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flashed, and not with joy.
    “Bellenos, the elf,” he said.
    “Yes.”
    His head turned sharply, and I knew he’d heard something I hadn’t.
    We’d been too involved in our conversation to hear a car on the driveway, apparently; but Niall had heard the key in the lock.
    “Cousin, did you enjoy the show?” Claude called from the kitchen, and I had time to think, Another OSM , before Claude and Dermot walked into the living room.
    There was a frozen silence. The three fairies were looking back and forth like gunfighters at the OK Corral. Each one waited for the other to make some decisive gesture that would determine whether they fought or talked.
    “My house, my rules,” I said, and shot up from the couch like someone had lit my ass on fire. “No brawling! Not! Any!”
    There was another beat of the tense silence, and then Claude said, “Of course not, Sookie. Prince Niall—Grandfather—I had feared I’d never see you again.”
    “Claude,” Niall said, nodding at his grandson.
    “Hello, Father,” said Dermot very quietly.
    Niall didn’t look at his child.
    Awkward.

Chapter 2
    Fairies. Never simple. My grandmother Adele would definitely have agreed. She’d had a long affair with Dermot’s fraternal twin, Fintan, and my aunt Linda and my father, Corbett, (both dead for years now) had been the results.
    “Maybe it’s time for some plain speaking,” I said, trying to look confident. “Niall, maybe you could tell us why you’re pretending Dermot isn’t standing right here. And why you put that crazy spell on him.” Dr. Phil to the fae—that was me.
    Or not. Niall gave me his most lordly look.
    “This one defied me,” he said, tilting his head at his son.
    Dermot bowed his head. I didn’t know if he was keeping his eyes down so he wouldn’t provoke Niall or if he was concealing rage or if he just couldn’t think of where to begin.
    Being related to Niall, even at two removes, was not easy. I couldn’t imagine having a closer tie. If Niall’s beauty and power had been united with a coherent course of action and a nobleness of purpose, he would have been very like an angel.
    This conviction could not have popped into my head at a more inconvenient moment.
    “You’re looking at me strangely,” Niall said. “What’s wrong, dearest one?”
    “In the time he’s spent here,” I said, “my great-uncle has been kind, hardworking, and smart. The only thing that’s been wrong with Dermot is a bit of mental fragility, a direct result of being made crazy for years. So, why’d you do that? ‘He defied me’ isn’t really an answer.”
    “You haven’t got the right to question me,” Niall said, in his most royal voice. “I am the only living prince of Faery.”
    “I don’t know why that means I can’t ask you questions. I’m an American ,” I said, standing tall.
    The beautiful eyes examined me coldly. “I love you,” he said very unlovingly, “but you’re presuming too much.”
    “If you love me, or even if you just respect me a little, you need to answer my question. I love Dermot, too.”
    Claude was standing absolutely still, doing a great imitation of Switzerland. I knew he wasn’t going to chime in on my side or Dermot’s side or even Niall’s side. To Claude, the only side was his.
    “You allied yourself with the water fairies,” Niall said to Dermot.
    “After you cursed me,” Dermot protested, looking up at his father briefly.
    “You helped them kill Sookie’s father,” Niall said. “Your nephew.”
    “I did not,” Dermot said quietly. “And I’m not mistaken in this. Even Sookie believes this, and she lets me stay here.”
    “You weren’t in your right mind. I know you would never do that if you hadn’t been cursed,” I said.
    “You see her kindness, and yet you have none for me,” Dermot told Niall. “Why did you curse me? Why?” He was looking directly at his father, his distress written all over his face.
    “But I didn’t,” Niall said. He sounded