Tree of Ages Box Set

by Sara C. Roethle

  Kai’s heart began to race. He’d heard enough of the Cavari to know drawing their attention was unwise. He couldn’t let them find Finn. He might only be human, but if he could help, he would. “Tell me what to do.”

  “Kai, you cannot,” Anna argued, placing a gloved hand on his arm.

  He shook his head. “Tell me what to do,” he asked again, his gaze remaining on Móirne.

  She approached him and stood beside his horse, which remained eerily still, as if asleep. From the folds of her robe she withdrew a shiny gold locket, dangling from a fine gold chain. “This belonged to my daughter,” she explained. “She left it with me before she-” she cut herself off, a sad look in her blue eyes.

  Shaking her head, she held the locket up to him. He took it gently in his palm, trailing the chain across his fingers.

  “Wear it,” she instructed, “and along with her blood running through your veins, it should draw their attention. Continue on your intended course, but keep to the woods. Once you make it to the next burgh, you should be safe for a short while. They are as of yet ghosts in this land, unable to fully enter the world of man, yet do not mistake me, if they catch you in the wilds, they will kill you. They will pull you into a place like this,” she gestured to the surrounding mist, “and you will not leave alive. It is only the energy of so many humans in one place that disrupts their weakened magic.”

  He stared down at the locket thoughtfully, trying to commit every word she spoke to memory. “So make it to Garenoch, and they will not be able to harm us?”

  She shrugged. “They may call other Faie to do their bidding, just as they have done in other cities and burghs, but it will take them time to muster such forces. Enough time for Finn to complete her task. After that, they will not be able to control her.”

  Kai draped the chain around his neck. “I will do as you say, but how will I find Finn afterward?”

  She smiled sadly. “If she so desires, she will find you. Let us hope she will still be the same woman you remember.”

  He opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but suddenly she was gone, along with the mist.

  Anna eyed him sternly from within the shadows of her hood. “You’re a fool.”

  He grinned at her, elated with the small shred of hope Móirne had given him. “I never claimed to be anything else.”

  “And they’re not afraid of you?” Corcra asked from her perch on Finn’s shoulder.

  The rest of her kin buzzed around them, occasionally alighting on Loinnir’s fuzzy white head for a rest. For once, the sun was shining warmly on her face. Loinnir’s gait was smooth and comfortable beneath her, her wound had been properly stitched with pixie thread, and she’d just eaten another portion of the honey bannocks provided by the Aos Sí.

  She began to shrug her shoulders, then halted the gesture, not wanting to topple Corcra. “They’re my friends,” she explained, referring to her missing companions. “Why would they be afraid of me?”

  “Your magic,” Corcra replied. “All humans fear magic, except for the few who can wield it themselves, and those just fear being found out and associated with the Faie.”

  “Two of my friends have their own magic,” Finn smirked, thinking of Anna, “though one doesn’t like to admit it.”

  “Hmm,” Corcra buzzed. “Be that as it may, I imagine they still fear the Faie.”

  Finn nodded. “I must admit, I fear some of the Faie myself. The Trow have been very kind to me, but others have not been as . . . pleasant.”

  Corcra hummed in agreement. “Yes, there are more violent, dark Faie, just as there are more violent, dark humans.”

  “I suppose that’s true,” Finn muttered, “but my friends are as light as they come.”

  Corcra chuckled. “I’ll have to take you at your word, as I don’t plan on conversing with any humans any time soon.”

  Finn laughed. “Well I appreciate you speaking with me. I feel hopeful now that there are other Faie as kind as you and the Trow.”

  A few of Corcra’s people circled back from the path ahead, then came to buzz around them in a cacophony of tiny voices that Finn found difficult to decipher.

  “The road you seek is just ahead,” Corcra explained. “This is where we must part ways, and you must leave Loinnir behind.”

  At that moment Loinnir reared her head backward and shook out her mane, dislodging the few pixies who rested there.

  “Hmm,” Corcra murmured, maintaining her perch on Finn’s shoulder. “It seems she would like to remain with you, but I do not know . . . ” she trailed off as both her and Finn’s attentions were drawn by Loinnir’s horn.

