“Thank you, Lady Mariya. We did indeed need to hear that.” Tiernan nodded to the Vila woman. Then he lifted his arm and spun his hand toward our soldiers. “Move out!”
The soldiers, including Tiernan's entire King's Guard, got into their vehicles while Tiernan and I did the same. Sir Riosel and Sir Galleth got into the back of our cair with us. Tiernan was driving again. He knew Seelie better than I. As we rose from the ground, I waved to Falcas.
“I love you, Fally. Watch over our family while we're gone,” I called to him.
“I will, Mother. I love you!” He waved, the sunlight setting the silver streak in his hair to sparkling—a star among shadows.
I blinked. “Shadowstar.”
“What did you say?” Tiernan glanced at me as our cair took the lead position and flew out of the courtyard.
“Huh?” I looked at him. “Oh, I don't know. It just came out.” I glanced back. “Our boy is so handsome.”
Tiernan smiled, but it was strained. “We have to save this world for him, Seren.”
I nodded. “For all of us.”
We rose higher as we sped down the winding road, but before we reached the midway point, Tiernan increased our elevation, and we launched above the trees.
I looked at him askance.
“Following the roads will take too long.” He turned the cair to the east, our convoy settling into a line behind us.
“Won't this use up our fuel more quickly?”
“We'll be at the Licho village before we run out. Then we can refill the stores.”
“All right.” I looked out the window, down at the tree canopy, and then at the glove box, which wasn't a glove box at all but access to the “tank” that stored the Air Magic fueling the cair. I knew any of us could refill it, but if we had to charge an empty tank, it could be draining to us.
“We can each contribute a little,” Tiernan said as if he'd heard my thoughts. “That way, none of us will feel the strain.”
“Oh, all right.” I stared ahead at the horizon, the sun on our right. “So, how far is Pech?”
“It should take us only about three hours to get there. I hope the Licho have fared better than the Anthousai.”
“I haven't met any Licho before. What are they like?”
Sir Riosel made a dark sound and then coughed to cover it when Tiernan shot a stern look over his shoulder.
“What's wrong with them?” I asked.
“There is nothing wrong with them.” Tiernan glared at Riosel through the rearview mirror before adding, “They're not . . . conventionally attractive.”
“Are we talking Dullahan territory?”
“Not quite so bad as that. They tend to be skinny to the point of emaciation and only have one eye.”
“All right. I don't have a problem with that.”
“No, it's not their looks that make other fairies avoid them. The Licho are attracted to happiness.”
“What's wrong with that?”
“They're attracted to it because they feed on it and leave illness, disease, hunger, and poverty in its stead.”
“Ouch.” I winced. “But there must be a purpose for them.”
“Balance.” Tiernan shrugged. “Too much happiness is as harmful as too much unhappiness.”
