“Oh,” Torquil settled down.
“Could we not?” I looked from Ainsley to Conri.
“Sorry, Princess,” Ainsley bowed his head.
“Yeah, sorry,” Conri grimaced.
But as soon as Torquil turned his back, Conri handed Ainsley a few fey coins. I rolled my eyes. Sometimes it was like being guarded by dangerous toddlers.
The elevator dinged and we all piled in. Gentry's labs were on the two floors just below my dad's office. We stepped out on the first of those, took a look around, and decided it was abandoned. One more floor down was the direct opposite. It was absolute mayhem. People were rushing about, with jittery crowds gathered in a few areas. I headed through the mess, scanning the room as I went, until someone noticed me.
“Princess!” I didn't recognize the fairy, but I was relieved that he had spotted me. “Your father is this way. Please, follow me.”
He navigated us through the throng, weaving around long tables full of equipment, and patients lying on the tile floor. I glanced at the wounded in concern, but I couldn't stop for them. I needed to see my father first. The fairy opened an office door, and there he was, King Keir of Twilight, laid out on a desk with someone's jacket for a pillow. Desk detritus was piled on the floor, as if someone had swept it aside. Keir's face looked pale, his fighting leathers covered with blood stains, but his eyes were bright when he turned them to me.
“Seren,” the silver spokes over Keir's amethyst irises flashed when he saw me. He held a hand out to me, and I rushed forward to take it. “I'm fine. The healers are finishing up-”
“Leave me be!” Dylan Thorn's voice roared from somewhere nearby. “See to my brother! Now!”
There was a light murmuring, and then my Uncle Dylan's response.
“Take your magic to the King!”
“We all show our love in different ways,” Keir sighed as he sat up. “Thank you, Eibhleann.”
That's when I noticed Aideen's mother. Aideen was there as well, but that wasn't all that surprising. Aideen worked at Gentry. Her mother, however, did not.
“Lady Eibhleann,” I said. “It looks as though I owe you another debt of gratitude.”
I threw my father a little smirk.
“The debt is mine,” Keir would have said more, but another bellow from his brother cut him off.
Keir hurried from the room.
“Break his heart, and my gratitude will turn into something much more savage,” I smiled at Eibhleann. Or maybe I bared my teeth, I'm not sure.
“Your Highness?” Eibhleann blinked in shock.
“I'm not saying I don't approve,” I held up a hand. “I like you. I like your daughter. I'd be happy to call you family. Just be careful with my father. Be gentle. His heart is still wounded. Maybe you can help heal that as well.”
Eibhleann bowed her head respectfully.
“Thank you,” I left the room with her on my heels, and my Guard closed in behind us.
Some of Keir's Guard were with him, but most were spread out before the line of offices, watching the gathering of fairies with vigilant stares. As I headed to the office my father had vanished into, Eibhleann and her daughter went out into the mass of wounded, stopping at the very first fairy who needed healing.
“Thank the Goddess,” my Uncle Dylan was saying as I stepped into the room. “I thought you were dead, Brother.”
The healer had been trying to use Dylan's distraction to work on him, but Dylan grabbed Keir, and pulled him down into a hug, dislodging the disgruntled healer. The men hugged tightly, then separated. My father nodded to the healer, and the man was finally able to give Uncle Dylan the help he needed.
“Seren,” Dylan's irises bled out into the whites of his eyes, turning the whole of them a deep, shimmering blue. His fey glamour was falling away beneath the power of the healer. “It's not safe for you here, get your ass back to Fairy!”
“Hey, Uncle Dylan,” I gave him a huge grin. After getting to know my gruff uncle, I realized that all his sharpness was a show. He was now my favorite relative, with exception to my father of course. “I'm not leaving without Dad.”
“You're right on that account,” Dylan transferred his glare to Keir. “Take your daughter home.”
“I will see you healed first,” Keir said stubbornly.
