Flicker by Kaye Thornbrugh Read Free Book Online

November.”
    Filo gave a low whistle. “The Queen of the Summer Court ? Are you serious?”
    “I’m always serious.”
    “But Feronia ’s been managing affairs from Otherworld for a thousand years. She only leaves Court for the Changing of the Season.”
    “Not quite a thousand,” Rodney corrected him. “Only since the end of the last Great War. She’s been ruling for about five hundred years, give or take a few decades.”
    Filo ignored him. “But to move the Court? Tha t’s a lot of trouble for one ceremony.”
    “Not just one ceremony,” Rodney said. “It’s the ceremony—the changing of the guard, the passing of the torch. Do you understand? I’m running out of human expressions .”
    It hit Filo li ke a bolt of lightning. “She’s passing the crown? Why?”
    “Feronia was never meant to be Summer Queen,” Rodney said. “Not really. She wields all the power of a true queen, but she’s only a steward of the throne, just as her sister Cressida is . When Feronia took the crown at the end of the Great War, everyone knew that she would only keep it until Umbriel was old enough to claim it for himself, and that time has come. He’s finally of ruling age, though he’s still a bit on the young side , as far as Kings of the Daoine Sidhe go .”
    “Umbriel,” Filo mused . “ H e’s the Prince, which would make him—”
    “Feronia and Cressida ’s nephew,” Rodney finished. “Fintan and Bevin were his parents, and I’m certain you know about them.”
    “ Fintan was the last King of Su mmer, and Bevin was his consort, the Queen of Springtime.” In the Summer Court, control of the warm seasons was divided betw een the two monarchs. The two halves completed each other’s power. “Before Feronia and Cressida .”
    “That’s right. Feronia and Cressida took their places after their predecessors died in the Great War. They are Fintan’s younger sisters. ”
    “But if Feronia is handing the crown to Umbriel, then what’ll happen to Cressida ? She wasn’t meant to be a queen either. Who’s replacing her?”
    Rodney tilted his head thoughtfully. “I don’t think she’ll be replaced at all,” he said finally. “Unless, of course, Umbriel chooses a consort, in which case Cressida will step down and Umbriel’s consort will become the new Queen of Springtime.”
    Filo squinted at Rodney. “How do you know so much about the Summer Court?”
    Rodney smiled, admitting nothing. Filo sighed. They turned onto East Teric Avenue and walked down to Flicker. After he unlocked the door, Filo flipped the sign that hung in the window around from closed to open .
    Rodney followed him inside, frowning at the cluttered shop. “ Goodness. This place is a mess.”
    Filo said nothing, just stepped behind the counter. Bu t it was true . These days, with no other workers in the shop, he only had time for the bare minimum that kept him afloat.
    “You should close down for a day and clean,” Rodney said, wandering to the counter. “It wouldn’t hurt business too much. Besides, you could use a day or two away from customers.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “You’re overworking yourself, Filo. You look thin. Sick.”
    He wanted to tell Rodney to stop stating the obvious. He wanted to say that of course he was sick; he’d felt sick for a year , ever since he found himself alone at Flicker. But he wouldn’t have Rodney pitying him. He wouldn’t appear weak. He had enough problems already.
    “You should leave ,” Filo said, a bit too loudly. “I have a client coming in a few minutes.”
    Nodding, Rodney started for the door. Before he opened the door, he glanced back. “You don’t have to be like this, Filo.”
    “Like what?”
    “Stubborn. You ought to let somebody help you.”
    “I don’t need help.”
    Rodne y’s spotted cat tail twitched . The tail was a defect—nearly every faery had one, something to mark them as inhuman as they walked among mortals. Rodney usually hid his defect with glamour,