Black Market Magic

by Amy Sumida

“Good.” I grinned.

  “Did you kill the redcap?” He asked.

  “No,” I said hesitantly. “There have been some developments.”

  I went through what had happened with Fell, his sister, and Daxon. Then told Keir of our suspicions.

  “I understand,” he murmured. “And don't worry; Dylan won't hurt a man who was forced to act to save his family, no matter what he said to you.”

  “That's a relief,” I said.

  “But there have been other issues you need to hear about.” Keir grimaced.

  “What issues?”

  “The Councils are writing the new laws regarding magic in the Human Realm,” he said. “But even after those laws are settled, they cannot immediately charge Barra with breaking them.”

  “They have no proof of current criminal behavior,” I concluded.

  “Precisely.” My father nodded. “They're counting on Barra to break the laws again, and then they will write the warrant for his extinguishment.”

  “Which means that we could be waiting months,” I huffed.

  “If you wait for the warrant, yes,” Keir said pointedly.

  “What does that mean?” I lifted my brow at him.

  “It means that you have certain rights as Ambassador,” Keir informed me. “And as Queen. You can choose to go in and arrest Barra yourself... as one of your subjects who has offended you. You do not have to provide a proper reason to punish a subject of your kingdom.”

  “But if I go in like that, I doubt the Councils will approve backup for me. I'd have to go into the Underground without the Extinguishers or the Hunters,” I pointed out.

  “True,” Keir agreed. “But you have your own armies to call upon.”

  “You think that I should take fairy troops—fairy kingdom troops—into HR?” I gaped at him.

  “Into the Fairy Underground to apprehend a fairy for crimes against his own people,” my father pointed out. “We already have that redcap in custody, and you thought nothing of that.”

  “Yeah, but apprehending a redcap who hurt my friend and invading Idaho are two different things,” I murmured.

  “We're invading Idaho?” Killian asked hopefully as he handed me a plate of food and a fork.

  “I don't know yet.” I scowled in thought.

  It would be a way around Council Law, but didn't that make me just as shady as the man I was pursuing? No; I had to believe that my motivations made up for any loopholes I was exploiting. The ends justify the means. Or do they? Was that just a platitude that evil people told themselves? It kinda seemed like it was.

  I started to eat. Killian looked back and forth between Keir and I. Cat whined and eyed the food on my plate hopefully.

  “You know what? I think I'm going to eat at the table for once,” Killian said as he stood. “Cat, why don't you keep me company?”

  I looked up at him in surprise.

  “You need to speak to the Twilight King and your father,” Killian said. “And I need to give you some time to do that.”

  “Thanks, Kill,” I whispered.

  Killian led Cat out of the room by a waving piece of bacon in her face.

  “He's a good man,” Keir noted after Killian had left, “and a good partner for you.”

  “Yes; he is,” I murmured. My thoughts were on another man, though; another potential partner. “Daxon said an army of Extinguishers and Hunters wouldn't be enough to take the Idaho Underground.”

  “All of the undergrounds, or just the one in Boise?” My father countered.

  “I don't know,” I whispered.

  “Well, they're technically separate undergrounds, but they are connected. So, he probably meant all of them,” Keir pointed out.

  “They're connected?” I asked in surprise.

  “Of course,” Keir said. “It's the reason the states are broken up under monarchs. Each region of the underground has a leader.”

  “Except now, Barra may be trying to rule all of them.”

  “I believe you're right to trust Daxon,” Keir answered my unspoken question. “Danu would not steer you to a man who was hurting her children. However”—he held up a finger—“our goddess is complicated. Perhaps you're meant to save more than the fairies of the undergrounds.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Perhaps Danu means for you to save Daxon too.” My father shrugged. “Has she spoken to you since you've come home?”

  “No, but we haven't been here long, and I haven't tried talking to her yet,” I said.

  “Maybe you should try,” he suggested. “And maybe it would be best to be wary around Daxon for now. I don't doubt that he has a good heart, but his actions may be misguided at the moment.”

  “I will,” I assured Keir. “I'm not really worried about Daxon, though.”

  “No?”

  “No.” I put my plate aside and leaned forward on my knees. “I'm worried that I'll fail those fairies.”

  “The ones in the undergrounds?”

  I nodded.

  “How do you think you'll fail?” He asked.

  “By not catching Barra.” I shrugged. “Or by catching him and still not being able to change anything. And then there are the other undergrounds; what if I can't help those fairies?”

  “You can't help everyone, Seren,” my dad said softly.

  “The hell I can't,” I growled.

  “Oh, sweetheart,” Keir smiled fondly and a little sadly. “I love that fire in you, but you have to understand your limitations if you want to accomplish anything. Without first knowing what you can't do, you will never discover what you can do.”

  “That's rather depressing,” I huffed. “Fathers are supposed to tell their daughters that they can do anything.”

  “Maybe human fathers,” Keir said. “But you have more potential than a human girl, and there is more riding on your shoulders than the possibility of a good career. You don't need silly motivational mottoes; you need to hear the truth, Seren, and the truth is that everyone has limitations—even powerful fairy princesses. My job as a parent and a king is to help you achieve as much as you can despite your limitations and to show you the ways around them.”

