Queen of Wands (The Tree of Ages Series Book 4)

by Sara C. Roethle

  “You can’t do that!” Sage blurted. “You cannot give us a taste of freedom, only to force us back into hiding.”

  “Now is not the time!” Maarav growled. The little pests must have been eavesdropping outside the door.

  “Maarav,” Ealasaid interrupted.

  He turned his gaze to her.

  “Let them speak,” she said softly.

  “It’s not your fault that so many died,” Sage said, not waiting for further permission. “It’s because of you that so many of us were strong enough to survive. Most of us hid our magic, never using it, but with your help we have grown so much stronger. I know, even now, we can continue to grow.”

  Ealasaid shook her head. “Then you will do it without me. You don’t need me to band you together.”

  “And the next time the Faie Queen attacks?” he questioned. “Will you not be here to face her?”

  Maarav watched as Ealasaid bit her lip. Was she truly reconsidering? Did he even want her to? Running away didn’t sound half bad, but he knew she’d regret it.

  After a moment of thought, she shook her head. “She attacked us because of me. She may have retreated for now, but she will come for me again. Everyone is safer without me.”

  The woman who’d entered with Sage stepped forward. Her simple clothes were just as stained and bloody as his, and her long red hair matted. Clearly she’d taken part in the battle.

  “Permission to speak, my lady,” she muttered, eyes downcast.

  Ealasaid nodded. “Go on.”

  The woman finally raised her gaze. “Lady Slàine told us of the prophecy, of the importance of standing against the Faie Queen. I’m not here to fight for myself, or to be able to use my magic freely. I’m fighting to protect my family. To protect everyone. If you are capable of standing against the Faie, I will gladly give my life to support you.”

  Ealasaid seemed at a complete loss, and Maarav believed he knew her well enough to guess exactly what she was thinking. Without her, some of the mages might be saved, but so many others might die. Oighear was not likely to relent.

  “Give her some time to consider your words,” Maarav said softly.

  Sage turned toward him, then nodded. He took the woman’s hand. “Let us go. We’ve done all that we can.”

  With that, they both exited the room, leaving Maarav and Ealasaid alone once more.

  He walked across the room to pointedly lock the door, then resumed his seat on the edge of her bed.

  Ealasaid buried her face in her hands. “I don’t know what to do,” she groaned. “I try to lead, to do the right thing, but I only bring death and ruin.” She dropped her hands to the bed and stared at him. “What do you think I should do?”

  He smiled softly. “I would have you do whatever it took to save us, and to the Horned One with everyone else,” he chuckled, “but you are a much better person than I, and braver than I could ever hope to be. The best person to make this choice, is you.”

  She sighed. “If you are as cowardly and selfish as you claim, why are you still here? Now that we know the Faie Queen came for me, the safest place for you is far from my side.”

  His smile broadened. “My girl, you faced the Faie Queen and lived to tell the tale. The only other person who has done that is Finn. The safest place for me, is close to one of you.”

  Finally she smiled, ever so slightly. “Then why not remain with Finn and Iseult?”

  He laughed and raked his fingers through his dirty black hair. “Finn may be strong, and Iseult may be my kin, but neither of them are any fun.”

  She smirked. “So is that it then? You’ve remained by my side because you want me to protect you?”

  He leaned forward, putting his face near hers. “No,” he whispered. “You’re also pretty cute, especially when you’re angry.” He lingered just a hair’s-breadth from her lips, then pulled away.

  She scowled at him. “You’re infuriating.”

  “I know,” he replied, glad to have cheered her, if only temporarily.

  She sighed, suddenly serious. “I truly don’t know if I have it in me to face Oighear again. Part of me feels like we should find Finn. Together, we might stand a chance against her.”

  He shook his head and leaned back. “We don’t know where Finn is, and we cannot waste the time it would take to find her.”

  “So I continue risking the lives of the magic users . . . the ones that remain?” she questioned. “I’m not sure if I can do that.”

  He smiled. She was so very different from him. So pure of heart. He wasn’t sure how she managed it after what had happened to her, and what she’d now learned about her family.

