30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"The truth can be hard to say, but once said, you will be free of the lies you have encased yourself in." – Lord Edmund, Second Lord of Sídhetír.

W hen I awoke for the second time that day, I slid out of bed, and Cethin didn't react. I cleaned up because we'd done a poor job before passing out in each other's arms. I yanked on some clothes, not Cethin's altered ones, though I imagined I would wear more of his clothes in the future since he liked it so much. Dressed in a proper waistcoat, jacket, cravat, and trousers, I stepped into the hall. I needed to speak to Lord Byrne, or Dowager Lord Byrne now.

But Jonathan Byrne was not the one who greeted me.

The hallway was lined with all seven of my brothers. Brothers. I had brothers. They all stood when I stepped out. Oren took a single step in my direction before stopping, chewing on his bottom lip. My eyes ran over each and every one of them. This time, I picked out the similarities between us. Never had I noticed them, but now I did—the strong jaw I shared with most of my brothers, the breadth of our shoulders, the shape of our hands, and the light green eyes Phineas and I shared with Jonathan.

"You all knew."

Oren shook his head. "I didn't."

I waved his comment away. "I know that. But the rest." I swallowed the sudden sting of betrayal. They had all known.

"Only I and Whit knew you were the Heir of Sídhetír," Thomas said, speaking for all of them as he often did. "Everyone else, besides Oren, knew you were a half-fae."

"And you kept it from me," I said, my voice raising. I peeked over my shoulder at the closed door. If I got too loud, Cethin would wake up and he needed to rest. "Come," I ordered. Without a backward glance, I walked down the hall to the family parlor.

Nerves wriggled in my stomach. Technically, I was Lord of Sídhetír, but that meant shit in the reality before me. My brothers didn't have to follow my orders, nor did I know if they actually would. Being lord had never been a future I'd planned for or thought of. Now, it was my truth. One I would have to reconcile myself to.

The room was well-furnished and a large pianoforte sat in the corner. My gaze didn't linger on the familiar furniture or paintings; instead, I looked out the glass doors, which led to the balcony. Days ago, I'd scaled down the columns to sneak out and see Cethin. How different my life was in a short span of time.

Once the last of the Byrne brothers had entered the parlor, Nevan shut the door. They spread around the room, taking various seats, as I focused on the sight of Sídhetír out the window. Oren was the only one who came near me. He lifted a hand to touch me, but it fell to his side.

"Aidan," Thomas started, but I waved off his comment.

I didn't know what words I needed to ease the sting in my soul. No words might be sufficient. Though could I truthfully blame them? Thomas and Whit had had no reason to tell me the truth. I was their brother in blood alone. And the rest? Why should they have felt the need to tell me about my heritage? I hadn't been their brother, only a Byrne family ward.

"Aidan," Thomas said again. His feet padded across the hardwood floor in my direction. He placed a hand on my shoulder and turned me toward him. I stared into a face I'd known my entire life. His hand tightened on my shoulder. "We should have told you, but…"

"We and Father hoped the magic of Sídhetír could be tricked," Whit finished. "For we feared that you couldn't sign the contract."

I had guessed as much. "Tell me."

Thomas glanced at Whit. "This is Father's story."

"Tell me," I demanded. I needed to know, but I didn't want to speak to Jonathan yet.

"Your mother showed up one day," Thomas started without preamble. "She had you with her." He smiled. "You were such a small thing of two. Vis insisted on speaking with Father, and he agreed."

"You two were here, not at school?" I asked, glancing between them. I was fourteen years younger than Thomas.

"Visiting," Whit said. "It was near Oren's birthday, and all of us were here."

"You were sitting outside of Father's bookroom when Oren found you," Thomas continued. "He grabbed your hand, and you followed him outside to play. Me and Whit went with you two. You started to fall at one point, and a vine wrapped around your arm and stabilized you."

I closed my eyes. "You guessed."

"Yes," Thomas said. "I truly studied you. Your green eyes were Father's and you looked like us—as much as a toddler looks like anyone."

"Did you guess I was half-fae?"

Whit shook his head. "No. Father eventually came to the garden with Vis at his side. He didn't even glance at any of us, just walked straight to you. He picked you up and held you close."

"We knew then," Thomas said. "You were our brother. Father simply held you. When he met our eyes, he nodded. Father told us about you being half-fae and the heir. He did not hide it from us. Mainly, I believe, because we suspected and he couldn't conceal it from us. In time, Whit and I told the rest of our brothers of your fae heritage to protect you, but we kept the fact you were heir to ourselves."

