Queen of Wands (The Tree of Ages Series Book 4) Read online

  She sighed, then looked up to Iseult, hoping for some words of comfort or advice. Instead he nodded toward the distant, forested hills, then offered her his hand.

  Iseult released Finn’s hand as they began walking away from their temporary camp. He could hear the others begin to mutter questions, asking Anders where he’d been, and just how he’d come across the Travelers. It was information he’d like to know himself, but Bedelia could fill him in upon their return. It was odd given her traitorous start, but he’d grown to trust her more than the others.

  The last thing he heard was Sativola returning with a new log, and asking what he’d missed.

  Iseult turned his attention away from them. His boots hissed across the dead grass, while the smell of damp earth and decayed plant matter hit his nostrils. He was aware of everything around them, from the small animals scurrying through the underbrush, to the birds up in the trees. He sensed no Faie like the night before, aside from the otherworldly creature walking silently beside him.

  They walked on until their companions were out of sight, then stopped in an open copse, partially shaded by the barren trees, their bark black with winter’s cold.

  He turned to face Finn, taking in her sun-kissed, furrowed brow, and the nervous twisted pout of her mouth.

  “Tell me more about Niklas,” he said softly, drawing her gaze up to his. The dreary light made her eyes shine dark gray from their normal deep hazel.

  She frowned, crossing her cloak-wrapped arms as if cold. “There isn’t much to tell. I met him briefly at Maarav’s inn. He offered me partnership, then disappeared when Bedelia showed up. I had not heard from him since.”

  Iseult nodded. “Clearly he chose Anders because of his previous connection to you, but why wait so long to make contact? I wonder what might have distracted him.”

  Finn shrugged, turning her gaze to the ground. “You know as much as I.”

  He felt the sudden urge to do something he wouldn’t normally do. He was not the type to make physical contact unprovoked, unless he was running his sword through someone’s heart, but his body betrayed him. He lifted his hand to her cheek, bringing her gaze back up to his.

  Her lips parted in surprise as she stared up at him, wide-eyed.

  “I did not mean to frighten you,” he said, beginning to lower his hand.

  “No,” she blurted, reaching out to grab his hand before he could retract it. “You surprised me is all.”

  With her guidance, he lifted his hand back to her cheek, cradling her face. “I believe Anders will lead us into a trap,” he admitted, “but I will follow you anywhere you ask.”

  “Why?” she asked, her fingertips lingering on his hand so that he could not attempt to lower it once more.

  He felt his expression harden. He was not ready for that question. “It is my duty. My people gravely wronged you, and I must set things right.”

  Her expression fell. “Is that truly why? Do you not care for me at all?”

  He inhaled sharply, resisting the urge to pull away. Why was she suddenly asking these questions? Weren’t they supposed to be discussing Anders?

  At his lack of answer, she finally lowered her hands, then her gaze.

  With a heavy sigh, he lifted his other hand to her chin, gently forcing her gaze back up. His heart was thundering in his ears. He wasn’t sure what he was doing, but he didn’t want her to think he didn’t care, even though his words forced her in that direction.

  “I care,” he forced out. “I care very much. But I am a man without a soul, and you are an immortal queen. I could only ever bring you pain, when I have sworn to protect you. You must not focus your energies on me.”

  He had meant what he’d said to be kind, but her expression crumbled. Tears glistened in her eyes.

  “Finn—” he began, but she pulled away and shook her head.

  “We should return to the others,” she muttered. “We’ve been away long enough.”

  He could have fallen on his own sword in that moment. He’d never possessed a way with words, and had never before cared. Perhaps Anders, as an Archive Scholar, could actually be of use. Anders was well read enough that maybe he could teach him to stop saying such idiotic things.

  Finn turned away and marched dutifully back in the direction they’d come, making it clear the conversation was over.

  He followed her small frame back toward their companions, wracking his brain for something to say, but as usual, the proper words eluded him.

  When they returned to the camp, everyone was waiting on them, haven eaten and rested. Anders stood apart from the group, a silent, ghost-like shell of the optimistic man he’d once been.