  The air around it seemed to shimmer, then it slowly faded from sight.

  “Well that solves that, I suppose,” Corcra mused.

  “You mean she’ll really stay with me?” Finn asked hopefully, feeling immense relief, not only that she wouldn’t have to walk, but that she wouldn’t have to be alone.

  “She’s chosen you,” Corcra explained. “She says you are her new queen.”

  “Well she has my gratitude,” Finn replied, “but as I’ve already explained, I am no queen.”

  Corcra simply shook her head and took flight. “We’ll see, lass. We’ll see. We’d appreciate it if you’d ride out on the road first. Draw the immediate attention of anyone who might be around to see, so that we might fly unnoticed high overhead.”

  “Of course,” Finn replied. “And I hope to see you again.”

  Corcra hovered in front of her face and smiled. “Aye, lass. And we’ll keep an eye out for your friends. If they are as friendly toward magic as you say, perhaps we can pass your message along to them.”

  Finn grinned. “I’d appreciate that. We cannot seem to stop losing each other. It would be nice, for once, if I were the one to do the finding.”

  Corcra gave her a little wave, then flew up high as Finn rode out onto the road.

  Finn looked both ways to see a small caravan of travelers not far off. Quickly deciding that her promise to Corcra was worth the risk, she urged Loinnir to trot toward them, drawing their attention as the pixies flew high over the road to the relative safety of the woods beyond.

  Another day came and went as Iseult and Bedelia waited in their cell. Apparently Oighear had defeated the contingent of men, as the occasional guards that passed by seemed unworried. Iseult had hoped the men would prove enough of a distraction for him to escape, but it seemed few were a true match for Oighear.

  He stood at the sound of footsteps while Bedelia remained slumped against the wall on the stone floor. The slight illumination from the lanterns in the hall increased as someone approached with a torch. Iseult was surprised to see Oighear herself, in her glittering white gown. Normally, she had pairs of the Aos Sí bring either him or Bedelia up for questioning. She had never come down to them before.

  She tugged at something on the end of a leather cord until a struggling Naoki came into view. Before Iseult could help himself, his eyes widened ever so slightly.

  “Ah,” Oighear observed, her eyes intent on his face. “So you’ve seen this creature before?”

  A moment later his subtle giveaway wouldn’t have mattered. Seeing him, Naoki rushed toward the bars of the cell, chittering frantically. There was a leather cord tied around her beak, and a few thicker ones around her wings, holding them down. Seeing the creature Finn dearly cared about in such a state filled him with rage.

  “The men who encroached upon my lands were being led by this creature,” Oighear explained. “We questioned one of the soldiers before he was killed. Apparently, their Captain was seeking out a girl with long blonde hair and dark eyes, along with a man fitting the description of your other companion with Dair blood. You can imagine why I found all of this wonderfully interesting.”

  Iseult glared at her. He could already guess her plan, but would let her say it first.

  “The issue is,” Oighear continued, “that this creature seems to fear my soldiers. She will not continue her tracking.
”

  Relief flooded through Iseult, there was hope yet.

  Finally Bedelia stood and staggered weakly to the cell bars. “So what do you want?” she growled. “Why are you telling us any of this?”

  Oighear smiled wickedly. “I thought the creature might recognize you. Perhaps you can coax her to do her job.”

  “Never,” Bedelia and Iseult said simultaneously.

  “Forgive me,” Oighear replied, demurely raising her free hand to her chest. “I was not asking your permission. You will accompany me, and a group of my most loyal followers. We will find the Cavari girl, and she will lead us to my shroud.”

  Iseult shook his head, having realized her plan after all. Though he had never been fond of magic, he wished for it in that moment, if only to strike Oighear dead. His hands flexed on the bars of his cell until his knuckles turned white.

  Just before he would have made an attempt to grab her and slam her against the iron bars, Oighear stepped back. Five Aos Sí warriors came into view, iron chains and other bindings in hand.

