“To dull your senses and magical abilities? Not likely.” Rhiannon held out her hands, and the unconscious captive’s body lifted into midair. Tristan sighed and sheathed his knife.
“I can dream.”
***
Gwen was jolted to terrified consciousness. She sat up with a gasp.
“Apologies,” said Mabina. “The road is rough this time of year.”
“Where are we?” said Gwen. Aidan groaned sleepily beside her.
“We’re almost at the village,” Mabina said. “You weren’t asleep for long. It’s not a large valley.” A note of discontent crept into her otherwise cheerful voice.
“Is it difficult, living here?” asked Gwen. She was curious on her own account, but she also wanted to know more in case it helped her to convince Finn. The woman shrugged.
“Does it matter? Ever since my failed marking, I can’t live anywhere else. Crops don’t grow as well here, not without forest magic, but we make do.”
“Was it awful, trying to get away from the marking ceremony?” asked Bran. “Did they hunt you down?”
Mabina laughed.
“No, nothing of the sort. I don’t know how those rumors started. When I didn’t come down the mountain—I was frightened beyond belief and didn’t know what to do—they came and brought my things, then one of them escorted me to the Forbidden Lands. I never saw my family again.” She paused for a moment, and Gwen pondered the sorrow of her words. “But it was for the best. The ceremony had awakened latent magical abilities in me. On the journey here, my magic became harder and harder to control. I almost capsized the boat on the crossing. This was the only place for me.”
“But how can you stand living without magic?” Bran said. “I don’t even know how I would cope.”
“It feels like a part of me is tied in chains.” Mabina stared forward for a moment, then she laughed lightly. “I don’t know why I told you that. I do love this valley. It’s beautiful, and we can live safely. My eldest son—he wouldn’t be able to survive outside of these mountains. Some of the tribeless do try to leave when they are restless for more, but it never ends well. We are safe here. For better or for worse, this is my home.”
“Was your son born here?” asked Gwen.
“Yes. And with two tribeless parents, it was inevitable that he would have difficulties. His magic is scarcely controllable, even here.”
“There should be different levels of dampening for every person,” Aidan said thoughtfully. Mabina looked surprised.
“I suppose that would make sense. My son certainly needs more.” She peered forward, then her face opened in a joyful smile. “And there he is. Culain!” she shouted in the direction of a small boy who ran down a hill on their path.
“Mam!” The boy shouted back with a happy grin. He was no more than five, with sandy hair and gangly limbs. A man crested the hill—Culain’s father, by the similarities in facial features—and waved to the cart.
Then Culain stumbled. His arms flailed wildly. His feet desperately stomped to gain purchase on the slippery ground until, suddenly, they trod in midair. Culain’s eyes were wide with shock as he climbed up into the air, unsupported.
Then he fell. He tumbled to the ground with his limbs askew and started to cry. Mabina clambered down from the cart as fast as she could with the baby on her chest and ran to pick up her son. He quietened in her arms and she brought him back to the cart with her husband close behind.
“You see?” Mabina said when she was back in the cart. “Even the dampening sometimes isn’t enough for him. I can’t imagine what would happen outside of the Forbidden Lands.”
“And who are your passengers?” her husband said. He took the reins from his wife and clucked at the horse. It trundled forward once more.
“Fearghus, this is Gwen, Aidan, Bran, and Kelan. They’re from outside. Gwen is looking for our own Finn.”
“He’s my uncle,” Gwen said.
“Really?” Fearghus turned to look at Gwen. “Is this a family greeting, or do you have business with him?”
“Business, I suppose,” said Gwen. She sat up straighter. There was no reason not to tell these people the truth. “It’s a long story, but the essence is that I am the heir to the throne of the Velvet Woods. A usurper has the throne currently, and portals to the human world are ripping the land apart because of it. An appropriate heir must rule to fix the destruction. I will do it if I must, but I don’t belong here—I’m half-human.” Mabina glanced at her in surprise, but she plowed on. “But Finn could rule. I’ve come to ask him to take my place.”
