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Chapter 22
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Fairy-Struck Chapter 23
I looked down at my dirty combat gear and then out at the assemblage of elegant fairies. I'd never felt so inadequate in all my life. They were dressed in shining silk and velvet; long hair done up in elaborate hairdos to highlight beautiful faces which needed no make-up for enhancement. Mingling among these elite sidhe were lesser fey but even they made me feel out of place with their strangely beautiful attributes. Cat eyes peered at me from human faces, hooves poked out of the hem of pant legs, horns crowned haughty heads, and fluffy tails flicked beneath full skirts. There were leathery wings, scaled skin, and multi-colored fur; bodies ranging from very small to massive, and fairies who looked more like beasts than humans.Then the crowd parted and a fairy man stepped through. He was tall with an athlete's build and skin as pale as my Irish complexion. He wore a simple blue tunic over black pants. A sword belt was strapped around his waist and the silver sword hanging from it shon
Fairy-Struck Chapter 24
Keir barely took his eyes off me as he led me through a winding corridor filled with extraordinary fairy art. Sculptures of strange creatures writhed under the serene gazes of regal sidhe portraits which hung next to intricate tapestries portraying scenes of astounding beauty. Everything was perfect and shiny; not a hint of dust or a single scratch to be found. I felt like a stain that needed to be scrubbed away."Your mother's death was the most painful thing I've ever experienced," Keir said as he opened a door and led me into a magnificent room."For me as well," I murmured as I peered around me.It was a circular room so I assumed he'd brought me into one of the towers. As large as my entire house back in the Human Realm, it had polished wood floors with luxurious silk carpets laid precisely across them. The carpets were woven with intricate designs of cream and silver. A rather poor color choice for something meant to be walked on. They looked as if they'd never seen the sole o
Fairy-Struck Chapter 25
"Yes, we rule the between of all things. There are even places considered to be in-between which lie on both Seelie and Unseelie land. Little spots where we might find sanctuary if we were to need it," he said. "It really spits off the other kingdoms.""Spits off?" I frowned and then chuckled as I caught his meaning. "You mean it pisses them off?""Ah, yes." Keir laughed with me. "Human speech can be tricky, but your mother tried to teach me general expressions so that you might feel comfortable around me." He sighed dismally. "I guess I'm not so good at it.""I think it will be more fun this way. Just keep trying, and I'll keep laughing." I tried to imagine my mother teaching this fairy king human colloquialisms and just couldn't do it. Not my serious extinguisher mother. Had she been a different person entirely with him? And why had she never been so with me?"It's a deal," he said. "Was that one correct?""Yes, that was right." I grinned encouragingly. "So, you were saying that
Fairy-Struck Chapter 26
"The Sluagh were sent after me on two occasions." I watched his expression grow more and more ferocious. "Tiernan saved me both times. The last was when we went to Gentry Technologies. They showed up in the building and followed us back into Fairy. At least, I think they did. I never saw them in Fairy.""They were at Gentry?" He frowned. "But I spoke to Dylan, and he mentioned nothing about the Sluagh.""Is it possible that he didn't know they'd been there?" I offered. "We were separated from our team, which I assume was Aideen's plan, or your plan rather, and so we were on a totally different floor from the others when the Sluagh attacked.""I'll need to confirm it with Aideen." Keir took a deep breath. "It's possible they were secreted in but that would take great magic.""Does your brother have that kind of magic?" I asked."Oh, yes," Keir whispered."Then that's probably what happened," I said. "The first time they attacked us, I was in a car with Tiernan, and they lifted us
Fairy-Struck Chapter 27
Keir left me alone so I could bathe and change into something for dinner... after he pointed out where the bathroom and the closet were. They were behind two adjacent doors in my room. One led to a ridiculously luxurious bathroom and the other to a ridiculously elaborate closet. I fit right in since my being there was pretty damn ridiculous too. What would Abby say if she could see me? Would she laugh or cry? Or would she beg me for a bath in the ginormous tub?I smiled at the thought and went into the bathroom through the door beside the fireplace. Even the door was beautiful; cream colored wood adorned with silver curlicues as if the Fey couldn't stand the thought of even one thing being plain. I shook my head at the door as I closed it behind me. Abby would probably be living this up; already immersed to her chin in fairy bubble bath or sifting through the rows of stunning gowns hanging in the closet. Or perhaps trying on all the shoes. Abby had a love for shoes that bordered on be
Fairy-Struck Chapter 28
One of the horizontal poles was directly in front of me and held a whole lot of gowns. Beneath the gowns were two shelves of shoes; some were sturdy boots but most were delicate things made of soft leather with spindly heels and sparkly bits all over them as if some rabid jeweler had got a hold of them. I rolled my eyes. At least I knew where Aideen got her shoe inspiration from.Further down, there were drawers set into the walls and above those were glass cabinets filled with amazing pieces of jewelry set out on display as if this were a museum. There were even little spotlights above them... and how did the Fey power all of those lights anyway? I looked around again; realizing there weren't even light switches. Must be some kind of motion sensor... or magic... or magic motion sensors. I shrugged. Who was I to question it? I moved stuff around with my mind.On the other wall were more drawers and two lengths of gold rods; one set a few feet above the other. The top one was appropri
