Careless Wishes

by Amy Sumida

  Danu appeared before we made it to the altar, shifting between the Fey races until she decided on—or maybe I decided on—the form of a Dryad. Her hair moved listlessly as the vines among the strands blossomed into crimson flowers that matched her sacred apples. My husbands and I knelt before her.

  “My brother has sent you with a gift,” Danu noted with a wry smile. “He's right; the Cintamani should have been brought to me long ago.”

  She held out her hands and I laid the pearl within her cupped palms.

  “He also asks that you return his animals,” I added.

  Danu chuckled. “I will lead them back to the raths when their home becomes safe again.”

  I bit at my lip. I wanted them safe but they belonged to Anu—they belonged on Earth.

  “I know where they belong, Daughter,” Danu reassured me as she motioned us to our feet. “But I won't allow them to return to chaos. Once Anu's world has found its harmony again, I will send his animals back.”

  “Thank you,” I murmured.

  Danu nodded graciously, then turned toward her altar.

  It was a simple stone block with a basin carved out of one end and a set of steps leading up to it so that someone could sit upon the altar and gaze into the basin. Above the basin, an unnaturally smooth stalactite hung, endlessly dripping water into the bowl that never overflowed. Danu laid the pearl in the water and it vanished beneath the surface. I breathed a sigh of relief.

  The Goddess grinned as she turned back to us. “Yes, your burden has been taken from you and your mission is complete, Daughter. Although, I hear that you've accepted a new job. You are... consulting for the Human Council? What does that mean?”

  “It means that when they need some extra help, they'll call me.” I shrugged. “I don't want to spend too much time away from my family but...”

  “But you must fulfill your purpose too,” she finished for me.

  “I thought I'd done that?” I lifted a brow at her.

  “In Fairy, yes,” Danu confirmed. “But on Earth?” She shrugged. “Only you can say when it's time to lay down your iron sword, Extinguisher. You will live a very long time and eternity can seem dull without a purpose.”

  “What about ruling a kingdom or raising children?” Tiernan asked.

  “Those are both noble callings that Seren is excelling at,” Danu said gently. “But she is not alone in those endeavors, is she?”

  Tiernan sighed and looked at Raza.

  My dragon grimaced. “We've agreed to her new position with the humans, but we'd feel better about it if you could offer us some kind of assurance, Danu.”

  “Assurance?” Danu laughed. “Now, you sound like a human, Raza. Has Seren influenced you that much already? It's barely been a decade and yet you've changed more than you have in over a thousand years.”

  “I believe you know the answer to that already.” He bowed his head.

  “I do.” Danu stretched on her toes to kiss his cheek while Raza leaned down to meet her halfway. “You are the better for it, Son, but I can offer you no assurances. Life is an uncertain thing.”

  “I understand,” Raza rumbled.

  “You are bound now, my children,” Danu said. “Where Seren goes, all of you go, as you have shown so clearly to my brother. Even when you are not physically with her, you are still in her heart. Have faith in that.”

  We all bowed our heads in acceptance.

  “Daxon.” Danu trailed her fingers along my husband's cheek. “It's good to have you home. I've enjoyed watching your son. He's as charming as his father.”

  “Thank you, Danu,” Daxon murmured.

  “Killian”—she glided over to him—“perhaps you will spend more time at home now that your wife will be helping you?”

  Killian only grinned.

  Danu sighed. “I thought I'd give it a go, as the humans say.” She moved on to Tiernan. “And Tiernan, I am so proud of you. I'm proud of all of you. Our home is healing and blossoming under your care. With any luck, even the Sea Kingdoms will come around one day.”

  My stomach clenched. “Are you saying—”

  “No.” Danu held up a hand. “The oceans are calm. The Sea Fey are minding their manners for the time being and they've even started speaking to me again. Yet water is ever-flowing, ever-shifting, and I'm not as certain about my children who live within it as I am about those on land. But that is a future worry, Seren. Put it out of your mind for now. Go home to your children and your father. Kiss them and hold them and know that you have helped to make their homes safe once more. Any damage that occurred to Earth would have eventually seeped through the raths to Fairy. You have served both my brother and me even though it was his call you answered.”

  “I'm honored to have been of service.”

  “I think you were a bit more than honored.” Danu winked at me. “You have color in your cheeks again, Daughter.”

  Danu vanished and we were back in Twilight.

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  “What did she mean by that?” Raza asked as we climbed back into our carriage. “Color in your cheeks again?”

  “Raza,” I sighed his name.

  “Don't I put color in your cheeks?”

  “Of course, you do.”

