Chapter Thirty-Six
I started wearing my ring on the correct finger, as my engagement ring. It was the ring Raza had given me, that had once belonged to his mother. Two gold dragons twining around each other, holding a faceted red diamond between them. The degree of detail done on the dragons was like nothing you could find in HR and the stone... I hadn't even known red diamonds existed. This one was flawless, no blemishes to mar its crimson depths. A perfect engagement ring to declare that I was taken and by whom.
I showed it to my father when I scried him. Keir had already seen it of course, Raza had given me the ring awhile back. But Keir hadn't seen it worn with this intention. On the finger which meant something to us humans. My father was overjoyed. Then I told him about Tiernan and Killian. Keir nearly fainted from happiness. Yes, my father actually supported the fact that I'd be in a relationship with three men.
But my impending marriage and polygamous status were not the most important order of business. My father had been conducting his own investigation into the whereabouts of his sister. He may not have been raised with Moire, but Keir was very familiar with her and her tricks. They also had more in common than just blood. They had both loved their brother, Uisdean. But Keir had been the one to bury Uncle Uisdean, which meant Moire had no idea where her brother's grave was located.
A fact which my father was using as bait.
Keir was in HR. He'd gone without telling me, leaving our kingdom without a regent in residence. Something which generally was not done, and especially ironic since he'd recently insisted Raza remain in Unseelie instead of going to HR with me. But Twilight was different than Unseelie. The twilight fey loved their king completely, and would never try to usurp him. The mere thought was ridiculous. Still, Keir didn't leave his kingdom often.
“Why didn't you tell me?” I growled at him. “I would have gone home so you could leave.”
“No, you would have tried to talk me out of leaving,” Keir settled his perceptive amethyst stare on me. “I needed to handle this, Seren. Moire is my sister. At its heart, this is a family affair.”
“Your sister who tried to kill you,” I rolled my eyes. “Do you have any relatives who haven't tried to harm one of us?”
“Shane didn't actually assault you,” Keir mused.
“He tried to destroy Earth, Dad,” I rolled my eyes.
“Well, Dylan has never hurt either of us. So we have him,” Keir grinned, much more chipper than that statement should have made him. “And I'm confident that if we can rescue Bress in time, he will continue down his path to becoming a good man. Then there are your upcoming nuptials, which will add even more family members, whom I'm fairly certain will not try to murder us.”
“This is a strange conversation.”
“You started it.”
“What are you doing there, Dad?” I peered behind him and noticed the office furniture. “You're at Gentry?”
How did I not see that earlier? He was at Gentry Tech, his research company in HR. So obvious, but I was distracted by my romantic issues and hadn't noticed. I needed to focus. Romance wouldn't matter if we were all dead.
“I've attended a few parties,” Keir shrugged. “Got my face photographed by paparazzi. Given them quotes about being in town to lay my brother to rest.”
“You...” I blinked. “What? What are you talking about? Isn't Uncle Uisdean buried in Twilight?”
“In the family plot,” Keir nodded. “He's the first to be interred there.”
“Wonderful,” I rolled my eyes. “Shouldn't he have been buried in Unseelie?”
“Unseelie didn't want him,” Keir grimaced. “And he's of better use to us where he is.”
“He's of use to us dead?”
“Oh yes,” Keir smiled. “The human media has just sent a message to Moire for me.”
“What message?”
“That I have Uisdean and I'm in the Human Realm,” Keir smirked. “I won't have to find my sister, Moire will come to me.”
“Dad,” I leaned into the crystal ball. “Moire has iron weapons. You're not safe in HR.”
“And this is exactly what I knew you'd say to me,” Keir nodded. “Some things are worth jeopardizing our safety over, Seren. You know that. Moire must be stopped. Her war will threaten all of Fairy. I am the King of Twilight. It's my duty to prevent war between the kingdoms in any way possible.”
“Dad,” I shook my head. “I'm twilighting over there as soon as I can.”
“No,” Keir said firmly. “You need to stay-
A large boom resounded and the image in my crystal ball shook.