  “Where is the Ealasaid driven by vengeance?” he questioned. “You were obsessed when your target was nameless soldiers. Now your target has a face.”

  She shrugged, looking utterly miserable. “I suppose I’ve finally realized that it means nothing to fight for the dead. Only the living care about being saved.”

  He leaned forward and brushed a finger beneath her jaw, raising her chin. “So save them, and let them save you in return.”

  She took a deep, shuddering breath. “I suppose it’s too late to turn back either way, though I do still wish we could find Finn and the others.”

  He shook his head. “If I know anything about my brother and Finnur, they’ve already found battles of their own. Battles with even greater odds stacked against them, and even greater foes than the Aos Sí.”

  Ealasaid smiled, though it remained small and pained. “I suppose you’re right, and I imagine neither of them are lying in a fluffy bed right now.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her. “You nearly froze to death.”

  She stared him down until he finally rose and offered her his hand. “I’ve felt worse,” she quipped as he pulled her to her feet, then had to support her lest she fall.

  “In that case,” he began as he helped her toward the door, “the night is young. Let us see if Lady Sìoda can top freezing half to death.”

  Ealasaid snorted. “I’d rather face Oighear. Bring me to Keiren instead. I have to thank her for holding up her end of the bargain.”

  “You’re beginning to trust her,” he commented, holding her up with an arm around her lower back as they emerged into the hall.

  “Now now,” she replied. “If you assassins have taught me anything, it’s to trust no one, not even friends.”

  “That’s my girl,” he joked, as they made slow progress down the hall. “Soon enough you’ll be as ruthless as Slàine and I combined.”

  She snorted. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  He chuckled, hiding the sudden lurch in his gut. He could admit, if only to himself, that he was afraid of such a fate too. Truly, he didn’t want her to change, but he wanted her to survive even more, and sacrifices needed to be made.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Anna hurried down from the stone roof of the dilapidated fortress, carefully treading across the wet surface. Reaching the edge, she slipped down, dangling from her fingertips, then dropped onto the lower parapet. Glancing both ways, she turned and hurried toward the nearest entrance. The heavy door was braced open against the interior door, like many of the entrances, in an effort to air out the must. She began to hurry in, almost running into Iseult as he emerged.

  “The Dearg Due are coming,” he said simply, barely glancing at her, then as he continued past added, “be ready to fight by nightfall.”

  She cursed under her breath, watching his back as he strode confidently away. She should have just stayed on the roof in the peace and quiet, away from the Faie.

  Naoki came darting out of the chamber a moment later, nearly barreling into her. Before she could even react, the dragon looked both ways, then scurried after Iseult.

  With a sigh, Anna entered the now empty chamber, thinking about what she’d heard of the Dearg Due. With a shudder, she instinctively glanced about the massive chamber for anything threatening. Nothing apparent, she hurried across the stone
floor, her boots yielding a slight echo around the barren space, and into the hall. Glancing into the empty chambers along the way, she eventually reached the stairs and quickly descended. She emerged into the main entry chamber, where she found Kai sitting on the floor, readying his weapons.

  His features slackened in relief as he spotted her. “There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you. One of the Pixies sighted a band of Dearg Due and other Faie heading this way last night. They’re likely hiding from the sun now, but will reach us come nightfall. We must prepare.”

  She looked him up and down, wondering if he truly was alright after his lengthy encounter with the frightening Dark Faie. “And what are we supposed to do to prepare? Not even the few Aos Sí we have can stand against them. It will be up to blasted Finn to save us. At least she’s not unconscious this time.”

  He sighed. “Finn and the other Faie. Many have gathered outside the gates, ready to fight for their new queen.”

  She scowled, then strode across the room. “Pixies and Trow,” she scoffed, “and other small furry creatures. I can’t imagine they’ll be of much use.”

  Kai trotted after her, following her outside. “Well they blasted better be,” he muttered, “else we’re cooked.”

