Raven-Mocking (Book 3 in the Twilight Court Series)

by Amy Sumida

  My guards positioned themselves along the route to help keep everyone heading in the right direction. It was mid-day and the second floor was full of employees, so I'm sure the mockers wouldn't have had any trouble finding someone to direct them but we wanted to make sure things went as smoothly as possible. I went first, ahead of the group, to lead them through the rath so I could explain everything to the stable boys waiting on the other side.

  Dylan had mirrored my father and Keir had sent a group of knights to meet the mockers but they wouldn't have been able to reach the rath in time to warn the waiting boys. So I had to go through with Rayetayah first so that they didn't panic. Panicking cat-sidhe was not a pretty sight. Cat came with me but Tiernan stayed behind to help lead the mass of mockers through the building.

  “So far, you've proven yourself true to your word, Princess,” Rayetayah noted as we stepped through the golden door and into the fairy mound.

  “I try to always keep my word,” I led the way along the dark path and opened the door on the other side.

  The bright meadow around the rath now had a small tent erected in the center of it, its white walls so startling against the verdant background of the forest. Off to the side of the tent were several horses and in front of it was a cooking fire, around which the stable boys were settled. They had been relaxing in the sun, enjoying their time off when they spotted me.

  All of them jumped up and came to attention. Then they spotted Rayetayah and the rest of the raven mockers. Their bodies went slack with confusion as they looked to me for answers. That's when I realized that we had no way of transporting all of the mockers to the castle.

  “Oh crap,” I looked to Rayetayah. “I hadn't thought about how to get everyone to Twilight Castle.”

  Rayetayah just started to laugh and the stable boys in front of us began to look nervous.

  “It's alright guys,” I said to the boys. “These are the raven mockers, they'll be staying at court for awhile. I need you to escort them back to my father. You'll be met partway by some knights and they'll take over the transport but I'm not sure how we're going to do this. They've already had a long journey and I hate to ask them to walk all the way to the castle. Why are you laughing?” I finally turned and asked Rayetayah.

  Instead of answering, he revealed his wings with a whoosh of sound and a rush of air.

  “Oh,” I closed my eyes at my own idiocy. “Right, you guys can fly.”

  “It's easy to forget when our wings are enchanted,” a female mocker said sympathetically as she chased her son past me. The child had given a shriek of delight upon seeing the Twilight Forest and had immediately made a beeline for the trees.

  “Well, I guess, you'll be escorting them from the ground,” I said to the cat-sidhe boys. “But, like I said, some twilight knights are already on their way to meet you.”

  “It's not a problem, Princess Seren,” Searc smiled at me as he swept a golden blonde lock out of his pear-green eyes. “The horses are well rested, they can keep up with the raven mockers.”

  “I just don't know how I feel about leaving my people with only a few boys to guide them,” Rayetayah looked over the stable lads.

  “The road leads straight to Twilight Castle,” Searc shrugged. “It's not like we'll have to do a lot of guiding. Plus, they'll be able to see the castle from the air. We'll have more chance of getting lost than they will.”

  “I don't know how reassuring that is,” Rayetayah frowned at Searc.

  “The twilight knights will be meeting them shortly,” I offered. “And it's not like twilight fey need protection in the Twilight Kingdom. Especially when the mockers can fly. They'll be fine.”

  “Alright,” Rayetayah sighed.

  “But why don't they just go and stay in Criarachan, with the other raven mockers?” Searc asked simply.

  “Criarachan?” I blinked.

  “It's the raven mocker village here in Twilight,” Rayetayah explained and then faced Searc. “There has been some criminal charges laid upon us in the Human Realm and we must be under watchful eyes to be exonerated.”

  “Ah,” Searc nodded. “And the mockers living here are not under suspicion?”

  I groaned, facing yet another aspect I hadn't considered.

  “Perhaps, once we meet up with the knights, they should escort them to Criarachan and simply stay there to watch over them,” Searc suggested.

  “No, my father already expects them and I don't want to put the village out,” I sighed. “Take them to court and tell the knights to see my father for instruction. I'll return to HR and scry him to discuss this.”

