Finn gasped in surprise as she noticed Naoki. She crouched down, then lifted the dragon up in a loving embrace. She pulled the binding from her beak, and stroked the dragon’s head to quiet its high pitched keening.
As the dragon quieted, Finn looked to Kai with a warm, open grin lighting up her bruised and bloody face, streaked by the tears pouring from her eyes. The shroud remained in her left hand where it clutched Naoki, all but forgotten.
Iseult nearly staggered, so relieved to see Finn as he knew her to be. Her smile for Kai hinted she had not been changed by her memories. She had not become like the other Cavari, but . . . would she have the same smile for him?
Kai knelt beside Oighear and placed two fingers at her throat, checking for her heartbeat. “Dead,” he announced as he rose away from the corpse.
Finn smiled sadly at Kai. “It appears you were the ones to find me after all,” she mused. She turned her smile to Iseult as he reached her. She removed one hand from Naoki to reach up and cradle his bloody cheek. “You’ll always find me, won’t you?”
“Always,” he rasped, barely able to speak.
Observing his chains, and those on Bedelia, who was attempting to climb to her feet back where Iseult started, Finn turned to the silently waiting Aos Sí. “Remove their chains,” she ordered.
“Yes, my queen,” they said in unison. They stood, and two warriors branched off from the group, jogging toward their milling horses for the keys.
Soon enough, Iseult and Bedelia were both free, and the Aos Sí all knelt around Oighear’s corpse, muttering in awe. They had likely thought their queen invincible. Iseult had almost agreed with them, before Kai and Finn had proven the notion incorrect.
The sun revealed itself fully, wiping away the last of Oighear’s snow and hail. Finn set Naoki on the ground to bounce around happily, then turned back to Iseult, her expression suddenly crumbling. “I remember everything,” she breathed.
He couldn’t imagine what she was feeling, remembering the death of her child. Overcome with emotion, he pulled her into an embrace, feeling her body tremble, and her tears wet on his shoulder. His embrace tightened, even in his weakened state. He longed to relieve her pain. He felt her arms slip around his lower back, with the shroud yet clutched in one hand. He soaked in her touch, easing the fear in his heart.
After a few moments she seemed to compose herself and pulled away. He reluctantly released her, then watched as she turned her attention to Bedelia, standing a few paces away.
At the loss of her touch, his shoulders slumped in an odd mixture of relief and sadness. He knew Finn needed her memories, but he had desperately wished she would not have to feel the pain of losing her child again.
While Finn fussed over Bedelia’s injuries, Kai looked Iseult up and down with a wry grin. “It’s killing you, isn’t it?”
Iseult glared at him. “What?”
“That I was the one to save the day instead of you.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Had he the energy, Iseult would have punched him.
Bedelia gave Finn a million assurances that she would be fine, and finally, Finn walked a few steps toward Iseult and held out the shroud, still clutched in her left hand.
He found it odd, finally seeing it. After all that had happened, it seemed a simple, dirty piece of fabric. He looked up from the shroud and met her gaze, wanting to ask a million different questions.
She took a step toward him and forced the shroud into his hand.
He took it reluctantly.
Her lips curved into a small smile. “I realize now, my people are the ones to blame for my daughter’s death. I will right my wrongs and fulfill my promise to you, then I will crush the Cavari.”
He smiled, then took her hand, placing the edge of the shroud back in her grip. “There will be time to discuss that later.” He glanced back at the ten Aos Sí warriors, now finished gawking at Oighear. “First, let us find an inn and a hot meal.”
“One more thing,” Kai interrupted from behind Finn. She turned as he lifted his hands to his throat, then removed a gold locket from around his neck. He held it out to her. “When you go about this Cavari crushing, perhaps go easy on your mother.”
She took the locket in her free hand. Something about it brought her tears back to the surface, and she nodded, then pulled Kai into a hug. “I would never have gotten this far without you,” she sobbed, then reached blindly back for Iseult. He went to her and took her hand. “I would never have made it without either of you.” She sniffled, then pulled away from Kai to look between them. “Thank you.”
Kai patted her shoulder, then laughed. “Don’t worry about it. I needed a good adventure.”
Iseult smirked, though it pained his face. “As did I,” he consoled. “There are no thanks necessary.”
She smiled, encompassing Bedelia in her gaze. “Where are Anna and Sativola?”
“Back in Garenoch with-” Kai cut himself off and glanced at Iseult. “Maarav and Ealasaid.”
Finn grinned even wider, making Iseult decide against the venomous comment he had in mind for Maarav. Instead, they gathered their horses and prepared to depart. Finding no quarrel with the warriors, Finn sent the Aos Sí on their way. They did not carry their Snow Queen away for burial, a testament to their true feelings for her.
Iseult was glad to let her to rot just where she lay.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
K ai was the first to notice the smoke as they approached Garenoch. Closer observation revealed funeral pyres. Many of them. With Bedelia and Iseult battered and sore, they’d taken their time on the return journey, allowing everyone to rest along the way. They’d stood no chance of returning in time to aid in the battle against the Cavari. It was long since over.
Now, the midday sun illuminated the burgh sharply. In addition to the pyres, the wide expanse of dead grass leading up to the town was interspersed with puddles of blood. There was no way of telling who had won the fight, and who had died, though the people still bustling around the streets of the distant burgh brought him a measure of comfort. Still, the amount of blood spilled was disconcerting. He needed to find Anna.
He glanced at his companions, feeling reluctant to ride ahead. Every portion of Iseult’s skin showing was black and blue. His clothes now seemed slightly too big for his hunched form. Bedelia was in much the same shape, her expression never shifting from a morose pout.
