The Faerie Queen (The Faerie Ring #4) (11 page)

The room was silent but for the distant sounds of the trains coming and going.

“There’s more to it than that, isn’t there?” Tiki spoke with a quiet surety. “You said the Jester had never pledged himself to a sovereign—never claimed a court. Why would he risk his life to help you?”

Rieker
nodded, his face unreadable. “Tiki’s right.  For once, Larkin, tell us all of it.”

Dain shifted
to stand next to his brother, a frown furrowing his brow. Identical in height, together they were an intimidating presence. “Yes, Larkin, I’d like to know, too. We’ve risked our lives over and over for the Seelie Court, for the Macanna, for you. We’re about to do it again and battle a war that we all know we’ll be lucky to survive. We deserve to know whatever truth you’ve hidden from us.”

Larkin
’s gaze shifted from Tiki, to Rieker, to finally rest on Dain. She pressed her lips together and for a shocking moment Tiki thought she was trying not to cry. Instead of speaking, Larkin sank down onto one of the rickety chairs and put her face in her hands.

Tiki exchanged a glance with Rieker. This wa
s a side of Larkin she’d never seen before. Was it an act? Or for once, was the faerie revealing a true emotion? And if so, what kind of secrets had she been keeping that would evoke such a response?

Dain spoke again.
“I’ve always trusted you, Larkin. Now it’s time to trust me. To trust all of us. Tell the truth.”

The faerie lifted her head and pushed her golden hair
away from her face. In that moment, her skin was like parchment and dark hollows carved the space beneath her cheekbones.
She looks beaten,
Tiki thought.

Larkin’s lips twisted in a bitter
grin. “I suppose it is somehow suitable that we should return
here
to speak of this.” She looked around the room and her nose curled in disgust. “The hovel where I doomed Clara to live when I first left her for you to find.”

Tiki had to bite her tongue not to snap a retort
that the child had been loved here, but Larkin continued.

“
The same place where you and William plotted against me. My hideaway when I escaped from Donegal.” Larkin let out a heavy sigh. “It’s been a long road. Such a long road.” She stared at the floor. When she spoke again it was as if she were talking to herself. “I never dreamed I might be the only one to survive.”

Tiki reached for Rieker’s hand and t
hreaded her fingers through his, suddenly afraid of what was coming.

Larkin
looked up. “But as Eridanus and Finn saw fit to hide all four of the Treasures in the mortal world, I suppose it is only fitting that you should learn the truth of their plan here as well.”

Dain sank cross-legged to the floor next to Larkin
, his gaze never leaving her face. “Go on.”

Tiki t
ugged on Rieker’s hand and they also sat on the floor, forming a half-circle around Larkin.

In a mercurial mood swing
so typical of her, a fleeting smile lit Larkin’s face and she reached out to cup Dain’s chin. “As you listen, Dain,” she dropped her hand and touched Rieker’s cheek, “and William,” her gaze flitted to Tiki, “and Tara, you must always remember we believed it was up to us to change the future—” Larkin’s voice dropped to a whisper—  “and to do that we gave up
everything
.”

Tiki’s stoma
ch twisted and she fought the impulse to tell Larkin to
stop
. She had a terrible feeling she didn’t want to know what the faerie was about to reveal.

Larkin
folded her hands together and rested them in her lap in a rare moment of repose. “There is so much to tell, I’m not sure where to begin, but I think the most important thing you should know, William and Dain, is that the Court Jester in the Palace of Mirrors is the man you knew as Kieran—”

“
Kieran?”
  The name exploded from Rieker’s and Dain’s lips at the same moment.

She held her hand up and
her voice gentled— “and he is also your birth father.”

Chapter Eigh
teen

Tiki’s gasp echoed like a cannon shot in the silence. It was as if time had become suspended in that moment. Then the room exploded in questions.

“
Kieran’s
alive
?” The hope in Dain’s voice was unmistakable.

“
Our
birth
father?” Rieker’s words were thick with disbelief.

“
The
Jester
?
”
Tiki squeaked.

Larkin held her hands up to stop further questions.
“I know it’s a shock but let me speak before I change my mind. There’s more you need to know.”

“
Tell us,” Dain and Rieker said at the same moment.

“
More
?” Tiki whispered.

“
The Jester’s last name is Winterbourne.”

“
Kieran told me that was my last name,” Dain exclaimed.

Larkin raised her eyebrows.
“He must have sensed his life was at risk then.”

“
What does it mean?” Rieker asked.

Larkin’s face remained impassive.
“Winterbourne is an ancient name, from a line of fey who were UnSeelie by birth but left the courts long ago to strike their own path.”