  Iseult knew they should have left him there. They should have continued on with their initial plan, not allowing themselves to become entrapped in whatever web the Travelers were weaving. Yet, he kept silent as they remounted their horses. Anna shared Bedelia’s horse to supply a mount for Anders.

  No one seemed happy about the situation, but they would do it for Àed. Not out of any particular love for the old conjurer, Iseult suspected, but out of a knowing that if any of them were enthralled by dark magic, Finn would push everyone else to rescue them just the same.

  They rode on into the evening, mostly in silence. Iseult tried to comfort himself with the fact that if Anders betrayed them, he would simply kill the fool, and they all could move on.

  Finn didn’t meet his gaze as they rode on. Even as hours passed by, she never looked at him. Once they finally stopped to make camp, she stuck by Kai and Anna, eventually going to sleep without a word to spare for him.

  When it was time for first watch, he stalked off alone into the woods, feeling quite the fool indeed.

  Kai rolled his eyes in Anna’s direction as the pair sat by the fire, taking second watch duty for the night. It was the first opportunity they’d had to speak privately, one they eagerly seized.

  “Oh, it’s definitely a trap,” he whispered. “The last time we saw him, he was with An Fiach. How did he end up with one of the Ceàrdaman?”

  “And what of his sister?” Anna added, her dark eyes reflecting the flickering fire. “He still hasn’t even mentioned her, and we know for a fact she’s stuck in the Gray Place with her body slowly withering away in our world.”

  Kai glanced at the sleeping forms of their companions, hoping none were secretly awake listening to them. Anders, at least, had set up a bedroll apart from the group. Kai couldn’t blame him, it wasn’t like they’d been terribly welcoming of his presence.

  “This must have something to do with his sister,” he concluded. “When we last saw him, he was still searching for her. Perhaps the Travelers know where her body is, and even where her . . . not body is trapped.”

  Anna sighed. “If that is his motivation, he’s likely desperate. If he knows the state she’s in, he will do anything to save her. He’s a worthless coward, but from the time we spent with each of them, we know they have an inseparable bond. Most twins do.”

  One of the blanketed lumps began murmuring in its sleep. Kai listened for a moment, realizing it was Finn. Was she having another dream like they’d had the night before? Would he have one too once he went back to sleep?

  “I have something else I need to tell you,” he muttered, leaning close to Anna’s ear.

  She looked at him expectantly.

  “Last night,” he began, “Finn and I both dreamed of Oighear. I felt her icy grip around my throat, and when I woke, the ground around me was covered in frost.”

  “But she’s dead,” she countered. “You saw her die.”

  He nodded. “Yes, but I’ve come to realize nothing is clear cut in life and death. If Branwen can be trapped in the in-between, and the Cavari can exist as little more than ghosts, then anything is possible.”

  Finn’s mutters increased.

  He stood. “I should wake her.”

  Anna looked up at him and shook her head, but he moved toward Finn regardless. If she was having another dream of
Oighear, he needed to know.

  He crouched beside her, listening as Anna’s footsteps approached behind him.

  “This is because she gave you her blood, isn’t it?” she whispered, moving to kneel beside him. “Now you’re sharing her dreams. You are hopelessly entangled in the chaos that surrounds her.”

  He sighed as he reached out to shake Finn’s shoulder. Anna was right. He was hopelessly entangled, for better, or for worse.

  His hand was almost on her when she stopped muttering. Her breathing seemed to slow back into the normal rhythms of sleep.

  “Leave her,” Anna whispered. “I don’t want Iseult chastising us for robbing her of rest.” She peered down at Finn’s now peaceful face. “And I must admit, I wouldn’t argue with him. She seems . . . frailer than before.”

  Kai nodded as he stood, then offered Anna a hand up. He had almost pulled her to her feet when he was hit with gut-wrenching nausea. Anna caught herself before she could fall onto Finn as Kai staggered backwards. He lifted a hand to his eyes in an attempt to calm his dizziness.