  She stopped in the soggy grass and gazed out toward the broken gates, now obscured with freshly rooted trees. No, not trees, Trow. She peered around the courtyard for Eywen, hoping he hadn’t trapped himself outside the walls.

  Her shoulders slumped in relief as the Trow parted enough to readmit him to the courtyard, though she quickly stiffened them, internally chastising herself for worrying about one of the Faie. Ewyen had saved her life, and her concern was generated from gratitude. At least, that’s what she told herself.

  She glared at Kai who was watching her curiously, then approached the Aos Sí warrior. “How much time do we have? Are you sure they won’t travel until dark?”

  Eywen nodded. “They won’t travel until dark, and were roughly three hours away when spotted last night, at least according to the Pixies. The Goblins do not travel as swiftly as the Dearg Due, but that’s not to say the latter will not leave the former behind. Although, we do not know for sure that they intend to attack.”

  “They attacked us last time,” Kai scoffed, “I do not see why they’d do any different now.”

  Eywen nodded his agreement, his pale face creased with worry.

  Anna agreed too. Even if the Dearg Due did not attack, she had no intention of letting them get close enough to speak. “What is our plan?” she asked.

  Eywen glanced toward the Trow, having closed the opening they’d made for him. “The Faie will be our first line of defense,” he explained. “Finnur will attempt to use her magic from atop the outer wall . . . though she seems unsure.”

  Anna smirked, knowing Finn’s magic was unpredictable at best. “And what are the rest of us to do?”

  Eywen glanced between her and Kai, his deep blue eyes calculating. “Nothing,” he decided. “If I had more of my men, we might be able to launch an organized attack. As it is, we will defend Finnur in the event the Dark Faie breach the fortress walls. You may both join in that defense if it pleases you, though our fates may be all but sealed by then.”

  “That’s what I had planned to do regardless,” Kai replied, eliciting an eye roll from Anna.

  “Someone approaching the wall!” one of the Aos Sí shouted from the nearby parapet.

  “I thought you said we had a while,” Anna hissed.

  Eywen nodded, his gaze on the other Aos Sí far above them. “I did.”

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Bedelia questioned, leading her horse toward the distant fortress.

  “She’s in there,” Àed muttered, “and the Faie are gathered ‘round. She might need our help.”

  Bedelia bit her lip, tugging her horse along as it tried to grasp at tufts of grass. She strained her eyes, peering around the outskirts of the fortress. She could see movement, but it was if her eyes could not quite train on anything. Yet if Àed claimed there were Faie around, she believed him. “You could be sensing the Aos Sí as well,” she whispered. “They were with us when we were attacked.”

  Àed ignored her, muttering something about Pooks and Pixies.

  She barely heard him as she spotted a humanoid figure approaching them. “Eywen,” she breathed in relief, undeniably happy to recognize the friendly Aos Sí.

  He wore a plain burgundy tunic and dark breeches instead of his strange armor, and his silken hair was pulled back from his face, showcasing his pointed ears. He stopped a few paces away, eyeing both of them skeptically.

  He took another step closer, looking Bedelia up and down, then gazing directly into her eyes. “Were you bitten?” he questioned.

  Suddenly she realized the cause for his suspicion. He was worried that she might be infected like Sativola had been. At the thought, she fought back a sudden wave of emotion.

  “My bite was cleansed,” she explained. “And this is Àed,” she gestured to the grumpy old man beside her.

  Eywen eyed them both for a moment more, as if debating whether or not they’d be allowed to advance.

  She was about to argue with him, then spotted Kai and Anna approaching behind him.

  “My eyes must be deceiving me!” Kai called out. “Did you somehow make it to Àed’s hidden prison and back while we’ve been here counting our fingers and toes?”

  Bedelia smiled, cast a wary glare at Eywen, then gave him a wide berth as she moved past him toward Kai and Anna. “He wasn’t as far off as we’d thought,” she explained.

  “She found me in the swamps,” Àed loudly interjected, “not in a dungeon. We got to speakin’ and realized we were searchin’ for the same people.”