  “Yes, Princess,” Searc nodded and went to help the other stable boys take down the tent and pack up camp.

  “You didn't expect this to be such a huge production, did you?” Rayetayah chuckled as we stepped to the side and watched our people stream through the rath door.

  “No, I didn't,” I admitted. “You've got to be the largest group of twilight fey I've met.”

  “There are quite a lot of cat-sidhe too,” Rayetayah nodded towards Searc. “It's just that they're not pack animals, so they wander about a lot. You don't see them all together at once.”

  “Hmm,” I thought about it. “What about the bargests?”

  “Well, I haven't been back to Fairy for awhile but the last time I was here, there wasn't a whole lot of them,” he cocked his head in thought. “Though they are a pack animal and I know they have a village too. I've never been there myself. Bargests can be temperamental fairies and it's best to give them their space.”

  “Why doesn't that surprise me?” I laughed and then suddenly sobered.

  “What is it?”

  “Can I call you Raye?” I diverted his question.

  “Yes, I think I'm okay with that,” he narrowed his eyes on me. “If you tell me what chased the laughter from your eyes so quickly.”

  “It's just hard for me sometimes,” I shook my head. “I shouldn't complain. Here I am; this new royal fairy with an incredible magic and the Goddess backing me up.”

  “But?” He prompted.

  “But sometimes I feel like an outsider,” I shrugged. “I've spent my whole life studying the fey and I thought I knew them, when actually there was an entire kingdom I didn't know about. And it just so happened to be my kingdom.”

  “And now you must learn about your own people,” Raye nodded. “You're our Princess but even I, a fairy who hasn't been home in years, knows more about your fairies than you do.”

  “Yes, exactly,” I nodded. “I've been studying hard ever since I first got here but it still isn't enough.”

  “Most things about Fairy must be experienced to be learned,” Raye said gently. “You need time, not education.”

  “And it's time for us to return,” Tiernan said stiffly.

  “Tiernan,” I turned to see him standing near the rath door behind us. “Is everyone through?”

  “They're all here,” he nodded and cast Raye a guarded look. “Are you satisfied that they're safe?”

  “I am,” Raye nodded. “Just give me a moment to speak with them and I'll be ready to leave.”

  “Of course,” I nodded and watched him walk away. Then I turned sharply to Tiernan. “What is with you?”

  Cat, who had been sitting calmly beside me, stared back and forth between us.

  “Nothing,” he sighed. “I'm just tired.”

  “Are you sure?” I edged closer to him. “Because that seemed more like jealousy than exhaustion. And although you're kind of cute when you're jealous, it's beginning to get old.”

  “I'm not jealous,” he huffed.

  “Uh huh,” I rolled my eyes.

  “Please,” he crossed his arms over his chest. “The man's a bird.”

  “Wings can be pretty sexy,” I offered innocently.

  “Have you ever tried to have sex with winged fairy?” He lifted a pale blonde brow at me.

  “No, of course not,” I harrumphed.

  “They're not so sexy
when you're trying to get around them in bed,” Tiernan chuckled.

  “That sounds like personal experience,” I smirked.

  “All I have to say is that it wasn't worth the effort,” Tiernan smirked back.

  “Hmmm,” I glanced over at Raye and his impressive wingspan. “I guess they might get in the way.” Tiernan made a satisfied snort. “But then again, raven mockers can get rid of their wings whenever they want,” I winked at my horrified boyfriend as I walked by.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I stepped out of the fairy mound and into HR, to find my Uncle Dylan waiting for me. He was leaning against the curved rail of the staircase, looking like he belonged on the cover of Esquire magazine or maybe even Forbes. His mink-dark hair was combed back from his high forehead, bringing attention down to his lapis eyes which glimmered in the sunlight. He looked completely human in his tailored suit and silk tie but if I concentrated hard enough, I could see past his glamour and the true Dylan Thorn revealed himself.