“I forgot Finn was the son of a queen,” Mabina said. “Our past lives are simply irrelevant here.”
“I am sorry to crush your hopes,” said Fearghus. “But Finn would never leave his family. Not now that he’s finally been reunited. He will stay in the Forbidden Lands.”
Chapter 12
There was silence in the cart. Even the sleet had turned to quiet snow that whipped less fiercely across their faces than before. Finally, Aidan spoke.
“Is there no way for you to leave here?”
Mabina shook her head.
“None at all. Some have tried, of course. It never ends well.”
“But what if there was a way?” Aidan pressed. “If you could live safely, somewhere else, would you?”
Mabina and Fearghus looked at each other.
“In a heartbeat,” said Mabina. “I adore the trees and glades of the forests. The Velvet Woods was my home, you know. Long ago.”
“And young Culain has never seen the world beyond these mountains,” said Fearghus. “I wish I could show him more.”
“And he could meet our families. His grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles. He could see my childhood home.”
“We could find a lake to settle near,” said Fearghus wistfully. “Build a cottage on the shore.” Mabina nodded with a faraway look. Fearghus sighed. “But it’s an impossible dream.”
Aidan lapsed into silence, but he looked thoughtful. Gwen prodded him with her elbow.
“What are you thinking?” she whispered.
“There has to be some way to allow these people to leave. We simply have to think of the solution.” He stared into the snowy night, his eyes narrowed in thought. Gwen looked past him when she heard a friendly shout.
“Mabina, Fearghus. You’re back!”
Low houses emerged in the dim light, tucked into the sloping ground. Their grass roofs covered with snow and gray stone walls blended into the landscape, except for gentle streams of smoke that drifted from short chimneys. At the sound of horse hooves, doors opened and spilled light onto the accumulating snow. Cheery faces greeted them.
“Mabina, you made it!”
“Who are your passengers?”
“Come in out of the cold.”
“We’re driving to the far end of the village,” said Mabina loudly. “Gwen and her friends have come to find her uncle, our own Finn.” There were exclamations of interest. “She is supposed to rule the Velvet Woods but hopes Finn will take her place.”
Chatter burst out with renewed vigor as people relayed the news to their neighbors who hadn’t heard. The village wasn’t large, but by the time they reached the last house, there was a substantial crowd following their cart.
“Luckily this isn’t a stealth mission,” Aidan murmured to Gwen. She released a breathy laugh, and a cloud appeared in the cold air.
“What do you think he’ll say?” she whispered back. Aidan shrugged tightly, his face grim.
“Hopefully the right thing.”
Culain slipped down from the cart at a word from his mother and ran to the last house in the village. It was small but snug, with a welcoming flicker of firelight creeping between gaps in the shutters. Culain knocked loudly, then scampered back to Mabina. The door opened to reveal Finn. He looked confused to see the whole village at his door.
“Are we having another party?” he said. Then he spotted Gwen and Aidan and his eyes widened. “Niece! What are you
doing here? Wait, I’ll come out.”
He disappeared for a moment and returned wearing a thick cloak. A woman with long braided hair followed holding a girl by the hand. The girl stared at Gwen when Finn walked forward to greet her.
Gwen climbed stiffly down from the cart. Finn gripped both her hands in his and brought them to his forehead.
“Greetings, Gwen. It’s wonderful to see you again.” He moved to Aidan and greeted him familiarly with one hand on either side of his head. Aidan did likewise, and they briefly touched foreheads.
“Gwen, Aidan,” Finn said with a happy smile. “Meet my wife Nialla and my daughter Ione.” He ushered them forward and Nialla nodded her head with a smile.
“It is a pleasure to meet a relation of my dear Finn. Have you had a long journey?”
“All the way from the human world, my love,” said Finn. “These are the two who brought me back. Remember?”
“Of course,” said Nialla warmly. “My deepest thanks to you both.”
“But what brings you here?” asked Finn. He looked around at the crowd of his curious neighbors. “And with an entourage?”