  “What is it?” Anna hissed, righting herself and grabbing onto his arm.

  He would have explained if he wasn’t about to lose his supper. Suddenly another set of hands took his other arm, and the world seemed to still. He opened his eyes to find Finn at his side with tousled hair and wide eyes.

  “They’re trying to find us,” she rasped. “We have to wake everyone up. We need to travel far away from this place.”

  “Who is trying to find us?” Anna questioned.

  “The Cavari,” Finn explained. “They were in my dreams. My mother has prevented them from tracking me, so they are using Kai. They’re tracking my blood through him.”

  “Curse you,” Anna hissed, then rushed away from Kai to start gathering their supplies.

  Finn helped Kai to sit, though the last of his dizziness was now subsiding. Like a dark shadow, Iseult appeared behind her. Though resting just moments ago, he now appeared fully alert.

  Finn turned to him. “We have to run. I cannot face them. Not yet.”

  Iseult simply nodded, then looked down at Kai like it was all his fault. “Wake the others. I’ll start saddling the horses.”

  Finn nodded, but did not immediately obey. Instead she looked down at Kai.

  Realizing he likely looked quite pathetic huddling on the ground, he waved her off. “Wake everyone else. I’ll be alright.”

  She bit her lip, but nodded, then hurried away, followed closely by Iseult.

  Kai took a steadying breath, chasing away the last of his dizziness before standing. At least he now understood why he’d fainted in the Garenoch market. The Cavari, immortal ghosts that they were, were using his tie to Finn to track them. How Finn’s mother was protecting her, he did not know, but as soon as they were safe he’d implore Finn to figure it out.

  He glanced around the nearly-dark campsite, but before he could move to help Anna led his horse to him and handed over the reins. “Are you well enough to ride?”

  He nodded, though he wasn’t sure. If the Cavari did . . . whatever that was again, he’d surely topple from the saddle.

  Taking him at his word, Anna gave his shoulder a pat, then hurried over to climb in the saddle with Bedelia.

  Sativola, the slowest to rouse, climbed into his saddle with his boots half laced, and his hair puffy from sleep.

  Once they were all ready, including Anders on his borrowed horse, Finn led the way at a gallop on her swift white mount, a unicorn according to Anna. Naoki darted after her, a small white blur following after the larger one.

  Everyone urged their horses to a gallop, reaching the road then turning westward.

  The cool night air bit into Kai’s flushed skin, slicing his nerves like a knife.

  “There’s something approaching behind us!” Anna shouted.

  Kai glanced over his shoulder, but could see little in the dark. Still, he trusted Anna’s judgement. He hadn’t fought the Cavari outside of Garenoch, but Anna had, and her recount of events still gave him chills. They had been near immune to magic, but could be overwhelmed with physical attacks. Anna had been helped by Slàine and her assassins, but there would be no such help tonight.

  “Keep going!” Finn shouted from the front of the pack, then tugged her unicorn’s reins to her right.

  Her mount careened off the road, quickly regaining its footing to dart back the way they’d come. Kai watched over his shoulder for a split second, then tugged his reins to slow his mount before turning in a far less graceful loop.

  Not taking a moment to second guess himself, he raced after Finn. He was the reason the Cavari had tracked them to begin with, he could not let her face them alone.

  Hoofbeats thundered up behind him, then Iseult was riding at his side, his piercing gaze intent on the white unicorn barely visible ahead of them.

  Finn’s breath hissed in and out as she clutched tightly to her reins. She could feel the immense power ahead moments before she caught sight of the cloaked forms. They stood side by side, blocking the road.

  She tugged Loinnir’s reins back, hoping to grant herself extra time to consider what she was doing, but the unicorn did not slow.

  Instead, it sped right toward the waiting forms, turning as she finally slowed to prance up and down the line of Cavari. Finn gazed down at the hooded figures, unable to see their faces.

  “I’ve made it clear I want nothing to do with you!” she shouted, hating the shrill tone of her voice. She didn’t want them to know just how terrified she was of them.