Fairy-Struck Chapter 29
A knock came at my door just twenty minutes after Mairte left. I was still sitting in front of the dressing table; staring at my reflection in disbelief with Cat seated on the floor beside me. I got up in a daze; looking once more at the elegant fall of fat curls trailing over my left shoulder, arranged to show off the purple streak there. Mairte had pinned a diamond star over the amethyst hair to highlight it even further.She'd dusted silver powder on my skin, giving me an ethereal glow, and outlined my eyes in black kohl so they looked enormous. My lips were stained red and my cheeks blushed pink but it was the rest of me that struck me silent.The dress she'd finally decided on was dusky lavender; which she said would be a nice tribute to my lineage as well as an enhancement to my coloring. It had a curving neckline that barely skimmed the edges of my shoulders before flowing back into a shimmering cape which cascaded to the floor. My arms were bare although the cape skimmed the
Fairy-Struck Chapter 30
"I hardly recognize you," Tiernan whispered; his eyes trailing down to my shameful display of cleavage."I hardly recognize myself... or these fairies," I whispered back as I hid my smile. Maybe Mairte was right; if you got it, flaunt it. "There are so many combinations that it's hard for me to figure out who is what.""There are a few who are purely twilight; their parents' blood combined in a way that produced a new race with unique features." Tiernan waved a hand over to a woman with large, slanted, chartreuse eyes and thick, ebony hair. "The cat-sidhe were born in that manner and so were the bargests and the buguls." He indicated the large shaggy dog I'd seen earlier and then an ugly little man who I knew from my lessons to be a very kind-hearted fairy. "The rest, though, are blends which have left clear markings of both parents." He nodded to a man with golden hair like spun metal and super pale skin. The fairy smiled and nodded back as Tiernan explained, "Seelie hair and unseel
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Fairy-Struck Chapter 67
Things have been quiet in the Twilight Kingdom. No one has heard a peep from Uisdean or his Dark Court. Although, we now have allies in the Light. Nighean, Aodh, and their mother Neala went home to Seelie, but they've kept in touch with us and have begun to gather supporters for peace between the kingdoms. So far, it must be a secret recruitment since the hatred between the Dark and Light Courts still runs rampant, despite the return of the prisoners, but I have hopes that someday the secret will come out.As far as my relationship with Keir goes, I now call him Dad more easily and try not to mention my other dad to him even though that relationship feels strained to the point where I despair that things will ever be right between Ewan and I. Cat remains a constant guardian and an occasional pain in the butt, especially when I'm trying to find some alone time with my other guardian. But Tiernan handles her antics as easily and as gracefully as he does mine.Tiernan. I'd never thought
Fairy-Struck Chapter 66
It turns out that changing or killing King Uisdean was not what Keir had in mind, but my surmisal had made him think. He wasn't ready to make any plans yet, but we had time, lots of it now that I was fey. We decided to let go of our issues with Uisdean for the moment and simply get to know each other as father and daughter.We had a full day to spend together, including a night of camping in the forest; if you could call it camping when you slept in a pavilion big enough for ten. Keir showed me how to properly call the twilight creatures and how to talk to them. Tiernan's explanation, when he'd told me that fairies could speak to all animals, hadn't been specific enough. We, as in the Fey as a whole, could speak to all animals but not as individuals. Each court had their own set of animals whom only they could communicate with. The Seelie had the diurnal animals who were active during the day, the Unseelie had the nocturnal creatures who roamed at night, and the Twilight had the crepu
Fairy-Struck Chapter 65
There was no need for me to wait another day before returning to Fairy since Keir could take me straight home. Home. Funny that the place I called home was now in the Fairy Realm. We left shortly after Uisdean did; Dylan to fire and do who knows what else to Adam Driscol while Keir and I went back to Gentry Technologies so we could use his personal fairy mound to get back to the Twilight Kingdom.A coach and a contingent of soldiers were waiting for us when we exited the rath. They were all sitting around a fire but there were no tents up so I assumed they expected it to be a short wait. Which meant Keir had perfectly timed his arrival into the Human Realm. I guess Danu did speak to him.The knights were well trained, Keir's personal retinue, the King's Guard, and they were mounted and ready to leave within moments. Soon, we were rumbling through the night-shrouded forest on our way to the Twilight Court. I sat back against the purple velvet seats and sighed deeply; going over the la
Fairy-Struck Chapter 64
