Witchbane (Book 5 in The Twilight Court Series)

by Amy Sumida

  As I was currently.

  We were in a pub called The Brazen Head (what a name), down in Dublin. It had taken a bit of a drive to get to, but we needed to escape the castle and forget about the hunt for a little while. The Councils and Covens (yes plural, I was including the new caster witches as a separate coven) had been busy squelching the witch hunter uprising. Teams had been formed all over the world to handle the mess Rue had left behind, and they were doing a fantastic job. Extinguishers, hunters, and witches all worked together to find the crazy, human, witch hunters and deal with them. No, they didn't kill them. The fey hunters erased the human's memories, then the witches used their magic to determine whether the human was sane enough to release back into the wild. If not, the extinguishers used their connections to place the reformed witch hunters into a good psychiatric facility. Nice and tidy, I had to hand it to them. But their success made me feel even more like a failure.

  I was tired of watching the daily tide of victorious teams returning from the field to strut around the castle, high-fiving each other over a job well done. So Killian and I had taken an SUV and went in search of alcohol. I had left Cat behind, simply because I intended to get a little sloppy and didn't want to worry about her. All the stress and constant searching had taken its toll on me, and I just wanted to blow off a little steam. I hadn't considered what getting drunk would do to me. Like lowering my resistance... especially where Killian was concerned.

  I had kept in contact with Raza, scrying him several times to keep him up to date on the Uisdean situation, and to receive any news he needed to give me. Raza was guarding his borders and raths diligently, as my father was guarding ours. Keir had also informed King Marcan to be wary (since Keir wasn't speaking to his mother) and the King of Seelie had fortified his raths as well. So now the raths were being guarded from both ends. If Uisdean tried to sneak back into Fairy, we would know.

  Raza and I also talked more intimately, using the time to get to know each other better, without our raging lusts distracting us. I loved him more now than I had before. But I still wasn't certain I wanted to commit to him. Because being with Raza would be a lot different than being with Tiernan. I couldn't just change my mind and leave if things didn't work out. Raza wanted marriage. He wanted me to be his queen. And I didn't want either of those things. Not yet and possibly not ever.

  Tiernan, I hadn't spoken to at all. I had given in and allowed Keir to talk to me about him, but only in the vaguest terms. Keir told me that Tiernan was doing fine physically, despite how much strain he was putting on his body. Tiernan trained hard all day and drank until he passed out at night. Then he would get up and repeat the process. I wasn't too worried. Tiernan was a fairy, and a Lord of the Wild Hunt. He could take a little physical strain.

  Keir suspected that Tiernan deeply regretted what had happened between us, but Tiernan hadn't actually said such words to Keir. I could deduce by Tiernan's actions that he did have some regrets, or possibly anger, he was working through. But honestly, I wasn't sure if those regrets were over his behavior or mine. Tiernan could be as stubborn as I was sometimes.

  Which brings me back to Killian.

  I drank down the rest of my whiskey sour and scowled at him. I didn't want to fall for Killian, but that was pretty much my SOP at the moment. I tell myself I want nothing to do with a guy, and then salivate over him until I can barely stand it. Seems kind of sadistic. A shrink might advise me to analyze what was driving me to punish myself. Either that or they'd tell me to buy some fur-lined handcuffs. Hmm... would I wear them or would he? And which he are we even talking about, Seren? And also, when did I start talking to myself? Wow, I really needed some nookie. This lack of sex was making me bonkers.

  Perhaps I was going about it all wrong. It wasn't like there were only three men available to me. I had two whole realms of men I could pick from. I could just nix all three of my current options and start over. What a freeing thought. It put a smile on my face, and I started to look around the pub with more interest.

  It was your traditional Irish pub, geared towards tourists more than locals, but there was some appeal in that. I loved the old look of the place, the worn stones and wood tables, and there was live music being played by a little trio of musicians who had set up at one of those tables. Much more intimate than a stage. The whiskey was good, the service was even better, and the patrons were more on the good looking side than the not. There were quite a few men to choose from. Yeah, sure. I could do this. When faced with a fairy, a dragon, and a witch, maybe the best choice was a human.

