Fragile Eternity

Keenan held tighter to her hand; he was an anchor tethering her to some semblance of stability. “Qui

“No evidence?” Aisli

Qui

“Enough,” Keenan snarled. He kept her hand in his and pulled her closer to him.

Aisli

“I can deal with this, Ash,” Keenan spoke in a low voice, feigning privacy. “You don’t need to hear if there’s…unpleasantness.”

“I need to,” she repeated.

He stared at her silently for several breaths before saying, “Continue.”

Qui

“Why would she have any of that?” Aisli

Keenan looked at the guards, at Qui

The guards vanished amid murmured chastisements to Qui

Aisli

“Maybe he would. He is friends with Niall. Bananach is of that court.” Keenan stroked her hair. “Seth’s already accepted the Dark Court’s protection. He was angry with me. We had words before, Aisli

“Seth?” She pulled back and stared at her king. “Seth threatened you? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Keenan shrugged. “It didn’t seem the right choice. You and I had talked. I intended to…Donia had forgiven me. I thought it would be unwise to tell you, and then he left and I saw no reason to upset you further.”

“You should’ve said something. You agreed to not keep secrets from me.” Her skin was steaming from the pulse of sunlight shifting angrily inside of her. Had he been anyone else he couldn’t have touched her just then.

“But I am telling you,” he said. “Qui

“No.” She pulled away. “Qui

“You’re upset.”

“War has my things. Seth’s things. You’re telling me Seth threatened you. Yeah, I’m upset.”

“That was exactly what I didn’t want. I need you happy, Aisli

She leaned back into the sofa cushions, putting distance between them. “And I need answers.”

The Summer Court had searched all over. She’d had no signs of where Seth could have gone—until now.

“But it doesn’t make sense,” she said. “I met her. Seth’s not…she’s not someone he’d go with by choice.”

“Really? Seth’s closest friend is the Dark King. There are parts of your mortal that you aren’t seeing. What was he like before you?” Keenan stared up at her. “Seth isn’t an i

“Aisli

“If you want me to find out more, I could ask for an audience with Niall,” Keenan suggested. “Unless you want to invite War into our home….”

“No.” Aisli

“So what do you want, Aisli

“Can we go to Bananach?” Aisli

“We don’t know if Seth was there socially or if it was something else. Let me—”

“If she hurt him”—Aisli

Keenan sighed. “I can’t risk our court over a single mortal, Aisli

“It’s my court too,” she reminded him.

“Even if she took him, you can’t attack War.”

“Have you ever tried?”

“No.”

“Then don’t tell me I can’t,” she said. If Bananach had taken Seth and killed him, Aisli

“You’d risk our court for this?” he asked.

“Yes. For someone I love? Without a doubt.”

Keenan sighed, but he didn’t continue his objections. “Let’s go to the lion’s den, my Queen.”

Accompanied by a full platoon of guards, the Summer King and Queen made their way to Bananach. After the way Aisli

But Bananach might have answers.

Aisli

Keenan led her across Huntsdale to a condemned ruin with blacked-out windows. This wasn’t a bright, airy loft like their home or an aging mansion like Donia’s. Even the air outside the building felt dirty. It made her cringe, like being naked in front of a crowd of lecherous strangers.

Fear. Pure, raw fear. They were in the right place.

As they walked up to the door, Keenan scowled. He didn’t pause or knock. He slid the door open and strode inside. He looked ready to strike someone.

Rage.

“Keenan!” She grabbed his arm. “We need to talk to them. Remember? That—”

“Ash-girl, you’ve finally come calling.”

Aisli

“You are good to me,” Bananach crowed. She dropped to the floor in front of them. “Come now. The Dark King will be irritating if I keep you to myself.”

Aisli

Bananach’s hand clamped over Aisli

Aisli