“It’s a long story,” said Gwen. “But the short version is this: Isolde was deposed. A usurper sits on the throne of the Velvet Woods, and due to a mistake made by Isolde, the worlds have become unstable and are ripping apart. It’s chaos. It will all stop once I’m queen.” Gwen took a deep breath and gazed into Finn’s concerned eyes. “But I don’t belong here. The only other person who can fix this—is you. You could be king instead.” Gwen bit her lip and waited for Finn’s reaction.
It was not long in coming. Finn seemed to understand what she would ask before all the words had left her mouth and he shook his head sadly but firmly.
“Do not ask this of me, niece. Please believe me when I say I understand your anguish—I spent years in a world I didn’t want to live in—but I cannot help you. I only just returned to my wife and daughter.” He pulled them both under each arm. Ione smiled up at him shyly. “I cannot—will not—leave them again.”
Gwen’s shoulders slumped, and she fought back tears. She had expected this answer from Finn, but it put the final nail in the coffin of her life as she knew it. Visions of an unknown future in a Breenan world filled Gwen’s mind, and she recoiled with dismay. Finn looked at her face and tried to soften the blow.
“Nialla is tribeless, as you know. She and Ione need the magic dampening of this place to avoid their magic going wild. Especially since Ione has episodes of stronger magic than even the dampening spell can cover, there is no way they could step foot out of the Forbidden Lands. It pushes down magic into a manageable size. Without it, neither tribeless ones nor those they are near would be safe.”
“What if you commute?” Aidan said. His voice rose in volume. The villagers leaned in with interest, and through her fog of disappointment Gwen wondered if this was the most entertainment they had seen for some time. “It’s not that far. You could spend a week there, a week here.”
“The rule of a realm only works if the ruler stays in contact with the land of the realm,” said Finn. He sounded as if he were quoting. Then he sighed. “A ruler can leave their realm for a few days at most. The journey from the Velvet Woods takes the better part of a day, even with the fastest conveyance possible. How could I be the husband and father I want to be, especially after my absence? No, I’m afraid there is no way.”
Aidan’s hands balled into fists and his face grew red. He opened his mouth to reply, but Bran grabbed his shoulder.
“Come on, cousin,” he said lightly. “A short walk will do us wonders.”
Gwen hurried after them. Her stomach cramped with dread at her future. She looked back once: the villagers clustered together in conversation, oblivious to the gently falling snow; and Finn, quietly staring after her with a frown.
***
Bran pushed Aidan behind a cottage, out of earshot of the villagers. Kelan joined them with Gwen.
“That was quick thinking, Bran,” Kelan said. “We didn’t come here for a fight, and we were vastly outnumbered.”
“I could have taken my share,” said Bran.
“Without magic?”
“Oh.”
Aidan’s ragged breathing interrupted them. He leaned his forearms against the cottage and pressed his head into the wood to control himself, but his breath came faster and faster.
Gwen couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. They spilled over her cheeks as a flood of fear and disappointment welled up inside her. She hugged herself tightly to hold herself together. Her core flickered with her uncontrollable emotions, although the magic-dampening spell of the Forbidden Lands kept her magic at bay. She wished Aidan would hug her—she had never felt more alone. Kelan and Bran looked at each other, unsure what to do.
Finally, the sound of Gwen’s sobs broke through to Aidan. He turned his anguished face to Gwen, then threw himself toward her. They clutched each other fiercely.
“This can’t be happening,” Aidan muttered into her hair. Gwen felt, rather than saw, Bran and Kelan back away a short distance to give them privacy. “What can we do?”
“There’s nothing to do,” Gwen choked out. She took a deep, shuddering breath and tried to compose herself. “This is it. I’ll be queen and live in the Otherworld. Forever.”
The enormity of that statement hit Gwen like a punch in the stomach. She clawed the emotions that followed back inside, glad for once of her ability to control herself. She had a feeling she would need it in her new future. She pulled away from Aidan.
