Rían shot to his feet, pacing to the tub and back. Now that I could feel my body, I managed to finish stripping and climb into the bath with a groan.
“Fair feckin’ trials, for one,” he said. “Ninety percent of the witnesses are lying. They almost never have proof. One human says one of us set a foot out of line, and we could have ten Danú claiming otherwise, and they still wouldn’t believe us.”
I reached for the bar of soap on the ledge. “Do you think the king will listen?”
Rían had gone to Vellana last year on a scouting mission, trying to take in the thoughts of the people and the mood in Vellana City regarding the Danú.
If he told me how it had gone, I couldn’t recall.
Rían’s footsteps quickened. “He would if he realized how many of us there really are in Airren. But asking those who’ve remained hidden for centuries to drop their glamours and step out into the light is a big feckin’ gamble. The only way it would work is if we had some place for them to go if they lost their homes and livelihoods. But we simply don’t have the space in Tearmann for everyone.”
So many Danú had been executed, it was hard to believe there were that many of us still living outside Tearmann’s borders. But if anyone knew the true state of things, it was Rían. “The king won’t give us any more land.” On an island as small as ours, land was too precious a commodity to just give away.
“And we wouldn’t be able to protect it if he did. You need to ensure safety for your people in Airren.”
“They’re your people too.”
Rían shook his head. “I have no people.”
That wasn’t true. He had me. And a reluctant Ruairi. And Eava. The old witch loved my brother for some reason.
I’d allowed this to go on for long enough. My people needed me. It was time to put aside the selfishness that had gotten me cursed in the first place. “As soon as I get the ring, we will set things right.”
Rían nodded. “Get the dagger too. We may need it.”
After I’d finished bathing and dressing, Eava sent up a tray of food. As delicious as it smelled, I knew better than to chance more than a few bites of buttery croissant until I was sure my throat had healed completely.
Back at the inn, patrons filled the tables in the small dining area. For all the drinking and carrying on, you’d think it was half eight at night instead of half eight in the morning. A scullery maid with more wrinkles than teeth stopped me on the way to the stairs, asking what I wanted. My stomach roiled as the tug between us grew stronger with each passing second. I told her I was fine and shot toward the stairs before she could ask anything else.
The room Keelynn had rented the day before waited at the end of the hallway. With a deep breath, I lifted my hand and knocked.
No one answered.
“Keelynn?”
No response.
Where else would she be at this hour? I hadn’t seen her downstairs. What if something was wrong? What if she hadn’t made it back to the inn? What if something had happened to her?
I tried the door.
Locked.
Feck it anyway. I evanesced inside. The twisted sheets smelled of lavender. An empty bottle of wine sat on top of the bedside table, my bag on the floor beside it.
I eased onto the bed to give my wobbly legs a break. Where the hell could she be? Shops wouldn’t be open for another hour. Surely, she knew better than to go for a stroll alone in a new city. What was I thinking? The woman was as naïve as they came. I should’ve asked Rían to keep an eye on her before I lost my feckin’ head.
But there was no telling what he would’ve said to her. Keelynn would learn the truth—but she would hear it from me.
My heart lurched as the door opened.
Keelynn was there. Face scrunched, breathing heavy, cheeks stained with tears.
“Hello, Maiden Death.”
Her eyes snapped to mine. She took a halting step toward me. “You’re alive.”
“Disappointed?”