernan's mind, that called for a title.
Because he had offered one, Dad had to respond in kind.
“King Tiernan, are you all right?”
“I'm fine. Thank you. I wanted to clarify. When I told Seren it felt as if it were seeping into my heart, I meant that it was seeking out my emotions. Upon reflection, I believe it specifically wanted my darker emotions.”
“Like anger?”
Tiernan nodded. “Yes. Hatred, loss, guilt, jealousy—all of them. I believe it sought those feelings. The fairies we recovered are in a strange state—clear-minded but lacking something. Combined with my experience, I've concluded that their emotions have been stolen.”
“Stolen?” Keir looked at his wife. “Darling, have you ever heard of such a thing?”
Eibhleann's voice came from somewhere to the right, “I don't know of any Seelie plants that could do that.”
“It wasn't a plant,” I leaned in to say. “It infested the plants and soil, but wasn't a plant.”
Eibhleann's green eyes widened. “An infestation . . . that's worrisome. Infestations spread.”
“I drove it back for now, but yes, I think it will spread if left unchecked. But we need to figure out what it is before we can fight it.”
“Yes, you're right. If possible, you shouldn't enter a battle without knowing your opponent.” Keir looked to his right. “I think Killian would like to speak with Seren. Tiernan, I'll scry you if I find anything.”
“Thank you.” Tiernan handed me the phone.
Killian's face appeared, but he seemed to be moving. “Hold on, babe. Let me get somewhere private.”
“Can Tiernan stay for this?” I asked.
“Yeah.” A door closed behind him. “It's Rowan.”
“What about Rowan? Did Dagur—”
“No, it's not the Elf. Ro said something weird to me today at breakfast. It's been haunting me. Now that you've told me what's going on in Seelie, I'm really concerned. I just didn't want to worry Dad.”
“What did she say?”
Killian's throat worked. “Seren, she said you were going to leave.”
“What?” I whispered.
“She told me that you have to go, but I shouldn't be sad.”
“What the fuck?” I growled.
“Seren.” Tiernan pointedly looked around the library and then at our son.
“Sorry, Fal.”
“It's all right, Mother. I know all the curse words.”
“Great.” I grimaced. “Well done, Son.”
“Go on, Killian,” Tiernan said. “Did Rowan say anything else?”
“Yeah.” He grimaced. “She said the garden was going to reveal the truth.”
“The truth about what?” I whispered. “And what garden?”
Killian shook his head. “She didn't know. Only that it was something that needs to happen. She kept saying, 'Pruning makes a garden grow.'”
A shiver ran down my spine, though I couldn't say why. “Pruning makes a garden grow?”
“Yeah. I know you didn't go into a garden today, but you dealt with plants. It feels pretty close.”
“One of the Anthousai women called the blight ropes vines.”
“Vines?” Kill shook his head. “I don't like this, Seren. Do you think what you did could be considered pruning? Maybe you weren't hurting it but helping it grow.”
“This is why we need more information. I did the only thing I could to free those fairies. If it made the blight stronger, we need to find another way to fight it.”
“Yes, I agree. But I'm interested in what else Rowan said.” Tiernan lifted an eyebrow at me. “Is there a truth you'd like to reveal, Seren?”
“Oh, fuck me,” I muttered.
“Wait. What truth?” Kill leaned in. “Are you hiding something from us, Seren? Again?! I swear to the fucking Gods, if this is about that damn Demon, I'm going straight to Hell to kick his red ass!”
Several fairies hurried out of the library.
“Falcas, baby, could you give your father and me some privacy?” I smiled at him. “This is grown-up talk.”
Falcas, my darling little boy, looked me right in the eye and said, “Mother, I know about the King of Hell's lust for you.”
I made a choking sound.
“Son, it's more complicated than lust. There are feelings involved,” Tiernan said calmly. “You know how Danu called your uncles and me to your mother?”
“Yes.”
“It is a similar situation with King Astaroth, except that it is Anu doing the calling.”
“Oh, I see. Then it is the hand of God upon Mother and Uncle Astaroth? As it was with Uncle Severriel?”
“Yes, but that doesn't mean we must accept it.”
“Because you are Fairies?”
“Yes, and because . . .” Tiernan trailed off.
I gaped from him to our son and back, unable to process how nonchalantly Tiernan was discussing the Star issue with Falcas.
“Because your mother doesn't need another man,” Killian jumped in. “That's why. And because it pisses us off that this is even a possibility! There are five of us. Five!”
“Killian, enough!” I finally recovered and looked at Tiernan. “Both of you. And Falcas, this is not your business. I love you, but my love life is not a subject for you to discuss.”
“I'm sorry, Mother.”
“It most certainly is for him to know and discuss.” Tiernan crossed his arms. “Didn’t you hear what Rowan said? You are leaving us, Seren. Your love life is affecting him.”
“Tiernan, a premonition is given so that it can be changed. It's a warning. I'm not leaving. And Falcas shouldn't have to bear the weight of that worry! What's wrong with you? You would never discuss this . . . Dear Goddess, it's the blight. You've been affected more than you know.”