  “It's different, dude,” Killian said. “She's happy, but she was raised to be an extinguisher. Getting back in the game is like going home for her. Besides, I thought you were all cool with this? Why do you keep saying yes, then grumbling? Oh, we can find a balance. Wait, we want assurances,” he lowered his voice to mimic the other men. “It's not very kingly.”

  The three Kings shared a look while I snickered.

  “We have agreed and we will support you,” Raza said to me. “It's just hard to hear that we aren't enough to make you happy.”

  “That's not the case at all and you know it,” I said sternly. “I would be happy with being a wife to all of you and a mother to our children for the rest of my life. But doing this kind of work—helping stop criminals and fight for our worlds—it gives me another layer of fulfillment. Don't all of you feel good when you help our people? How is what I want to do any different?”

  “What you want to do is dangerous,” Tiernan said.

  “And ruling a kingdom isn't?” I countered. “Danger is already a part of our lives. You have faith in my ability to face it here. Why can't you have that same faith in me when I leave Fairy?”

  “Because here you have...” Tiernan trailed off.

  “Guards?” I asked. “The same knights who are with us now?”

  “But you won't have us,” Raza countered.

  “Why won't I?” I shot back.

  The men gave me blank looks.

  “Killian will likely be with me,” I pointed out. “But what if one of you guys also joined us? You could take turns. I'm sure the Human Council wouldn't mind.”

  Raza, Tiernan, and Daxon exchanged grins—no, smirks.

  “Sweet Danu!” I snarled. “You just played me. You weren't worried, you were jealous.”

  “You've grown complacent, wife,” Tiernan teased me. “Your husbands dote on you, making you forget that we have ways of getting what we want too.”

  “And when we team up, we're virtually assured of success,” Raza added.

  “I could have done it alone, of course, but since they offered.” Daxon shrugged, then winked at me.

  Killian chortled. “Well done, Brothers. Nicely played.”

  “You let me stress about this when you could have simply asked for what you wanted,” I grumbled.

  “You stressed for exactly three minutes. Besides, the fun is in the seduction,” Daxon said smugly. “You know that, Seren.”

  “I'll remember you said that when we get home, Daxon,” I said ominously.

  All of the men laughed. All except for Daxon.

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Cries of “Mommy!” and “Daddy!” and a loud barking greeted us when my husbands and I stepped out of our carriage. The men went straight f
or their offspring, leaving me to hug Cat, then nudge my way in for hugs and kisses with my children. But I didn't hold it against my guys. As hard as it had been for them to watch me head into danger again, leaving their children behind had been just as difficult. The children, however, had the time of their lives without us.

  “We had a puppet show!” Falcas notified us.

  Cat barked and jumped around.

  “And chocolate cake every night!” Shahzy added.

  Cat wagged her tail.

  “And we built a fort in my bedroom!” Rowan said.

  Cat yipped.

  “We tried to build a rope ladder so I could climb up the tower and rescue the fair maidens, but Grandpa caught me and took my rope away,” Caelum said solemnly.

  Cat whined and looked disapproving.

  “Don't worry, Son,” Daxon said to Cael, “soon you'll be able to use your Air magic to fly up to balconies and save girls who you're not related to. That will be much more fun.”

  “Excuse me?” I growled.

  “Unless your mother decides it's too dangerous,” Daxon hurried to add.

  “You think that's what I'm upset about?” I crossed my arms.

  “Girls don't need to be saved!” Shahzadi pointed her claw-tipped finger imperiously at her uncle and brother. “I told you, Cael!”

  “That's right, baby girl!” I swung Shahzy up into my arms and we glared at the boys together. “We save ourselves, thank you very much. You can take your Air magic and blow yourselves to Bermuda.”

  “Yeah, go blow yourselves!” Shahzy shouted.

  I shared a horrified look with Killian. “Um, that's not quite what I said, Shahzy.”

  “Sometimes, you must let the boys save you, Shahzadi,” Raza chided our daughter as he took her from me.

  “Why would I do that?” She made a face at her daddy.

  “Because it makes them feel as if they've accomplished something—as if they've worked to win your favor.” Raza leveled a firm stare on our daughter. “You must never simply cast your affection to a boy without making him earn it.”

  Shahzy's eyes widened. “Okay, Daddy.”

  “Now, apologize to your brother.”

  She grimaced.

  “Hell, no!” I took Shahzy back, then grabbed Rowan too. “We ain't apologizing for being strong, independent women. Come on girls, you too, Cat. I'm going to tell you all about how I just saved the world.”

  “Which one?” Rowan asked.

  “Both of them, baby.”

  “Yay!” The girls shouted.

  Cat barked and jumped around us excitedly.

  “Mother, I want to hear about your adventure too!” Falcas called after me.

  I sighed and stopped to glance at Rowan, then Shahzadi. “Should we let the boys come with us?”

