“Yes,” Keir's jaw clenched. “So how exactly did she think she was going to get away with it? And why haven't the Sluagh already been summoned? If she instigated that attack, they would know, and they would kill her for it. Since they didn't kill her, we must assume that the one condition for killing a fairy royal has been met.”
“Danu damn it all,” I let out a deep breath. “We really are at war.”
Chapter Eight
“So, you two are cool now?” Killian asked.
I was up in Aideen's balcony, the highest point in the house. If you could call a hollowed out, living tree a house. Which in Fairy, I believe you could. The top floor was more like a roof-top garden. It had a short wall of trunk around it, then a fringe of lush branches. The branches did nothing to hinder the amazing view, but as it was night, the view above me was just as impressive as the bird's eye view of the Twilight Forest around me.
I'd gone up there to hide after my disturbing scry to my father. I needed a little time alone to decompress and think. At first, it had just been Cat and me. Then Killian had come looking for me and found me stretched out beside Cat, staring up at the breathtaking, Fairy sky while Cat took yet another nap. Stars in fairy just seemed to sparkle brighter. Maybe it was the lack of city lights or the lack of pollution. Whatever made the night sky clearer, I appreciated it.
“What two?” I looked over to where Killian was laying down beside me on the smooth wood.
“You and Tiernan,” Killian made a face. “The guy treats you like shit for months. Then he does his job, and suddenly, he's Mr. Perfect again?”
“Who said he was Mr. Perfect?”
“Mr. Perfect did,” Killian grimaced. “He told me you'd worked out your issues.”
“Well, he did just take an arrow for me,” I noted.
“As if I haven't fought beside you in worse,” Killian huffed. “And I wasn't under any oath to do so.”
“You stood beside me against a fairy king,” I whispered. “I won't ever forget that either.”
“And I followed you into Fairy,” he added. “I couldn't let you face Uisdean alone.”
“I know, Kill,” I reached down and took his hand. “And if we had been at odds before it, that would have smoothed things out between us. Just as Tiernan's actions have put him in a better light. But I hope you know how much you mean to me.”
“Why don't you remind me?” Killian's voice went low, heading for dangerous zones.
“Don't do that,” I let go of his hand.
“Oh, you can make out with Mr. Perfect, but not me?”
I looked at him in horror.
“Aideen,” he said by way of explanation.
I groaned and covered my face with my hands.
“That's going to get back to your boyfriend,” Killian said. “The dragon.”
“Yes, I know who my boyfriend is,” I muttered through my fingers.
“Do you?”
“Tiernan kissed me, not the other way around,” I kept my hands up. “But I should have stopped it. I should have slapped him or something. It was just so stupid.”
“It's not stupid,” Killian pulled one of my hands away from my face. “It's love.”
“Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference.”
“Yeah, I hear ya,” he gave a long sigh. “You know I love you, right?”
The words caused a shiver to slide through my stomach. I did know, or at least had suspected, but hearing him say it, so simply, was a different matter entirely. Instead of arguing or chiding him for putting me on the spot, his candor made me answer in kind.
“Yeah, I know,” I whispered.
