Through Time-Slamming by Claudy Conn Read Free Book Online Page A

she got right to the point, “Nuad, do you have their exact location?”
    “Indeed, my Queen, we do.” He turned to Breslyn and Danté and included them in his sweeping gaze. “Their fortress is heavily protected by wards, but they know nothing if they think that can keep out Seelie Fae.”
    “Yes, but when we surround them, it must be more than an act of bluster without merit. We must have the means to contain, capture and imprison,” the Queen said quietly.
    “Yes, another matter,” Nuad agreed. “And there is more,” he added grimly.
    “What more?”
    “It pains me to report that the Dark Princes have already sent their Unseelie castes into the nearby villages and allowed the abominations to feed.”
    Breslyn slammed his fist into the wall and cursed in ancient Danu. Danté took a step towards Nuad and said softly, “Women and children…?”
    “Not one left, only the bones remain.”
    The Queen closed her eyes .
    This hurt her in the depth of her being, the Daoine Fae that she was, for a Daoine is one with the Earth.
    It had been her sacred duty to keep the prison walls of the Dark Realm intact. Those walls had been compromised when the Seelie Fae had come to Ireland’s lovely shores. She instilled the Druids with magic. Her Druids had been loyal to her and to their duty for thousands of years. They recited the magical chants that had helped to maintain the prison wall in place and the Unseelie bound within to their Dark Realm.
    How had it all fallen apart? The Dark King would not accept the total destruction of his monsters. They were his creations, and even as evolved as he had become, she knew what his retaliation would be…
    She had for that reason allowed Pestale to live when the Dark King appeared and asked her for his return. He had promised to keep him contained and thought by making his First Prince drink from the Cauldron that all would be well. He had not foreseen what Hordly had managed to do. He had not bothered to watch over the Princes and keep up his part of their deal.
    She should have allowed Trevor to destroy Pestale when they had the chance. She should have taken that opportunity and faced the Dark King with it, perhaps he would have…but no, the consequences would have been dire.
    And now the price of that decision would have to be paid. Perhaps, Banzar was correct and her time for ruling was over?
    If only she had the original magic threads to keep those prison walls intact. If only Queen Bridget had left her the secret of the binding of the walls.
    With a sudden decision she regarded her Princes and they shifted, arriving just outside Morrigu’s castle walls.
    A moment later Pestale, and his brother Hordly stood before them.
    Pestale crossed his arms and asked, “Ah, have you come to beg?”
    ~*~
    Trevor with Jazz’s hand tucked into his own shifted to the Council Chambers, but it was empty.
    “What is this?” he said out loud with an accompanying frown. Then without another word he shifted them to the Queen’s private chamber and knocked before entering.
    No answer.
    “They are not within.”
    “Where then? And where is Frankie?”
    A joyous and welcome voice at her back screeched out her name, “Jazz…Jazz…”
    Jazz turned to find a twelve year old girl whose auburn hair bounced around her youthful, but lovely features diving at her. She was hugged with a fierceness that gladdened Jazz’s heart and she dropped a kiss on the top of Frankie’s head, “Hi, honey, how ya doing?” And then she looked her over and laughed. “Leather huh, they got you in leathers.”
    Frankie stood back with a proud smile and waved a hand over her dark blue leather jacket with a black insignia at her left shoulder. Beneath the jacket a white T showed, and her matching leather pants made Jazz’s brow go up.
    Frankie said “I match ye. I chose the colors of Lugh, for Trevor’s House.” She reached for Jazz once again, and held onto her like she would never let go. Finally the child put