Aislinn

"Seth!!" Aislinn's outburst was not of contentment but of annoyance. Annoyance that he had intruded her private space and Court. He was not allowed to do such things. But something different was not expected since he was from the Dark Court.

"Hey, yourself, beautiful." In less than a heart beat, he was standing before her. He hugged her and Aislinn struggled against him. She slapped him across his left cheek. This only made his disturbing smile grow. Keenan stayed silent.

As she struggled, she had an odd flashback:

Keenan slammed the door to the study. His face looked cold and calculating; his eyes held tiny thunder storms. He was furious.

She looked up from the book she had been reading. "What's wrong?" Rumors had been circulating about Seth and the Winter Queen, Donia, had teamed-up and done some favors for Bananach. Which was weird—for Seth—because he hated Bananach.

He looked at her and some of his anger dimmed. "Seth and Donia." Sadness replaced his anger. "Donia and Seth are in love." He sighed and ran his hand through his newly cut blonde hair.

So it was all true? Aislinn was furious and sad at the same time. Seth and Donia? Donia and Seth? She was surprised. How dare he do this to me? I loved, no love him. . . Hot tears sprang to her eyes she thought about them together.

She put that thought away as she got off the settee she sat on and went to Keenan and embraced him. She pulled him to sit next to her. Than, they looked in each other's eyes and everything changed. . . . New and bittersweet.

She blinked trying to come back to the real word. She yelled at him. "I don't know what the hell you're doing here—or care—but I want you to get out!" It took every ounce of concentration not to let her voice shake. She really was scared to see him. Seth was a faery, only Mortal if he went back to Faery, but he was a different type. Evil. Not surprising when your aunt was War.

Aislinn stared at him feeling nothing at all. No more love, no more pain, no more hate. Absolutely nothing. Emotionless. Numb. Even after all the special moments they shared, she felt nothing. . . .

Seth

She stared at him with eyes of a hunter. It broke his heart to see that his Aislinn already made her choice. But he had chosen someone, too. Donia. Donia gave him everything that Aislinn could have never given him. Aislinn was bound to her King, Keenan, and Donia was bound to nobody except Winter. He wasn't about to let anyone see how it broke his heart into a million little pieces seeing Aislinn moving on. What hurt the most was that she didn't even seem upset of letting him go just like that. But that was beside the point. He needed to get information.

Aislinn

"What do you want, Seth?" She asked putting all her hate and annoyance into her tone. She put her face into her hands. Keenan automatically came to stand beside her and put an arm around her waist.

Seth stared stonily at the hand that rested on her. Than turned his stony glare to the faery that had that hand on her. "I think your King knows." He nodded towards Keenan.