I rounded the corner in time to catch Tadgh chucking something at Ruairi, grumbling about liking “that shite.”
Ruairi rubbed his forehead and threw whatever it was back.
My human sat next to the animal, watching with wide eyes, her face pale as milk.
“I see the children are making a mess again,” I said from the doorway.
Aveen’s head whipped toward me. My hollow chest pinched when her expression hardened.This is for the best, I reminded myself. The more she hated me, the safer she’d be.
Ruairi threw an arm across the back of the settee, damn near putting it around Aveen’s shoulders. Hadn’t he seen the mark I’d given her? If he put his feckin’ paws on her—
I evanesced, my hands vibrating and darkness swelling. “You will back off, mutt, or I will end you.”
The pooka leaned far too close to Aveen, whispering, “Spoilt little prince was never taught to share.” He must’ve valued his life, though, because he vacated the settee in favor of the second wingback beside Tadhg.
“Did you not hear me when I said to stay in your room?” I asked.
“I heard you perfectly well,” Aveen said, looking right past me, smiling at the pooka as if he deserved her attention. What’d he do? He smiled back. And I wanted to rip his fangs out one by one. “So, Ruairi,” she said, “I know Tadhg murders women and Rían torments humans, what is it you do? Dine on children?”
“Whatever it is the lads need done,” he replied.
“Ruairi is excellent at burying bodies but shite at kidnapping,” Tadhg muttered.
Aveen had the good sense to look genuinely worried. We weren’t her soft humans, too afraid to do what it took to keep ourselves or the Danú safe. We’d lied, stolen, cheated, killed, kidnapped, and tortured for centuries. None of us, not even “noble”Ruairi, were untouched by darkness. She’d do well to remember that.
“Do either of you know the Phantom Queen?” she pressed.
My breath caught in my throat. Why the hell would she ask about the feckin’ Queen? She’d have nothing to do with that witch, I’d make damn sure of it. I took Aveen’s drink right out of her hand, hauled her to her feet, and evanesced straight to the study. Wherever my absent heart was, I imagined it galloping like a herd of wild horses.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I ground out.
Her chin jutted forward the way it always did when she was being obstinate—which seemed to be all the feckin’ time. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Had she forgotten so easily that I could taste her lies? “Aveen.”
“Rían.”
“In Airren, I played by your ridiculous human rules. You’re in my world now. It’s time to play by mine.” And that included staying as far away from the Queen and the Forest as possible.
She shrugged. “If it suits.”
“Not if it feckin’ suits.” Didn’t she understand what could happen? That there were fates far worse than death? “I know you’re young, but I did not think you were this childish. This world has bigger problems than your little sister taking a feckin’ nap in the underworld.”
She held up a finger, eyes narrowed. “One truth, Rían. That’s all it would have taken.”
The truth may have kept her sister from bargaining with that witch, but if there was one thing I’d learned in all my years, it was that fate had her own plans. Who’s to say that the shrew would’ve even believed me? Maybe she would’ve bargained with Fiadh anyway. Maybe she would’ve met Tadhg somewhere else.
“I can count the number of people I trust on one feckin’ hand,” I said. “And your sister is not one of them. Did you ever consider how this bargain could affect me? How it could affect Tadhg? I could’ve said no. I could’ve turned you down. I should have.” Heaven knows I should have left her after Ned and let her marry that twat. “Instead, I chose to help you.” Like some lovesick fool. And in doing so, I’d put her in more danger than she could ever imagine.
Her hands balled into fists by her skirts. There was no doubt in my mind she would’ve hit me if she thought she could get away with it. “So, what? You expect me to sit around here for the next year and trust that you’ll help me find a way out of this mess when it’s all over?”
“Yes.”
“Sorry,Your Highness. I have my ownplans.”
She went to turn her back on me, as if I were nothing. As if I couldn’t slice her in two and turn her to dust before her body hit the floor. I caught her ankles with magic, freezing her in place. She would not leave Tearmann of her own accord. I’d make damn sure of it.
Magic coursed in my bloodstream, burning like liquid fire. “Aveen Bannon. To pay the favor you owe, you will remain in Tearmann until your sister returns from the underworld.” I would find a way to get her out of this place even if I had to sell my soul to do it. “Until then, you are to live in this castle with me.”