3. Lira

3

LIRA

O ut of every possibility, of course this was when the Seelie would arrive.

Two people flew in front, leading the massive army. In the darkness, their golden armor and appearance looked comparable to the Unseelie guard, further proof that we were similar people who merely held different sorts of magic.

I had no doubt that the two in front were Mom and Dad, but from this far away, their features weren't easily distinguishable.

The Unseelie grabbed their weapons from their sides once more.

My limbs grew heavy with dread. The way I'd helped Tavish and Finnian escape and run from my people plagued me. I hadn't relished betraying my parents—both biological and adoptive—but they hadn't given me much choice. They had bound my fated mate and friend, even starved them. And with an army this size, I wasn't sure what they might be trying to accomplish.

Tavish froze, his wings tensing as he stared at the newcomers. They know our numbers are small. Why would they bring so many guards with them?

Good question. I don't know, but whatever they do to the Unseelie, they'll be forced to do the same to me. Now that Tavish had proclaimed me his people's future queen, I wouldn't stand being treated any other way, even if I had to attack the guards alongside him. But, thorn, the Unseelie are primed to attack. I don't think that's wise. I wanted to reassure him that Mom and Dad wouldn't attack him, knowing the bond he and I shared, but ultimately, they would obey their royals. There's no way we'll come out unscathed, especially after what we've endured. They need to put down their weapons to show they don't intend to fight.

Displeasure surged through the bond, and Tavish's breathing turned ragged. Lira, that goes against every natural instinct we have. Your parents killed mine and relocated us here by force. Asking them to put down their weapons is like asking them to stand in a dragon's flame, and look how injured Finnian and Lorne are.

My head and heart were in conflict because I understood everything Tavish was saying, but a part of me remembered loving and caring parents, even though I hadn't seen much of that side of them since returning to Gleann Solas. The best course of action would be to speak with Mom and Dad before they reached us, but I couldn't fly—not with my injury.

A scream built in my chest, but releasing it would only worsen an already volatile situation.

Still, I had to try.

I flapped my wings, sharp pain shooting through them and down my back. The woman who'd injured me had hit a vital spot in both wings. Still, I needed to head off the Seelie and see what their intentions were.

Lira, you're injured. Tavish's concern jolted through me as he turned my way.

Something snapped inside me, causing my sarcasm to come out swinging. Oh, right. I was wondering why moving my wings hurt! They'd been throbbing the whole time, and now it felt as if my wings were going to fall off.

His brows lifted as shock filtered in.

Immediately, guilt assailed me. I didn't care if I shouldn't apologize to him. I'm sorry. It's been a long… well, month, and I have no idea why the Seelie came in force. I need to speak with them before they reach us. The last twenty-four hours had been awful, and the pressure was getting to me. Add in Eiric being taken, the deaths, and the injuries along with my own pain, and I could've sworn I hadn't slept in days.

You never need to apologize to me. Tavish caught me in his arms and continued, You could speak to me in that manner for the rest of eternity, and I'd still be indebted to you for what I did and allowed to happen to you when I forced you to come here with me. He flapped his wings, lifting us from the ground.

A deep ache pulsed in the bond, proving that flying caused him discomfort too. You're uncomfortable with my weight.

It's nothing I can't handle. He flew a little higher across the stoned path over his people's heads.

"Your Majesty," a guard yelled. "You should hide in the castle. We'll protect you with our lives."

I lifted my head to take note of the guard, who had salt-and-pepper hair. His offer to protect Tavish made me favor him, hoping he was one Unseelie we could count on to be on our side and not Eldrin's.

"Everyone, remain calm." Tavish's voice echoed the way only a royal's could, as if it were some sort of magic. "Princess Lira and I will meet with the Seelie and determine if they're a threat to us or not."

"They're Seelie." A man lifted his sword in the air. "Of course they mean harm."

"I didn't." I couldn't remain silent while others amped everyone up, preparing to attack my people. At this point, I didn't identify as Seelie or Unseelie any longer. From here on out, I would be fae—because that's what we all truly were. "Maybe they aren't coming here to attack or do anything untoward. And if they are, I'll fight alongside you."

A woman gasped. "Against your own people?"

"You are my people now too. Your well-being means just as much to me as theirs." I shifted in Tavish's arms, trying to see everyone better. In the process, the edge of my wing got stuck on Tavish's arm, causing me to nearly double over in pain.