  “Then show me how to save everyone,” I said softly.

  “That is not something you can work around, sweetheart,” he said sadly.

  “I'm not going to help one underground and leave the rest to rot, Dad,” I snapped.

  “You are not leaving them to rot,” Keir said patiently. “You are leaving them for another day—another battle. Focus on what's before you and do this job to the best of your abilities. Then, when it is done, you move on to the next. That is all any of us can do.”

  “That will take forever,” I whined.

  “Welcome to royalty.” He chuckled. “It's a life sentence.”

  “How do you decide, Dad?” I whispered.

  “On what?”

  “Who to save.” I swallowed convulsively, thinking about the fairies I'd seen in both underworlds.

  Even Daxon's underworld had its share of horrors, and he cared about his people. Were all the other undergrounds like Barra's? And if they were, how could I leave them like that for even one moment longer?

  “How do I know who to save and who to save for later?” I asked him.

  “You follow your heart, Seren,” my father said with shining eyes. “That is the best advice I could ever give you. Analyze the information you're given with your head, but make the final decisions with your heart. Then, even if you're wrong, you have that love to fall back on. It will be a comfort and a driving force to compel you to try again.”

  “Love will comfort me when I fail?” I smiled at him. “That sounds like a silly motivational motto.”

  “It may seem weak to you,” Keir murmured thoughtfully. “That's your soldier training. So, I will give you a warrior's way of seeing it. If you make decisions using only your head—your reason—and you fail, you will turn on yourself. You will find fault with your logic, and therefore in your a
bility to lead. You will question every decision you make from that step forward, and it will all be because you relied solely upon your intellect.”

  I blinked it through, processing what he said.

  “And you will fail, Daughter,” he said gently. “We all do. It is part of leading. The trick is getting over those failures and making the most of them.”

  “And I can only do that with my heart?”

  “Now, you're beginning to understand,” he said. “Reason must be tempered with emotion. You have to care for your people to rule them properly. Without our hearts driving our reign, we become unstable, and with our long lives, instability can lead to insanity.”

  “Iseabal?”

  “And Uisdean.” He nodded. “They were not born that way, Seren. And—believe it or not—they did not begin their reigns as such. Once, both Iseabal and Uisdean were good monarchs.”

  “Well, that's a little unsettling,” I muttered.

  “Heed your heart, and you will be fine, Daughter,” Keir said gently. “I have faith in you, and so does Danu.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” I leaned forward and hugged him.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  I met with my Guard after I finished lunch and told them to take some much-deserved rest while I set things into motion. I decided to take my father's advice and go after Barra with a combined force of unseelie, seelie, and twilight soldiers. Keir had already given his approval, and Killian was on board, but I still had to speak with Tiernan and Raza. I scried Tiernan first. He surprised me by immediately giving his support. Not that Tiernan isn't supportive. I was asking for a thousand soldiers, and that was half of the army he garrisoned at Castle Seelie. I thought that might be asking for too much. But he wasn't sending me those soldiers; Tiernan said he'd send me soldiers from the reserves.

  Every kingdom of Fairy is massive. Think of the Earth divided up into three, with slightly more land mass. That's how much ground the kingdoms of Fairy consisted of. To cover such large areas, there wasn't just one barracks of soldiers for each kingdom. Garrisons were stationed across every kingdom, with soldiers assigned to guard the surrounding areas—usually near an inter-Fairy rath. The ruling monarch could pull these soldiers into battle at any time, or send them out to settle a matter in their area. So, these garrisons were called the reserves, even though they were technically on duty already. Tiernan would be taking soldiers from several outposts; spreading the drain evenly. I thought that was very wise, and I suggested to Raza that he might want to do the same.

  “Seren,” Raza said. “I don't want you doing this at all.”

  “What?” I was shocked. “I thought you wanted me to help the undergrounds?”

  “I want you to clear Tromlaighe's name,” he corrected. “I do not want you going into the earth and battling an unknown number of barbaric fairies—especially not without me.”

  “I understand your concern.” I nodded at his reflection in the crystal ball. “But I've made up my mind... and my heart. I need to do this.”

  “What's that supposed to mean?” Raza growled.

  “It means that I'll be going whether you send me troops or not,” I said calmly.

  “Seren, that's not fair! I'm your husband; I should have a say in this.”

  “Yes, that's another valid point,” I agreed. “And you do have a say, but you've been outvoted, honey.”

  Raza's brow lowered, casting his eyes further into shadows while they simultaneously brightened. It made them seem even more brilliant, even more startling, and even more vicious.

  “What do you mean by that?” Raza asked slowly.

  “Tiernan and Killian have already given their approval,” I said. “And my vote makes three. You've been outvoted.”

  “This is not a democracy; this is a marriage and Killian is not one of your husbands yet!”

  “And you are not the boss of me!” I finally lost my cool.

  Raza jerked back and blinked rapidly, causing the glow of his eyes to turn into a strobe light.

  “Fine, Seren,” he finally rumbled. “Do as you wish. Just remember this moment when I want to do something that you don't approve of.”