  Bedelia quickly schooled her expression to hide her surprise. “Y-yes,” she stammered. “I woke up in the marshes after the attack. Àed found me there.”

  “How did you cleanse your bite?” Eywen asked skeptically, slinking up beside her. “There’s not much fresh running water in the marshes.”

  Anna, quiet until then, looked her up and down. “She’s fine,” she decided. “We should all get back inside the walls before the Faie attack.”

  “Attack?” Bedelia questioned, a sudden sick feeling in her gut.

  Eywen nodded, trusting Anna spoke true about Bedelia not being infected. “You are right,” he agreed, ignoring Bedelia’s question. “She does not seem to be transforming, and she would be by now. We can continue this conversation from within the fortress walls.”

  Eywen turned to lead the way.

  Àed and Bedelia began to walk, tugging their horses behind them. Anna moved along beside Bedelia as Kai sidled up to Àed. “You know,” Kai whispered conspiratorially, “we were planning on rescuing you.”

  Àed snorted, though Bedelia didn’t miss his wry grin. He and Kai were clearly on decent terms. “Ye better focus on rescuing yerself lad, if the Faie are comin’ to attack.”

  Anna nodded, then turned toward Bedelia. “Yes, you could not have chosen a worse time to return.”

  “We’re sorry for the imposition,” Bedelia explained.

  Anna shook her head. “Not for us, for you. We may all be dead come nightfall, and if not, we’ll likely starve not long after.”

  Bedelia startled as the trees barring the entrance began to move, forming a path just wide enough for them to walk single file. She cautiously watched Anna’s back as she went through the path first. She and Kai had been closer to Sativola than the others, yet neither had yet asked about him.

  Of course, they weren’t yet aware that she and Sativola had ended up in the same place. Should she even tell them? Eywen already seemed suspicious of her, and she didn’t want to explain why she’d had to kill their friend.

  Of course, Iseult might see through any lies she tried to tell regardless, and she would entirely lose his trust, and Finn’s too.

  She knew she should be worrying about the upcoming attack, but it simpl
y wasn’t her primary concern. Her fear of the Faie had been replaced by another fear, the fear of losing her friends. Now that she knew how true friendship felt, she’d rather die than go back to how things were, long before she met the strange tree girl in the woods.

  Iseult could hardly believe his eyes as Eywen, Kai, and Anna re-entered the fortress grounds, with Bedelia and Àed tugging along their horses. Truly, he hadn’t expected to see either of their missing party members again.

  Finn exited the fortress beside him, catching sight of Àed and Bedelia a moment later.

  “How can this be?” she muttered, stunned.

  Iseult walked by her side as she approached the group, their boots squishing on the soggy ground. He felt just as stunned as Finn . . . and suspicious. How had Àed and Bedelia ended up together? Had Bedelia come in contact with Keiren?

  Reaching them, Finn gave Bedelia a fierce hug, muttering, “So glad you are safe.” She pulled away and turned her astonished gaze down to Àed, who was looking about one hundred years older than he had before. Both of them stared at each other at a seeming loss for words.

  “Ah stop lookin’ at me like I’m somethin’ special,” Àed said finally, waving Finn off.

  She laughed, then threw her arms around him. “I see you decided not to wait around for me to save you. How did you escape?”

  He patted her back, then pulled away. “That’s a tale fer another time. I hear ye have Dark Faie headin’ our way.” He eyed Eywen askance, then took a step further away from him.

  “Yes,” Iseult confirmed, glad to be back to the task at hand. Their reunion wouldn’t matter if they soon perished. “The Faie will hold the outer gates,” he explained. “We will attack from atop the fortress wall, if we are able, then retreat should Finn’s Faie fail.”

  “I have a bow,” Bedelia interjected, “ . . . but only a single quiver of arrows,” she added bashfully.

  “A few of my men can supply you with more,” Eywen offered, then gestured for her to follow.

  She accepted and followed him away, though she glanced over her shoulder longingly at those left behind. Another of the Aos Sí came and took the two horses to the roughly assembled stables where Loinnir waited with Eywen’s horse.