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Chapter 24

Author: Amy Sumida
last update Last Updated: 2022-04-29 14:03:43
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
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    "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

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    "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

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  • Fairy-Struck   Chapter 27

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    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

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    "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 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

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