Hedera looked up at Ash, and my stomach sank. What did she know that was going to hurt him?

Mark glanced around the group before asking, "OK, how would you know anything? No offense, but you didn't really seem to be in the loop with the Queen. She treats you like a servant from what I saw."

"You're right; she only wanted my gift. I don't think she really even thought of me as a person before I tied her up." Hedera got quiet and looked so sad. I couldn't believe she'd spent her whole life that way.

Tate gave her folded hands a little tap to get her attention, "How do you know things then, Hedera?"

She took a deep breath, "Queen Crystal wanted me around in case she needed me. I'm supposed to be there in the background, waiting. So that's what I did. Everyone was used to me being there, so no one paid me any attention; they would talk as if they were alone."

Ash nodded his head, "OK, tell us what you know."

She looked at him and teared up again, "She never said it clearly, but the years she spent away from the Seelie court when Queen Ember was still alive, I think she spent that time with the Unseelie."

No one said anything, and she went on, "Letters are delivered to her sometimes, I've never gotten to read one, but I think they may be from the Unseelie King."

"Their King? How could you guess that?" Tate didn't sound like he didn't believe her, more like he was trying to follow along.

"The letters have his seal, and they're important to her. I think she's been working with him since her return when Queen Ember died. Queen Crystal's done some horrible things."

Mark nodded, "It sounds like we need to know about it."

She continued to twist her hands together. I had a horrible feeling, and judging from the look on Ash's face, he did too.

After clearing her throat, her words came out in a rush, "Everything she does limits us, and with the seer backing her up, no one can even think about defying her without being caught. She restricts our passing between worlds supposedly for our protection, but I don't believe that.

"I think she wants everyone to be afraid of humans, or she wants us to hate them. Either way, she wants us to be trapped in our world with no choice but to follow her laws. I think she's had it planned from the beginning."

She stopped and squeezed her hands so tightly together that her knuckles turned white. When she spoke, she sounded like she was holding back tears, "I don't believe Queen Ember's death was an accident. I think Crystal came back to the Seelie court to be ready to take the throne before anyone else. She knew Ember was about to die."

I didn't think it was out of the question for Crystal to have her own sister killed. She didn't seem to understand the loyalty of family. Maybe that was because she didn't feel any loyalty toward her own.

"Wait. What do you mean, ready to take the throne before anyone else? She wasn't the next in line?" Mark looked at Tate.

He shook his head, "Our system doesn't work the way they do here. We don't vote for anyone, and our leader isn't necessarily a direct descendant of the one before them. Our leaders are chosen based on what's in their hearts. They have to want what's best for our people and be strong enough to provide it and keep us safe."

"Who the hell thought Crystal would be a good Queen?" That may have come out louder than I intended, but that was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard.

Ash answered me, "The same one who chose Queen Ember, the Seer."

"He did a good job with her. Ember was a good and fair Queen. Her reign was peaceful and happy," Tate sounded like he was trying to figure out how the seer messed up so badly this time.

Ash was excited, "What if we were right about her gifts? Maybe she'd already used her gift on him to be sure he would choose her."

Tate nodded, but Hedera spoke before he could say anything, "I think Crystal somehow used his wife against him. Threatened her in some way."

"How?" Tate was on the edge of his seat.

"Soon after Crystal returned to court, she convinced the Seer to take a room in the castle. He and his wife had always been happy in their little place outside the castle's walls, but she talked him into it. Right after that, Ember was killed. Now, his wife never leaves their room. I think the Queen's magic holds her there."

Tate looked at Ash, and he nodded, "She's telling the truth."

Tate sighed, "OK. So when Crystal was gone, she was with the Unseelie, maybe even their King. She came home to trick the Seer into a position where she could control him; then she had Ember killed here in the human world.

"She was crowned Queen and started changing everything making us more like the Unseelie a little at a time. So what we heard was right; Crystal does want to join the two kingdoms."

"Why? If she wants to be Queen, she has that. Why join the kingdoms?" I wasn't following, but apparently, Mark was.

"If this all started with the time she spent with the Unseelie, and you think she may have been with their King, maybe this is what he wants."

