Page 25 of Till Kingdom Come

The creature I’d seen in the looking glass had nothing to be ashamed about. Not only was his hair long and lustrous and golden, but it was curling up on the ends, too, like it just wanted a reason to show off. It had lighter streaks of white throughout it, and that person’s face was exquisite and finely boned, with full lips and huge, glowing, gold-green eyes. His eyelashes were thick and long and dark. A legacy from my so-called real father? I moaned and put my face in my hands. I looked nothing likeme—the person I’d always thought was me, that is. It was like my whole life had been a lie.

“Why are you so upset?” Bracca asked. “Most people would give anything to be so beautiful.”

“No, that-that creature in the mirror is a lie! He’s not human looking. Not at all.”

“Because you’re not fully human, Killian. You may not be human at all, depending on who your mother really was.”

I turned to him with tears standing in my eyes, and I dashed them away. “Who am I then? Who was myrealfather and mother?”

“Your father was more than likely King Brendan, of the Dokkalfar Elves, and we don’t know about your mother. Your father kept her locked away in his citadel. We won’t know for sure until we take you to the Dokkalfar capitol city of Daeneid and see how it reacts to you.”

“How what reacts to me? What are you talking about?”

“The capitol city, the seat of power of the dark Elves, has been slowly deteriorating since King Brendan died six years ago. They have a tradition called “true-blood” that decides their kings. When a new king is crowned, they spill a few drops of his blood on the throne, and if it responds to that blood, then he’s their true king. Don’t ask me how it does that, because I’ve never seen the ceremony, and they don’t talk about it. But the king who’s reigning now is a nephew by marriage to the old king. His blood didn’t provide the required response, but he was crowned anyway, because they had no one else even remotely related to their former king.”

“This is too much to take in,” I said, as my head was beginning to spin and ache.

“Have you heard the name King Brendan before?”

I shook my head miserably.

“Your mother escaped him when you were only a babe, and he was killed in battle some six years ago, during a skirmish in the mountains.”

I still found it all impossible to believe. “I don’t understand. You’re saying my whole life has been nothing but a lie.”

“I know it must be hard to fathom,” he said and rubbed my back, soothing me a little. “But what I’m telling you is the truth.”

“When you made love to me and told me I was beautiful, you were talking about him.”

“Him? You mean you. It’s always been you, Killian. You were just in a kind of disguise. Think of it that way, if it helps.”

“You know what I mean. You understand what I’m really asking. Why did you make love to me when you said you weren’tin lovewith me? Please answer the question. Maybe it seems silly to you to concentrate on just that part of this mess when my whole world has just blown up in my face, but it’s that or go mad. Why did you bring me here? What do you fucking want from me?”

“I kissed you the first time I saw you at that bridge in Maling. I know you remember that too. You looked fully human then, and the glamour was still on you. It was before you came to the Liminal and before your face began to change.”

“I suppose that’s true. But are you saying you were attracted to that version of me then?”

“It’s all you, Killian.”

I shook my head. “No. You said I’m half Elf and half something else. I think you’re lying to me, and you’ve magicked this all up somehow. I’m not some kind of Fae creature. I don’t believe that. I’m no Dark Elf.”

“Denying it doesn’t change anything.”

I turned with a muttered oath and began pacing up and down the room. I was furious and needed someone to hurl some of that fury at.

“None of this explains why you want me.”

“Killian, I know you’re young, but surely you know that people make love all the time, and it doesn’t have tomeananything.”

I knew he was right. I wasn’t stupid, but I still didn’t like that it was true.

“Why did you come for me? What do you have planned and why am I really here? I know the Dark Elves are the enemies of Fairies like you. Or if not exactly enemies, there’s no love lost between you anyway. So what do you hope to gain by bringing me here and concocting this crazy story?”

I saw the surprise on his handsome face and couldn’t wait to hear what he had to say. Was he going to tell me more lies, or was he finally going to tell me the truth?

****

Bracca

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