Fragile Eternity
Page 79
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Seth didnt speak; he merely waited, patient as befit her son.
If I keep you here, the likelihood of war is still strong. Sooner or later, Keenan would be unable to hide where you were. Aislinn would try to bend my will to her wishes. She is not strong enough to do that, and I would notSorcha paused, weighing the words carefullyreact well. If your beloved came seeking retribution, Id nullify the threat.
Youd kill her.
If discussion wasnt effective, yes. Ill eliminate anyone who threatens what I love. Or who I love. If Aislinn came against my court, Id have to stop heralthough Id regret that youd mourn. She wondered, briefly, if this mortal change inside her would be for the betterment of her court or not. She felt emotions driving her actions; she felt tenderness for her son that was tinged with loss and fear. Such untidiness was not of the High Court.Will it change my court? It didnt matter. She might have changed, butthe thought was one that had no completion.What does it mean when the Unchanging Queen changes? Sorcha shook her head. Pondering thusly was illogical. What was simplywas. She and her court would adjust.That was logical.
She spoke her next words with a finality that felt like a vow: I wont allow Aislinn or Bananach or anyone else to take you from me. I wont allow them to endanger my court or my son.
And she knew as she said it that her court would come second to her son should the choice be before her. Somewhere inside she wondered if this was precisely what Bananach had intended, but that too was immaterial. After centuries of small victories back and forth, Sorcha knew enough to realize that every choice would echo through the tapestries of time. Her choices would change her sisters warmongering; Bananachs actions would shift to counter those ripples; so it had been for centuries.
Is it acceptable to say Ill worry too? He looked young as he asked her. I dont want what you gave me to make you vulnerable. I didnt thinkI want you safe. If Bananach is such a threat, she should be stopped. Some in the other courts are friends to me. If I can keep you safe
Children arent to worry about their parents, Seth. Im fine. Sorcha affixed her court smile, giving him what reassurances she could offer. I have been fighting her since I first existed. The only thing new is that I have a child to protect now. You are a gift. She just didnt realize that when she brought you to me.
He nodded, but worry was still plain in his eyes.
Come, she said. Let us see what you need to pack.
Aislinn sat in the study, curled into Keenans embrace with a discomfort she couldnt quite erase. Tavish had given them approving glances as hed shooed the Summer Girls away. The loft was peaceful, and she knew that her decisiveness was responsible for it. She dared a glance at him. This was it: her future. One way or another, they were bound together.
after lunch?
What? She blushed.
He laughed. Would you like to do something after lunch? A walk? A film? Shopping?
Yes?
The look he gave her was new, or maybe just the openness of it was new. Formal? Dine in? Picnic? Go to New York for pizza? he added.
She scowled. Now youre just being foolish.
Why? He moved around so he was facing her. Youre a faery queen, Aislinn. The world is yours. A few moments and wed be there. Im not a mortal. Neither are you.
She paused. The words she wanted to say werent there. There were no reasons not to.I am not a mortal. She took a deep breath. Can you figure out this dating thing? Ive dated one person and
He brushed a soft kiss over her lips. Be ready in an hour?
She nodded, and Keenan left.
I can do this. The step from friendship to love isnt that far.It hadnt been with Seth. She forced thoughts of him away. He was gone, and she was moving on with her life.
Chapter 32
As Seth stepped through the moonlit veil, the world around him changed. It wasnt as simple as going from the peace and perfection of his mothers side to the harsh and jarring mortal world. In that single step, he was changed. The bargain hed made was manifest. Seth was not mortal on this side of the veil: he was fey.
The world shifted under his feet. He felt it, the thrum of life that burrowed and nested in the soil. Wings from a far-off egret sent gusts of air that swirled into the currents in the sky.
Sorcha took his hand in hers. Its strange at first. Ive watched the mortals in the Summer Court change. Let the difference find its place inside you.
He couldnt speak. His sensesand not just the same five hed had beforewere flooded. As a mortal, his understanding of the world was restricted to a basic comprehension. Now, he knew things that had no physical sensory source. He could feel what was in order. He could feel therightness of what was and what should be.
Do theyweall feel like this? His words felt too melodic, like his voice was reflected back through some filter that was softening sound.
She paused, her hand still holding his. No. Not so fully, but they arent my children. Youre the only one who is that.
When he glanced over at her, he saw her through his changed vision. Tiny moonlit chains like silver filigree stretched between them in a net that wasnt visible to him when they were in Faerie. He reached for the net. What is this?
He could touch it; even as he realized it wasnt tangible, it felt weighty in his hand like chain mail, heavier than it looked.
No one else will see it. She caught his free hand in hers. Itsus. Youre of me, as if Id borne you myself. You share my blood. It means youll see things, know thingsI didnt know how to tell you.