  “Naturally, you’ll be walking while we ride,” Oighear explained. “Though the chains can be quite heavy, I expect they won’t slow you down.”

  Iseult eyed the warriors approaching him. He could attempt escape now, but with Oighear standing out of reach, the odds were not in his favor. Perhaps once they were on the road, he and Bedelia could make their escape.

  Oighear turned to one of the Aos Sí not holding manacles or chains. “Make sure my horse is well prepared,” she ordered, “since my proper mount seems to have gone . . . missing.”

  The insight that Oighear’s mount of choice was not available did little to comfort Iseult. One of the Aos Sí opened the barred door to his cell. He sighed and allowed the remaining warriors who entered the cell to thoroughly bind him. Following his lead, Bedelia did the same, though she eyed him curiously, as if hoping for a plan.

  He subtly shook his head. He had nothing at the moment. Still, while Oighear’s presence would complicate things, being out in the open was preferable to rotting away in a dungeon. The self-proclaimed queen had her weaknesses, and a long journey would only give him more time to find and exploit them.

  Oighear turned her lilac gaze to him and smiled, as if challenging him.

  He would do his best to not disappoint.

  “You are such a fool!” Anna shouted over the thundering of their horse’s hooves.

  “Tell me something I’m not already aware of!” Kai shouted back.

  Having caught up to Sativola, for a day and a night they had done as Móirne bade them, resting little while taking the most direct route toward Garenoch. Then, during one of their short rests, Anna had a vision. She’d woken with a start and urged them onto their horses.

  Just as they departed, several cloaked figures came into view on horseback. They chased them now, on the final stretch toward Garenoch, though Kai feared they would not make it.

  “You may be glad to die for her!” Anna shouted back. “But I am not!” She kicked her heels repeatedly against her horse’s sides, but the animal clearly could not go any faster. As it was, their mounts were already frothing at the mouth from exhaustion, especially Sativola’s from the extra weight of his massive rider.

  “They’re going to catch us!” Sativola shouted. “We should turn and fight.”

  “If we fight, we die!” Anna shouted back.

  They could see Garenoch in the distance. If only they could reach it, they would be safe, at least, according to Móirne. Some of the townsfolk had come out of their homes to behold the commotion. Kai’s eyes squinted, then widened in surprise, recognizing a shock of blonde curls.

  “Is that Ealasaid?” he shouted, shocked.

  Anna didn’t answer, too intent on the Cavari, now just a few paces behind them. Kai darted his attention away from their pursuers and back to where he’d seen Ealasaid, only to find a tall, black clad figure had herded her behind a building from the sight of the townsfolk.

  Ealasaid raised her arms, and lightning crackled right behind Kai’s mount, nearly throwing him from his seat. The horses of the Cavari shrieked, tossing a few of their riders. Kai glanced over his shoulder as lightning struck again, hitting a few of the Cavari directly.

  The townsfolk in the distance were screaming in panic. Kai’s horse began to slow, unable to go on any longer. He looked over his shoulder again and nearly toppled from his mount.

  The Cavari were gone.

  Badly shaken and hardly believing their eyes, Kai, Anna, and Sativola continued trotting forward. The townsfolk watched them in terror, as if they were questioning their own eyes as well. Kai began to wonder if they would even be allowed into the burgh, but slowly the crowd dissipated. Avoiding the remaining townsfolk’s questioning gazes, they closed the final distance between them.

  Kai had barely dismounted when Ealasaid sprinted toward them, practically knocking him to the ground with a hug. He patted her back, holding onto his reins with his free hand, and let out a shaky laugh. “I must say, I’m pleased to see you too.”

  “Who were those riders?” she asked breathily, pulling away. “I couldn’t believe my eyes when they simply disappeared. It was like I blinked, then they just weren’t there anymore.”

  Kai glanced warily about as Anna and Sativola dismounted and joined them, followed by Maarav, approaching from the cover of the nearby buildings.

  “It’s a very long tale,” Kai explained, “one I’d rather tell from the relative safety of an inn.”