Nevan crossed his arms and a deep scowl marred his face. He was not alone. Most of my brothers had a similar expression on their faces—even calm Phineas appeared annoyed. None of them compared to the red-faced Oren.

"None of you bothered to tell me, either," he said.

"You can't keep secrets from Aidan," Sevrin explained, and Oren scoffed.

I shifted from them and stared out the window. What should I do? I wanted to curl against Cethin and ignore the world around me. Unfortunately, that wasn't viable or helpful. Though I imagined Cethin would be perfectly happy with such a scenario.

"Why did Lord Byrne hide me?" I asked, unable to keep the words buried. "Yes, I am a bastard, a half-fae, but I'm his son."

Gentle hands grabbed my arms, and I knew who it was before Oren tugged me into a hug. He had no answers either, but at least he offered me comfort. The others probably would have, but I would've spurned them, which they probably guessed.

I shifted to return the embrace and looked over Oren's shoulder. Each of the Byrne brothers, my brothers, had stood. My anger at them was irrational, for they had had little choice in keeping the secret. Besides, they must have thought keeping everything from me was the best.

And maybe it was. I got to live my life without the burden of being heir or half-fae, and yet, I couldn't accept such an assertion. Oren had spent his life in terror, forced into a position that wasn't meant to be his, and I was shunted to the side—longing for a family that was right there for the taking.

Thomas stepped forward to speak for the Byrne brothers. He looked not only at me but all of us. "Father ordered Whit and I not to tell any of you about who Aidan was. He feared the end of the contract, and what it would mean, not only for Sídhetír but the whole of the country. But we were wrong."

Whit nodded in agreement.

Holding out his hands, Thomas said, "We have always stood together, as we should. No matter what Father wanted, I should have told all of you. Especially you, Aidan."

Oren let go of me and stood at my side. "You should have told us. Aidan deserved to know."

"So did you," I said, bumping his shoulder. "Oren deserved to have a life. A choice."

Oren grabbed my hand.

"You're right," Thomas said.

Whit added, "He did. You both did." He glanced at the rest of his younger brothers. "You all deserved the truth about why we were protecting Aidan."

"We did," Sevrin said. "We truly thought we were shielding you, Aidan. You never presented any magic and could touch iron. Your mother was gone, and you had no one."

"And," Nevan said, draping an arm over Neil's shoulders, "we liked you and didn't want you to leave."

"I wouldn't have wanted to leave either," I said. It was the truth. Sídhetír was my home, and the Byrnes had been my family even before I'd known.

Thomas stepped forward with his arms open, but I shifted back. While I accepted why they had kept the secret, I wasn't ready to forgive them. His smile fell, hurt easily displayed on his face.

"I'm not quite there yet."

"I understand."

The door opened, and I expected to see Cethin striding in, but it wasn't him. Instead, Lord Byrne stepped inside. "Good afternoon, my sons." He smiled at all of us, but his gaze lingered on me. "All of my sons."

My heart hardened into a solid mass. "I am not your son."

Lord Byrne faltered in his step. "You are, Aidan."

"I may share your blood, but you lost any chance you had of being my father when you rejected me and hid my existence. You are not my father, and I am not your son."

"Aidan," he tried again, but I pushed past him and fled down the hallway. I could feel him following me, but I darted to a window. Without a single hesitation, I leaped outside. Ivy vines curled about me and the ground rose to soften the landing. My feet hit the flagstones with a small thud, jarring my aching ribs, but I did not stop. I raced to the hedge maze and out of the iron gate. The key wasn't in my pocket, but it opened for me without a single touch.

The fields of Sídhetír sprawled in front of me. The snow had disappeared, since my magic was no longer fueling the clouds, but the air remained chilly and leaves steadily fell from the branches to the ground. I headed to the trees. Yet another person who I needed to confront remained.

Iris.

Why hadn't she told me she was a fae? Perhaps I should've been able to sense her, or maybe she didn't know that I was half-fae. The answers weren't as important as the reason why she'd concealed herself. Hopefully, she wasn't another person who'd known exactly who I was and had chosen to keep it from me.

When I stepped under the boughs, the trees shifted toward me, their branches leaning to caress me. The forest had never responded to the previous Lords of Sídhetír, but I sensed the woods as easily as I did the rest of the land. The trees were mine.

Even as a child, I'd been drawn to the forest. Was it because of my fae blood? Possibly. It truly didn't matter. I loved the woods, and the trees loved me.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked on Iris's door. Shuffling came from the other side before the door cracked open, and Iris peeked out. She smiled at the sight of me, but as she opened the door, her smile faltered and her eyes narrowed.

"Aidan, what happened to you?"

