The other two Unseelie soldiers did not follow him.
“Blake,” Kalen gasped, dragging his body along the ground. “Help me.”
I lifted Kalen to his feet, inspecting the wounds on his face. He’d been burned by something, the skin melted away to reveal the muscle beneath. One eyelid was gone, the other one screwed shut. That one glimmering eyeball pivoted to stare at me, wide with pain and horror.
He’s been attacked by elemental magic.
I want to hear him say it, so I roll as much fake concern into my voice as possible and ask, “you’ve looked better, brother. How did you obtain these wounds?”
And where are the two guards who accompanied you?
Daigh had given Kalen the simple assignment of taking two fae into the human realm using both the Seelie and Unseelie crossing stones. This was the first test of the reach of our combined magic, and it had seemed to be a success as – for the first time in decades – three fae crossed into the human realm at the same time.
From the looks of Kalen, the test hadn’t ended on a high note.
Kalen coughed, splattering blood on my coat. “Those Briarwood bastards did this…they got the others.”
I wiped my coat on his oak-leaf cloak. “You ran into the witches? You were supposed to avoid them so they didn’t know about our strength.”
“There was an opportunity. We could have taken them down, but they were stronger than we thought.”
How stupid and arrogant could he be?“Of course they’re strong. They’ve just acquired a powerful witch. Even if she doesn’t know what she is, her very presence at Briarwood will increase their power.”
“I know thatnow,” Kalen shot back. “If you’d seen them walking across the very field you were hiding in, completely oblivious to your presence, then tell me you wouldn’t have attempted it.”
I wouldn’t have, but I had my own reasons, and he didn’t need to know them. “If I’d done it, I would’ve come back with the girl, and not without two of father’s top warriors. Now the witches know we have gained significant power. They will be on their guard. Your foolhardy stunt has cost us the advantage of surprise.”
He winced. “I’m hoping Father will not see it that way.”
“The king’s already in a terrible mood. The Seelie fae aren’t stepping into line the way he wishes. You’re just going to make his night.”
Kalen’s ruined face sagged. “Will you return to Court with me?”
“I’m on duty. Oh—” I waved to a figure just rising over the crest of the hill, a fierce bow resting on her shoulder. “There’s my replacement now. I’ll accompany you back to Court. I wouldn’t want to miss the fireworks.”
“Vouch for me, brother?” Kalen pleaded. “Remind Dear Father of all my loyal service?”
I smiled, and patted his shoulder reassuringly. Kalen looked a little relieved, which seemed premature to me.
If he took my shoulder pat as my affirmation, that was his own stupid fault.
Word that only Kalen had returned from the foray reached Court before we did, no doubt passed along by the scouts that guarded the road between our land and the old Seelie Court. A few lone fae were still holding out there – led by my friend Laoise – refusing to swear their oaths to Kalen, and they were guarding a stash of nectar wine that Daigh wanted as a reward for his soldiers.
The Unseelie Court held its revels between threesidhein a wide meadow at the foot of the valley, where the two forests ofTir Na Nogmet. Kalen and I shoved our way through the dancers and brawls. Sprites and brownies leapt out of our way, chittering with curiosity. As princes, we commanded attention wherever we went, and that was especially true now the Seelie Court fairies had joined with us. Fae dressed in both Seelie green and Unseelie black and brown danced around us, laughing and jeering and offering us food.
With every step, Kalen shrunk a little further into himself.
“Greetings, Princes,” Daigh’s voice boomed over the court din. He reclined on a sedan chair held by four groaning far darrigs. Several sprites flitted around his head, peeling fruit with their tiny fingers and feeding them to him. “I see you have returned with fewer fae than you left with. Tell me, where are my loyal and mighty warriors? Will they be shortly joining us in our revels?”
“Um…they will not, oh wise King of Winter,” Kalen said, dropping to his knees. I stepped back, wanting a good spot for the show, but not so good that Daigh somehow thought I was defending Kalen. “We met the mages of Briarwood in the meadow, and they overpowered us. They are stronger than ever. They?—”
“You confronted the witches?” Daigh’s voice remained jolly. Only the throbbing vein on the side of his temple gave away his true displeasure.
“I didn’t mean to!” Kalen cried out. “We were trying to make it back to the sidhe, and they were traveling across the field from the village. They were right on top of us. We fought valiantly, but they had the girl with them, so we didn’t have a chance?—”
“Maeve Moore was there?” The king’s voice lowered an octave, booming across the glen. The sprites scattered in fright, dropping half-peeled fruit across the ground. “You allowed them to see you? Maeve saw you?”
“As I said, it wasn’t my fault.” Kalen jerked his head at me. “Blake will speak for me. He knows that I?—”
