Daughter of the Night

Aerrin’s P.O.V.

As soon as I was certain that Cross had left the room, I sheathed Wildfire and crossed over to the guards splayed across the floor. I patted them over lightly, checking for broken bones and internal damage. I winced lightly when I found the dart stuck in the female guard’s shoulder, remembering that she was the one that had originally tranquilized Cross. Vicious.

After assessing the fallen warriors, I determined that the damage was minimal. There were no injuries here that would take more than a few days to heal with a faerie’s regenerative powers. She may have been too furious to see straight, but that didn’t mean her accuracy had dropped. I couldn’t keep my admiration from growing.

Still, the fact that my appreciation for her skills was growing did nothing for her opinion about me. I winced as I thought of our argument, and her departure. I was pretty sure I had never been told ‘fuck you’ so emphatically before, ever. Ever. Thinking back to that was not a pleasant experience. But how could I convince her that I honestly hadn’t manipulated her beyond what I said? And even if I had wanted to use my persuasion to a greater extent, I wouldn’t have been able to. To convince her and everyone else that I had been a human, I could only access the barest minimum of my powers. But it wasn’t like I could just show her how weak the seal had made my Fae abilities.

I left the fallen guards and picked up a jog towards the infirmary wing of the palace, my mood dropping steadily.

Not only was I pissed at myself for being on such horrible terms with Cross, but Morhiannara was going to be pissed at me as well for letting escape her most important potential ally. And, of course, the Court would follow Morhiannara’s views on the subject so they’d be pissed at me too. And, obviously, Cross wanted to rip my head off.

I weaved my way through the elegant plant-filled corridors, eventually finding my way to the entrance of the hospital wing.

“Lemariastra?” I called into the infirmary.

After a few seconds, I heard a shuffling of papers inside the office to my right. A moment later, my old friend emerged. She had silver hair and pale grey eyes to match. Crows feet lined the corner of her eyes, as well as laugh lines. It was true that Lemariastra was on the Council of Elders, but that didn’t have to mean that she had to look like one. I think she preferred showing off her age in her physical form, though, because she always got more respect that way.

She wiped her hands on the sleeves of her white doctor’s overcoat before coming over and hugging me.

“It’s been too long, Aerrin,” she said. I could hear the smile in her voice. My mood lifted slightly.

“I know,” I sighed. “I would launch into a heartbreaking monologue about how much the past two years have sucked, but…”

“Someone’s bleeding?” She interceded wryly.

“You’ve got six unconscious guards suffering from an assortment of broken bones, fractures, contusions, and in one case a minor concussion.”

“Goodness,” Lemariastra frowned. “What’d they do, fall down the stairs?”

“Ran into a vampire, actually,” I grimaced. “They’re in the southeast sitting room, by the library.”

“The one with the peach trees in it?”

“The same.”

She whisked into the infirmary and began calling her assistants to order, telling them what items she would need readied and how many cots were to be prepared.

Lem turned back to me, an eyebrow raised. “How come you aren’t limping or whatnot?” she asked suspiciously. “This vampire you speak of was your prisoner, no?”

“Guest, actually,” I replied, attempting to salve my wounded pride. “And she buried Wildfire in eight inches of marble before taking out the guard.”

“Getting rusty, are we?” she smirked. “I’d love to hear what the Queen says about this.”

I groaned and rubbed my eyes. “I wouldn’t. In fact, if you need my assistance, I’d be delighted to lend it.”

“So you can put off reporting to your liege lord? I think not. And at any rate, if this vampire defeated even you with such ease, you might want to consider showing a bit more concern about it.”

“If there was true need to be concerned, I would be,” I responded with a shrug of my shoulders. “She only went after the guards because they attacked her first, although they did so because she attacked me.”

Lem arched her other eyebrow. “And why would she do that?”

I gestured vaguely. “Personal matters. That she left the guard mostly uninjured, though, shows that she is still considering an alliance. Our… conversation will not interfere with the bigger picture.”

“Good luck convincing the Queen of that,” Lemariastra said before pushing me out of the infirmary. “Thanks to your little ‘conversation’, I have business to attend to.”

With that, she turned her back and began barking orders to the nursing staff.

I put a hand on Wildfire’s hilt over my shoulder before turning and picking up my jog.

It took me nearly twenty of hunting through the palace before I finally located the Queen, who was holding a private conference with several of her advisors, two of whom were from the Council of Elders.

She turned to me expressionlessly, and I dropped to a knee and bowed my head. I could sense her displeasure and her smothered anxiety. Why was Cross not with me?

“My Queen,” I said humbly. With a wave of her hands she excused herself from the company of her advisors, who scurried away, whispering to one another and shooting glances at me.

“My Knight,” she replied. “Where is the vampire Cross, whom you were supposed to accompany?”

Right to the point. “Well…” I began, then halted. “Ah… You see…”

The corner of Morhiannara’s mouth tilted down. From her, that was like a shout of disapproval. “Clearly, she has left your company. You are to tell me when, why, and how.”