  I started to get up, my eyes fixed on a burly fellow with sin black hair and green eyes. Yum, a delicious combination. And very Irish. When in Rome... check out the Romans. Or however that goes. I was in Ireland, and it was time I tasted some of the local flavor. Maybe I'd let that guy buy me another drink.

  “Where are you going?” Killian pulled me back into my seat.

  “To get a refill,” I said innocently. Blink, blink, blink.

  “The bar is that way,” he pointed in the opposite direction from where I'd been headed.

  “I know,” I smirked. “But I'm a woman, and there are easier ways of getting a drink than going to the bar.”

  I tried to stand again, and again Killian pulled me back down.

  “I don't think so, Twilight,” he growled.

  “They're all humans here, Blair,” I rolled my eyes. “You don't have to protect me from them. In fact, you should pity the guy who tries to hurt me.”

  I tried once more, and this time Killian stood with me. He angled into my way and used his bulk to try and intimidate me. I laughed and gave him a half-hearted push. Please. I'd seen the man in his Star Wars underwear. Killian had lost any chance of intimidating me the moment I discovered that he considered Darth Vader to be the height of fashion.

  “I need a little distraction,” I huffed. “So unless you want to provide it, get the fuck out of my way.”

  “Damn you, Seren,” Killian growled. “You know I want you, and you know I can't have you right now.”

  “Do you really think Anu would care?” I lifted a brow. “He practically put you before me and said 'Have at it, girl!'.”

  “What?”

  “Were you not paying attention to our conversation at all?” I blinked at him. “Did you not see Anu turn into Tiernan, and then into you? Not exactly subtle there. Danu wants me with two fairies and her brother wants me with a witch. I need to figure out who I want.”

  “And in the meantime you're just going to go fuck some random human?” Killian growled.

  “First off,” I pointed my finger in his face. “You're lucky I'm drunk enough to let that go. Because them are some slappin' words, my friend. And we both know I have no problem slapping a man. Second, and this is far more obvious, I wasn't going to fuck anyone. I was going to flirt and maybe, at the very most, steal a kiss from some hot guy. Meaningless romance to distract me from the endless pursuit of my insane relations.”

  “Meaningless?” Killian lifted a brow. “How would you feel if you found out Tiernan was engaging in the same sort of meaningless behavior? Or Raza?” he swallowed hard and then added, “Or me? How would you feel if I walked over to the hot blonde at the bar and chatted her up? Bought her a drink and stole a kiss or two from her since I can't steal one from you? Would that mean nothing to you?”

  I saw red. Like literally because I stumbled a little and came face to face with a blinking, electric sign advertising some kind of beer. I caught myself on the table and eased back into my seat. Killian was right, but I wasn't ready to admit it yet. All of those options left me feeling cold. I may be in the awkward position of deciding which man to be with, but it was a hell of a lot better than being in their shoes. Just waiting around for me to make up my mind. Not cool, Seren, not cool.

  “Damn it, what am I doing? “ I growled as I lowered my face into my hands. “Maybe it's all this inaction getting to me.”

  “What inaction?” Killian huff
ed as he resumed his seat. He was enough of a gentleman to not crow over his victory. That alone was evidence of the change in him. “We're busy everyday, following leads, chasing information, and even traveling places where I and the Trance Twins can do our thing.”

  Alex and Alexis Kavanaugh had continued to stay on, even though the search was taking so damn long. Killian, in an effort to prove that he hadn't changed completely, had taken to calling them the Trance Twins. I told Killian that when he was using his psychometry, he looked the same way as they did. But Killian obnoxiously pointed out that he wasn't a twin, so it wasn't as funny.

  “Alright, maybe it's not inaction so much as constant failure,” I grumbled.

  “It's a big world,” Killian shrugged, “and it's far easier for your uncle to travel through it unnoticed than it was for him, his wife, and their gaggle of zombies.”

  “Too soon,” I said to him dryly.

  “Sorry,” he grimaced.

