“I’ll pay twice the next time,” I said, figuring it was worth a shot.
“That’s not the way this works, Tadhg.” She urged her mount forward. “Such a pretty little thing you are,” she said, addressing Keelynn. “My dear nephew knows better than to try and smuggle humans into Tearmann.”
Always with the games and the talking. We had an agreement. The Queen may be an evil witch, but she was an evil witch who stuck by her word. This was her way of warning Keelynn not to try and cross again without permission.
“Do you know the penalty for being caught crossing the Black Forest without my permission,girl?”
Keelynn’s hair rustled when she shook her head, her face as pale as the skulls behind her.
The Queen’s silver dagger glinted when she pulled it from beneath her cloak.“One life.”
The witch had the gall to point it at my wife. I evanesced in front of her and knocked the thing to the cursed ground.
“You arrogant little—”
“Oh, be quiet, you old crow.” I turned to my wife to tell her goodbye. “It’s been a pleasure being your husband.” The greatest pleasure of my cursed life. Then I told the Queen to make it quick.
The Queen’s black eyes narrowed with her twisted smile as she leaned forward. “You never told me she was your wife,” she whispered before plunging her blade into my chest.
30
Coming back didn’t hurt nearly asmuch as it usually did. My brother, for all his faults, had a jug of water and a thick slice of lemon cake by the bed, ready and waiting. He’d changed me into something clean and with all the buttons. I wasn’t fond of the stiff shirt but didn’t have the energy or inclination to change it.
The moment I regained feeling in my limbs, I rolled off the bed, drank the entire jug, and shoved the cake into my mouth, crumbs spilling onto the worn wooden floor. My chest felt like I’d been trampled by a herd of wild horses. From the sun peeking through my window, it looked to be about noon. Meaning the meeting with the Danú was already well underway. All I wanted was to check on Keelynn, but for once in my life, I needed to put duty first.
The thought of her seeing what I did in Tearmann left me giddy. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like drinking. I took the steps from my chambers to the entry two at a time, nodding and waving to the line of Danú curling from the great room into the hallway and out the door. There were so many of them. Were there always this many?
Rían slouched on my throne, pretending to be miserable. He loved being in charge, even though he claimed otherwise. Keelynn stood with a hand on the back of Rían’s smaller, empty chair, watching my people with an expression of bewilderment and fascination. Seeing her in my castle made my innards warm and tight—things I had no right to feel.
“You’re going to have to come closer than that,” Rían muttered to three iridescent faeries at the bottom of the dais.
“Apologies for being late,” I said, striding past at least thirty people. This was going to take forever, and all I wanted was to drag Keelynn into the study and ask if she was all right. “I was unfortunately detained for longer than expected.”
As usual, Rían rolled his eyes. “Oh, thank heavens.” He evanesced to his own throne, still looking bored out of his mind. I’d told him time and again that if he wanted people to like him, he should at least pretend to care about their plights. He insisted there was no point. That people had made up their mind about him long ago.
Keelynn’s lips quirked into a smile. I wanted to kiss those lips until she was sick of me. But now was neither the time nor the place. So I gave her a wink and sat on my throne. “Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?” I clasped my hands together and braced my elbows on my knees, bringing me closer to the fluttering faeries. “Muire, Lena, Sorcha, what seems to be the problem?”
I had to concentrate to hear their issue; it was always difficult when they were this size. Nearly impossible for my brother, since he was half deaf in his left ear. Not that he’d admit it to anyone. But I noticed the way he always tilted his head slightly to the right when he was actually listening.
Their tree had been cut down by humans. No surprise there. Having a faerie tree on one’s land was considered bad luck in Airren. It didn’t matter that the old Hawthorne had been there for at least a century. According to the treaty, the humans had every right to cut it down. Leaving thirteen faeries homeless.
I glanced at Rían; his eyes narrowed imperceptibly. For all the Danú’s hatred of him, no one realized my brotherwasthe “bad luck” that befell humans. He’d handle the farmer who took the tree in his own unique way. I never asked how he dealt the humans, and he never told me.
“Ladies, you can move your family to one of the trees outside of Mistlaline. Choose one closest to the portal there.” According to myths, the territory was haunted by the Sluagh. And the land was shite for farming, so the woods should remain safe enough.
The three faeries bowed their heads and flew into the hallway.
Eoghan Blackie was back to bicker about Connor McManus’s sheep grazing on his land. This had happened every winter since I could remember. I ordered Conor to pay his neighbor for use of the field, allowing for the rising cost of living, and that seemed to appease them. I didn’t know why they insisted on coming to me when I said the same thing every year. Part of me thought it was simply an excuse to make a trip to the castle. An annual pilgrimage of sorts. The two would be drinking in the pub later tonight, laughing and slagging each other like the best of mates.
Eilis and Dillon came forward, hand-in-hand, asking for permission to marry. No sign of either of their fathers. I asked if they came of their own free will. They both blushed when they said they had. I glanced at my brother, and he nodded in confirmation.
I gave my blessing, shifted a purse of coins as was customary, and the happy couple skipped out the door.
A clurichaun paid his taxes in fish. My stomach roiled, but I managed a smile as I thanked him and sent the disgusting fare straight to the kitchen for Eava to deal with. She’d make something for Rían. And Keelynn as well if she wanted.
My wife—er, my former wife. My smile faltered when I saw my bare ring finger.
No matter. She was here for now. What more could I ask for?