“We’re good. Are you?” Fay said, and Nooa nodded. “Did you bring some íocshláinte with you?”
“I did.” Nooa rummaged in his pouch and pulled out a small flask, which he handed to Fay.
She unstopped the bottle, poured some liquid on her hand, and rubbed it along a cut on her arm. “Here, apply some to your cuts,” she said to Kayla, offering the íocshláinte. “Don’t worry. It’s a concoction of healing herbs. It’ll help you.”
As the three Seelies whispered to each other in low voices, Kayla tipped some of the flask’s contents onto her palm. The liquid was as clear as water, but had a distinctive smell of arnica, yarrow, and something else that Kayla couldn’t put a name to. She dabbed her palm against the scrape above her knee and on her bruised knuckles. It burned a little, like disinfectant, but a pleasant tickle soon replaced that sensation.
Kayla slumped down on a bench. Her gaze met Maeve’s, and she thought she saw a flash of relief. Then, with the flip of her hair, Maeve turned back to Nooa and Fay.
A few feet from them, Dahlia was talking to the man Kayla had seen transform into a wolf. Dahlia’s dress was ripped, and he was holding his arm as if he’d dislocated his shoulder. Other than that, the wolf-man seemed completely ordinary, dressed in stained jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.
“Something is wrong,” Fay said as Dahlia walked toward them, the man on her heels. Kayla got to her feet, her right leg trembling a little, and joined the group.
“One of the faoladh didn’t make it,” Dahlia said. Her face was red and bruised, her arms scratched. “The black faeries killed him.”
The man beside her growled like a wolf. “We should call the enemy by its true name,” he said.
“And what name is that, Gabor?” Dahlia asked.
“You know that as well as I do.”
Before Dahlia or anyone else could say something in return, a group of people passed them, carrying the limp body of a man. All the color had drained from his skin, which was now a dull gray. His bloodless lips were distorted into a grotesque gape. His eyes were large and empty, staring up into the night sky without seeing the stars. Blood had soaked his shirt.
Kayla staggered back a step and Fay caught her elbow. For a second, Kayla leaned into Fay, focusing on the feeling of Fay’s calloused, warm hands holding her, before she straightened up again.
A woman broke away from the group that carried the body. “The others are taking him back to the headquarters,” she told Gabor. Her resemblance to him was striking, the same sharp jawline and the same brown eyes looking out from under thick lashes.
“Good,” Gabor said. “Dahlia and I were discussing the faeries.”
“So you agree it was them?” the woman asked, facing Dahlia.
“We can’t be certain.”
“How can there be any doubts? Or do you think it was any of the Seelies?” Her eyes swept Fay, Nooa, and Maeve.
“Lilika, please,” Dahlia said. She leaned in closer to the two wolves. “If people were to think it was them, it would cause panic throughout both realms. Is that what you want?”
“The Seelies like to believe we’re ignorant, but word carries to the mortal world quite quickly,” Gabor said. “We know that this is not the first incident.”
“Yes, but no one’s ever seen them!” Dahlia let her hands flap to her side.
“Until now, Dahlia. You saw them. We all saw them!”
“We are the guardians of this city,” Lilika cut in, “and the protectors of our pack. Tonight, they have threatened both and one of ours lost his life. We cannot let this happen ever again.”
Dahlia raked a hand through her tousled hair. “I know…”
“I agree with you,” Maeve said, addressing the wolves. “Those weren’t Seelie faeries and we all know it. I say it’s time we face the truth.”
“Maeve, don’t—” Fay began, but Maeve didn’t hesitate.
“The Unseelies have returned.”
The wolves nodded while Dahlia shook her head in disbelief. “We shouldn’t make assumptions like this.”
“They could have been some Wild Fae,” Nooa said, but he didn’t sound convinced. The group stood in silence until Fay took a step toward Lilika and Gabor.
“I can assure you,” she said, “that your pack is under Queen Ophira’s protection. Even if you dwell in the mortal world, you still belong to the Fair Folk and if you should require our aid, you must only ask for it. But for now, you must keep this quiet.” Lilika began to object, but Fay continued, sounding a lot like the queen. “I trust you to make the right decision. The last thing we need now is public upheaval. In times like these, we must stand united.”
