I felt instantly small. They had met before they called for me. They had been talking all morning.
Probably about me.
I looked at the Autumn Queen as she continued to eat the scone from earlier. She ate it happily as she made her way in the large patio.
A large pool was down the middle of the room with patio chairs and tables lined up on either side of it. There were flowers and trees everywhere with a small waterfall in the corner of the room that bubbled quietly. It was also warm, too warm to keep the jacket on and be comfortable despite what Oren had said about the outside patio.
We were the only ones there. In the corner of the room were the three remaining queens at a large table. The darkest skinned woman waved her hand with a smile. "Chelie, thank goodness. We were beginning to worry."
As soon as she spoke, my cat shot across the room to her and immediately began rubbing against her legs.
Her ebony skin was radiant and seemed to be emitting its own glow. She was in a white chiffon dress as well with a heavy gold necklace on her neck and light blue eyeshadow. She was stunning much in the same way as the Autumn Queen. Her nose was thin, her cheeks round with full golden lips. Judging from the winged eyeliner and hieroglyphs on her jewelry, she had to be the Summer Queen, Rai.
She laughed as she picked the cat up into her arms. "Hello, Mehnit."
One of the other women at the table picked up one of the pastries and began to smear jam from one of the small jars in front of her. She was dressed in white with large glass pendants dangling from her ears. She looked to be the youngest of the group with a small peaked nose and deep olive skin. Her brown hair seemed to be long and was picked up with multiple golden pins.
Sili, I guessed.
As I approached the table, she looked up and smiled. "So happy you could join us." There was no malice or anger in her voice. She sounded sincerely happy to see me.
The last queen stood from the table as I reached her and looked me over.
I knew who she was, I'd seen her once before as she distracted Robyn while Julian and I spoke at his party. There was no mistaking the blue-ish hair and her light-toned skin. Her blue eyes were striking, they seemed to burn through me as she watched me. She was young like the rest. Had she been human, I would have thought she was in her late twenties.
What struck me most odd about her was not her golden dress or the tattoos that adorned her neckline and arms. It was a delicate scar that ran from her hairline at the top of her head down her left eye then down her cheek, disappearing as it met the corner of her mouth.
Didn't faeries heal?
She had scars on her chest that peeked slightly over her shirt close to her collarbone. She had been in battle and looked like she had fought hard. I could sense sadness from her, could sense that she had to grow up fast during that time.
She didn't smile. "Are you reading my soul, Light Fae?"
I straightened my shoulders. "Yes. Though I mean no disrespect, sometimes I don't realize I'm doing it."
She smiled slightly. "Now that you're here, there is something I must ask."
Something slammed into the table beside us but neither of us looked away from each other.
The Autumn Queen groaned. "Can't this wait, Aira?"
She didn't flinch and didn't look away from my eyes. "Absolutely not. Emylin, Queen of the Underworld, when the time comes, will you stand against the Darkness? Will you fight the Dark Ones?"