"The bruises?" I asked, touching my face. "You've seen them."

She shook her head, eyes wide and pupils blown. "You are the Lord of Sídhetír. How is that possible? She would have told me."

My stomach dropped to my feet. " She ? My mother? You knew my mother?"

Her hand tightened on the door. "It hardly matters in the end, I suppose."

I scoffed. "It does matter. You have to know it matters. You knew my mother?"

"Aidan," Iris said, drawing out my name. "I don't understand how this is possible."

"Iris, answer the bloody question. Did you know my mother?"

She pushed the door open. "Come inside, Aidan. I suppose I must tell you what happened."

I followed her inside, taking a seat at the table. She poured us both a cup of tea, then sank down across from me.

"Your mother, Vis, was my best friend and my first love. She snuck into the human realm when Jonathan Byrne was the heir and the mantle was shifting. She was enamored with humans. I was not."

Those few words told me more about my mother's past than I'd ever heard in my entire life. "How did you come to be here, then?"

Iris ran her fingers over the rim of her cup and her aspect changed. Her brown hair fell free of the braid, all of the gray fading. Her skin became pure gold with the texture of bark, and white horns grew out of her head. Her teeth were jagged and sharp, and her hands lengthened, gaining an extra knuckle and wicked claws. "I snuck in through a less desirable passage. I didn't know if it would lead here or simply back to the fae realm or possibly nowhere at all. I wanted to see Vis again and bring her home."

"And?"

Iris took a drink of her tea. "When I arrived, she was dying and you were entrusted to Lord Byrne. She begged me to care for you, and I agreed."

"You knew I was half-fae."

"Naturally. Your mother was a fae, but she did not tell me who your father was. I would have never guessed Jonathan Byrne, let alone you being the Heir of Sídhetír. Did he tell you how this came about?"

"No," I said. "I ran when I saw him."

"Hmm."

"Why didn't you tell me, Iris?" I asked, hurt stabbing me. "We've been friends for years."

"I was protecting you, Aidan. You didn't know you were fae, and you were Jonathan Byrne's ward. I didn't know how much he could or could not sense. Did he know you were half-fae? Or would me telling you endanger you to banishment? You knew nothing of the fae realm, and I didn't know if you'd survive there. Not many half-fae can without protection."

My hands fisted around the cup. "Everyone keeps trying to protect me by lying."

"I didn't lie. I cannot."

I glared at her. "You may not have uttered a lie, but you certainly did not tell the truth."

She shrugged. "I am fae. And I was protecting you."

Pushing the teacup away, I stood. "I do not need you to protect me. I needed the truth. Why didn't one person tell me the damn truth?"

"The truth can be a difficult thing. One person's truth is another person's lie. I was keeping you safe. If no one knew of your fae heritage, no one could hurt you, whether Lord Byrne or fae."

"Hurt me?"

"Fae are not allowed to be here without permission. Half-fae have more leniency. But what if a noble fae found you? You could say you truly didn't know. Ignorance would be your shield. If I'd known you were the Heir of Sídhetír, I might have told you, though I might not have. I cannot say. But you were simply my little Aidan, son of my childhood friend."

I sank onto the chair. "Why didn't she tell me?"

"That I do not know, but Vis loved you more than anything, Aidan. You were the most important thing. She gave up the fae realm for you."

"That she did." I met her gaze. "So did you."

"For now," she said with a gentle smile. "Someday I will return, but for now, I shall remain by your side."

God, I was furious with her. The betrayal of her half-truths and secrets burned me, but I didn't want her to leave. She had been a mother and friend to me when I needed one. I whispered, "Tell me about her."

"Vis wasn't a noble fae like you are used to. She was as average as dirt, but she was breathtaking. Her magic leaned to the trees, much like I believe yours does, slight as it is."

It was a nice thought to be similar to her.

"She loved humans. It was her dream to come here. I didn't understand it. Vis had no healing magic or skills to sell. That plus her common heritage meant she was never going to be allowed to travel through the gate, so she snuck in during the transition, despite the danger. Perhaps fate knew you needed to be born."

"Was it really so dangerous for her? Is it for you?"

"Yes. Nobles will flood through the gate once you allow it, and they will seek any fae who do not have permission to be here. Once the fae makes it past the border of Sídhetír, they are free of your power, and the noble fae are bound by the contract to hunt them down. Your Prince Cethin may even be called to action."

A random thought popped into my mind. "Iris, you didn't…"

She took a long drink of her tea, staring directly at me. "I didn't do what, Aidan?"