  Eyes without whites, just endless blue, stared at me intensely out of a starkly angled face. His skin was actually pure white, moonlight skin; an unseelie trait. He looked almost vampiric without the illusion of humanity in place but still very beautiful. In fact, I preferred him without the glamour. He seemed more natural to me as a fairy than in his stoic human guise.

  “I need to scry my father,” I said to him.

  “I assumed you would,” he nodded.

  Without another word, he turned and led me, Tiernan, Raye, and Cat up the stairs, through the second floor office cubicles, and over to the elevators. My Guard was standing there, waiting for us.

  “You can bring your Cat-puka but the rest of them need to wait here,” Dylan waved an elegant hand at everyone.

  “Sure,” I looked to Tiernan. “I'll be right back.”

  “No,” he shook his head. “I'm going with you.”

  “She'll be fine with me and her guard Cat,” Dylan sighed.

  “I've learned that it's a bad idea to let Seren out of my sight in the Human Realm,” Tiernan crossed his arms. “I'm going.”

  “Fine,” Dylan huffed just as the elevator dinged its arrival. “I don't have time to argue with you, I've already had hours stolen from me dealing with this gargantuan gaggle of deportees you've brought me. I do have to run a company, you realize?”

  “Yes, Uncle Dylan,” I rolled my eyes, used to his complaints. “And we're very grateful for all of your help.”

  “As you should be,” he nodded and tapped the button for the thirty-third floor.

  It was the top floor and all it held were two offices; one for Dylan and one for my father, though my father was rarely there. Half of the floor went to Dylan and the other half to my father, with the elevators and a reception area between them. There was a single secretary sitting at a desk in this reception area, placed facing the elevators with the office doors to either side of her. So I assumed that Dylan shared her with my father as well.

  The secretary smiled brightly at us as we stepped out of the elevator but didn't say a word when we walked by, just returned to her typing. Efficient and quiet; my uncle probably loved that. I gave her a little wave as we passed and she inclined her head in a bow, just as proper as my uncle was.

  Dylan's office was decorated to resemble the Unseelie Forest, with a detailed mural of the forest painted over the walls. The furniture was all dark wood, carved to fit in with the theme, and several potted plants also helped with the illusion. But the large windows ruined the effect, showcasing a splendid view of San Francisco that was at odds with the fey woods.

  “It's through here,” Dylan placed his hand against the trunk of a painted tree and pushed. A panel in the wall pivoted and revealed a hallway. We started to follow him through but he glanced back. “That's far enough, Count Tiernan. You may wait in my office. I won't allow a member of the Wild Hunt to enter my inner sanctum.”

  “I understand,” Tiernan nodded and backed into the office but Cat stayed by my side.

  The panel pivoted closed behind us and Dylan led me down the narrow passage, past several rooms furnished luxuriously. I spotted a library, a living room, and a kitchen, which confirmed my suspicion that my Uncle Dylan lived at Gentry. Then I followed him into a simple room with only a small table and a few chairs in it. The table was set in the center of the room and a large crystal ball was placed on top of it, held by an elaborate stand of gold thorny vines.

  “Would you like some privacy?” Dylan offered.

  “No, it's fine, you can stay,” I took a seat in front of the crystal and Dylan sat beside me. “King Keir Bloodthorn of Twilight,” I called out as I touched the crystal.

  Crystal balls are used by fairies as a form of communication. They're kind of like Skype; you connect with someone and get to see them as you speak with them. In this case, the image appears in the center of a crystal ball and the process is called scrying.

  The center of the ball filled with mist and it stayed that way for a little while. I knew that on the other side of this connection, my father's crystal ball was emitting a chiming sound in an attempt to catch his attention. It would continue to chime until he came to answer my call or until I gave up. Pretty much like a telephone except crystal balls didn't have answering machines. If he wasn't in the castle, the call would go to any crystal ball in close proximity to him. If he wasn't close to any, the ball would remain clear on my end. But he was there and he answered at last.

  “Seren,” his fair face came into focus. “You made a wise decision, sending the raven mockers here. Have they all crossed over safely?”

