Queen of Wands (The Tree of Ages Series Book 4) Page 25

  “Fine,” he snapped, then lowered his voice, “but you have to promise to keep it to yourself. And definitely don’t tell Iseult.”

  She nodded encouragingly, hoping Iseult did not choose that moment to return.

  “When one of the Dearg Due saw that I was near death,” he began, keeping his voice low, “she forced her blood down my throat. It healed my wound, and I have felt wonderful ever since.” He twisted his mouth in distaste. “Except when I remember the disgusting moment,” he added.

  “Hmm,” Finn replied, wondering at his story. Could it be that the Dearg Due’s blood had healed the wound before it could do any damage, or was it something else? Eywen had explained that the Faie could not be enthralled by the Dearg Due, so perhaps it was her blood that protected him from those particular effects.

  Still, she could not be sure.

  “I think we should ask Eywen,” she decided.

  His eyes widened. “You said you wouldn’t tell anyone!”

  She crinkled her nose, thinking he was being quite silly, but she had promised. “Fine, I won’t tell him. I’ll just casually ask him more about the Dearg Due. I fear even with my memories returned, I know very little of them. I won’t bring you up at all.”

  His shoulders slumped with a heavy sigh. “I suppose that’s acceptable. I would like to know more about the possible consequences, though I fear I’m probably a rare case, as a human magically infused with Dair blood.”

  She nodded, then turned at the sound of footsteps. Eywen and Iseult entered the room, both dripping wet.

  “The Pixies have returned,” Eywen explained. “I fear they bring ill tidings.”

  With a final worried look at Kai, Finn jumped to her feet and hurried toward them. Eywen offered her his wet arm, which she took after a moment’s hesitation. He led her back through the doorway, with Iseult close behind.

  She heard Kai curse and climb to his feet just as they left the chamber, too impatient to hear the news second-hand.

  Kai followed Iseult into the next chamber, then out into the central courtyard. A fine mist still drizzled from the sky, darkening it, though nightfall was still hours away.

  Ewyen still led the way with Finn on his arm, toward an alcove created by the outer wall, and what remained of stables.

  Underneath a jutting line of stone meant to support wooden beams huddled three Pixie women, one with red hair, one purple, and one blue.

  Finn and Eywen crouched before them, with Kai and Iseult hovering over their backs.

  “Greetings, Oak Queen,” buzzed the purple-haired Pixie. “My clan has returned from the Gray City. The city still stands, but is heavily guarded by men in brown uniforms. We overheard them calling themselves An Fiach, and mean to hunt the Faie.”

  Kai scowled at the mention of the group. So that’s where they ended up. He supposed it made sense after Migris had been destroyed. Sormyr was the largest of the great cities.

  The red-haired Pixie took a step forward, staying just shy of the lightly drizzling rain, though it was clear all three had been flying in it. “My clan returns from Garenoch,” she explained. “The burgh suffered an attack, but seems to have triumphed. The mages gather there, an entire army of them! They are led by a girl with curly blonde hair, often seen with a crimson haired sorceress at her side.”

  Finn gasped. “A crimson haired sorceress? What was her name?” she asked, then before they could answer, she blurted, “Was it Keiren?”

  Kai frowned. Keiren? The one who’d trapped Finn in the Gray Place? Why would Ealasaid be seen cavorting with her?

  “I do not know, my queen,” the Pixie answered. “I did not want to risk my clan in getting too close, as you bade us be cautious.”

  Finn’s head bowed in thought as the third Pixie stepped forward. “My clan scouted the woods to the southeast,” she chirped, and Finn lifted her head with interest. “Last night we spotted a clan of Dark Faie traveling this way. We do not know their intent, but imagine they will reach us not long after night falls.”

  “Not just the Dearg Due,” Eywen explained, having heard the report previously, “but Redcaps and Ratchets.”

  “Redcaps and Ratchets?” Kai questioned.

  “Goblins in the human tongue!” the Pixie chimed. “Nasty creatures, along with their feral dogs.”

  “Traveling with the Dearg Due?” Finn questioned, rising to her feet.

  “Aye!” chirped the Pixie.