  “That is, if the townsfolk don’t run us off for being in the proximity of magic,” Sativola added.

  “Oh they won’t,” Ealasaid said happily. “We have much to share with you too.”

  With his horse’s reins in hand, Kai, Anna, and Sativola followed Ealasaid down the dirt road leading into the burgh. A few townsfolk remained outside their homes, watching the newcomers curiously, but to Kai’s surprise, no one accused them of Faie mischief, nor did anyone try to chase them off.

  He caught up to Ealasaid’s side where she walked beside Maarav. “Am I to understand that the people here do not fear magic?”

  “Quite the opposite,” Ealasaid replied. “The Alderman has welcomed magic users to protect the burgh. Although,” she rolled her eyes at Maarav, “someone demands I keep my skills hidden.”

  Maarav rolled his eyes back. “You’ll thank me for it later.”

  Kai observed the exchange curiously. He had definitely not forgotten the encounter with the assassins and their relation to Maarav, but he was also not going to turn down the friends who’d just saved his hide.

  “We have a room at the inn,” Ealasaid explained. “You can stable your horses there, and then tell us where the others are.”

  “Well that’s a simple answer,” Anna cut in. “We don’t know.”

  “What?” Ealasaid gasped, suddenly halting.

  Anna smirked and continued walking. Soon Ealasaid caught up, eager for an explanation.

  Kai sighed and caught up himself. “Just know you were lucky to part from us when you did,” he muttered, leaning close to Ealasaid’s shoulder to prevent eavesdropping. “We ran afoul of Aos Sí, a Faie Queen, and now even more frightening pursuers are on our trail.”

  Anna snorted. “The latter part is thanks to Kai.” She glared at him.

  He scowled. “You would have done the same for me.”

  She laughed. “If you say so. Now let’s find some fine wine, and agree to never leave civilization again.”

  “I’m with ye on that one,” Sativola agreed.

  Kai gripped the locket beneath his shirt with his free hand, wishing he could agree with them. Would the Cavari still wait outside of Garenoch now that they’d seen he wasn’t actually Finn, but a man with her blood, wearing her locket? They’d pursued them, sure, but now that they were within the town, would the Cavari not set their sights back on Finn?

  The scent of baking bread hit him, making his stomach growl, but he feared he could not enjoy it.
He couldn’t let those fearsome riders seek out Finn instead. He needed a new plan.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Bedelia was not sure how much longer her legs would carry her. The heavy chains wrapped around her upper body, securing her arms, had fatigued her more than her injuries and restless nights spent in the cell with Iseult. They at least had left the deeper snow behind, though the ground was still icy. Around them lay numerous corpses, their frozen blood staining the ground in slick pools.

  “An Fiach,” Iseult muttered, his shoulder close to Bedelia’s.

  She nodded. She’d recognize the uniforms anywhere. Were these the same men from Port Ainfean, the ones who pursued Finn and Kai? Given their location, it would make sense, especially since Oighear now possessed Naoki. These men likely captured her when she protected Finn’s escape from the port town.

  Their Aos Sí minders, on horseback while Bedelia and Iseult walked, cleared their throats in warning. Bedelia instantly moved forward, closer to the corpses, not wanting to incite another lashing. Her back was still damp with blood from the last. She looked down at the dead men’s faces, most frozen in horror, or with blank open stares, their eyes iced over. She pitied them. Perhaps in some ways they’d been her enemies, but no one deserved to die in a battle they had no chance of winning. These men had been soldiers, and they’d been slaughtered like defenseless lambs.

  Iseult reached her side once more, putting some distance between themselves and their captors. Oighear had dismounted with Naoki’s leather cord in hand to let the little dragon sniff around. She’d layered a fluffy white fur cloak over her shimmering dress, though she didn’t seem to truly feel the cold created by her own magic.

  Bedelia turned her gaze away from Oighear and frowned down at the nearest corpse, its dark brown uniform soaked through with blood. “These are the men who attempted to delay us in Port Ainfean,” she suggested, wanting to make sure Iseult had drawn the same conclusions as she. “That’s why they had Naoki.”