“My apologies, my Queen. She escaped forty minutes ago, and-“

“And it took you this long to report to me?” she asked sharply, her voice cracking like a whip. I was suddenly glad Lemariastra had turned down my offer of help.

“I had to report to the infirmary first, because six of your guards were injured in the escape, and-“

Her face darkened considerably.

“Nothing serious, I assure you, Majesty. The most serious injury was a concussion to the head, but the infirmary Head is taking care of it now.”

“Where were you during all this, Summer Knight?”

Making peach preservatives for my grandmother, I thought, but instead I said “I had exchanged a series of blows with her immediately before. She had buried Wildfire into the marble floor when the guards came in through the doorway and immediately attacked her. She was merely defending herself against them and was delivering only minor injuries. Once she had defeated them all she changed her form, went invisible or something, and left.”

The Queen’s lip curled, oh so slightly, and that was when I knew I was in deep trouble. “I must admit I doubt that it took you that long of a time to pull your sword out of the stone, Aerrinaekaiyan.”

“You are correct, my Queen.”

“Standing by while your fellow warriors are attacked falls nothing short of treason and is punishable by death,” the Queen warned. Her lip was still curled. This was not looking good.

“I assure you, my Queen, I am aware of that. However, I could not in good conscience attack her with violent intent, given the circumstances.”

“Summer Knight,” the Queen said, “I gave you your title because beyond your skills, you showed superior judgment and loyalty to your people, even when faced with decisions that could have furthered your personal gains. Since your appointment, you have done nothing but serve with honor and integrity. Yet your actions are treasonous. I will listen to your reasons, but understand that you cannot escape this without punishment.”

I bowed my head. I had thought as much. I had already told the Queen of my adventures the night I had returned to D.C., which was why she had ordered me to direct a vanguard to Cross’s location. She knew all about what I had been doing for the past two years, and how Cross had found me on the verge of death, my misadventure with wolfbane and my infiltration of the werewolf headquarters. She also knew how our friendship had blossomed, and how I felt about Cross. I had held nothing from her because, besides being my Queen and the holder of my pledge, I thought of her as a friend. On good days, at least. Heh heh.

“After your Majesty’s departure, I approached the vampire Cross to explain my actions. When she learned of my identity and the reasons for which I had approached her, she understandably felt betrayed and became angry. When she realized that I had been using some of my persuasion on her, she became furious. I told her honestly what I had done, and that my powers had minimal effect due to the seal, but she did not believe me.”

“And she tried to kill you?” the Queen asked.

I shifted on my knees, trying to find a comfortable position. “She thought I was manipulating her emotions again. She wanted to believe me, but was afraid to because she felt she couldn’t trust her own feelings, so she blamed it on my interference.”

“Were you interfering?”

“No, my Queen. I would not do that to her.”

“So you were explaining what happened to her and because she wanted to believe your words she tried to kill you?”

“… Yes, my Queen. In her defense, however, she had not fed for days because she did not wish to offend the Fae by hunting in our territory, so she was very hungry when she arrived here. I’m assuming her desire for blood has been increased because of her torture at the hands of the werewolves.”

My voice hardened at the last part. “She can suppress her urge to feed, but it tries her patience and her emotional fortitude. She was close to snapping before our discussion.”

“But she tried to kill you, my Knight?” the Queen repeated.

I swallowed. “Out of a personal grudge, my Queen, that had nothing to do with your offer of an alliance, but yes.”

“An attack on the Summer Knight for any reason besides an honor duel is an attack on the Fae. You know that.”

“I do, my Queen, but she didn’t. She left your guards practically unscathed, out of respect for your offer of alliance. And after I defended from her initial assailment, she did not resume the attack, even though I was at a clear disadvantage.”

“Because she was dealing with the guards who were trying to subdue her,” the Queen pointed out.

“There was a long moment when she did nothing except look at me, trying to gauge her own emotions. She was at the very least waiting for me to free Wildfire from the ground. Even if I had done that before the guard entered, I do not think she would have pressed the offensive.”

“And why,” the Queen asked, her voice hardening, “did you do nothing to aid your fellow warriors when they found themselves under attack from an outside enemy?”

“They attacked her in the middle of a personal duel between her and me, and their interference put her at a disadvantage. It would have been dishonorable for me to attack her under those conditions, especially since she had provided me with time to ready myself when I would have been at a major disadvantage with Wildfire trapped in marble. Essentially, I owed her. If she was dealing the guards more than minor injuries, I swear I would have interceded with their well being in mind. But she did not, so I did not.”

The Queen studied me with her unreadable amber-brown eyes. I could sense the weight of her displeasure, and her anger, but she could feel just as clearly my sincerity and my belief that my actions were correct. I hid from her my anxiety over my sentence. It did no good to show weakness among the Fae, especially when one was the Summer Knight.

