“Especially when it's him you fight. Prove to him that he's worth it. He fought against you, didn't he?”
I smiled, remembering how Raza never gave up. He sent me the Unseelie crown at one point. “Yes, he did. In this, I will obey you.”
“It's not obedience, Seren. It's prudence. Now, scry your husband. I happen to know he's brooding in his guest room at this very moment.”
I laughed. “All right, Dad. And go home. Fuck those idiots. They're not in charge of Fairy anyway. They can bicker all they want, but it won't matter.”
“Yes, that's why I'm leaving. I did my duty by attending the meeting. Now, I'm doing my duty to myself and leaving before I murder one of them.”
“Let me guess, Councilwoman Shinsato?”
“Surprisingly, no. It's Lorcan who is being the most unreasonable.”
“Councilman Timberstride? Really? He's always been so reasonable.”
“Well, he's out of sorts with Danu missing.” Keir grimaced. “And his daughter is here. She could make the sanest man go mad.”
“Oh, fuck,” I muttered.
“Yes, Tiernan's ex-wife is being particularly troublesome even though she's not allowed in the meetings.”
I sighed. “Get out of there while you can, Dad.”
“I'm leaving now. My King's Guard is already preparing our cairs. Good luck with the Dragon-Djinn.”
“Thanks.” I swiped the phone.
I was just about to call for Raza when someone stepped out of the forest. Emerging from the darkness, the man looked like a shadow himself—his body, hair, and clothing all black. When the firelight hit him, it illuminated all the details of his face, but there was no other color to him. He was entirely formed of blight.
I stepped back, my scry phone falling from my hand.
“Queen Seren of Seelie,” the man said, his voice full of sorrow so tragic that my heart clenched in response. “Do not run from me and do not shine your light upon me. I am here to speak with you. Only speak.”
“Who are you?” I whispered.
“I am all of us. All of you. The pieces of pain that were planted in Fairy. I am the prized bloom of the Garden of Regret. King of the Somber Ones.”
“The Somber Ones?”
Something shivered in my mind at the name. It sounded familiar.
“I have come to offer you a truce.”
“You'll end the blight?”
“It is not a blight. It is a demand. You have left us to fester. You have starved the garden. It was made to serve the Seelie Royals, but you forgot about it. Now, you remember.”
“Yes, we've remembered. But we don't want to prune our emotions.”
“You must. For the good of Fairy. We exist to serve you, Queen Seren.”
“Have you infected Danu?”
“Danu is Fairy. And so, we are Danu.”
“I don't think that's how it works.”
“The Goddess suffers with us, Queen Seren. You must give us our due or she will fester along with us. You and your King must feed the Garden of Regret.”
