The Iron Warrior
Page 54

They did notice me and Kenzie when we walked into the room. “Ah, there he is,” Puck announced, grinning as we approached the table. His green eyes flashed mischievously as he gave us a mocking salute. “All hail the conquering hero. Winning battles before the war even starts, hey, Ethan Chase?”
I willed my face not to turn red. Off to one side, Glitch coughed loudly, covering his mouth with a fist, and Meghan and Ash shared a brief, secret smile. I forced my thoughts away from what that could mean and reminded myself to punch Goodfellow in the jaw before this was all over.
“If we can get back to business.” Oberon’s voice was not amused, and the murmurs from the rest of the fey swiftly died down. “Now that the mortals have finally arrived, perhaps you can tell us why you have summoned this council, Iron Queen?”
“Yes.” Meghan took a step forward, standing tall as she faced the rest of the table. “There has been a new development regarding Keirran,” she announced, commanding everyone’s attention instantly. “I realize no one has seen Keirran or the First Queen, but I believe this is important enough to call a council. There might be a way to stop Keirran without killing him, to break whatever hold the First Queen has on him.”
“And why would we do that, Iron Queen?” Titania asked, her smooth, high voice making me bristle with dislike. “Your son is a traitor to Faery. He betrayed us all and sided with a usurper, an offense punishable by death. Prince Keirran will show us no mercy. By his own admission, he seeks to annul the courts. Why should we stay our hand?”
“Because he is still my son,” Ash said in a cool, low voice, staring the Summer Queen in the eye. “And no matter what Keirran does, whatever madness drives him to betray his own, that will not change.” A thread of steel entered Ash’s voice, a promise and a subtle threat to everyone there. “I will not allow my son to be destroyed in front of me. Not when there is a chance to save him.”
“I have to agree with ice-boy,” Puck added, pushing himself off the wall. “This—this whole war and destruction and gloom and doom thing—isn’t like the princeling. I mean, I’ve known the kid most of his life. I practically helped raise him, despite frequent threats on my life. It’s like certain unnamed parties didn’t want me teaching him the good stuff.” He grinned at Ash across the table, before sobering. “Keirran would never want this,” Puck went on, shaking his head. “And I’m kinda uncomfortable with the thought of taking him out if the real problem is that he’s lost his soul.”
“And what of the prophecy?” Oberon asked. “We all knew this was coming, and despite what Keirran was, the warning remains. The Iron Prince will unite the courts or destroy them. He has already chosen his path, and it is Destroyer. No one can argue that.”
“Um.” Kenzie’s voice surprised us all. Stepping around me, she walked up to the table as a couple dozen faeries all turned to her. “Not to be rude,” she said, as Oberon and Mab regarded her with varying degrees of curiosity and amusement, “but, based on the wording of that prophecy, Keirran has already united the courts.”
Mab frowned. “Explain, human,” she said flatly. Kenzie rubbed her arm.
“Well, the prophecy didn’t exactly say he had to bring the courts together himself. But...he is the reason you’re all here tonight. Together. Under one banner—Summer, Winter and Iron.” Kenzie gazed around the table, at all the rulers, and shrugged. “So, if you look at it that way, then Keirran has united the courts. Against him, sure, but the prophecy didn’t say how or why. So, if he’s already united the courts, then that means he doesn’t necessarily have to destroy them.”
For a moment, there was silence, as all the fey, the kings and queens of Faery itself, appeared to be struck speechless. Or at least pondering Kenzie’s statement. Puck opened his mouth once, closed it, then leaned toward me.
“So, how did such a smart girl end up with you?” he muttered.
I snorted. “You got me.”
Meghan shook herself. “Regardless,” she said, taking control of the meeting again, “we think we have the answer to returning Keirran to himself.” She raised a hand, and Annwyl stepped up meekly, eyes still downcast. I heard Titania’s sniff of disdain and clenched my fists, remembering what the queen had done to her. The amulet pulsed around the girl’s neck like a sullen heartbeat, and some of the other fey drew back from the table edge.
“How interesting, Iron Queen,” Titania said, contempt oozing off her honeyed voice. “You have brought the prince’s disgraced, forbidden lover back into the Nevernever. Flaunting your disrespect for our laws, just as you and the Winter prince flaunted them years ago. Like mother, like son, I suppose.”
“Annwyl chose to come here,” Meghan said calmly, as I seethed with loathing toward the Summer Queen, wishing Meghan would just lose it and shove an iron pole up Titania’s ass. “She is under the protection of the Iron Realm, and you will not force her to leave again, Queen Titania. Her exile is over.”
“What is that thing she is wearing?” Mab inquired, staring at the amulet glimmering in the dim light. “I can feel its anger from here. A cursed object to be certain.”
“Yes,” Meghan agreed. “This is the item responsible for Keirran’s change of heart. Why he sided with the First Queen and the Forgotten. Why he has turned on us. If it’s destroyed, we hope Keirran will return to the way he was.”
“Then why not destroy it now?” Oberon wondered, and the air around him crackled, like the energy before a lightning storm. “Place the cursed thing on the table, and we will take care of it here.”
“No,” I said quickly. “It doesn’t work like that.”
All eyes shifted to me. “No one else can destroy the amulet,” I said. “If you do, you’re pretty much assuring he’ll lose his soul forever. Keirran has to do it himself.”
Another moment of silence as the circle of fey realized what that meant. “Then,” Oberon said slowly, “someone must take the amulet to Keirran, and either convince or trick him into destroying it. How do you expect to accomplish this, Iron Queen?”
“I will do it,” Annwyl said, quiet but firm, lifting her eyes from the table. “If I can get to Keirran, I can talk to him. He’ll listen to me. I can convince him to destroy the amulet.”
“And how do you expect to reach the Iron Prince, much less convince him?” Mab wanted to know. “No one has seen Keirran, or the Forgotten army, anywhere in the Nevernever. You cannot speak to someone who is not here.”
“Ah...I believe I can help with that,” said a voice, and the Thin Man appeared in the corner. Fey jumped, put their hands on their swords, uncertain whether or not to attack. Meghan raised an arm.
“Hold,” she said sharply. “I called him to this gathering. He is not an enemy. If you all would listen to him, he’s here to help.”
“A Forgotten?” Oberon gave the Thin Man a suspicious look, his face cold. “Why would you help us?” he demanded. “Your queen intends to destroy the courts, remake the Nevernever and give it to her followers. What do you seek to gain from opposing her?”