  Ewan Sloane's funeral had been a little over a week ago. The Human Council had taken care of most of the arrangements for me; cremating Ewan after the viewing, and having his ashes placed in a little gold urn. He was given the spot in the outer wall of the the Human High Council House that my mother was meant to have. Catriona wasn't there because Ewan and I had decided to scatter her ashes on Benbaun, a mountaintop in Ireland which she'd loved. I had considered doing the same for him. But Ewan wasn't like Catriona. He would have wanted to be set in that wall. He truly believed it was an honor to protect the High Council House forever.

  So Ewan Sloane had been given the full funeral ceremony all extinguishers received, and his urn was placed within the stone hollow intended for Catriona. My mother's name was still carved into the rock, but now Ewan's name was right below it. It had been a beautiful, dignified ceremony right up until the end, when Ewan's mother, Councilwoman Sloane, had bitch slapped me and told me I had killed her son. My only response had been to mutter something about bitch slaps becoming a habit. The councilwoman hadn't liked my lack of ire, and had stomped away to fume somewhere where she could actually succeed in pissing people off. That was my ex-grandmother for you.

  “Uisdean may be proving difficult to find,” Killian tried again, “but at least his Corpse Bride is dead.”

  I gave him a smile as a reward for the reference.

  “Having trouble finding our slippery nemesis?” a smug voice floated over from my left.

  I looked up and found myself staring into dragon eyes. Blue dragon eyes to be specific. On a Chinese man. I stood up so abruptly, my chair fell over and made a huge clatter.

  “Zhayu,” I whispered in horror. “What the actual fuck are you doing here?” I may have picked up some Irish color to add to my cussing.

  “It's lovely to see you too, Princess,” Zhayu smoothly recovered my chair, helped me back into it, then took a seat at our table. “And I'm actually fucking here to look for you,” he smiled at his use of my foul language. “We are pursuing the same prey, yet again.”

  “You're still after Uisdean,” I flashed a look around the pub and saw several curious eyes focused on us.

  We must have been an unusual sight, even for a tourist tavern. Killian and I were both Irish, but obviously American, while Zhayu was an unusual Asian. Not only were the bright eyes unique, but his build was more muscled than your average Chinese man's, and he was also much taller. Not Yao Ming tall, but tall. And then there was his long, black braid, hanging down the back of his ocean blue leather jacket, nearly to his feet. Yes, we were a strange group.

  “Strange,” I murmured as I remembered Anu's words.

  “What's that, Princess?” Zhayu asked.

  “Something Anu said to me,” I peered at Zhayu thoughtfully. “That I should look for aid in strange places.”

  “Yes, I heard you'd made contact with the God of the humans,” Zhayu mused. “It seems you have an affinity for the divine.”

  “Do you want to maybe introduce me to your friend?” Killian interrupted.

  “Oh!” I blinked at Killian. “Sorry, Kill.” That was my new nickname for him. Since he hadn't been wearing his balaclava, I'd had to come up with something to replace Skeletor, and “Kill” seemed to annoy him just enough to be amusing. “This is King Zhayu Sin-Eater. Your Majesty,” I nodded to Zhayu, “this is Killian Blair, he's a witch from a newly discovered tribe, the Casters.”

  “Yes, I've heard of you, Mr. Blair,” Zhayu extended an elegant hand to Killian. They shook.

  “You've heard of me?” Killian lifted a brow.

  “My people are exceptional spies,” Zhayu smiled. “They bring me all sorts of interesting stories. Like where our favorite ex-monarch was last seen.”

  “We've heard of a few sightings ourselves,” Killian huffed, “but nothing has panned out.”

  “My information is, as the humans say, solid,” Zhayu smiled, showcasing his sharp teeth. “And I've also heard that you can see images when you hold objects, Mr. Blair. You can see the people who have touched them previously, and possibly hear their thoughts.”

  “Yeah, I can do that,” Killian agreed. “So what?”

  “We also have a brother-sister team with the talent,” I offered Zhayu. “Do you have items that Uisdean held?”

  “I do,” Zhayu smiled smugly. “But I'll only allow you to hold them on one condition.”

  “Name it,” Killian said, but I held up my hand.

  “What condition, King Zhayu?” I asked.

  “That you bring us with you, when you hunt the traitor,” Zhayu's eyes narrowed. “We won't demand exclusivity to the kill, but we will demand a fair chance at it.”

