unimportant. Kierran wasn’t looking at me, however. His icy gaze fastened on the redcaps, who snarled and bared their fangs at him. The redcap leader drew himself up with a sneer. “All right, boy, just look—”
A f lash of metal, as Kierran’s arm whipped out, faster then anyone could see. The leader blinked, going silent midsentence, mouth open as if he had just lost his train of thought.
The other redcaps frowned in confusion, until the leader’s 324/387
head abruptly tumbled from his shoulders, striking the ground with a thump.
Howls and shrieks filled the air, and the motley turned to f lee. But Kierran was already lunging into their midst, iron blade f lashing in short, deadly arcs. I knew what a lethal fighter he was; I’d trained him myself, and his lessons had not gone to waste. Watching my son slaughter the redcap gang—
without effort, without mercy—I felt a nasty glow of pride, as well as a bitter lump settle in my chest. That was me once. It never would be again.
It was over in seconds. Kierran wasted no effort or time destroying the motley, striking with lightning speed and precision. I’d trained the boy well. The last redcap was still tumbling to the f loor in pieces when Kierran slammed his blade home with a f lourish, then turned to grin at me.
“Father.” Kierran bowed, and a mischievous smile crept over his face. Amazing how he could go from a cold, icy killer to a charming young prince in no time at all. At the Iron Court, Kierran was the darling of everyone, especially 325/387
the ladies, with a devilish streak a mile wide.
“Kierran.” I nodded back, not really liking that gleeful look. “What are you doing here?”
My son grinned at me. “The queen was getting worried that you hadn’t arrived yet. I offered to go look for you, in case you got into trouble. She said you would be all right, because Glitch would be there with you, but I said I’d make sure. So…” He made a great show of looking up and down the hall. “Where is Glitch, anyway? Did you leave him at home?
I bet he’s not happy about that.”
“He’s back in the carriage.” I motioned Kierran forward, taking his arm as he helped me down the carnage-strewn hallway.
Already the bodies were disappearing, disintegrating into mud and leeches and other nasty things. Redcaps left nothing pleasant behind when they died. “And you’ll say nothing of this to your mother, understand?”
“Of course not,” Kierran replied, but he was still grinning. Together we entered the ball room, packed wall to icy wall with Summer and Winter fey. Iron fey were present as well, 326/387
but only a scattering here and there, keeping well back from the crowds and the hostile glares from Summer and Winter.
Music played, dark and dramatic, and in the center of the f loor, dozens of fey gentry spun and danced with each other. Beside me, Kierran was scanning the room, his blue eyes clearly searching for someone. His gaze stopped on a will owy Summer girl with long chestnut hair and green eyes, standing in a corner talking to a dryad. She glanced at him, smiled shyly and quickly looked away, feigning disinterest. But her gaze kept straying back, and Kierran fidgeted at my side. “Keirran,” I warned, and he grinned sheepishly, as if he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Don’t get any ideas. You know the rules here.”
He sighed, becoming sober in an instant. “I know,” he murmured, turning away from the girl. “And it’s not fair.
Why should individuals have to bend to the prejudices between the courts?”
“It is what it is,” I replied as we made our way through the room, weaving through ranks of fey gentry. They moved aside with looks of disdain and contempt. “And you won’t be changing it, no matter how hard you try. It’s been this way 327/387
since the beginning of Faery.”
“It never stopped you,” Keirran said. His voice was calm and matter-of-fact, but I caught the hint of a challenge below the surface. That would have to end, here and now. I did not want my son getting ideas into his head that might kill him. I stopped, pulling him to a halt, and leaned close. My voice was low and rough as I met his eyes. “Do you really want to be like me?”
He met my gaze for a few seconds, before lowering his eyes.
“Forgive me, Father,” he muttered. “I spoke out of turn.” He didn’t look at me, but I continued to stare at him until he bowed and took a step back. “I will comply with your wishes, and the laws of this realm. I will not engage the Summer or Winter courts in anything beyond diplomacy.” He finally looked up, his blue eyes hard as he met my gaze. “Now, if you will excuse me, Father, I will return to the queen and inform her of your arrival.”
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I nodded. It was a victory, but a hollow one. Keirran bowed once more and slipped away, vanishing into the crowd, the chil from his passing making me shiver.
Alone in a crowded room, I found an isolated corner and leaned against the wall, watching the beautiful, dangerous and volatile creatures around me with the barest twinge of nostalgia. Not long ago, I had been one of them.