The way her expression had frozen when she saw Cethin for the first time bloomed in my mind. Other remembrances crashed through me. The way she hadn't come near him or touched him. She'd wanted him to die, but when I forced her to help me, she'd fed him a potion to cure poison—poison she'd stabbed him with.

My eyes turned glassy. "Iris, tell me you didn't."

"I will always protect myself, Aidan."

"You stabbed him!" I slammed my hands on the table, which was echoed by a deep rumble in my chest. I took a deep breath to calm down. I wasn't used to my emotions affecting everything.

She slowly stood. "You do not understand. You see Cethin and are enamored by him, but noble fae are brutal. They have remained in power for a long time despite their smaller number, and they will kill anyone who threatens them. Fae are not humans. We do not think as you do, so stop attempting to impose your same morals on us.

"I stabbed Cethin and would have gladly seen him dead to keep myself safe. But," she said, cupping my cheek, "I am glad for you that he lives. I am glad he is your mate because you shall live a long and happy life. But you must remember, Aidan, fae are not human and you cannot expect us to act the same."

I slapped her hand away, standing. Cethin had said he wasn't mad at the person who stabbed him, and he truly meant it. He'd killed three fae in front of me during our short acquaintance to protect me. Violence was a way of life for fae. They were different. I'd known that, but it was difficult to remember.

My heart clenched. She was my friend, but Iris had lied to me and stabbed Cethin. Granted, it was prior to her knowing Cethin was my mate, and yet, anger burned in my gut. I wanted to forgive her, but it would take time—like everything else.

"I should go."

Iris gave me a sad smile. "I will be here, Aidan, but I will not apologize."

When I reached the door, I paused. "No one will harm you here, Iris. I will protect you."

"Of course you will. I'm amazing."

I wanted to laugh as I normally did, but I couldn't. I was so angry and hurt about her lying to me.

Iris continued, "I would like to tell you everything about Vis someday."

Prickles burning the backs of my eyes, I didn't answer her and went outside. The first thing I spotted was Cethin leaning against a tree with a slight smirk on his lips. I threw my arms around his neck. Cethin lifted me off the ground and his lips found mine.

"My Aidan," he murmured. "Why did you leave without me?"

"I needed to talk to my brothers and Iris."

"The fae?"

I frowned at him. "You knew?"

"You did not?"

"No."

"I see," Cethin said. "I would have told you if I'd known about your lack of knowledge."

"Would you have?" I played with his long hair.

"Yes." He bit my nose before lowering me to the ground.

Swallowing, I said, "Iris is the one who stabbed you."

He paused, then said, "I see."

I gripped his arm. "Please don't hurt her." As angry as I was, I didn't want anything to happen to her, let alone by Cethin's hand.

"I won't."

"She thought you were here to hunt her."

"Iris snuck into Sídhetír?"

"She hasn't caused any trouble."

"Then she has nothing to worry about," Cethin said.

"But?"

Cethin brushed my cheek. "We nobles hunt and, yes, kill wayward fae when they cause trouble or make excessive deals, but otherwise?" He shrugged. "We truly don't care. We meet the demands of the contract, and nothing more. Your Iris is safe as long as she doesn't cause significant trouble."

I sighed, shoulders sagging in relief, then straightened. "But she stabbed you."

"And I am grateful because she brought me to you."

Going up on my toes, I pressed my lips to his. Cethin deepened the kiss and grabbed my ass, lifting me back into the air. I wrapped my legs around his waist. My tongue battled his while I fisted a hand in his hair.

"Shall we adjourn to our cottage where your brothers cannot find us?"

A groan slipped out of my lips before I could stop it. I bit my lip. Cethin and I spending time beneath the trees, the babbling of the creek soothing every tension, sounded perfect.

He kissed my neck. "I believe that is a yes."

His touch was intoxicating. I tilted my head to the side stupidly to allow him more access. With every brush of his lips, thoughts fell from my mind and my body loosened. My cock twitched. Cethin moaned, nibbling the shell of my ear.

"Come with me."

I wanted to say yes. I wanted to disappear with Cethin for a few days, but I now had responsibilities that I couldn't ignore.

The tip of his nose dragged along my ear. "Aidan."

It took everything I possessed to shift away, feet hitting the ground. Cethin stared at me with hooded eyes. Desire burned in the black depths. An answering desire swelled within me. "I want to."

"Then we shall."

"I can't, Cethin. I have duties now. I cannot run away from them."

Cethin frowned, but he said, "I do understand."

"I know you do, Your Highness."

His frown deepened. "I do not like you calling me that."

I chuckled, dragging my hands through his long hair. "I won't in the future, but I was teasing you."

"I will kidnap you from your responsibilities later."

"I look forward to it."