Fragile Eternity
Page 21

Now, why dont my real Hounds obey so quickly? Niall had apparently decided to try to lighten up. He smiled, weakly, but still it was a smile.
Seth went over and pulled the darts out of the board. He wasnt serious enough about the game to carry his own. Niall, however, did carry his own. He had been a faery-but-not-king for too long. As a king, he wasnt prone to reacting to steel, but that was a very recent change. A lifetime habit didnt let go so easily. He opened his case; inside were bone-tipped darts.
While Seth selected the straightest of the steel-tipped darts for himself, Niall watched with a bemused expression. Its not toxic anymore, but I still would rather it not touch my skin.
Cigarettes arent toxic to you either, but you certainly dont hesitate there.
Point. The darts shouldnt bother me, Niall agreed, but he still made no move to touch the darts in Seths hand.
With a comfort he rarely felt around the denizens of the Summer Court, Seth turned his back to the King of Nightmares and eyed the board.Home. Safe. The fact that Nialls presence in his home of sorts only added to his sense of security was not lost on him.
Cricket?
Sure. Seth didnt see the benefit in pretending he was up to playing something more serious. He wasnt good enough to give Niall any challenge on his best days, but that wasnt what throwing darts was about anyhow. It was a way to pass the time, a task for focus.
They played three games in almost complete silence, and even though he was obviously distracted, Niall won them all with his usual ease. When Niall had aimed and thrown his third and final dart, he said, I hope you forgive better than you shoot.
Whats up? Seth couldnt stop the wave of worry that rose at the Dark Kings carefully neutral tone.
Niall spared him a glance as he retrieved his darts. Unfinished business. Trust me.
I dont want trouble.
Im the Dark King, Seth, what trouble could there possibly be? Niall grinned, finally looking almost happy. Theyre here.
And for a heartbeat, Seth didnt want to turn. He knew hed see themhis girlfriend and his competition for her affectionwhen he turned. He didnt like to see them together, but his self-control was short-lived. Even though it meant seeing her with Keenan, Seth couldnt resist looking at her. He never could, even when she was mortal. Aislinn was smiling up at Keenan; she had a hand resting lightly in the crook of his arm. Shed begun to adopt more of the faeries formal mannerisms in public.
Niall spoke in a low undertone: Dont ever think he can be trusted. He counts the days until you are out of his way, and he has time on his side. I know you love ourtheSummer Queen, but yours is a losing battle, especially as youre not fighting. Cut your losses before they destroy you, or fight back.
I dont want to give up. Seth looked at Ash. Hed thought the same thing more than a couple times lately. But I dont want to fight anyone.
Fighting is Niall started.
Seth didnt hear the rest of the words: Aislinn had looked up and caught Seths gaze. She left Keenan and started across the room.
Casually, Keenan turned to talk to one of his guards as if her absence wasnt painful.It is though. Seth knew that; he had studied the Summer Kings reactions, watched them change as winter ended. Keenan would keep Aislinn nearer him always if he could.
Just like I would.
Niall gave Seth a pitying look as Aislinn approached them. Youre not listening at all, are you?
All the air in Seths lungs seemed to vanish.
Is itheror what she is? Hed wondered that more and more. Hed never really done the relationship thing before Aislinn, so trying to figure out what was normal was a challenge. Was the escalation of fascination normal? Or was it because he was in love with someone who wasnt human anymore? Hed done enough reading of old folk stories the past months to know that humans could rarely resist a faerys allure.
Is that whats happening to me?
But Aislinn was slipping into his arms then. When she brought her lips to his, he couldnt care less about why he was fascinated by her, or if Nialls warnings were true, or what Keenan intended. All that mattered was that he and Aislinn were together. Sunlight soaked into his skin as she wrapped her arms around him.
He held on to her tighter than he wouldve beforewhen she was human.He couldnt grasp her tightly enough to ever hurt her, not now that she was faery.
Her hands slid up his spine, and she let a trickle of sunlight into her skin as she touched him. Such boldness in public was uncharacteristic.
He broke their kiss. Ash?
She pulled back a little more, and he shivered at the loss.
Like the sun being taken away.
Sorry. A light blush colored her cheeks.
He didnt have any faith in his ability to formulate a sentence yet.
I love you, she whispered against his lips.
You too. Seth promised.Always.
She nestled into his arms with a little sigh. She wasnt a queen, wasnt a faery, wasnt anyone but his Aislinn then.
You okay?
I am now.
Not a minute later, though, she tensed. Although Aislinn couldnt see Keenan, she obviously knew that he stood behind her. Whatever connection they had was growing stronger, and it wasnt making life any easier.
For his part, Keenans expression hinted at confusions he wouldnt voice. Aislinns residual humanity, her ability to switch from ruler to just a girl, seemed to baffle Keenan. Seth had watched him try to make sense of Aislinns refusal to distance herself from the human world. It was a strength: the people she saw benefiting from her dedication to rebuilding Summers strength inspired her to do more. But it was also a weakness: time with mortals reminded her of the unpleasant differences between mortal and fey and kept her aloof from her faeries. That distance was the source of a rift in the court, a vulnerability that caused more than a little rumbling.