Ash is powerful enough that I thought about writing to you when she became fey.
At the least I wanted you to have the letters I wrote before I knew what you were. I decided that if you came to the house where I was conceived, I would tell you. Mother said you left the house boarded up because you could not bear to be there without her. Every so often, I would check to see if it stood empty. One of my granddaughter’s faeries has been watching it for me—the whims of an old lady--so if you ever read this, I believe you’ve proven that Mother was right, that you loved her. If so, some day, if you would like, I would welcome the chance to meet you.
I have questions about my longevity that sooner or later I’ll need to address with Ash. I was old (despite appearance and strength) when my own daughter was born, and I seem to age no further despite the passing of years. I’ve learned to appear to age, but often I simply moved. Now, though, I’d rather not leave Ash. Perhaps it is time for meeting.
your daughter,
Elena Foy
Irial handed the paper to Niall. “My daughter is alive.”
As Niall and Leslie read, Irial knew when they understood the import of what the letter contained.
“Of all the people in the world, why did it have to beher?” Niall muttered.
“So the women in Ash’s family were always the ones who would be the Summer Queen,” Leslie pronounced. “Grams, Ash’s mother, Ash.”
“And Thelma,” Niall added.
“Thelma had the Sight,” Irial said. “Shesawme, and she still chose me.”
The three stood in silence as the sheer enormity of the thing settled on them. He was blood family to the Summer Queen. Aislinn Foy, the Summer Queen, was Thelma’s great-granddaughter.Hisgreat-granddaughter. How in the name of all that he held sacred was he going to navigate that relationship? He couldn’t fathom her taking that well.
Her partner, at least, tolerated him. He and Seth weren’tfriendsprecisely, but they had a relatively congenial acquaintance.
Then Irial grinned. “Wait till the whelp realizes you’re his stepfather-in-law!”
“Not quite how that works,” Niall pointed out.
But Irial was, in his heart of hearts, the embodiment of Discord. He wasn’t going to do anything to hurt his daughter or great-granddaughter, of course, but his mind was already spinning on the possibilities of teasing Seth and on strengthening the alliance between Dark and Summer. It might not seem likediscordor chaos, but it strengthened some court alliances, which necessarily weakened others.
“Shall we go out on the town to celebrate parenthood?” Irial draped an arm around both of his beloveds. The issue of Leslie’s mortality still lingered as a fear, but that was a trouble for tomorrow.
“Stepdad. Stepmom. We have so many years to make up for with Elena,” Irial said.
“I’mnother stepmom. She’s Ash’sgrandmother,”Leslie objected.
“I think I should start with a house,” Irial mused. “This house. And a pony. Kids like ponies.” He frowned. “Kelpie or steed?”
Niall and Leslie exchanged a look of horror that Irial pretended not to see.
“Think of it as preparation for our little ones,” Niall said.
Irial stopped. Leslie froze, but Niall could taste her hope, her joy at such thoughts.
“Come now,” Niall said mildly. “Leslie said she wants children. Once she’s finished with school and moves in—”
“She’s moving in?” Irial said with raw hope. He stared at Leslie as if he’d just been granted a gift. “There will bechildren.”
“Eventually,” Leslie murmured.
“Oh, when Ani and Tish were tiny, I bought them this little toy shoppe in Philadelphia.”
“No,” Leslie said firmly. Her flood of amusement surged toward Niall, and undoubtedly to Irial, too, through their ink connection. Leslie folded her arms and announced, “Our children will not get their own stores.”
“So just one store,” Irial said. “We could do that.”
“Not what—"