Tavish's breath caught like he felt my misery through the bond. I still wasn't great at hiding physical sensations.

His arms tightened around me so I couldn't lift the wing as easily again, and he cleared his throat. "Stay calm. If we need to fight, I'll give you a signal."

Not waiting for his people to respond, he pushed his wings harder, heading toward the Seelie guards, who were only about a hundred and fifty yards from the start of our land.

I can fly, I offered, trying not to flinch. The thought of forcing my wings to do anything but dangle made tears burn my eyes.

Don't you dare. He pushed harder, picking up speed to face the Seelie. Your wings are still bleeding.

Not only that, but the breeze from flying made my vision blur. There wasn't a point in fighting him, especially when he was right.

I slipped my arms around his neck, wanting to anchor my body more securely to his and feel the buzz of our bond everywhere we could touch. As we got closer to the Seelie, I tasted bitterness. What if I'd been wrong about reaching out and meeting them before they arrived? What if my parents did try to take me from Tavish again and deliver me to Pyralis? All my doubts swirled inside me, but I bit my tongue.

My instinct told me to do this, and I had to trust that it was right.

As I expected, Mom and Dad were leading the guards. The tips of Dad's dark-blue hair stuck out from under his armor, and his dark skin made it possible to notice the gold in it. His amber eyes widened.

Mom's brows furrowed. She tilted her head, her curly mahogany hair blowing behind her as her dark-brown eyes scanned me.

Mom raised a fist, causing the guards behind them to halt and hover in place.

The two of them looked at each other then nodded. They weren't fated mates, but they'd always been able to understand each other without a word, even on Earth.

"Lira," Mom rasped. "Why are you being car—" She noticed my wings and stopped short. "Who did this to you?" Her gaze shot straight at Tavish. "Was it him ?"

My head jerked back. "It wasn't him."

"Then who was it?" she seethed, her hand going to her hip, where I noticed a dark stone hilt.

She had Tavish's sword.

"We can discuss that further, but at the moment, I need to understand why you've brought what appears to be your entire guard to the land you banished us to." Tavish lifted his chin. "And I'd like my sword back."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Mom lifted her hands and flew a few feet back. "That's not what's important."

Dad edged in front of Mom. "It's not the whole guard. We brought half because the king and queen demanded to travel with us. The threat of the dragons is imminent since we forced Pyralis to leave Gleann Solas."

I swallowed. Mother and Father were here. They never traveled outside of Gleann Solas. "Why are they here?" Maybe this was a formal attack.

"Because their daughter, the Seelie heir, helped the Unseelie king and his friend escape and left with them." Mom's wings fluttered behind her, resembling flames. "They're upset and wanted to try to resolve things here."

"Attacking the Unseelie isn't the way." I didn't want to be on opposite sides of either set of parents, but my place was beside Tavish, and they didn't respect that.

"We aren't here to attack." Dad lifted both hands, emphasizing he had no weapon in them. "We're here to check on you and Eiric and to make sure the dragons don't try to capture you before the agreed-upon date that you are to wed the prince."

Tavish's jaw clenched, causing its bones to pop. He gritted, "She will never be his. She is mine ."

"Now isn't the time to get into that." Dad rubbed his hands together. "Because, at the moment, we're all on the same team—we all want to keep Lira away from him."

"Team?" Tavish parroted. "I'm not sure what that means."

Sometimes, I forgot that he hadn't spent time on Earth and didn't understand the vernacular. "That they have the same goal as you."

"At least temporarily." Tavish huffed but relaxed marginally.

Wanting to make sure their intent was clear, I asked, "So you won't attack while you're here, even if the king and queen demand it?"

"Those are the orders." Dad licked his lips. "Do not attack unless one of our kind is threatened."

Threatened is subjective. Tavish's nostrils flared, and the strain on his wings made his discomfort even worse.

We needed to land before he couldn't fly anymore.

It is, but if they decide to attack, staying with them won't prevent it. I didn't know what the right answer was, but either way, the Unseelie were at a disadvantage. So it's best if we trust them until there's a reason not to.

Trust the people who killed my parents? His disgust trickled through the fated-mate bond.

My chest constricted from his emotions, and I hated that I couldn't reassure him. That was exactly what I'd asked him to do, and I understood that trusting the Seelie was the last thing he'd ever want. If you can't—

You're right, and I'm willing to allow them into our land, but I can't trust them.