“As you wish, Princess Fay,” Lilika said, bowing her head. Gabor followed her lead, before they both strode off into the night.
“Come on. We should leave, too,” Dahlia said. She led them across the deserted pier and back to the bus stop. Torn-off costumes, fake ears, teeth, and tails covered the ground. Smashed pumpkins mixed with vomit. A motionless man was lying near a bush in his own drool. When he gave a loud snore, the group continued walking.
Now the only sounds were the distant rumble of cars and police sirens. Those were the noises Kayla had grown up with. In this city, where she’d lived for years, yet she had never seen or heard of werewolves—or faoladhs—protecting it.
“I guess it won’t be long until our paths cross again,” Dahlia said as they reached the bus stop. She waved goodbye and vanished down the street.
Flustered, Kayla whirled around at the faeries. “What the hell just happened? Who are these Unseelies?”
Fay and Nooa exchanged a glance while Maeve rolled her eyes. “We’d better get something to eat first,” Fay said. “It’s a long story.”
14
THE STORY OF TWO COURTS
Half an hour later, they sat in a booth at a nearby diner. Maeve glared at both the customers and the waitstaff with clear condescension. “What kind of a run-down dump is this?”
“It was close by and the kitchen’s open until late,” Fay said. She flipped through the menu, her shoulders drooping as if they weighed a ton. Kayla was too exhausted to ask why Fay knew so much about Chicago and its restaurants.
Across from Fay, Nooa gazed around, wide-eyed. “I think this place is amazing,” he said, inspecting the salt and pepper shakers. “What are these for?”
Kayla leaned against the backrest. “They’re spices,” she said. “You use them to add flavor to your food.”
“Why would anyone need to do that?” Nooa prodded the salt shaker with one finger. It toppled over, spilling a few grains, and he flinched. His gaze flitted about the restaurant, and Kayla wondered if he was scared that the dark faeries would come after them.
“Because human food tastes like garbage,” Maeve said, slamming her menu down on the table. A passing waitress shot her a warning glare but scuttled off when Maeve growled at her. “I will not order any of it. I’d rather eat a chunk of dirt.”
“Their Caesar salad is pretty good,” Kayla said and was rewarded with a frown by Maeve. “Anyway, how will we even pay for this? I’ve got no money on me, since I didn’t really have the time to stop and get some cash.” She glanced sideways at Fay, who was still busy perusing the menu.
“We’ll take care of that,” Maeve said.
“How?”
Maeve placed her hand on the table and when she opened her palm, she revealed two crumpled green leaves. “Like this,” she said. “Good thing I plucked those on the way here, huh?”
“It’s just leaves,” Kayla said. “How’s that going to pay for our meal?”
Maeve smirked. “To you it might be leaves. To any other mortal, it’s money.”
“You’re tricking them,” Kayla said.
“Take it or leave it. I don’t care.” With a shrug, Maeve tossed the two leaves on the table.
When the waitress came back to their table, Kayla’s rumbling stomach was too overwhelming to worry about the Glamored money, and she ordered food f
or them all, including a plate of appetizers. Once everyone—even Maeve, after some reluctance—had gobbled a plate full of loaded potatoes, the atmosphere shifted.
Kayla wiped her hands on her napkin and looked at Fay. “So,” she said, “Unseelie faeries?”
Fay put her drink down. “I guess we should tell you,” she said. “But we must start at the beginning for you to understand.”
“I’m listening.”
As Fay leaned back, the pale light highlighted the bruise on her jaw. “Long before any of us were born,” she said, “a Faerie King ruled Tír na nÓg. His name was Arawn. His father before him was a cruel and savage ruler, and he forced the entire Fair Folk to bow to him. So Arawn continued his rule with his father’s methods, leading many, especially the pooka, to loathe him. But the people who loathed him most, the people who would betray him, were those who he most trusted. His confidants at the Seelie Court.”