Tate stared at Mark, and Ash stepped away from the table. I think the emotions might have been running too high for him to think.

Shaking his head, Tate said, "If she wants to join the Unseelie King, she'll have to leave her castle. Most of her power comes from the Seer's support. If he wasn't helping her keep everyone in line, the fae could revolt. She'll have to stay close to the castle and his wife if she's using her to control him."

"Or she needs a replacement for the Seer. She needs me for that." Ash was leaning on the wall, looking down. "How could she know I would follow her this far, let alone expect me to follow her to the Unseelie court?"

Hedera started crying again, and Ash looked at her like she'd punched him in the stomach. "No," he shook his head and backed all the way to the far wall. His eyes filled with tears, and I rushed over to him.

"What's wrong?" He didn't answer me; he continued to stare at the floor like he was in pain. I looked at Hedera, "Tell us what you know."

"I'm so sorry, Ash, your parents were too good for her. They would never have followed her and had they lived; she wouldn't have been able to trick your loyalty from you." She sniffed, and her voice came out in a whisper, "She had them killed so she could take over as your guardian."

"Because of my gifts," his voice was barely a sound, and the pain in it broke my heart. I wrapped my arms around his shaking shoulders.

"This isn't your fault; it's Crystal's fault. You were a kid; you didn't do anything wrong." He looked at me, but he wasn't listening. He was too distraught to focus.

"She's right, it's not your fault. We can only blame Crystal and whoever she had kill them." Tate turned to Hedera, "Who was it?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, "It was Dahlia. She does most of the Queen's dirty work for her."

I felt like I could throw up. How could she face him, live with him even, knowing she killed his parents?

"I should have killed her when I had the chance. I won't make that mistake again." Tate was pissed. He stood to leave, but Mark put his hand on his arm and shook his head.

"Wait, we need to think this through, make a plan. You can't just run back to kill Dahlia; it's not like she'd be alone."

"I don't need her to be alone."

Mark stood, "Fine. You go, I go."

Tate shook his head, but before he could say anything, Ash said, "Mark's right. We can't just run back for revenge. There's too much at stake. This isn't just about me. Think about what they're doing to our people."

Thankfully, after a second, Tate sat down, pulling Mark down with him. Neither of them looked happy, but at least they weren't running off angry, without a plan. Ash slid to the floor and pulled me with him; I ended up sitting on his lap. I rested my head on his shoulder, and he relaxed against me.

Everyone was quietly thinking to themselves when Mark said, "We have the rest of the day before Emily, or Bea get back. Why don't we take a break? We can get cleaned up and eat something before we make any plans or decide what to tell anyone."

He was watching Ash, and I knew he was trying to give us a minute alone. I nodded, "Sounds good to me. Why don't you get one of them started in the shower down here and one of you upstairs? I'll make some sandwiches."

Everyone made sounds of agreement as Tate and Hedera got up to follow Mark to the showers. When they were gone, I asked Ash, "Are you alright?"

"Not really."

He had his head rested on the top of mine, so I had to pull back to look at his face. "Ash, you know none of this is your fault, right?"

"I didn't do it, but my parent's death is still my fault. If I didn't have these gifts, Crystal would have had no interest in me."

I nodded, "So you do think it's my fault that Mark almost died."

"Of course not."

"If I hadn't loved you, you would have left me alone, and the Queen would have had no use for me. Mark and I would never have known about faeries."

"I see what you're doing, but it's not the same."

"You're right. I was interested in you, and I chose to act on it. You were born with your gifts and had zero control over that."

He didn't move or look up at me; I wasn't sure he was listening. Then he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close, "Thank you, Jolie. I know in my head you're right, but I think it might take my heart some time to catch up." He sighed and kissed my cheek.

"I'm so sorry. For Dahlia to live with you and be around you knowing what she did, it makes me sick. Whatever we decide to do, we need to make sure that they both pay for what they've done."

He gave me a sad smile, "I love you, Jolie."

"I love you too. Come on; you can help me make a bunch of sandwiches for everyone before they get done with their showers."