  Loinnir stilled her prancing, taking a few steps away as the Cavari bowed their heads. A voice hissed through Finn’s mind, “You have claimed the Faie Queen’s shroud. You must restore what you took from us.”

  Her hands gripped so tightly to Loinnir’s reins, her knuckles ached. Memories flashed through her mind.

  Her people kneeling before her after she’d claimed the souls of those she thought her enemies. They’d worshipped her for the act. She’d wanted none of it. These . . . creatures did not deserve power, and neither did she.

  She’d run from them. Run as far as she could until she collapsed in a small, peaceful meadow. She’d clutched the Faie Queen’s shroud, begging for peace. She’d felt her magic leave her, pouring into the earth as her body stilled. She took root, transforming into a stalwart oak. She knew distantly as her magic left her, that it left her people too. She’d doomed them to walk the earth as little more than phantoms. She felt no remorse.

  She shivered back into awareness, knowing something else with certainty. Her return had restored in them a measure of their power. They were dangerous once more, and it was all her fault.

  Loinnir had backed further away to face the Cavari, and Iseult and Kai had joined her, their stilled horses on either side of hers.

  “What would you have us do?” Iseult muttered, his gaze scanning the line of still, cloaked forms.

  What could they do? Kill her to rob the Cavari of their magic? Was that the only way to fight these immortal creatures?

  The Cavari began to chant, words vaguely familiar to Finn, like something she’d heard in her childhood. Suddenly another memory hit her. Oighear. When the Cavari had taken her magic away, they’d used these same words, taking advantage of the treaty she’d signed.

  “Use the shroud!” someone shouted from behind them.

  She whipped her gaze around to see Anna, off her horse and fighting to keep Naoki back.

  “Use the shroud!” Anna shouted again. “They’ll kill us all!”

  A hand touched Finn’s shoulder. Kai. “Do it now,” he instructed.

  A sword hissed from its scabbard at her other side, and she knew she was running out of time. Iseult would fight them all if she did not act. He would fight, and he would die.

  She slid down from Loinnir’s saddle, then gripped the tattered fabric tied around her waist, fighting the urge to recoil. She could still feel the souls of her victims crying out, though their torment h
ad taken place over a century ago.

  She wracked her brain as she approached. She didn’t know how to shield herself from their magic. All she knew how to do was steal it.

  She took a shuddering breath, calling upon the magic of the shroud, but something was wrong. She felt . . . nothing.

  She looked up at the nearest cloaked form. Her face was still in shadow, but Finn could see the curve of her mouth as she smiled at her. She realized in sudden horror they’d somehow cut away her magic. She could not fight them.

  She stumbled back. Why hadn’t Iseult, Kai, and Anna run? Now she would be unable to protect them.

  The Cavari continued to chant. As one, they stepped forward, the nearest one reaching a hand out toward Finn. She knew once they touched her, it would be too late.

  The hand inched closer, then her view was interrupted by a flash of white.

  Loinnir pranced in front of her, blocking her from the Cavari with her muscular white body. Her horn had reappeared, twinkling in the moonlight as if topped with tiny stars.

  The unicorn turned her muzzle toward the Cavari. Her entire body seemed to shimmer as she stomped her front hooves in the dirt.

  The Cavari gasped, ceasing their chanting. A hand gripped Finn’s shoulder, pulling her back into Kai’s waiting arms. He pulled her away as Iseult stalked forward to remain near Loinnir.

  She numbly stumbled back with Kai’s arm around her waist, guiding her to join Anna, Bedelia, Sativola, and even Anders. Naoki frantically paced around their feet, gazing up at Finn.

  “You’re all fools,” Finn muttered. “I told you to run.” She whipped her gaze back to Loinnir, but she and Iseult were already returning to them.

  The Cavari were gone.

  She held out a hand as Loinnir approached, her glimmering horn still in full sight. Her fingers stroked through Loinnir’s soft mane, right between her ears.

  She stared up at the creature in awe, as her friends muttered in disbelief around her. Loinnir had sent the Cavari away, all on her own.