Fay paused when the waitress returned with their entrees. When she was about to pick up the story, Nooa interrupted her.
“King Arawn had two gorgeous daughters,” he said. “The first daughter was as dark as the night and bore the name Titania; the second one, Ophira, was as bright as the day.”
“Your queen?”
“Yes,” Nooa said. “Everyone in the Seelie Court knew Titania was a bastard child, the remnant of a brief liaison with a Wild Fae. But the king raised her with his other daughter, whom he had with his wife, and he loved them both. The king and queen had accepted Titania as their own, but, unfortunately, the court had not.”
Kayla stared down at the salad in front of her, piercing a few lettuce leaves with her fork. “And then?”
“Throughout the seasons—” Nooa began.
“Okay, you are taking forever,” Maeve said with a flick of her fork. At least she’d tried her salad. “Titania was bitter because the court’s inhabitants didn’t like her that much. She was always second best, behind Ophira, and she blamed her father for that. Everything escalated when he told his daughters that the one who first found a partner would become the successor to the throne. Ophira, beloved by everyone, had an advantage. She found a man to love her in no time.”
Kayla could well imagine that, even without knowing Titania.
“So Titania betrayed the king,” Nooa said before Maeve could interrupt again. “She surrounded herself with a group of faeries that wanted to take down Arawn. They fled the Seelie Court shortly before Ophira’s marriage, taking her betrothed with them. More and more faeries disappeared from the court—more traitors who wanted to see the king dead. After some time, a message arrived, stating that Titania would attack the Seelie Court to take over the throne. But if Arawn and Ophira surrendered, she would give them back Ophira’s betrothed. If not, she would kill everybody that dared to cross her way to the crown.
“What followed is known as the Royal Battle. The king’s and Titania’s troops met at the edge of the Whispering Woods. There they learned that Titania’s faeries could not enter the Seelie Court anymore, because an invisible barrier was holding them back. Our people attacked the Unseelies in the woods, but although we won the battle, many lost their lives that night. And so did the king. He wanted to protect his people and, above all, his one daughter who was still loyal to him. But Titania murdered him, in front of Ophira.”
Kayla thought of Ophira with a sudden pang. She had lost her father in the cruelest way. No wonder Ophira seemed so aloof and withdrawn.
“What does all of this have to do with the Unseelies today?” Kayla asked.
“Because of what happened next,” Maeve said. “Some say Ophira killed her sister to avenge her father and fiancé. Others claim that Titania and the rest of her people escaped. There’s never been an official statement, no remark in the history books about the events. All that remains are murmurs and whispers, about a group of faeries unlike us Seelies which is hiding in Tír na nÓg, waiting to strike again. People call them Unseelies and fear their name.”
Kayla shuddered. “And there’s no way to find them? I mean, they’re your people, right?”
“We’ve searched all of Tír na nÓg and some parts of the mortal world, too. But they’re no longer our people. They’re not just some Wild Fae who decided to live away from home. They’re no longer bound to us.”
“Because they left the Seelie Court?” Kayla asked.
“They didn’t leave. They betrayed us. We don’t know what happened to Titania’s followers that they couldn’t enter the Seelie Court anymore, but there are some theories.”
“It’s in the blood,” Fay said. “It has to be.”
“I agree,” Maeve said. “Whatever Titania did to them, it changed their entire being. One could even say they’re a different kind of faeries now. The opposite of Seelie.”
Kayla couldn’t imagine how it could be possible to change someone’s blood. But that theory at least explained how the name Unseelie had emerged. The Seelies thought of them as something unworthy, something lesser.
“How long ago did this happen?”
“We do not measure time like—” Maeve said.
Kayla groaned. “I know, okay? But if this has happened a long time ago, why come back now?”
“It hasn’t been that long,” Fay said. “Most of the faeries who live at the court now have witnessed it.” She glanced at her friends.
Nooa sniffled. “No child could ever forget that night.”
Kayla dropped her gaze to her salad. She’d only taken one bite so far, but she was no longer hungry. A lump had formed in her throat. She dropped her fork and pushed the plate aside. “So, tonight was the first time anyone saw them?”