After nearly half a minute of silent regard, the Queen sighed. “Aerrinaekaiyan, you have ensnared yourself in your own sense of conduct. Your loyalty to your friend has jeopardized your loyalty to the crown.”

I bit my tongue to keep from retorting and bowed my head in submission. As much as I wanted to deny it, I could not. Morhiannara was the most fair, and the most cruel, Queen of the Fae in thousands of years.

“Yet what you have described to me holds qualities similar to those of an honor duel. And, as Summer Knight, you above all others are expected to uphold the customs of tradition and the honor of the Fae. You are my enforcer of justice and the law. If you saw no reason to interfere, under the code of the Fae, I will trust your judgment.”

My hopes lifted. Still, I could feet a ‘but’ coming, so I kept my head down.

“Nevertheless, your actions are treason in the eyes of the Court and those who don’t have your story firsthand. They are punishable by death. To satiate those who will want to see you executed for your misconduct, I now revoke your title as Summer Knight of the Realm of the Fae.”

My heart stopped beating. I felt myself going numb and I could not stop my dismay and grief from reaching the Queen before I wrestled it under control. The title had been part of who I was for nearly two centuries, and my path to claiming it had been full of struggles, perils, and triumphs.

Slowly, with hands that refused to stop shaking, I unbuckled my sheath for Wildfire and gently lifted the sword from my back. Wildfire was my most trustworthy and stolid ally in more grim situations than I cared to count. Still, the katana was only bestowed upon the Summer Knight. As I no longer held that title, Wildfire was to be returned to the Queen, as it was her property.

I set Wildfire at her feet.

The Queen watched me with unchanging eyes, and I wondered what she was thinking. Then I wondered who would replace me as Summer Knight, and I knew the first option was Siamarkachek, whom I happened to loathe. Then I wondered what I would fight with now that Wildfire was no longer in my possession. A wave of grief hit me, and I wondered what I would do with myself now that I would no longer be carrying out the Queen’s most dangerous missions. Join the guard, I supposed. Stick a tranquilizer in all the poor saps that earned a conference with the Summer Court because of one stupid decision.

“Aerrinaekaiyan, son of Zabraenae, the position of Summer Knight has suddenly become vacant, and I have recognized that you carry all the proper qualifications for the job. Seeing as you are the best candidate and have proved your loyalties to the Fae etcetera, I nominate you for the post. Do you accept my nomination?”

“Yes, my Queen,” I said, briefly confused but then growing hopeful. I kept my hopes hidden from the Queen, though.

“Excellent,” she said brusquely. “However, you will have to earn the title. I will require of you three things.”

If she asked me to cut off my balls and send them to Dracula as Christmas presents, I would do it right there.

“First, I will expect from you an apology and explanation to the guards whom you failed to protect.”

It was already done in my mind.

“Second, you will subject yourself to a public whipping to repent for your treason. Fifteen lashes.”

Corporal punishment to satisfy the more bloodthirsty among those of my enemies. Nothing I hadn’t seen before. Check.

“Third, you are to successfully carry out a mission I had been saving for the previous Summer Knight in order to gain the title.”

“May I ask what this mission entails, my Queen?”

Queen Morhiannara looked down her nose at me, her expression as unreadable as ever. “A vampire hermit of sorts has been located in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania, just northwest of a place called Uniontown, in a shut-down factory. When our faerie security force located him, he claimed neutrality. He promised us information in return for guaranteed safety.”

“I am to press him for information concerning Dracula’s movements, my Queen?”

“His movements, his allies, his exact location, his most powerful subordinates. The danger in this mission, Aerrinaekaiyan, is a possibility of ambush.”

“By whom?”

“Potentially vampires from the Court of Dracula. This hermit’s trustworthiness has yet to be established.”

“Understood, Majesty. When shall I leave?”

“The first two requirements must be met before you go. The Fae did not set a specific meeting time with this hermit, for our own safety, but there is a possibility that he will sense you coming.”

“Understood. When am I to report to the guard post for my whipping?”

She eyed me coolly. “I shall make an appointment for you tomorrow at noon. Afterwards, you are to leave for Pennsylvania as soon as you feel capable, and no sooner.”

I bowed my head again. My neck was beginning to hurt.

“Is that all, my Queen?”

“Before you leave, report back to me. You have no adequate weapon for this mission, so I will provide you with this one.”

I looked up to see Wildfire resting in the hands of the Summer Queen. While she looked to be a dainty thing, I knew that she was more than capable of using the katana.

My heart lifted.

“Thank you, my Queen.”

Her lips tightened. “It is not yours yet, Aerrinaekaiyan.”

“Yes, my Queen. If that is all, my Queen…”

She nodded and I turned to leave. I had almost reached the door when the Queen stopped me.

“Aerrin.”

I turned, surprised that she had called me so informally during such a serious conversation.

“If you do not survive this mission,” she said softly, “I will see to it that you are mourned as a Summer Knight.”

My heart soared. “Thank you, my Queen.” I left the room.