My heartbeat quickened, knowing that he was doing this for me. If I weren't here now, the Unseelie would've attacked the Seelie without blinking. That's more than fair, and you're a better man than you give yourself credit for.

No, I'm not. I'm only able to do this because you're with me. Otherwise, I have no doubt my hatred would take control. He straightened his shoulders despite holding me and said, "We won't attack you unless we feel threatened."

Mom and Dad looked at each other and nodded.

Unease floated through our bond—Tavish's discomfort from turning his back to his enemy. My skin crawled from the sensation, adding more stress to my own. He took off back toward the castle, with the Seelie following right behind us.

Everywhere Tavish and I turned, we couldn't catch a break. I could only hope that Eldrin did have a way to get my parents out of the contract with the dragons, or I feared that, for the rest of our lives, Tavish and I would be facing threat after threat. The thought of being with anyone else made me sick to my stomach. He was it for me, and I didn't want a life without him by my side.

Sprite, I won't allow them to do anything to you. Tavish kissed the top of my head. I'll protect you to the end.

He thought I feared what the Seelie might do to me, and I didn't want to correct him. We needed to face one adversary at a time, and at the moment, I needed to decipher my parents' intentions and inform them that Eiric had been taken.

A sharp ache pierced my heart, making it feel as if it might shatter. If something happened to Eiric, it would have a huge missing piece. A sob built in my chest, and I tried to push it away. Maybe if we worked together, we could uncover an effective way to get Eiric back with minimal bloodshed without having to hand myself over.

The Unseelie men and women stood in the streets. The handful of children who had been outside were no longer in sight.

"The Seelie have vowed to let us be as long as we don't attack them." Tavish spoke slowly and clearly, making sure that everyone could hear each word. "We shall honor that request and retaliate only if they betray us once again."

The two thousand people who had to be standing in the pathway between the two rows of homes lowered their weapons but kept hold of the hilts, ready to wield them at a moment's notice.

I couldn't blame them.

Tavish continued to fly overhead, leading the Seelie guards to the castle. Nightbane remained at the stairs where I'd left him, his glowing lime eyes keeping watch.

The silence was deafening as both sides sized each other up, determining the threat. When we reached the top of the stairs, Tavish landed, placing me gently back onto my feet.

Wanting to comfort Nightbane, I threaded my fingers through his fur. His body uncoiled ever so slightly at my touch.

"Open the doors," Tavish commanded his guards.

A second later, the doors creaked and opened. Struan and several guards he seemed to trust stood in the center of the massive, dark hallway. Lanterns hung on the walls, flickering only dim light that limited vision.

The way Tavish had preferred to keep the castle when I'd first arrived here.

We stood in the center with the dark wall at our backs as Struan took up a position to the left of Tavish and a woman guard moved to the right of Nightbane, with me in the center.

Most of the Seelie guards stopped outside, hovering above the people while they created a hole in the center where Mother and Father would fly down, heavily protected on all sides.

Mom and Dad landed a few feet before us, scanning the guards.

"Lira doesn't need protection from us." Mom snorted and wrinkled her nose as if the thought were insulting. "We mean her no harm."

"But you do us?" Tavish countered, tilting his head and interlacing our fingers.

"As we said, we mean you no harm." Dad cut his eyes at Mom and sighed. "Lira is our daughter, and we love her. That's all that she meant."

Normally, Mom was the one smoothing out Dad's words, but Eiric and my leaving the way we had must have rattled her more than I'd realized. My shoulders sagged. I hadn't meant to cause her that much distress, but of course, our actions would have impacted her. Both daughters gone in one breath.

A commotion sounded outside, and I looked over their heads to see Father and Mother almost at the stairs, Father wearing his golden tunic with black pants and Mother in a matching golden gown. The Unseelie grumbled, and a few spat on the ground.

I winced, but they weren't attacking… just expressing their disgust, which was fair.

My father, King Erdan, didn't appear fazed.

When Mother's emerald-eyed gaze landed on me, she let out a shaky breath and soared toward me. "Lira," she exclaimed in both relief and frustration.

A tone damn close to resembling a threat.

Nightbane snarled and moved in front of me. He hunkered down, and before I could reach him, he jerked forward to attack.