  Feeling anxious, Kai moved his hand to check the nearest dagger at his belt, then realized he’d left it inside, forgotten due to Finn’s pestering. Though he had others on his person, he wouldn’t be forgetting a single one again. He’d never seen a Goblin before, but had heard horrifying folk tales. They were only about half the size of a man, but ruthless to the core.

  After a moment of seeming thought, Finn tossed her long, damp hair behind her shoulders and began to braid it. “We must prepare to face them,” she turned to look down at the three Pixies. “Inform the other Faie, and ask the Trow to root themselves near the gates to disguise the entrance. If the Dearg Due will only travel by night, we should have enough time to prepare before they reach us.”

  “I’ll find Anna,” Kai interrupted, worried about his friend.

  Finn turned to him, hesitated, then nodded. He knew she’d been considering his bite, and what it might mean to once again face the Dearg Due, but luckily she let it go and turned back to Iseult and Eywen.

  Kai turned and ran across the soggy ground of the courtyard. He’d leave the strategy talks to those more war-minded than himself. He was more worried about what he’d do when the Dearg Due inevitably made it over the fortress’ tall exterior walls. He would not attempt to run this time, nor would he allow them to take him captive again, even if it killed him.

  Anna watched Finn and the others in the courtyard, crouched on her perch atop the fortress roof. She’d noted the moment Eywen had noticed her, but for some reason, the Aos Sí had not given her away.

  She was grateful. She needed a break from the constant shining magic of the Faie. Especially Finn, now shining more brightly than the rest.

  The cool drizzle of rain was a welcome refreshment on her hot cheeks, heated from her arduous climb onto the roof.

  She shifted her weight to her left, her right leg tired from crouching. Her perch was flat enough to sit, but she wanted to be ready to dart out of sight should anyone notice her. She needed space, and she’d had none for a very long while.

  She watched as Kai trotted away from the others. She had been unable to hear anything that was said, but the situation had apparently grown quite dire, judging by everyone’s expressions. She’d have to corner Kai and have him recount the conversations . . . or perhaps Eywen.

  She wasn’t sure why she had grown to trust him, but she felt a certain kinship with the Aos Sí warrior, perhaps because he seemed to be the only one who understood her burden.

  He had not judged her for wanting to rid herself of her magic. In fact, she suspected he wanted to be rid of his own inherited burdens just as much as she did.

  She continued to watch as Finn nodded, then walked off with Iseult, leaving Eywen by himself.

  He glanced up at her, gave her a subtle salute, then strode toward the broken gates of the fortress.

  Once he’d ventured out of sight, she flicked back the hood of her cloak to reveal her tight braid, wetting her neck with errant droplets, then stood.

  She could feel the unease in the air. Every instinct she had told her to run and hide, but she’d accepted she was no longer that type of person.

  She had no idea when she started caring about what was right, but she was prepared to fight for it now.

  Perhaps her newfound magic had changed her more than she’d like to admit.

  “Prepare yourselves!” Keiren snapped. “This is sure to be one of the first battles of many, but the fates have not gone easy on you.”

  Maarav watched Keiren as she paced across the grassy courtyard, speaking to the gat
hered mages. She’d topped her black dress with a fur-trimmed black cloak far finer than anything Lady Sìoda owned. He glanced at Ealasaid beside him in her simple breeches and heavy winter tunic. She looked regretful about allowing Keiren to address the mages before the Aos Sí descended upon them.

  “The Aos Sí will be among the most formidable enemy you’ll ever face,” Keiren continued, raising her voice to address the entire crowd. Her crimson hair whipped about in the wind, slowly dampening from the light rain. “They are strong!” she shouted. “But you are stronger!”

  The mages muttered amongst themselves, but seemed bolstered by the speech.

  Maarav could have done without it, especially since he’d barely be a part of the fight, unless the Aos Sí breached the fortress. He and the other assassins were outmatched against the Faie Warriors. Their only chance was in the ranged attacks of the mages, along with the archers already stationed behind the parapets atop the surrounding wall.