  “They have,” I assured him. “And I'm glad you agree with me but there's something I hadn't considered.”

  “Criarachan,” Keir nodded. “I've sent a group of soldiers out to watch over the village. The other group that was sent to meet the raven mockers, will escort everyone to Criarachan and the mockers can remain there with their kin. I think they'll be more comfortable with family than at the castle.”

  “Well, never mind then,” I chuckled. “You're a step ahead of me.”

  “I've had years of practice,” Keir smirked but then sobered. “Do you truly believe they're innocent?”

  “I'm almost completely sure of it,” I nodded.

  “Almost?” Keir lifted a deep purple brow.

  “Well, there's always the possibility that I'm wrong,” I shrugged as Dylan snorted. I gave him a nasty glare before continuing. “I believe Rayetayah is telling the truth as he knows it but perhaps one of his people is betraying him.”

  “We'll find the truth,” Keir sighed. “I have faith in you and until you do discover who is behind this, I'll watch over the flock.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” I smiled. “Oh one more thing; do you think I should scry King Uisdean and ask him to notify Lord Raza that his son is involved in this?”

  “Raza,” Keir mused. “He's unpredictable and may react badly but courtesy dictates that he be informed. As a father, I know I'd want to be told if you were in danger and I know I'd be enraged if someone kept the information from me. So, yes,” he nodded decisively. “I think you should tell him.”

  “Alright, I'll scry Uisdean next,” I swallowed hard.

  “I love you, Seren,” Keir touched the crystal and I laid my fingertips over his.

  “I love you too, Dad,” I closed the connection and his image faded away.

  “Would you like me to scry Uisdean for you?” Dylan offered gently.

  I looked over to him in surprise, “No but thank you. I'm sure that conversation would be more uncomfortable for you than for me.”

  Uncle Dylan was born unseelie, brother to my Uncle Uisdean and heir to Uisdean's throne. But Dylan abdicated his position and aligned himself with Twilight, choosing to work for his half-brother in HR instead of live a life of luxury as the heir of Unseelie. I think Uisdean viewed Dylan as a traitor. Yet despite all that, Dylan retained his title and was given all the respect a Duke of Fairy deserved. I assumed there wa
s more to the story than I'd been told.

  “I'm not afraid of my brother,” Dylan smiled.

  “I didn't think you were,” I smiled back. “Still, I'm not going to add a conversation with Uisdean to your already annoying day.”

  “I appreciate that,” he laughed and waved his hand, “though I'll stay to watch your misery.”

  “Thanks,” I rolled my eyes. “King Uisdean Thorn of Unseelie,” I called and then muttered, “and general thorn in my side.”

  The crystal misted once more and stayed that way much longer than it had for my father. Finally, colors came out of the mist and formed into shapes. The shapes condensed and Uisdean's face came into focus. He stared at me with his unreadable, fully-black eyes, surrounded by a fall of sword-straight ebony hair. He had on a midnight velvet tunic, laced with silver cords at his neck, but the silver did nothing to alleviate all that darkness and his pale skin shone out from it like the moonlight it was named for.

  “Ah, the serious Seren is scrying me,” Uisdean's sharp lips twisted up into a smile. “What do you want, Serious Seren?”

  “I'm investigating a crime in Oklahoma, Unpleasant Uncle Uisdean,” I began and watched his dark eyes narrow. “It appears to be a fey crime, raven mockers to be exact, but I don't believe the mockers are actually behind it.”

  “What do raven mockers have to do with me?”

  “Not you,” I shook my head. “Lord Raza.”

  “Go on,” Uisdean's face went still.

  “Lord Raza's son is Rayetayah, head of the raven mockers,” I continued. “He's helping me investigate the accusations against him and his people, and I just thought I should inform Lord Raza of the investigation.”

  “A wise decision,” Uisdean nodded. “Was it yours or did someone counsel you to tell the dragon?”

  “It was my idea,” I huffed.

  “You're learning, little one,” Uisdean chuckled. “Well done. Fairy society is a lot more complicated than human, isn't it?”