If I keep you here, the likelihood of war is still strong. Sooner or later, Keenan would be unable to hide where you were. Aislinn would try to bend my will to her wishes. She is not strong enough to do that, and I would notSorcha paused, weighing the words carefullyreact well. If your beloved came seeking retribution, Id nullify the threat.
Youd kill her.
If discussion wasnt effective, yes. Ill eliminate anyone who threatens what I love. Or who I love. If Aislinn came against my court, Id have to stop heralthough Id regret that youd mourn. She wondered, briefly, if this mortal change inside her would be for the betterment of her court or not. She felt emotions driving her actions; she felt tenderness for her son that was tinged with loss and fear. Such untidiness was not of the High Court.Will it change my court? It didnt matter. She might have changed, butthe thought was one that had no completion.What does it mean when the Unchanging Queen changes? Sorcha shook her head. Pondering thusly was illogical. What was simplywas. She and her court would adjust.That was logical.
She spoke her next words with a finality that felt like a vow: I wont allow Aislinn or Bananach or anyone else to take you from me. I wont allow them to endanger my court or my son.
And she knew as she said it that her court would come second to her son should the choice be before her. Somewhere inside she wondered if this was precisely what Bananach had intended, but that too was immaterial. After centuries of small victories back and forth, Sorcha knew enough to realize that every choice would echo through the tapestries of time. Her choices would change her sisters warmongering; Bananachs actions would shift to counter those ripples; so it had been for centuries.
Is it acceptable to say Ill worry too? He looked young as he asked her. I dont want what you gave me to make you vulnerable. I didnt thinkI want you safe. If Bananach is such a threat, she should be stopped. Some in the other courts are friends to me. If I can keep you safe
Children arent to worry about their parents, Seth. Im fine. Sorcha affixed her court smile, giving him what reassurances she could offer. I have been fighting her since I first existed. The only thing new is that I have a child to protect now. You are a gift. She just didnt realize that when she brought you to me.
He nodded, but worry was still plain in his eyes.
Come, she said. Let us see what you need to pack.
Aislinn sat in the study, curled into Keenans embrace with a discomfort she couldnt quite erase. Tavish had given them approving glances as hed shooed the Summer Girls away. The loft was peaceful, and she knew that her decisiveness was responsible for it. She dared a glance at him. This was it: her future. One way or another, they were bound together.
after lunch?
What? She blushed.
He laughed. Would you like to do something after lunch? A walk? A film? Shopping?
Yes?
The look he gave her was new, or maybe just the openness of it was new. Formal? Dine in? Picnic? Go to New York for pizza? he added.
She scowled. Now youre just being foolish.
Why? He moved around so he was facing her. Youre a faery queen, Aislinn. The world is yours. A few moments and wed be there. Im not a mortal. Neither are you.
She paused. The words she wanted to say werent there. There were no reasons not to.I am not a mortal. She took a deep breath. Can you figure out this dating thing? Ive dated one person and
He brushed a soft kiss over her lips. Be ready in an hour?
She nodded, and Keenan left.
I can do this. The step from friendship to love isnt that far.It hadnt been with Seth. She forced thoughts of him away. He was gone, and she was moving on with her life.
Chapter 32
As Seth stepped through the moonlit veil, the world around him changed. It wasnt as simple as going from the peace and perfection of his mothers side to the harsh and jarring mortal world. In that single step, he was changed. The bargain hed made was manifest. Seth was not mortal on this side of the veil: he was fey.
The world shifted under his feet. He felt it, the thrum of life that burrowed and nested in the soil. Wings from a far-off egret sent gusts of air that swirled into the currents in the sky.
Sorcha took his hand in hers. Its strange at first. Ive watched the mortals in the Summer Court change. Let the difference find its place inside you.
He couldnt speak. His sensesand not just the same five hed had beforewere flooded. As a mortal, his understanding of the world was restricted to a basic comprehension. Now, he knew things that had no physical sensory source. He could feel what was in order. He could feel therightness of what was and what should be.
Do theyweall feel like this? His words felt too melodic, like his voice was reflected back through some filter that was softening sound.
She paused, her hand still holding his. No. Not so fully, but they arent my children. Youre the only one who is that.
When he glanced over at her, he saw her through his changed vision. Tiny moonlit chains like silver filigree stretched between them in a net that wasnt visible to him when they were in Faerie. He reached for the net. What is this?
He could touch it; even as he realized it wasnt tangible, it felt weighty in his hand like chain mail, heavier than it looked.
No one else will see it. She caught his free hand in hers. Itsus. Youre of me, as if Id borne you myself. You share my blood. It means youll see things, know thingsI didnt know how to tell you.
