en, he has gotten off too easy.”
“You do not think it is punishment enough to send him back to the Dark Realm, a place he loathed?”
“No, I do not, and, my Queen, how can you call it punishment when he has been taken by his father, made to drink from the Cauldron, and has no memory of his past deeds? No, that is not punishment, and that is not the justice I sought. If you wanted to keep him alive, you should have given him a conscience and allowed him to suffer the agonies of regret and guilt.”
“Even I cannot give one a conscience.” She clucked her tongue and waved this off. “I maintained the balance between the Realms, my Prince. The Dark King would have allowed us to put Pestale to death, yes, but at what cost? He would never have forgiven us. The Dark King is a complicated, unfathomable being, and we could not, cannot, afford to go to war with him. Pestale has always been his favorite creation. He seems to believe that Pestale, whom he calls his son, can be redeemed.”
“I don’t want him redeemed. I want him dead,” Trevor spat.
“Fie—such emotion is unbecoming a Seelie prince,” Aaibhe said gently.
“I beg your pardon, my Queen,” he said, but she wasn’t sure he did.
She studied him before saying, “I have a mission for you because I, like you, do not believe Pestale can be redeemed simply by drinking the water of forgetfulness.” She sighed. “I will be calling on your brother, on Breslyn … on many in the days ahead. We have more to concern us than justice or revenge, much more.”
“What, my Queen?” He stared at her, and she saw his puzzlement.
“I am not sure how it will come or when, but I saw destruction, not only the complete destruction of the Human Realm, but ours as well.”
He crossed arms and shook his head. “I should have driven my Death Sword deep into his body!”
“Hush now, Trevor. Are you mine to command?” she said gravely.
He dropped his arms and then made a fist of allegiance that he pounded against his upper chest. “I am yours to command, my Queen, as ever, as always.”
She smiled softly. “I know. In my vision, I saw Pestale … very much who he always was. Something has gone wrong. I do not believe he actually drank from the Cauldron. I also saw Morrigu steal something from the Dark King. Either the Dark King did not care or was not aware. In his present form, many things escape his notice. Or perhaps she took it from him eons ago before he met his human, when they were lovers. I have no way of knowing. However, she doesn’t know how to use it—yet. However, if she or Pestale learns how to open it and use it, there will be no stopping them, for it will open a portal through the Prison Walls large enough to allow Pestale to bring an army of his Unseelie monsters to raid our two worlds, humans and Seelie alike. Our numbers cannot compete with the hordes of Unseelie he will bring. Our only advantage is our light magic.”
Trevor frowned. “You have seen this—with your ‘sight’?”
“Yes, but my ability only allows me to see limited scenarios in the future, and those events don’t necessarily have to occur. Your mission, as well as all my Royals, will be to help make certain that Pestale remains where he is.” She smiled again at him. “Your brother and Z left earlier for the Highlands, where I felt a disturbance. Breslyn and Ete are just outside Dublin, where I felt another, and you must go to Killarney, where our Shee Willow and her Druid, Shayne, await your arrival.”
Trevor stood up. “As you wish, my Queen.” He frowned again. “What of Princess Aida?”
“She watches over Trinity with Willow’s father, Shee Desmond.” The queen’s hands were folded in her lap, but she wrung them at this juncture and said, “However, there is a force building at the Middle Lake—I can feel it even now.”
He inclined his head, and this time when he brought up his gaze she could see the bitterness had been replaced with something else: determination and fury.
“Trevor, do not allow your emotions to get in the way of your logic. The Dark Princes are cold and calculating and will think in steps. Try and do the same. Your goal is first to stop, not to kill unless it is the only way you can stop them.”
“It is the only way! If we do not kill them, they will never stop coming at us. So I tell you honestly that this time I shall drive my sword deep into his cold-blooded essence and see him draw his last breath!”
~ Prologue ~
JAZMINE DECKER LEFT the Charleston Aquarium at her back with a bounce in her step and a smile on her face.
She walked briskly down the avenue and headed towards The Landing, only a short walk away. She made a victory sign, putting her fist up and pulling it down to exclaim right out loud, “Yes!”
In a few months, she would be a marine biologist at the aquarium. Timing is everything, she thought as she clicked along the pavement.
When a couple of guys in a convertible slowed down to look her over and wink, she was happy enough that she smiled back.
They called out words of devotion as she continued her heady pace. She was so excited she could spit. The assistant she would be replacing had been offered a prestigious job at the aquarium in Atlanta, and voila—timing!
What was even better, she had the summer to continue her job as guide with the tour company for which she had been working part time. It wasn’t great pay, but tips were always good, and she got to travel. They were leaving in the morning and heading for Ireland—Dublin first stop and then to Killarney. Luck, finally, after years of none, had finally found her!
The Landing was a fun place to eat and listen to music. It was on the long pier overlooking the river, and as she approached the band was already in full swing. It was tourist season, and they played all afternoon and into the night.
Spotting her friend as soon as she walked in, she waved and, as she walked towards her, did a little wiggle to the music.