  Maarav would have liked to join them, but he’d never been good with a bow. Plus, Keiren had instructed him to remain near Ealasaid to ensure she would not hesitate at a crucial moment. He was glad to accept the task, even if it came from Keiren.

  He would have accepted it from anyone.

  “To your stations!” Keiren shouted. Maarav watched as her gaze fell to Ealasaid. “Make your queen proud!”

  The mages cheered. They’d taken to the idea of Ealasaid as their new queen happily. She’d saved them from inevitable persecution, after all. She’d banded them together, making them strong. None of them need fear An Fiach now . . . unless Keiren betrayed them and switched sides.

  The thought weighed heavily on Maarav. If this was all a ruse, and she chose to protect the Aos Sí . . .

  He shook his head. There was no use dwelling on it now, and Ealasaid had already turned to enter the guard tower.

  He hurried to follow her up the stairs, admiring her silhouette in her new breeches. She’d finally admitted that fighting in a dress was less than wise, though she’d threatened to strike him with lightning when he’d stared at her new clothes.

  He was staring for all he was worth now. If this was going to be one of the last sights he saw, he’d remember every detail. Unfortunately, she soon reached the top of the stairs, and he was forced to emerge beside her.

  Several of the assassins already waited atop the guard tower along with Sìoda’s men, all armed with long bows capable of firing arrows across great distances.

  Maarav nodded to Rae, one of Slàine’s best archers, then made his way to the short stone parapet separating them from the rest of the burgh.

  More mages stood on the rooftops below, protecting the non-magic citizens of the burgh that had earlier been herded toward the estate. Those wise enough to think straight had retreated to the woods on the western side, hoping to avoid the battle altogether. If the burgh was lost, they would have to fend for themselves in the wilds, but it was better than being skewered by an Aos Sí sword.

  Drumbeats sounded in the distance, just as the Aos Sí army came into view, their strange armor glistening in the murky sunlight.

  A few townsfolk remaining on the outskirts of the burgh screamed and ran back toward the estate, while the mages below signaled to each other to be ready.

  The battle was about to begin.

  With a heavy sigh, Maarav took up a nearby bow. He’d never been adept at ranged combat, preferring techniques where his speed gave him more of an advantage, but he’d give it a try. He couldn’t just stand idly by while Ealasaid rained lightning down upon those who would dare oppose her.

  A prickle crept up his spine, and he turned to see Keiren slinking up behind them. With a smirk, she moved to Ealasaid’s other side, then moved her arms skyward, lifting the black furred edges of her cloak.

  Nothing perceptible to the human eye happened, but Maarav could sense a shift in the air. Suddenly the cool breeze no longer hit his face, and the light drizzle had abated. He peered upward to see the tiny rain drops pattering off an invisible barrier.

  Keiren was holding up to her end of the bargain, for now. Only time would tell if they would hold up to theirs.

  Ealasaid clenched her fists as the Aos Sí approached in the distance. She’d felt it the moment Keiren had raised her ward, and innately knew that it was a one way barrier. Nothing could come in, but their magic and arrows could go out.

  It almost wasn’t fair to the Aos Sí, but it also wasn’t fair that the unearthly warriors would attack a burgh full of humans, so she figured they were even.

  A hand alighted on her shoulder, and she turned to look up at Maarav. He held a bow in his free hand.

  “Promise me you’ll stay up here,” she blurted. “No running off into the battle.”

  He glanced at the approaching Aos Sí, marching in organized lines, then back to her. “My girl, do not fear. I am a coward at heart. Protecting you is the only thing that steels me for the coming battle.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. Though it was true she could never tell when he was joking, she didn’t think he was joking now.

  Her bravery renewed, she turned to watch the Aos Sí’s progress, then squinted her eyes as a chill wind hit her face, carrying with it tiny flecks of ice.

  “No,” Keiren muttered. “This cannot be right.”

  Ealasaid flicked her gaze to the tall sorceress, wondering what had gone wrong. Hopefully it wasn’t the ward.

  Keiren turned wide eyes down to her, showing an emotion she never thought to see in the fiery woman’s expression. Fear.