“You should live in the human world. Keep doing your music. Find another―” She stumbled briefly. “Another girl to love. You deserve the best, so keep searching. We just—we aren’t meant to be.”
“No!” Aidan burst out. He gripped her shoulders. “I refuse to accept that. This is not how this ends, how we end. Do you hear me?” He shook her as if trying to rattle sense into her.
Tears sprang unbidden to Gwen’s eyes once more at the strength of Aidan’s faith in the two of them, but she didn’t see how they could wriggle out of this one.
“What can we do?” Gwen whispered. “I won’t run away to Vancouver. Even if it means…”
“I know.” Aidan took his hands off her and ran them through his hair, making the snow-dusted copper stand on end. “Let’s just think for a minute. We thought our way out of the restoration spell garden in the summer, when you were about to die. We can do this.” He waved Bran and Kelan forward.
“Where do we start?” Gwen couldn’t see how to fix any of this, but she was willing to listen, for Aidan’s sake.
“Let’s break it down. The only obstacle for Finn becoming king is that his family can’t come.”
“The only obstacle we know.”
“We can confirm that with him.”
“And really,” said Bran. “Who wouldn’t want to be in a palace instead of in this isolated village?”
“Fair point,” said Aidan. “All right, how can we get him to come? We need Nialla and Ione with him. Can we put this magic-dampening spell on the castle?”
“No,” said Kelan. “For a few reasons. First, we don’t know the spell. It was done centuries ago, and who knows if records of it still exist. Second, we don’t know how the magic of the tribeless ones works. Third, the functioning of the realm is dependent on the connection with the room of enchantments, which presumably would be severed by the spell.”
“What about on a house near the castle?” said Aidan. “Nialla and Ione could live there, and Finn could visit.”
“That would be cruel, forcing house arrest,” said Gwen, but she was interested despite herself. Could a solution be hidden in the fog of details? “Is there some way to make the spell portable? So it hovers over a single person and follows them around, like an umbrella that shields them from magic?”
“Shields others from their magic, you mean,” said Kelan.
“An umbrella would be cumbersome all the time,” Bran muse
d. “How would you hunt?”
Gwen punched his shoulder.
“It’s metaphorical. Keep up, Bran.” Gwen was energized with a manic hope. She stared at Aidan, trying to will the answer out of thin air, then turned to Kelan. “Can you affix a spell to a person, a long-term spell?”
Kelan twisted his mouth in thought.
“Not that I can think of. Any spell cast directly on a person is generally superficial and temporary. You need something unchanging to hold the magic.”
“Like a tracker ring,” added Bran.
Gwen breathed faster. She stared at Kelan’s wrist, encircled by his leather wristband for headaches. He caught her eye and looked confused at the attention.
“Kelan,” she said with forced calm. “Tell me everything you know about how your healing bracelet works.”
Chapter 13
Kelan still looked confused at the apparent change of topic, but he answered readily enough.
“It’s simple, really. The spell is cast for each particular malady. It’s not a cure—it acts rather to dull symptoms, to keep them behind a gate, of sorts. I’m prone to headaches, so the spell is tuned to reduce them.”
“Do you know the spell?” Gwen asked breathlessly.
“Sure, it’s one of the first spells we learn in our advanced training.”
Gwen looked at Aidan with shining eyes. He smiled widely, the first real smile she’d seen on him in ages.
“What do you think?” Gwen whispered. “Can we hope?”
“Absolutely,” Aidan said with confidence. “This is our chance.”
“Can we really solve a centuries-old issue? Why hasn’t it been done before?”
“What are you talking about?” Bran asked. “How can you fix the tribeless ones?”
Aidan looked at Gwen, and she laughed.
“Point taken,” she said. “Let’s find Finn—he’ll get it.”
Gwen rushed back to the cottage, the others close behind. The villagers had raised awnings and tents in front of Finn’s house during their brief departure, and someone had brought out a table with a huge pot on it, which was gently steaming. Bright lanterns swung in the breeze from the tent poles.
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