Page 18 of Beauty

We stand up, moving toward the Seelies. It’s time to talk toour brothers-in-law.

Even before we make it to the Finns, Cian Finn turns,walking our way with an angry look on his face.

“Why the hell haven’t you said something before now?” Ciangets right in my space.

I have no intentions of letting the Green Man intimidate me.“Should I have walked around informing everyone that Bronwyn Finn is alive? Doyou think that wouldn’t have gotten back to Torin?”

Beck seems calmer, but there’s a cold look in his eyes. “Youcould have told us. We both have relatives on the Vampire plane. We’ve probablybeen in the same city at the same time, and yet you kept this a secret.”

“We told our father,” Shim argues. “Not her name because weunderstood the danger to her, but we explained the situation, and he refused tobelieve. If you hadn’t seen what Lach could do tonight, you wouldn’t havebelieved it, either.”

“You bloody well could have tried,” Cian spits.

“Tell me something, Prince Lachlan,” Beck begins with lazymenace. “Does my sister know she’s a princess of the Unseelie Fae?”

There it is, that churning in the pit of my belly. “Theconnection is difficult to explain.”

“Yes, you seem to have that trouble a lot,” Cian accuses.

Shim’s getting angry, his hands twitching. When Shim getsangry, fireballs tend to descend from out of nowhere.

“Shim, calm down. Torching our brothers-in-law won’t makethe situation better.”

My ever-more-reasonable brother smiles grimly. “It will makeme feel better.”

“I’d love to see you try it,” Cian grinds back.

Beck manages a laugh. “He’s my calm half.”

A kinship opens between us. “Shim is my happy half. I’m arighteous bastard.”

“Well, I’m all sunshine and daisies,” Beck replies, hisexpression relaxing. “Cian, stop overreacting. I understand how you feel, butyou know damn well that I wouldn’t have taken a meeting with the Unseelie untilvery recently.”

“It wasn’t like I didn’t try,” my father says, joining them.“I would have tried harder if I’d listened to my sons.”

My stubborn anger at my father begins to fracture. It’scoming from Shim, but I welcome it. Being angry with our father got us nowhere.

“I still would have resisted,” Beck Finn admits. “Until wefound our Meggie, we were the ones who were fading. I couldn’t consider anysort of an alliance. It wouldn’t have worked, and then I was only concernedwith bonding with Meggie and keeping her safe.”

“You can’t hide anymore.” The quiet statement comes fromDante Dellacourt, who looks so much more serious than the entertainments on theVampire plane make him out to be. I never expected the vampire to give upeverything to follow his cousins on what is likely a lost cause.

It can’t be lost. It can’t. Not yet. After we get ourbondmate out of Tír na nÓg, then it can all go to hell, but not before. AfterBronwyn is safe in the Dark Palace, the Seelie plane can rot for all I care.We’ll close the Unseelie plane and live in peace. Let the other planes duke itout. This isn’t my fight.

“I know I can’t hide, Dante,” Beck allows. “The time hascome.” He turns back to me and Shim. “We were talking to your father about theplan Dante’s come up with. In a week and a half, a formal group of ambassadorsfrom the Vampire plane will be welcomed into Tír na nÓg. That means Torin hasto open the plane.”

Torin’s hags managed to shut off Tír na nÓg for overthirteen years. Some still manage to sneak in and out. There are always cracksa smart Fae can slip through, but not an army, and that’s what the Seelie twinsneed. But if the magical walls are down, a crack in the veil that holds theplane closed can be widened by a decent enough witch. Then a small force mightget through. What did Father promise them?

“You intend to raid Tír na nÓg?” I keep my voice measured.

Cian takes a deep breath, obviously calming himself. “Wehave to. Single assassins haven’t done the trick. We tried that at first, andTorin always finds them.”

“It’s the hags,” my father answers. “It’s why sneaking youinto Tír na nÓg won’t work.”

Dante agrees. “It’s like a magical alarm system. At somepoint in time, Torin stole hair or blood from both of you. It contains yoursignature, like a scent to a wolf. The minute you step on the plane, Torin willknow. So when it happens, it has to happen fast, because Torin will be ready.”

William Roan, the vampire mercenary, steps forward. “That’swhat I’m here for. I can sneak onto the plane and start gathering Faesupporters. I’ve been running missions on the plane for years, gatheringconsorts for wealthy royals. It’s been a small operation, nothing that couldtruly gain the pretender’s eye, but I’ve made many allies. There’s a network ofFae waiting to join the true kings when the time comes. Tomorrow, I’ll take asquad and begin rallying the troops. By the time we meet up, the kings willhave the army they need. Including, we hope, a contingent of Unseelie.”

I’m about to point out the problems with that plan when Shimleans forward. “We’ll go with Roan. We’ll find Bron and Gilly and bring themback.”