“You can't come with us, Tiernan,” I said gently. “Go home to Twilight, and please let my father know where I've gone.”
“That's not happening,” Tiernan said stubbornly.
“She can't take you with her, dumb ass,” Killian was lounging against Aideen's tree, waiting for dawn so he could twilight back to HR. He'd woken on his own too. “The dragon would make you into a marshmallow.”
“You're going to talk to Raza?” Tiernan asked with wide, hopeful eyes.
“I'm going toconfessto him,” I corrected. “As I should have done with you once.”
“Why? It seems fair play that it's done to him,” Tiernan's hopeful eyes narrowed.
“Oh snap,” Killian chuckled.
“I would snap my mouth shut, if I were you,” Tiernan growled.
“You can try to do it for me,” Killian hissed at Tiernan, his snake fangs flicking down as he did.
“I'll make you into a pair of boots, snake boy,” Tiernan started forward.
“Sweet Goddess, are they like this all the time?” Bress asked, his stormy eyes rolling up to the dark sky.
“Tiernan!” I shouted, and Cat began to growl. “Enough.” Tiernan froze, glaring at Killian. “And you,” I said to Killian, “put those needle teeth away. No one wants to see that.”
Killian frowned, then prodded his teeth. He flinched when he pricked his finger on his own fang. It took him a few jaw stretches before he was able to get the teeth to retract.
“Sorry,” Killian grimaced. “Sometimes it happens automatically.”
“That's freaky,” Conri observed.
“He's a new fairy,” Ainsley said. “Give the guy a break. It's not like he was born with them.”
“Theguyhas snake teeth,” Conri growled. “Itisfreaky.”
“You get furry and lick your own ass, but no one calls you a freak,” Torquil pointed out.
“Fair enough,” Conri's tone lightened. “And by the way, I don't lick my ass, I lick my balls. There's a huge difference. And don't act as if you wouldn't do it too, if you could.”
All the men went markedly silent.
“Come here, Cat,” Conri gestured to her. “We furry ones need to stick together, and I don't think you can levitate on your own.”
Cat trotted over to Conri, and he picked up her massive weight as if she were a puppy.
“Dawn approaches,” Gradh announced.
“I'm sorry, Tiernan,” I drew back with the rest of my Guard. “I can't have you with me now.”
“I will remain with Lord Tiernan,” Bress offered. “We can travel to Twilight together. I would like to speak with King Keir anyway.”
“Thank you, Bress,” I said.
“Then I shall await you in Twilight, Your Highness,” Tiernan said stiffly.
I gave him an annoyed look as the twilight magic filled me. My Guard, Killian, Cat, and I began to levitate, and then we slipped into the Between. In moments, my Guard, Cat, and I stepped out, into the courtyard of Craos-Teine. The heart of the Unseelie Kingdom. I just hoped I wasn't about to break the heart of its king.
Chapter Ten
“Seren,” Raza was heading towards the central staircase when I walked into the castle. “Thank Danu,” he altered his course to intersect mine. “It's been a long night.”
