Wayward

Disclaimer: Holly Black is mistress of Faery; I own nothing that pertains to the world she has created.

When I found out Valiant wasn't a sequel to Tithe, I was sort of let down. So poof went the plot bunny for me. This picks up a few months after the end of Tithe. There will be plenty of Kaye/Roiben fluff, but other faeries are also going to be making appearances. This is an ongoing, I've got the plot already laid out so…review if you'd like more.

o O o

"Whispering silk on flawless
cheek,
unruly, stubborn strand,
falls teasing, tripping,
charmingly,
provokes my helpless hand."

- Jesse Wilder, "Wayward Trees"

Time had taken on a meaningless aspect for Kaye. Yes, she had agreed to go to high school – something her grandmother would not budge on. But that was during the day. When she hid behind her glamour, when she pretended to care about the things they taught in school.

At night, Kaye's life was another story.

Ever since Roiben had become King of the Unseelie Court, Kaye had always seemed to have a knack for attracting attention. Not because of Roiben's secret visits to her in the night, but because of how many solitary fey knew that she was the reason they were able to have seven years of freedom.

Seven years. Three months had already gone by since then. The tricks on mortals had not stopped being played, though Roiben had made sure the fey kept their distance.

Kaye shed her glamour every night, as soon as she was sure no one but Corny would see. She'd only attempted to fly once, and that was at the Unseelie Court the night Roiben declared himself King. Corny had tried to get Kaye to fly again, but she refused every time.

"I would still kill to be a faery," Corny said wistfully one night. He and Kaye were sitting on the edge of the river, far enough away from the Thistlewitch so as not to disturb her.

Kaye rolled her eyes. "That joke's not so funny after what we went through just to stay alive," she pointed out.

Corny laughed. "True, true. And I'm just starting to get used to you being Kaye, the blonde Asian junior, by day, and Kaye, the green pixie who fooled an evil Court."

She shrugged off the compliment. "Yes, who fooled and pissed off the Court is more like it," she said, remembering the look of disgust in Silarial's eyes that night when she had killed Nephamael.

"Even if you did, it's made you famous," Corny said, a certain longing in his tone.

"And that's a good thing? Lutie hasen't talked to me since, and pranks are still being played on the mortal world," Kaye said exasperatedly.

"Well, it sort of is your fault," Corny grinned.

"Without a doubt." A voice from behind both of them made them jump. Kaye recognized the voice all to easily, and hoped that Corny's mouth wouldn't get him in to trouble.

Turning around, Kaye met green eyes, dimmed by her glamour. Her first reaction to Silarial was surprise. Why would the Queen of the Seelie Court venture out of the safety of her world and into Kaye's world of New Jersey?

Even with the glamour, Silarial had too much pride to hide some of her beauty. Her hair, now a dark brown, fell to her shoulders, her green eyes bright as ever, the same milky stone hung around her neck that Kaye knew all too well. Corny, fan as he was of the same sex, was drooling. He knew he was looking at the Seelie Queenv thatKaye had told him about.

"Silarial," Kaye whispered. Corny couldn't take his eyes off of the Queen.

"Leave us," Silarial commanded in a silky tone to Corny.

The gangly teenagerstumbled to his feet, and fled farther down the river, disappearing from sight. Kaye watched him leave, regretfully. Silarial was not a faery she wanted to be left alone with, especially with their past.

"Queen Silarial," Kaye did her best not to stare at the Seelie Queen's beauty, visible even beneath her glamour.

Silarial's gaze was assessing as she looked Kaye from head to toe as she continued to sit on the edge of the river, blonde and Asian, worn T-shirt, ripped jeans and all. Wind seemed to pick up around the riverbank, making the leaves of fall rustle in the night's silence.

"You are the pixie named Kaye, are you not?" The Seelie Queen asked in a short tone.

Was her glamour that effective? Couldn't be. She was just toying with her authority.

"Why does the Seelie Queen want to know?" Kaye asked defensively. Experience had taught her not to trust anyone in the Faery realm.

"The matter concerns all faeries. And since anyone in my Court refuses to venture into the mortal realms at this time, I am forced to relay a message that must get to the Unseelie Court before tomorrow." Her answer seemed planned, and it raised even more questions for Kaye.

"Don't your subjects obey you?" Kaye wondered if the Seelie Queen had lost power in her Court.

Silarial ignored her question and continued, her eyes narrowing. "Tell the King of the Unseelie Court that Wayward will be taking place in his Court this century," she directed.

Wayward? Kaye thought. What was that? Not another time where they would pick a mortal to become a human sacrifice, she hoped with a note of irony.

"Does Roiben refuse to speak to you?" Kaye asked, the smile forming itself untold to.

Siliarial's eyes glittered dangerously. "Make sure the Court is informed, or you can take my word for it, it will cost your friends' lives," the Seelie Queen warned.

Kaye recoiled. "Your word? What does that mean to me?" She demanded of the Seelie Queen, her gaze traveling down to Silarial's necklace.

"Push your luck and it will dry up," Silarial said, her voice a scarce whisper before she eased back into the darkness of the night, and back into the realm of Faery.

Kaye sat there for a moment, wondering why Silarial would even leave her Court and visit Kaye in the first place. Then her thoughts traveled to what she had said. Wayward will take place in the Unseelie Court this century. A centurial event?

"Is she gone?"

Kaye turned at the sound of Corny's voice.

"She's gone," Kaye answered, a laugh escaping her. The awe in Corny's voice had not left yet. Corny walked out from behind a thicket of trees and walked over to Kaye, sitting down beside her again.

" I don't know why she would give a rip about delivering some message that she could've just given to one of her lap dogs," Kaye added.

Corny grinned. "Wasn't she Roiben's–" He stopped, remembering what Kaye had said about Silarial, and Roiben, and their past. Corny looked to Kaye, expecting a thwap in the shoulder.

Kaye simply shrugged. "It's fine. Just have to tell Roiben next time I see him about this Wayward thing," she said, "Though why she came to me..."

Corny's gaze was beyond the river, and settled on the forest, and its darkness. "Maybe she wanted to see you," Corny offered.

Kaye scoffed. "Why? I gave her enough excuses to kill me, losing her the Unseelie Court reign and making her look like a fool while at it," Corny laughed at this, "but she didn't do anything," she mused aloud. Why had Silarial come to Kaye?

"I don't know…maybe 'cause you stole her lover? That'd piss me off enough." He tempted with another grin.

"I guess," Kaye sighed.