Tiki looked from Rieker to Dain.
“UnSeelie? What are you saying? That William and Dain are—”

Rieker finished her sentence.
“
UnSeelie?”

“
Half.” Larkin said in a matter-of-fact way. “Breanna was Seelie, Fial was UnSeelie, but he was born to the light.”

“
Wait.” Rieker shook his head as he held his palms toward Larkin. “I don’t understand. My father, Will Richmond, was not our birth father?”

“
No.”

“
But before you said—”

“
I lied.”

“
I thought faeries couldn’t lie,” Tiki said.

“
Don’t be ridiculous.” Larkin snorted. “Yet another convenient mis-truth that we use to suit our purposes. You should know by now that we are powerful creatures far beyond the abilities of mortals—”

Rieker interrupted her.
“You’re telling us our real father is alive?”

Larkin raised her chin a notch so she appeared to be looking down her nose at him. Her eyes were slitted in a calculating expression.
“Yes.”

“
And you want me to believe that our father is the man we knew as Kieran and also as
the Court
Jester
?”

“
You’ve got it all exactly right, William.” Larkin clapped. “Bravo.”

Rieker’s eyes narrowed and one side of his mouth lifted in a sneer.
“Why do you think we would believe the madness you spew, Larkin?” He pushed himself to his feet. “I’ve often wondered at your loyalties, but now I wonder at your
sanity
. This time you’ve gone too far.”

Larkin remained
unaffected by Rieker’s reaction. “You have just confirmed that we have been successful in hiding our true purpose. Think it through, William. It was our goal to bury the truth so deeply, beneath so many layers of lies, that no one would ever suspect the truth of who we were and what we were doing. If they knew or found out—we would be dead—as most of us are.” Her lips pressed in a thin line as she gazed at Rieker. “We had to do it this away—to keep you and Dain alive.”

Dain
remained seated and seemed much less shocked by the news. “You mean we’re not half-mortal?”

Larkin shook her head.
“No. Of course not. You’re pure fey, though of mixed blood, to be sure.” One corner of her mouth quirked in a taunting smile as her gaze shifted to Rieker. “Not a mortal half-breed, after all. Just a fey half-breed.”

Rieker
’s mouth tightened.  “You’ll have to give me some proof to believe this, Larkin.”

“
I know it’s difficult, William, especially given the mortal upbringing you’ve suffered.  This is difficult for me as well. We’ve hidden these secrets for so long because our lives depended on it—all of our lives—that even now, when I know I must tell you, I worry that my revelations will put us at even greater risk.”

Dain leaned forward, an eager expression on his face.
“I’ve seen the Jester loads of times and he’s never acted any differently towards me than anyone else. Are you sure—”

“
And because of that, you are still alive to speak of it.”

“
Hmmmm, he is old enough to be my father—” Dain mused.

“
Dain,” Rieker barked, “are you going to believe what she tells you? Don’t you find it a little farfetched to believe the Court Jester—the clown, the juggler, the
Fool
—is our
father
?”

Dain returned Rieker’s glare
with a steady look of his own. “I understand your disbelief, William, but anyone borne to Faerie knows the term
Fool
is not literal.  I’ve seen the man juggle
fire
. He can skewer the highest Lord with just the twist of a phrase, and he can create birds out of thin air. He may be a juggler but he knows powerful magic, not to mention he knows the secrets of Kings and Queens—which probably makes him the most powerful man at Court. Let’s listen to what she has to say.”

“
William.” Larkin snapped. “Sit down. We don’t have much time. If Donegal has imprisoned the Jester, then he must suspect him of treachery, which means he might know far more than I suspected. The Jester and I are the only ones left alive who know the truth. I will not let Donegal sacrifice him, too. I must return to the Otherworld and save him. You lot will have to go on and find the MacLeod’s and the flag. That is ours—and your father’s—only chance.”

Tiki tugged on Rieker’s hand.
She had a terrible feeling that Larkin was speaking the truth.  “Wills,” she said softly. “Let’s listen.”

Rieker’s
gaze darted down to where Tiki still sat on the floor. “You don’t mean to tell me—”

“
Think about it—who gave us the clue about Fate and Truth to find the Stone of Tara? Who told us not to fear the water so we would know how to get to Dain when he was imprisoned in the White Tower?” Tiki’s voice was beginning to rise. “Who gave us the card that could have led us to the Fourth Treasure if we’d only been smart enough to figure it out—”

Dain reached over and yanked on Rieker’s
other arm, pulling him to the floor. “Sit down and shut up. We’re going to hear what Larkin has to say.”

Rieker muttered under his breath as he
pulled a crate over and sat on it, his lips pressed in an angry line.

