“I'm having some issues with the dragons,” he sighed. “They refuse to come out of their watery wonderland and speak with me so I must journey into the Básmhor Sea myself.”
“Why do you need me?”
“Because you, with your new untouchable, undefined, ambassador status, will confuse them into being more agreeable and will hopefully prevent bloodshed,” he grimaced.
“You think I can stop the dragons from attacking you?” I scoffed.
“No, I think you can confound them as you do me and stop them from fighting with each other long enough for us to conclude our business,” Uisdean huffed. “Getting the dragons to agree on anything is like pulling weeds.”
“Pulling teeth,” I sighed as I corrected him again.
“Pulling teeth?” Uisdean scowled. “But that's rather fun while pulling weeds is a ghastly business.”
Chapter Fifty-Three
The journey back to Ireland was long and gratefully uneventful. Uisdean took us all to the rath which connected Unseelie to Samford Valley in Australia. He had already chartered planes and buses for our transport, having been warned by Danu what would be required. So a line of buses took us back to the Brisbane airport, where one large plane waited to carry the rescued Flight witches and the raven mockers home to Tulsa while the smaller plane which we'd flown to Australia, was ready to take the rest of us to Ireland... the rest of us including my Uncle Uisdean. He was coming along since he had to attend the truce summit anyway.
Sarah had been anxious when we boarded the plane, wondering why Danu hadn't kept her word and come to change her back. But Tristan was confident in our goddess and assured the Vex that Danu would surely carry out her promise as soon as they reached Ireland. I added to this, promising to take both of them through the rath within the High Fairy Council House and over to the Isle of Danu. There, I was certain that Danu would fulfill her promise. This seemed to relax Sarah and she fell into a thoughtful silence for the rest of the journey.
Raza had gone with his son, wanting to see Raye settled in Tulsa before he headed back to Unseelie. He seemed to have lost interest in the truce now that his son was safe and I didn't blame him in the least. I had hugged him goodbye, wishing him and Raye well. Raza had kissed my cheek and told me that he'd see me soon but I just shrugged it off. There was too much going on to worry about what Raza might or might not do in the future.
Tiernan was openly thrilled to see Raza boarding a different plane than ours and even went so far as to shake Raza's hand. It seemed that the further away we got from the dragon, the happier Tiernan became and by the time we reached Ireland, my fairy boyfriend was beaming in delight. He lost that beautiful smile as soon as we pulled into the courtyard of the High Fairy Council House. There, standing on the steps to the main keep, was my human father, Extinguisher Ewan Sloane, talking to an older woman.
I sighed when I saw them. The woman had her back to us but I knew immediately who she was. Her gray hair was braided back neatly, as always, and her linen dress was pressed into obedience, falling in straight lines around her trim frame. She wore serviceable brown leather boots and wore no jewelry except for a slim gold band around her left ring finger. Even though Grandpa had died years ago.
She turned as our line of SUVs stopped in front of the stairs, and set her sharp sea-blue stare on me. Her eyes were almost exact replicas of Ewan's except they never filled with warmth. I had to hand it to Queen Iseabal, at least she had tried to be nice to me. Ewan's mother had never given me a kind word, much less a sweet look. Now that the truth of my parentage was out, I expected even less from her.
She didn't disappoint.
I took a deep breath and walked up the steps, Cat padding along beside me. I wasn't sure what I should do but I knew I had to at least be civil to them. So when I reached the stair they stood on, I paused and opened my mouth to issue a polite greeting. Grandma beat me to it.
“Keep walking, fairy spawn,” she spat at me.
“What did you call me?” I gaped at her while Ewan closed his eyes as if he were in pain.
“You heard me,” Head Councilwoman Briana Sloane sneered. “Take your bastard self away.”
Twelve swords pulled free of their hilts and filled the air around my grandmother, making her blink in surprise. I looked back and saw my entire guard, Tiernan included, threatening the Head Councilwoman of New York. Then Cat started to growl, adding her teeth to the sharp weapons on display.
“Sheath your swords or I'll have you all extinguished,” Briana snapped.
The sword tips angled higher and Cat growled deeper.
“A puka, Seren?” Briana spat. “You have a puka for a pet? Can you not even be faithful to that whore who birthed you?”
“Mother,” Ewan ground out.
“You have given grave insult to a princess of Fairy,” Tiernan intoned. “As her guard, we have a responsibility to protect her from all harm. Speak one more harsh word, Councilwoman and I will slice your head from your body.”
I gaped in horror at my boyfriend as the entire courtyard went quiet. Witches, humans, and fairies all stared at us in rapt fascination, waiting to see who would back down... or die.
“Tiernan,” I whispered. “It's alright, stand down.”
Tiernan glanced at me and then nodded crisply. He lowered his sword and gave the rest of my guard a look so that they lowered theirs as well. I saw my Uncle Uisdean and his guard come up behind us on the stairs and stop to watch the show with obvious glee. I rolled my eyes and looked back to my grandmother.
“That's the smartest thing you could have done,” she said to Tiernan. “Your bastard princess has saved you.”
Tiernan lifted his sword once more and with a swirling, dance-like movement, swung it straight for my grandmother's throat. I reacted automatically, pulling my own sword and lifting it to block his. The clang of metal echoed through the courtyard as Briana's face went white.