  “You need to make the kill,” Killian said to me, instantly making a mockery of his earlier blind compliance.

  “Why must she?” Zhayu lifted a delicate, ebony brow.

  “Anu has asked for Uisdean's life as a sacrifice to be made to him by Seren personally,” Killian went on as I glowered at him. He blinked at me in surprise. “What?”

  “Maybe I didn't want that information bandied about, Blair,” I growled.

  “You can trust me, Princess,” Zhayu purred. “You know I've admired you from day one.”

  “You tried to kill me, Zhayu,” I huffed.

  “That was to save my kingdom,” he waved a negligent hand. “It was nothing personal, and it wasn't even my idea... completely.”

  “Yes, we've been through this,” I rolled my eyes. “I still don't trust you.”

  Zhayu settled into a stillness that I'd only seen dragons achieve. It was a predatory placidity, completely contrary to what was actually happening inside his head. His eyes were the only thing to move, narrowing slightly as they considered me. It was all I could do not to fidget. Finally, Zhayu took a deep breath and nodded.

  “Alright, Princess,” Zhayu's voice was deeper than normal, a throaty growl which was closer to his dragon voice than his fairy one. “My court has decided that a friendship with you would be in our best interests. I have been tasked with establishing that friendship. In light of that, and your bargain with a god, I will gift you the kill we've all been desiring. You may deliver Uisdean's death blow.”

  “But?” I lifted a brow and he chuckled.

  “But only after we have our satisfaction,” Zhayu added. “I promise that we shall deliver him into your hands alive. Mostly.”

  I didn't condone torture, and the pit of my stomach lurched at the thought of Uisdean suffering right before my eyes. But he had killed my mother, and now, my father. Uisdean had even tried to kill me, and have me raped by my own cousin. He probably deserved whatever the dragons gave him. I swallowed down the bitter taste in my mouth. No amount of reasoning could make me okay with torture. But compromises were sometimes necessary. And honestly, I don't think I could have stopped the dragons, had I tried.

  “So be it,” I held out my hand.

  But instead of shaking on our agreement, Zhayu put something into my palm, folding my hand over it. I looked down and nearly dropped it. It wa
s a finger.

  “Is this Uisdean's finger?” I whispered as I surreptitiously wrapped it in a napkin.

  I mean, come on! You don't just hand someone a bare, dismembered finger. That's not sanitary. At least put it in a Ziploc or something. Damn dragons.

  “No, it's not Uisdean's,” Zhayu grimaced. “If only. This finger belonged to a man Uisdean was using for protection. The human created a diversion which allowed Uisdean to escape us.”

  “You actually found Uisdean?” Killian was amazed.

  “He got away?” I was even more amazed by that.

  “Uisdean Thorn is a slick fairy,” Zhayu's expression went even more sour. “And we've lost his trail again. Do you think you can read the item?” Zhayu asked Killian.

  “Give me the finger,” Killian held his hand out to me.

  I couldn't resist. I was too drunk. I lifted my hand and shot him the bird. Killian blinked, tried to look angry, and then burst out into laughter. Zhayu scowled at us until we explained the gesture, then he laughed a little too. The sea dragon actually had a fairly good sense of humor. But then Zhayu demanded that I indeed give Killian the finger.

  “Not here, guys,” I shook my head. “We need to get this back to the Council House and let the twins have a try too.”

  “The High Fairy Council House,” Zhayu mused. “It would be our pleasure to join you.”

  “You keep saying 'our',” Killian noted. “Is that like the 'royal we' thing or are there more of you here?”

  “Take a look around,” Zhayu gestured to the room. “A true look.”

  I peered around with my psychic senses and gasped. The room was full of glamoured sea fey. All those patrons who had been staring at us earlier? They hadn't been doing so because we looked strange. They'd been watching over their king. Well, one of their kings. I was pretty sure there were a couple of other kings in the room, and possibly one queen. But with their glamours in place, I could only see their fairy auras. Big, bright, and belligerent auras.

  “We're fucking surrounded,” Killian said in an impressed tone. “Well done, Sea King. You managed to sneak up on two experienced soldiers.”