Chapter 19

"Okay." Tiernan held up his hands as he and Aideen backed away from me. "Then why did that just happen? Why did your body react to the magic when you crossed into Fairy? Why did magic overtake you right at twilight and then transform you into this?"

"I don't know," I whispered.

"Those unseelie fairies who came after you," he began again. "My soldiers. We believe the Unseelie King ordered them to kill you. They, as well as the Sluagh, took you high into the air so you couldn't levitate. I'm guessing that your gifts are stronger when you do so. Am I right?"

"I..." I thought about it. "Yes, I guess my psychic abilities seem stronger when I levitate."

"Because you're touching Fairy when you tread the in-between; connecting to the source of your magic," Tiernan explained. "The path from the Human Realm to Fairy is a very powerful in-between place. Your dormant fey blood was awakened when you passed through it. Then, with the arrival of twilight, you transformed fully."

"I'm not a fairy," I whispered as I crumpled to the floor. I sank my fingers into the thick weave of the rug beneath me; crushing the fibers and releasing a fresh, green scent. It seemed to clear my head a little.

"Yes, you are." Tiernan knelt on the floor before me and pulled me against his chest. "I'm so sorry, but you are."

I began to cry. I couldn't help it. My whole life was not my own. My father wasn't my real father and my mother... she had lied to me from the moment of my birth. I couldn't be an extinguisher if I was a fairy. I shouldn't even be able to hold an iron sword. The thought perked me up.

"Why can I touch iron, if I'm a fairy?" I asked Tiernan defiantly as I laid my hand on the hilt of my weapon.

"A bonus of being only half fey," Aideen answered as Tiernan cast the sword a wary look. "You get the best of both worlds. A fairy who is immune to iron. That alone could make you fearsome."

"No." I let go of the sword and grabbed Tiernan as if he could change everything.

"I'm so sorry, Seren," he said again. "Truly, I understand what it means to be lost and not know who your family is."

"My father; does he know?" I looked over at Aideen.

"No; Extinguisher Ewan doesn't know," she assured me. "Although, he does now."

"What do you mean?" I asked in a low voice.

"This has all been your father's plan." Aideen gave me a guilty smile. "Your real father, King Keir. When your mother was murdered, he started devising a way to bring you to Fairy so he could protect you."

"Was my mother murdered because of him?" I started to get angry.

"Yes and no," she said. "Your mother was the only human to know who you really are; the heir to the twilight throne. King Keir has no other children, no wife, and no lovers. He loved your mother dearly and has paid just as dearly for it."

"I don't understand," I huffed.

"King Keir's brother is King Uisdean of the Unseelie," Tiernan took over. "Uisdean hates humans and the thought of one sitting on his brother's throne must be—"

"Irksome," Aideen finished. "King Keir, our king, believes his brother has sided with their nephew Bress, son of their sister. Bress would be in line for the twilight throne if you didn't exist."

"So, first Uisdean kills my mother and then he decides that's not enough and tries to kill me?" I clarified.

"King Uisdean seems to have believed that killing your mother would have been enough to prevent you from learning of your heritage, but when he discovered your father's plans to bring you to Fairy, he must have decided to eliminate your threat entirely," Tiernan said gently. "At least, that's what we've surmised. We can be sure of nothing yet, but the Unseelie King is one of the few nobles who can command the Sluagh."

"So, it's a safe bet that my uncle wants me dead," I concluded.

"Yes." Tiernan nodded.

"How does my father know that I'm not his daughter?" I asked Aideen.

"You mean your human father?" She asked, and when I nodded, she continued. "Well, you see, this whole biological weapon thing was kind of a ruse."

"Pardon me?" I glared at her.

"We needed a way to get you into Fairy," she said. "We knew you were an extinguisher—"

"I am an extinguisher," I interrupted.

"Oh, um, well, I don't see how you'll be able to continue that." Aideen looked at Tiernan for help, but he just shook his head at her and left her to flounder.

"Just go on," I growled.

"There is no weapon to kill humans," she admitted. "It was all a diversion so the other courts wouldn't know you were being taken to Fairy. Gentry Technologies is owned by your father, King Keir. If it weren't for the Sluagh attacking, there wouldn't have been any danger at all. I was supposed to get you there and lead you into Fairy, that was it."

"And my father?" I asked in as calm a tone as I could muster.

"Your human—?" She paled when she saw my glare. "Yes, well, Dylan was supposed to be there to explain the proceedings to the Extinguishers."

"Dylan Thorn; the fairy you supposedly murdered?" I asked.

"Yes." Aideen gave me a guilty little smile. "We thought his appearance would help to prove the validity of our story. He was meant to ask for their patience and understanding since this is a delicate circumstance in which the life of a fairy princess is in danger. I'm sure someone has already informed Ewan Sloane that he is not your biological father."

"A fairy princess?" I frowned.

"She means you, Seren," Tiernan explained.

"I am not a fairy princess!" I shouted, and Tiernan cringed a little as a sparkling light illuminated his face. I held up my hand, slowly bringing it toward me, and determined that the light was emanating from my eyes.

"Close your eyes and breathe deeply." Tiernan's hands went to my face. "It's going to be okay, Seren. It's just going to take a little time for you to adapt."

"You are the Twilight Princess," Aideen said happily, with just a hint of awe in her tone.

"I'm the what?" I opened my eyes and was relieved to find that they'd stopped shining like spotlights.

"The Princess of the Twilight Court," Tiernan clarified.

"The Twilight Princess," Aideen affirmed again.

"Do not ever call me that," I ground out.

"What's wrong with being the Twilight Princess?" Aideen asked.

"Too many damn vampire jokes," I snarled, and Tiernan choked back a laugh.

"Vampires?" Aideen looked baffled.

"Twilight is the title of a human motion picture about vampires," Tiernan explained. "It's a story; entertainment, like theater."

"Which makes that title into a joke." I rolled my eyes. "As if it weren't bad enough to be a fairy princess. I swear; if my skin starts to sparkle, I'm going to scream."

"Doesn't every little girl want to be a fairy princess?" Aideen asked in a small voice. "And what's wrong with sparkly skin? It sounds lovely. It would be a perfect compliment to your eyes."

"I don't think extinguisher girls are raised to want the same things as other girls," Tiernan spoke to Aideen but was staring at me with a strange look.

"What?" I lifted a brow at him. "Is there something else I should know about?"

"Just that our relationship is no longer a problem." He grinned wickedly. "It looks as if we're better suited than you thought."

"Oh." I stared into his captivating eyes and realized that he was just as fascinated with my own.