Page 62 of Highland Queen

“Gloves, of course.”

I chuckled. “I see that. But from whom?”

“The Unseelie Queen.”

I looked from Sid to the gloves to Sid again. “What?” While the Seelies were known to be benevolent, the Unseelies were another matter. The Unseelies, at least what I knew of them, disliked humans and often caused harm. While all the fey stayed away from humans, the Unseelies found mankind particularly repugnant.

“That’s why I’m late,” Sid said. “The Unseelie Queen came to the Seelie court to bring me these to give to you. Everyone was in a titter. Then the Seelies were vexed because they had no gift for you. I told them they needed none, but everyone was upset. And no one understood the gift, not even me, until I saw.”

“Saw what?”

“Those rosy fingers of yours. Can’t get the blood off?”

“You see it? You see it too?”

“Oh, yes. I’m just glad it stayed on your hands and didn’t get all over my bed. Gruesome. You must have had quite the time with your cousin to leave such a mark.”

“What is this mark, Sid? Why are these stains there?”

“It’s a curse. You’ve stained your very soul. Don’t you see? Such a pity. You always had such lovely hands. But try these on. They’re made with cloth found only in the land of the fair ones.”

A curse.

I had stained my soul.

I lifted the gloves. They were made of soft black fabric that felt like silk but was sturdier. The hems were trimmed with silver embroidery. There was a pattern in the material itself. It appeared and disappeared as I moved the fabric.

“Are they bespelled?”

“That’s what I asked. They are. But the Seelie Queen looked them over and promised they’d bring you no harm. My guess is that the spell quiets the bloody marks.”

I slid the gloves on, waiting for the red spots to soak through. But they didn’t. My hands stayed covered and clean.

“Did the Unseelie Queen say why she sent these?”

“No. And I didn’t have the nerve to ask her.”

“No matter what gloves I put on, the spots remained. The blood always soaked through,” I told Sid.

“Not now,” Sid said, taking my hand.

“Not now. Why would such a creature send something to me?”

“One day you will take your place among the Wyrds. Perhaps she hopes you will remember her kindness then.”

I sighed. “We shall see.”

“Right. But we shall see later. Now, you need to go.”

“Go? Go where?”

“Back to Madelaine.”

“But I just got here. And you just got here.”

“I know, but Nadia says you need to go now. Madelaine needs you.”

“Sid! I haven’t seen you in years.”

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