Larkin tilted her head
toward Dain. “Thank you. I can’t possibly tell you all of it now—”

“
No, of course not—” Rieker interrupted— “because then someone might know as much as you and you wouldn’t be able to yank our strings and force us to dance for you over and over again—”

“
If you are quite finished, William—” Larkin spoke in an icy tone— “I will tell you what you need to know and then we must be on our way.” She stared at Rieker as if she expected him to interrupt again but he held his tongue.

Larkin took a deep breath.
“Now then. Fial is the Jester’s true name—your father’s name. Fial Lasair Cathall Winterbourne—a man of honor and unbelievable strength.” Her voice quieted and her eyes became distant. “You should be proud to call him father. His bravery is unmatched by anything the rest of us have done, for you see, your father is the ultimate spy. He has lived between two worlds and belonged to neither for most of his life—all for the sake of a promise made long ago. Those who have known his secrets and his sacrifice have been murdered one-by-one: Finn, Eridanus, Adasara—even Breanna—until only he and I remain.”

Dain leaned toward Larkin.
“Why is he such a threat to Donegal?”

“
Because he knows great magic—much more than anything the Winter King can accomplish—and he knows secrets that Donegal doesn’t want revealed.”

“
If he’s so powerful, why does he act the fool?” Rieker asked. “Aren’t there other positions he could assume for one court or the other?”

“
As Dain said, the term is not literal. Fial chose carefully when he became the Jester—and he doesn’t reveal himself because he has secrets of his own. It’s not in his best interest, or that of the courts, to reveal all—which is precisely why we have operated in the shadows and behind glamours all these years—waiting for the right time to overthrow Donegal.”

“
You mentioned a promise—what was that?” Tiki asked.

“
To stop the killing and reunite the courts as one. To live side by side with the mortals in peace. And most importantly—to create a future where one wasn’t labeled Seelie or UnSeelie, but simply as fey.”

“
But what is he?” Dain asked. “Seelie or UnSeelie?”

“
Fial is a Winterbourne,” Larkin said, “which makes him UnSeelie by birth but the Winterbournes left the UnSeelie Court long ago and created their own autonomous political world. Because of that, their name is rarely spoken here anymore.”

“
Did they leave because they wanted to be Seelie?” Tiki asked.

“
Not exactly. They wanted the right to live and act as they pleased—whether it be in the light or the dark; the Plain of Sunlight or the Plain of Starlight—the Night Garden, the Wychwood Forest or the hills of Tara.” Larkin’s lips twisted in a sad smile. “Fial’s troubles started when he fell in love with a Seelie girl named Breanna. Her father was an underlord of one of the fifths of Connacht.”

Dain
interrupted. “What’s an underlord?”

“
A sort of royalty back in the day—in ancient Ireland there were five kingdoms called fifths that were ruled by underlords. They, in turn, were ruled by the Seelie king. Breanna’s Seelie heritage and the fact that her father was among the politically elite, made their relationship impossible on many levels. But they were in love and headstrong. They believed they were invincible, so they disobeyed their parents and ran away and married. It wasn’t long before Breanna was pregnant—” Larkin lifted her long, elegant fingers toward Dain and Rieker— “with the two of you.”

Tiki glanced at Rieker’s face.
His eyes were hooded, shielding his thoughts; his expression cold and unreachable—reminding her of when they had first met, when she’d considered him dangerous.

Larkin
smoothed her gown over her knees and continued. “Fial and Breanna did have enough sense to know that children of mixed parents would not be accepted in any part of fey society—so they moved often and hid the truth. Eventually they landed in London. Fial had already begun to use the glamour of Kieran.  He knew his family was looking for him—particularly his brother—so he made a pact with Finn and Eridanus—if they helped keep the two of you alive, Fial told them he would commit his life to the promise of rejoining the courts. That’s why Eridanus sent you to London, William, to live with a mortal family who owed him a favor—” her gaze shifted to Dain— “and why you, Dain, stayed in the Otherworld. They had to keep you apart. They couldn’t take the chance that someone might uncover the truth of your heritage.”

Dain
squirmed. “So what happened?”

“
Shortly after the two of you were sent away, Fial and Breanna were found by Fial’s family. Breanna was murdered. They came for Fial next. They carved a  letter T—for traitor—across his back, beat him until they believed he was dead, then tied him to a rock and threw him in the river to drown—just to be sure.” Larkin’s voice became fierce. “But Fial survived.”

“
You’re serious?” Dain glanced over at his brother, but Rieker remained expressionless. “How could anyone survive that?”

Larkin’s nostrils flared with emotion.
“His will was stronger than that of his attackers. But the UnSeelies are a brutal lot and unrelenting.  To survive, Fial knew he had to stay dead.”