Turns out, I didn't have to deal with them for long anyway. Eadan called me in on his conversation with Councilman Greer and Greer asked me to report to the Fairy High Council House in Ireland immediately. The high council members wanted me there to handle any problems that might arise between now and the summit. A week wasn't a lot of time to prepare for such an important event and I think they were a little annoyed with me for setting such a horrible deadline. So I got to share their misery.
All of us fey packed our bags and bid adieu to the Tulsa Council House. My Star's Guard was in an exceptional mood, laughing and teasing each other as we headed for the SUVs. For most of them, this was their first trip into HR and now they were going to see the most famous fairy site outside of the Fairy Realm. It was like telling a bunch of children that you were taking them to Disneyland. I wanted to join in their cheer but I found my stomach clenching nervously as we rode to the airport. Not because of witches or the truce. My nerves were purely dragon related.
Raza was coming with us.
Things were getting tense between Tiernan, Raza, and I. Raza hadn't approached me in anything but polite interest since our searing kiss but he didn't have to; his looks said it all. He looked at me like we'd already slept together and it was ruffling my feathers a bit. The more he looked at me, the less interested in him I became... and the more furious Tiernan turned.
It was a vicious cycle that I had no idea how to break and the plane ride didn't seem the appropriate time for an intervention. So I retreated into the private cabin with Tiernan and stayed there until we landed in Ireland. Those hours of peace were just what I needed and I luxuriated in the private time it gave me with my man. Miles up in the air, encased in metal and enveloped in Tiernan, I was able to let go of my anxieties and just be Seren. Not Ambassador Seren, not Princess Seren, not even Extinguisher Seren. Just Seren in love with Tiernan.
Once we landed in Ireland, the ride up to the Fairy High Council House was much more tense but at least we were all facing forward, so I could ignore the hot looks Raza was directing at the back of my head. After the intimate time I'd spent with Tiernan on the plane, he was even able to ignore them. So we miraculously made it all the way up into the Irish countryside without a single incident.
Unfortunately, that's where my peace ended.
My father came rushing out to meet our Hummers (it's rough terrain up there) and whisked me away immediately. Tiernan and Cat followed but us my father stopped and gave Tiernan a small head shake. Tiernan's eyes widened but he nodded his compliance and went back to our group, where some council aides were directing everyone to their accommodations. Cat of course paid no mind to Keir and remained beside me. But then Keir hadn't tried to stop her.
“What is it?” I asked. “And what are you doing here? I thought you were going to stay on the Isle of Danu until the summit?”
“The raven mockers have disappeared,” Keir whispered as he rushed me down the hallway.
“What?!” I stopped and screeched.
“Seren, we must hurry,” Keir grabbed my arm and started to pull me along. “Raye made it to Twilight and collected his people from Criarachan. They left Fairy through the San Francisco rath, and were transported from Gentry to the airport, where they were seen boarding the plane provided by the Human Council. The plane took off without a problem but it never landed in Tulsa. They're missing.”
“A whole plane of fairies is missing?” I growled as my hands started to shake. “Damn them, I never should have trusted those witches.”
“You did as your heart dictated,” Keir shook his head. “And I support your decision. It was a wise mercy that you showed, an outstretched hand offered in friendship.”
“And they bit it,” I shook my head. “That's what I get for being kind to werewolves. No good deed goes unpunished.”
“We don't know that the witches are behind this,” Keir said reasonably.
“Of course they're behind this,” I huffed. “Damn them, there were children among Raye's group.”
“I know,” Keir's face was lined with worry. “And they're our people. We will find them and if any harm has been offered them, we will return it tenfold.”
“You're damn straight we will,” I looked towards Cat and she started to growl. “Don't worry, Cat, I won't leave you behind. You'll get your pound of flesh too.”
“Before flesh or blood, we must have the truth,” Keir pushed open a large, golden oak door.
It was carved with swirling designs similar to Celtic knotwork and opened onto a vast room with a vaulted ceiling and a pristine floor the color of fine porcelain. It looked like it had never been walked upon and I did so with a small amount of trepidation over the state of my boots and what they might leave in my wake.
Windows were built into the slopes of the ceiling, letting in large shafts of light which made the polished floor gleam like it was its own light source. Besides those architectural wonders, there was only one other window in the place and it was set into the wall at the far end of the room, behind a U shaped table.
The window was massive and came to a curving point at its top center, to fit into the angles of the ceiling. It held an amazing view of a pastoral countryside; little lambs fluffs gathered together on the glistening grass of gently rolling hills. The peaceful scene was in direct opposition to the grim and anxious faces of the fairies seated at the wide table. I recognized Greer and nodded to him. He gave me a respectful head bow back.
So my father wasn't the only one to come over from the Isle of Danu early. That didn't bode well.
“My daughter has arrived,” Keir indicated me with a wave of his hand as we stepped within the center of the U. “I've given her a brief report on what has occurred.”
“Princess Seren,” a man with flowing cornsilk hair stood at the direct center of the table and nodded to me. He looked familiar but I couldn't remember where I'd seen him before. His eyes, a bright violet, settled on me serenely and he waved an elegant, nut-brown hand towards a chair across from him. “Please join us.”
“Thank you, Councilman...” I glanced at my father.
“Timberstride,” Keir whispered to me. “Lorcan Timberstride, Chief High Councilman.”
“Chief High Councilman Timberstride,” I inclined my head as I took the indicated seat. Keir took the seat beside mine and Cat settled between us.
“I assume that King Keir has told you of the missing raven mockers?” Timberstride waited for me to nod and then continued. “We have sent hunters to investigate but they've found only one clue; the remnant of powerful weather magic.”