  That stopped me.

  “What are you planning to do?”

  “Nothing yet.” Raza shrugged. “But I'm certain there will come a time when I wish to take an action that you oppose.”

  “And what; I don't get a vote because you were outvoted today?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

  “No; you'll get to express your opinion,” Raza said. “That is your right as my wife and queen. But you did not win this throne for me, Seren. You may be able to pull rank in Seelie with Tiernan, but Unseelie is a different matter. I won the right to rule, which makes me the reigning monarch here. I have let you influence me in the past, but if you do not give me the same consideration, I may not do so in the future.”

  “I am giving you a vote, Raza,” I snapped. “You're just in the minority on this one.”

  “As if you have ever allowed your position to stop you from altering my decisions.”

  “I may talk you into seeing things my way, but I don't tell you 'no' outright and expect you to listen to me.”

  “You are not even allowing me to talk to you about this,” he pointed out. “You have made a decision with the others and then expected me to go along. When I didn't, you said that I had no choice. That sounds like an outright 'no' to me.”

  I took a deep breath and calmed down. “All right; go ahead and talk. Tell me why I shouldn't do this?”

  “Because the Councils will back you after they issue a warrant,” he said. “I know it will take longer, but that may work in your favor. It will give Barra time to grow complacent, and perhaps he will come out of hiding on his own.”

  “It will also mean leaving fairies in a harmful environment.”

  “One they've been living in for years,” he countered. “A few months will make no difference.”

  “A single day in such circumstances can make a difference,” I argued. “How many lives will be lost while I wait on the Councils? Not only do they have to make the laws, they'll also have to wait for Barra to break one.”

  “Then convince them to help you,” Raza said simply. “Talk to them before you go throwing your power around HR like a princess who hasn't gotten her way. Change their minds, as you have done with me so many times in the past. If the Councils will back you, I will give you the soldiers you want.”

  “You will?”

  “I am not unreasonable, Seren,” Raza snapped. “I don't know why you constantly forget that.”

  “I'm sorry.” I deflated. “You're right. I suppose it's the manner in which you oppose me.”

  “The manner?” He lifted a black brow.

  “So confidently.” I shrugged. “As if there's no way you will be disobeyed. It raises my hackles.”

  “I was taught to be confident, mo shíorghrá,” Raza said. “I cannot change the way I speak.”

  “I know.”

  “But you should know by now that beneath my confidence and arrogance, is a man who respects you and loves you very much,” he whispered. “I would never dismiss you like you just did to me.”

  “I'm sorry, Raza. I'll try not to do it again.”

  “You're lucky that I'm also confident in your respect and your love for me.” He smirked. “I forgive you.”

  “Goodbye, Your Majesty.” I rolled my eyes as I swiped my hand over the crystal ball.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Before I made it to the door of my office—where I'd been speaking to Raza—a chime sounded from the crystal ball. An echoing chime came from my scry phone in the other room. I frowned, did an about-face, and resumed my seat, thinking it was most likely one of my husbands scrying back.

  It wasn't.

  “Ambassador,” Head Councilman Teagan said by way of greeting.

  “Head Councilman,” I returned title for title. “Did the Councils contact you?”

  “No; this isn't about the
warrant,” he said, and then his expression shifted into amazement. “There have been some unforeseen developments.”

  “Such as?”

  “I have the rulers of all the American undergrounds downstairs,” he said.

  “All of them?”

  “With the obvious exception.”

  “And?”

  “They have come to offer their support in finding Barra,” he said with a disbelieving tone. “Evidently, none of the other monarchs approve of the way Barra handles his underground, and this latest stunt with the sorcerers has made him persona non grata. They want him deposed and a new ruler set in his place.”

  “Really?” I asked suspiciously. “Did they tell you who would be replacing him?”

  “No.” Teagan frowned. “But honestly, Ambassador, anyone would be an improvement.”

  “Fair enough.” I sighed and looked out the window.

  Night was fast approaching. If I wanted to get to Idaho and speak with those monarchs, I needed to get a move on.

  “We'd like your input on this, Ambassador,” Teagan said the perfect phrase to compel me.

  “I'll be there soon, Head Councilman,” I said.

  “Thank you.”

  I nodded and cleared the crystal ball. Cat whined, and I looked over my shoulder to see her standing in the doorway beside Killian.

  “Idaho?” Killian asked.

  “Idaho,” I confirmed. “It looks like we might not need the armies of Fairy, after all.”

  “Why couldn't the bad guys be in the Bahamas?” He whined.

  “Because everyone is happy in the Bahamas,” I teased him. “No one wants to kill people when they could just lay on a beach and sip a Mai Tai.”

  “A Mai Tai is a Hawaiian drink,” Killian huffed. “You should know that.”

  “Fine; they're sipping some other rum-laced beverage.” I rolled my eyes. “The point is; when you're happy, drunk, and warm, you'd rather not rock the boat.”

  “Unless you fancy a swim,” Killian added with a smile. “So, should I let the Guard know we're going fishing for a boat-rocker?”

  “Maybe not in those words,” I suggested. “You might get their hopes up.”