Fay nodded. “As far as we know.”
“And still…” Kayla pressed her palms onto the table, a hot flush coursing through her. “You let them escape. You could’ve gone after them.” She lifted her head, glaring at the three Seelies. “We could have saved my father.”
“What is she talking about?” Maeve said.
“One of the Unseelies said they had something of Kayla’s,” Fay said, pushing her own plate aside too. Then, she shifted to face Kayla. “But that doesn’t mean they have your father.”
“What else would they have?” A sob rose up Kayla’s throat and she swallowed against it. “That message was signed with the same mark that woman wore. Why is it so hard to believe they took my father?”
Fay caved under Kayla’s glare and averted her eyes. “They’re killers. They won’t hesitate to hurt you.” She glanced back at Kayla. “You remember that boar?”
Kayla shuddered, rubbing her arm where the boar’s tusk had cut her. “How can I not?”
“Well… Titania once had a boar like that. And I don’t think she sent it there to hurt me.” Fay fidgeted with the ring on her left hand. “Perhaps it’s not a trap and the Unseelies have your father. But either way, going after them tonight would have been a suicide mission. And against the orders of Queen Ophira.”
“I don’t c—”
The whole table vibrated as Maeve brought her fist down on it. Her cup tipped over, spilling the rest of the water over her food, but Maeve didn’t blink. “You do not get to make demands,” she said. Several people looked in their direction, but Maeve didn’t care. “You want something from us, not vice versa. Do you get that? Stop being such a wimpy broonie or we will leave you here and you will never have a chance at finding your father.”
Kayla’s cheeks flushed, hot and red. She blinked back tears, glad that her blurred vision obscured Maeve. Slumping against her backrest, Kayla crossed her arms and fought back the rising pain in her chest.
They all sat in oppressive silence.
By the time they left the restaurant, the streets of Chicago had grown quieter. Here and there, a costumed creature stumbled through the night, mask askew or makeup smeared. The occasional honk of a car echoed off the skyscrapers.
Kayla wasn’t that far from home, and every cell in her body ached to get on the L and crawl into her own bed
. In the morning, Theo would wake her so they could have breakfast with their mom. Maybe they could talk it all over.
But if she went back now, her dad would still be missing…
Kayla shivered against the chilly wind and drew her arms closer to her chest. She was walking slowly beside Nooa, who was twiddling his flute, not looking at her. Maeve and Fay were a few feet away and immersed in conversation.
“We are not all bad, you know,” Nooa said. His fingers stopped, resting on the flute. The streetlight above them illuminated his face, his long, dark lashes casting shadows onto his high cheekbones. “It might seem unfair to you that we did not follow the Unseelies tonight, but Fay was trying to protect you. The queen trusted her with your safety and Fay does not take such responsibilities lightly.”
Kayla thought of the way Fay had checked her for injuries after the Unseelies had left. And even though Fay had stopped Kayla from running after the dark faeries, her hands had been gentle on Kayla, careful not to hurt her.
“Fay cares deeply, you know,” Nooa said.
From the corner of her eye, Kayla saw Nooa smile at Fay ahead of them, an expression of love and caring. It reminded Kayla of the smile she gave her brother when he wasn’t looking. Once more, her eyes filled with tears, but this time because she was missing Theo. For years, she’d run around with a hole in her heart, where her father used to be. Now, another hole was growing. She had to find her father soon.
“Would you two stop chatting and hurry?” Maeve called. “It’s getting late!” She was standing at the crosswalk with her hands at her hips. Beside her, Fay was watching the stars in the night sky.
“I annoy her a lot, don’t I?”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Nooa’s mouth. “I think she enjoys giving us orders.”
“That’s not true!” Maeve yelled. “Now move!”
The light at the crosswalk turned green, and they crossed the street, over to Millennium Park. This late in the day, the park was mostly void of tourists and only a few people in costumes crossed it on their way to the next party.
Seelie Princess (The Crown of Tír na nÓg Book 1) Page 12