“As did your choice of bed partner disgust me,” Ryvel sneered. “A king of Fairy, debasing himself with a human, it was reprehensible.”
“You dare speak to me of reprehensibility?” Keir growled. “You, who have killed your own people? You were the one who let them through, weren't you? You were Moire's contact in Fairy.”
Ryvel smiled viciously.
“I claim your traitorous head for myself,” Keir declared.
Everything went still. We all turned to my father in shock. Except for Raza and Kader, that is. Both the dragon-djinns nodded in approval. My father pulled his sword and strode forward. He wasn't even going to bother with magic. Keir was going to kill Ryvel in a more physical way... a human way. I sensed that there was an insult involved. Ryvel didn't rate a magical death.
Ryvel's eyes went wide, and he looked to the elven host for help, “You're just going to stand there?”
“We must each face the weight of what we've done,” Dagur said. His face was healing and his words rang out clear. “The elves followed Danu, not Moire, and we have fulfilled the enterprise asked of us. We now stand with Twilight and Unseelie.”
“What?!” I swung my head around to face Dagur. “You have got to be fucking kidding me!”
And I wasn't the only one shocked. Every non-elf there stared at the elves with their mouths agape. Cat was surprisingly calm.
“What the fuck?” Ryvel screeched. “You fought beside me! We're on the same side!”
“Only because Danu wished it,” Dagur said. “She needed this result, and we have provided it for her.” Dagur turned to me and bowed, “Forgive me, Princess Seren, but Danu said this was the only way, and I always believe in our goddess. King Raza,” he faced Raza, “I meant you no harm or disloyalty. We elves simply want to live together as a clan. Dark and Light. Danu has promised that we shall have this.”
“And you shall,” Keir declared abruptly. “In Twilight. The elves are welcome to make their home in neutral territory. Together.”
The elves cheered, a surprised sound with ragged undertones to it. Dagur smiled briefly, then hung his head and wept tears of joy. The other elves closed in around him, rejoicing together.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Dagur said brokenly, then he turned and hugged a man beside him. “She has been true. It was worth it, Brother.”
Keir nodded with satisfaction, then continued on to Ryvel. The hunter realized he was alone, facing a fairy king, and made an about face. Ryvel ran into the castle like the Sluagh was chasing him. My father growled and started to give chase.
“Your Majesty,” Tiernan called, “we shall attend you.”
“Let's finish this shit,” Killian snarled and rushed after my father.
I looked to Raza and he looked to me. We began to smile. Cat growled, her hackles rising. Together, we followed the men into the night-shrouded Seelie Castle. It was indeed time to finish this shit.
Chapter Forty-Seven
The halls of Castle Seelie were as pristine as ever. The fight must have been confined to the courtyard and the entrance hall, and it must have been brief. There were a few more seelie bodies near the obliterated main doors, Commander Anson's included, but that was it.
Ryvel's fleeing form led us through the maze of corridors, lined with walls of living plants. The scent of orange blossoms was a strange accompaniment for our chase, and the foliage muffled the clang of armor. Still, my father's sword glinted grimly in the golden gleam of fairy lights, promising a violent end in this beautiful place.
We finally emerged into the throne room. I'd been there once before, for a ball. It was the same beautiful space of gleaming, marble floors veined with gold, and citrine columns rising up to an arched ceiling, dominated by a golden sun. The night sky could be seen through the crystal, sun-crested dome, filtering moonlight into a room that was too brightly lit to appreciate it. How unfortunate. Moonlight would have been more appropriate for the scene.
Queen Isabel, my grandmother, was lying dead in the middle of the floor, right beneath that citrine sun, in the arms of her weeping husband. Their son, my Uncle Shane, was nowhere to be seen. It was a heart-wrenching sight which I was suddenly grateful my father couldn't see. Keir had cast a psychic death on his mother awhile back. It didn't kill her, but it destroyed his connection to her, making her invisible to him, and protecting him from her enchantments. So all Keir saw was King Marcan holding empty space. Still, it was enough for Dad to understand what had happened.
Keir went forward, looking as if he were going to comfort his step-father. But halfway to King Marcan, he switched direction abruptly and swung his sword. Ryvel's head went flying. It bounced across the white marble floor, leaving blood smears in its wake, and rolled to a stop before the cowering Seelie Court.
Moire started to laugh.
She was seated on the Seelie throne, the golden crown already upon her pale brow. Bress stood behind his mother, clad in chains, and a man unfamiliar to me sat in the king's throne beside Moire. My father went towards them, stopping briefly beside Marcan to whisper in his ear and squeeze Marcan's shoulder gently. Marcan looked up at Keir as if he'd only just seen him, then nodded, gathered his wife in his arms, and hurried into the group of seelie fey on the right side of the room. The rest of the room was filled with elves. Moire had no other warriors on her side, a fact which made me smile. She didn't know how fucked she was... yet.
Raza took my hand, and we followed my father to the end of the room. Cat padded along beside me. Killian, Tiernan, and Kader formed an honor guard behind us, though I saw Tiernan scanning the seelie distractedly. Most likely for his father. Raza and I settled into place beside Keir and faced my evil, insane aunt. It was a bit disturbing just how many of my relatives were evil and insane.
“Get your filthy ass off that throne, Moire,” my father said calmly. “And release my nephew at once.”
Moire screeched. I chortled. Raza bared his teeth. Cat growled.
“I am Queen of the Seelie now, Brother,” Moire spat.