There was a creeping lethargy seeping into my limbs. I couldn't lift my hands or focus enough to use either my psychic or magical talents. I started to slide down the back of the couch."It will wear off soon, I promise," Dylan whispered as he caught me and laid me down gently. "You're going to be okay, Seren.""You traitor," I whispered while I could still speak."Technically, I'm a double agent," he clarified. "I was a traitor when I left the Unseelie Court; this is redemption."A ringing came from a panel near the elevator, and Dylan glanced over his shoulder at it. Then he looked back at me sadly, gave me a gentle kiss on the cheek, and got up to go to the intercom. He pushed a button on it and spoke quickly. Then he went to the elevator and pushed a button there before he turned to face me once more."This will all be over soon." He smiled reassuringly. "Try not to upset yourself."I wanted to tell him to go to hell, but I couldn't move my tongue. It felt swollen in my mouth
Fairy-Struck Chapter 63
Finding that middle ground took a couple of hours. When I finally left the council chamber, I found Uncle Dylan asleep on the couch where I'd left him. He had his arms flung out to the sides, across the back of the couch, and his head was leaned so far back that his mouth dropped open a little; a prime pose for snoring. Unfortunately, my Uncle Dylan was too perfect to snore and slept peacefully without a single sound. I shook his shoulder, and he even woke up peacefully; his body gracefully shifting back into an upright position as he opened his eyes and placed them unerringly on me."We can go now." I looked over his tired eyes. "Thanks for waiting for me.""It's quite all right." He gave me a sleep-softened smile. "You're my blood.""You know, you're not half bad for a relative of mine," I joked as we headed out to the car.I was surprised to see that there was still a bit of daylight left. It had felt as if I'd been in with the council forever."I'll take that as high praise,"
Fairy-Struck Chapter 62
The entire San Francisco Human Council convened to speak with me. It was a little intimidating to be the center of their attention, especially since that attention was pretty damn intense. They had already been a meeting to discuss the possibilities of my new diplomatic status, and they had made notes, lists, and even graphs of how they saw my role playing out. Graphs! Damn politicians.I sat through most of the political BS with what I thought was a fair amount of poise; nodding my head in acceptance of the standard expectations they had for me: keeping the peace, carrying out execution warrants, that sort of thing. But when they started in on all the diplomatic duties I'd have to perform, I began to get nervous. I hadn't thought about all the parties I'd have to attend as both an ambassador and a princess. Or all the meetings I'd have to conduct with the fairy royals. The thought of sitting down to have a nice diplomatic discussion with my Uncle Uisdean was a little terrifying."We
Fairy-Struck Chapter 61
"Once more, if you please." Councilman Murdock was back to sitting across a tea set from me in the parlor of the San Francisco Council House."I can't give you specifics, Councilman," I said. "Just please help Amanda get home; she's been through a lot.""Of course, we'll help her," he huffed. "But you said you rescued her from the Unseelie. Isn't there something we can do?""Not unless you'd like to storm the Unseelie Castle." Dylan grimaced. "There's nothing that even we can do about it, Mr. Murdock. Princess Seren has done more than any fairy monarch has ever done concerning this situation. The idea that anyone could try and hold the entire Unseelie Court accountable for the abduction of one human girl is, frankly, laughable.""Councilman Murdock not Mr.," Murdock corrected in irritation; probably because he couldn't fault anything else Dylan had said."Ah." Dylan narrowed his eyes at Murdock and then waved a hand at himself. "Duke Dylan Thorn... of the Unseelie."Murdock swall
Fairy-Struck Chapter 60
"That was awkward," Amanda said."And totally stupid." I rolled my eyes. "This is my father's business. All of those fairies work for him so we weren't in any danger.""They were all fairies?" She gaped at me."Uh, yeah." I chewed at my lip. I hadn't thought of how to handle Amanda's knowledge of the Fey. "Look, it could be dangerous for you to talk about fairies. I'm going to take you to the Human Council, and they'll be able to help you get back home and sort things out but they're probably going to tell you the same thing; you need to pretend that you don't know anything about the Fey.""Trust me, I want this all to just go away," she said. "I'm not going to cause any problems. Besides, who's going to believe me? They'd lock me up in the loony bin.""Great." I grinned as we exited the elevator and headed toward the reception desk. "I mean about your not talking, not the loony bin part."Sunlight poured in from the wall of windows; blending with the artificial light shed by the
Fairy-Struck Chapter 59
We were almost to the fairy mound that led to Gentry Technologies when Aodh caught up with us. I've never been so happy to see a fairy in all of my life. I screamed like a little girl when he landed on the seat beside me and then jumped up in delight and nearly fell off the carriage."Thank Goddess you're all right," I declared as I hugged him."It's good to see you too, Princess." Aodh laughed and looked around. "Where are we going?""I need to get Amanda home." I waved toward the clearing Tiernan's coach was just entering. "I'm taking her back through the rath in Gentry Technologies, my father's company.""Oh, right, the human girl." Aodh cast a glance down to the carriage. "Is she all right?""I think she will be," I said confidently. "She's been traumatized, but she's already trying to move past it." I pulled the horses to a stop and handed the reins to him. "You couldn't have better timing. I need you to drive my carriage to the Unseelie Castle." Then I saw Tiernan come walki