  Rowan nodded but Shahzy took a moment to think about it.

  “Only if you make shadow puppets again, Fally,” Shahzy said over my shoulder.

  “I can do that,” Falcas wriggled until his father let him down then he ran up to us and grabbed Shahzy's ankle as if it were her hand.

  “Why do I think he means a different kind of shadow puppets than I know?” I asked my father.

  “Falcas uses the Shadowcall to make creatures and people to entertain his siblings,” Keir said. “What other kind of shadow puppets are there?”

  I looked at Killian and shook my head.

  “Can you make shadow puppets, Daddy?” Caelum asked Daxon.

  “Not like your brother,” Daxon said as he sent me a smirk. “My illusions are a little more...”

  “Colorful,” I supplied the word.

  “Have you eaten?” my father asked us.

  “Not yet,” Killian said hopefully.

  King Keir laughed. “I thought you might be hungry so I had some food brought up to the family dining room.”

  “Dad, you're the best King in all of Fairy!” Killian declared.

  Tiernan and Raza glowered at him.

  “Don't take it personal, guys; he's had more practice at it than you.” Kill grinned.

  “Killian, we've just gotten home, could you maybe wait a few hours before you start trouble?” I asked him dryly.

  “For you, my beautiful wife, I will rein in my urges,” Killian declared.

  Conri and Rodaidh snickered together. I glared at them, and they cleared their throats as they straightened.

  “Are you friends now?” I asked in shock and dismay.

  “Of course, we're friends. We've always been friends,” Conri huffed. “Haven't you heard the way we mess with each other? That's true friendship.”

  “Do not listen to Conri,” I said to my children. “Not ever.”

  “Now, there's something we can agree on,” Raza muttered.

  “Aw, come on,” Conri started to whine but then he caught Raza's glare and quieted. “I, uh, think I'll go look for my own dinner. Gradh, you hungry?” He looked around. “Gradh? Gradh?”

  “She left like five minutes ago,” Sanna drawled. “While you were working on your bromance.”

  “Son of a selkie!” Conri snarled and ran down a hallway.

  “Goodnight, everyone,” I called as I headed upstairs with my family.

  A chorus of “Goodnight, Your Majesties and Your Highnesses,” followed us.

  “Am I your highness?” Rowan asked me.

  “You are a grace—your own grace,” I said as we strolled down the corridor toward the family dining room. “Daddy and I are highnesses.”

  “What?” Rowan cocked her head at me.

  “Your mother is the daughter of the King of Twilight, which makes me her a princess. So, she is called Your Highness. You are the daughter of a prince and princess,” Killian scooped Rowan out of my arms, lifted her above his head and spun her around. She was still giggling when he brought her down to add, “That means that you are a Marchioness. When people address you, they'll say either Marchioness Rowan or Your Grace.”

  “But where is my grace?” Rowan asked in confusion.

  “It's just a title, baby,” I said as I handed Shahzy to Raza—he was getting a little antsy waiting for me to give her back—and picked up Falcas. “Don't take it literally.”

  “Is Shahzy a Princess?” Rowan asked.

  “Yes, her daddy is King of Unseelie so she is a princess,” I confirmed.

  “It's okay, Row,” Shahzy said brightly. “You still get a crown.”

  “I do?” Rowan asked.

  “If you don't, you can have one of mine,” Shahzy offered.

  “Thanks, Shahzy.” Rowan beamed.

  “That's very sweet of you, Shahzy, but I'll get Rowan her own crown,” I said, a little relieved that jewelry was all it took to end that discussion.

  “Do I get a crown?” Caelum asked his father.

  I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing at Daxon's shocked expression.

  “Do you want one?” Daxon asked. “Technically, you're a prince.”

  Caelum thought about it. “Do you think girls will like it?”

  Daxon chuckled. “You are so my son. And yes, Cael, they probably will. Girls like shiny things and men with power; mix the two and they go wild. I'll get a crown made for you as soon as possible.”

  “Thanks, Daddy.” Caelum grinned.

  “Do you want one too?” Tiernan asked Falcas as we stepped into the dining room and started to settle the children into their seats. “You are the Prince of Seelie.”

  “No, thank you, Father. I don't think I'd like to wear a piece of metal on my head,” Falcas said. “But I'll wear one if you want me to.”

  Tiernan grinned before he said proudly, “You are so my son.”

  And he was. As Cael was Daxon's and Shahzadi was her father's daughter. The only wild card was my Rowan. I looked over at her and smiled softly. I don't know where she got her kindness from. My sweet girl.

  Then Anu's voice rose in my memory, “You know she has great compassion in her—compassion matched by her strength. There are v
ery few people like her in either my world or my sister's.”