  “Is it the ward?” Ealasaid gasped. She glanced around at her mages. They were strong, but without the added protection, they might not be able to defeat the Aos Sí.

  She turned back to Keiren to see her shake her head.

  Another gust of icy wind hit the ward. The already murky sky grew dark, and snow began to fall.

  “I did not see this coming,” Keiren explained. “She must have blocked it from my sight. I was not aware it was a skill she possessed.”

  Ealasaid shifted impatiently, wishing Keiren would just spit it out. The Aos Sí were nearly within reach of the outer mages, their forms now appearing hazy in the snow.

  “What in the Horned One’s name are you going on about?” Maarav spat.

  Keiren visibly shivered, then sighed. “Prepare to meet Oighear the White. She has traveled here with her Aos Sí warriors. There will be no escape.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “Attack!” a mage on the building directly below the guard tower shouted.

  Dizzy with sudden panic, Ealasaid peered down to see it was Sage, unaware of the increased threat despite the snow collecting in his black hair. The mages atop the buildings around him let loose their magic.

  The first row of Aos Sí stopped marching and held up large silver shields at just the right moment, deflecting most of the attacks.

  Ealasaid jumped at the sound of thirty arrows being loosed at once. The volley of arrows rained down from the wall to her right, hitting even more of the Aos Sí than the magic had.

  She sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. Even those who were hit continued marching, entering the range of more mages.

  Chaos broke loose. Waves of fire and ice shot through the snow, hitting the Aos Sí and finally managing to down most of those in the lead. The earth erupted at their feet, and unnatural winds forced some to their knees.

  Ealasaid raised her arms to add her lightning to the fray just as the snow increased tenfold, nearly obscuring the battle from her sight.

  “She brings the snow!” Keiren shouted of the sudden maelstrom.

  Ealasaid realized with abrupt horror that the snow was now penetrating Keiren’s ward, unlike the rain earlier. It whipped tendrils of her hair loose from her braid, stinging her cheeks and nearly blinding her.

  “How is it getting through!” she shouted.

  The clang of metal rang out below, along with shouts and screams as the mages launched into full battle.

&n
bsp; Keiren partially lowered one arm to shield her face. “Her magic is greater than mine! I may still be able to keep out the Aos Sí’s arrows, but I cannot stand against her! You must face her!”

  Ealasaid felt as if her heart had suddenly turned to ice right along with their surroundings. Oighear was the Queen of the Faie, an ancient, seemingly immortal being. Ealasaid’s magic would stand no chance against such a force.

  “There must be another way!” Maarav shouted from her other side.

  Keiren shook her head, then turned her gaze down to Ealasaid, her vibrant blue eyes squinted against the snow. “You were born for this. The stars would not have chosen someone too weak to fight. You are stronger than you know.”

  Ealasaid wrapped her arms tightly around herself. They were surrounded in a cloud of white. The flecks of ice continued to sting her face, penetrating her body with cold. Despite her heavy tunic, she began to shiver.

  She turned to Maarav. “Send the mages down to help the others. If the snow stays this thick, we cannot hope to fight from here. Our arrows and magic might hit our own people.”

  He shook his head. “I vowed to stay by your side. I meant it!”

  “Look!” Keiren interrupted.

  Ealasaid followed her gaze outward. The snow had parted just enough to reveal a white-clad figure, riding atop a massive animal. The animal definitely wasn’t a horse. Its hair, covering its lupine body, matched the perfect white of the woman’s fur cloak. As Ealasaid watched through the snow, the creature lifted a muzzle the size of her chest and scented the air.

  She tore her gaze away from the terrifying creature to dart upward and meet the woman’s eyes. There was no mistaking it, even across the distance and through the flurries of snow, the woman was staring right at her. Slowly, a smile spread across her pale lips.

  Shouting startled Ealasaid, drawing her gaze. The Aos Sí, still mostly obscured by snow, had nearly reached the gates. They warred with assassins and mages alike. Many fell on both sides, but the white cloaked woman continued to advance. With the slight improvement in visibility, the mages atop the walls were able to throw their magic into the fray, but it would not be enough. The Aos Sí slowly advanced.