Yet, it was Finn who worried him the most. She hadn’t divulged the memories she’d regained, but he had a feeling they were dark. She’d mentioned something to Iseult about the death of her daughter. She had to mean in her previous life, but that was the first he’d heard of it.
She now wore the gold locket her mother had given him, and reached up to rub her fingers across its face every so often. Naoki was curled up in her lap, wrapped in Kai’s cloak, which he’d sacrificed to keep the dragon hidden. Though the Aos Sí had offered Finn one of their saddles and a bridle for her white horse, it didn’t seem to need any guidance from her, which was fortunate, as she didn’t seem entirely there. Her bruised hands didn’t even touch the reins.
Seeming to startle into awareness, she glanced at Kai, then followed his gaze to the pyres. “Is this because of me?” she asked distantly.
Outwardly he replied, “It’s because of the Cavari. They forced these deaths, not you.” Inwardly, however, he thought Please, oh please don’t let Anna be among the dead.
The townsfolk on the outskirts watched them warily as they approached. Fear that hadn’t been there a day before now shone in their eyes. He wondered if the Alderman was now regretting the decision to allow magic users in his burgh. Magic always brought danger, no matter who wielded it. He’d learned from experience, traveling with Finn.
He exhaled in relief as a familiar figure came into view, twin daggers at her hips. Conversing with someone hidden by a market stall, she turned and spotted their group, then waved in greeting.
Kai waved back and laughed.
“There’s Ea
lasaid,” Finn pointed with her free hand, keeping the other arm firmly around Naoki to still her. Sure enough, Ealasaid had stepped out from behind the stall to peek in the direction Anna pointed.
Iseult grunted in acknowledgement. “And Maarav.”
Feeling safe now that they’d crossed the boundary into the burgh, and anxious to hear just what had happened, Kai urged his horse to a trot. Soon enough, he reached Anna, waiting by the wide road intersecting the first rows of homes.
As he dismounted near Anna, Ealasaid and Maarav moved to surround him, along with a woman somewhere in her fifties, dressed in black, her gray hair pulled back in a tight braid. She was somewhat familiar, but Kai couldn’t quite place her.
Ealasaid opened her mouth to ask a question, but stopped as Iseult, Finn, and Bedelia reached them.
Iseult dismounted, his gaze not on his brother, but on the gray-haired woman. He put a hand on Finn’s leg to prevent her dismount. He eyed the older woman like she might bite. “Explain,” he said simply, turning his gaze to Maarav.
“We intend to,” Maarav replied, positioning himself between Iseult and the older woman, “in private. For now, you have nothing to fear from Slàine.”
Iseult narrowed his eyes at Maarav, but stepped aside so Finn could dismount. With her arms around Naoki, she swung her right leg over the saddle. Iseult put his hands on her waist, easing her down without disturbing her bundle.
Together, they led the four horses down the main road toward the inn.
After the short walk, Kai and Iseult handed their reins to the stableman. Kai held out his hand for Finn’s reins, but she seemed unsure. Clutching Naoki protectively, she turned and looked at her white horse, as if asking for permission. The animal flicked its mane from side to side, and Finn exhaled in relief. She handed her reins to Kai, who then handed them to the stablehand, along with a few coins. Bedelia passed her reins off behind them, remaining silent, as she had the entire ride from the meadow. Kai sensed something burdened her, but did not know her well enough to ask.
Soon enough, they were all inside the warm inn, sharing a table. Naoki had been left to rest in Anna’s rented room, exhausted from her long journey, perhaps longer, than any of them had endured, due to lack of proper care. The dragon seemed more than content to curl up on the floor before the fire, judging by the way she began to snore within a few short moments.
Kai wouldn’t have minded a proper room himself, but there were more pressing matters than rest, hence, his presence in the common room. They’d all had their wounds tended, and now he and Iseult sat on either side of Finn, like bookends sandwiching her to keep her in place. He knew Iseult was likely feeling the same as him, like Finn might suddenly disappear at any moment, or be taken away. They both guarded her with watchful eyes.
Across from them sat Slàine, Maarav, and Ealasaid, with Anna and Sativola positioned at the end of the table. Bedelia sat on her own at the other end. Tavish, Rae, and the other black clad assassins sat at a separate table, conversing quietly amongst themselves. Their presence made Kai uneasy, but he trusted Anna’s judgement. If she felt they were safe from the assassins, then they were.
Slàine cleared her throat, calling the impromptu meeting to order. Kai turned his gaze to her, eager for an explanation.
“We tried to stop this from happening,” she explained, her eyes intent on Iseult, as if he were the only one to whom she owed an explanation. “Not only the bloodshed that occurred outside of this town, but the bloodshed that will likely follow. As I already told Maarav, we wanted Finn not to turn her in for coin, but rather, to stop her from fulfilling her part in an ancient prophecy. We were the ones who put out the original bounty, simply as a means of finding her.” She took a deep breath. “This prophecy, passed down through generations, states that when the seasons change, growing unseasonably cold, magic will return to the land. The Faie will awaken from their long slumber, and three queens will seek the Faie Queen’s Shroud in order to rule them all. Two queens will die. One will live. And the world as we know it, will end.”
Kai shook his head in disbelief. This had all been because of a prophecy? “And you would have killed us all to prevent this prophecy from fulfilling?”
Slàine nodded. “My mother was a seer, as was her mother before her. While I lack such gifts,” the edges of her mouth turned downward bitterly, “I made a vow at my mother’s deathbed that I would continue her work. I would not allow this prophecy to come to pass, even if it meant cutting down everyone who stood in my way.”
Kai could practically feel Finn’s anxiety radiating from her small form. He turned to find her biting her lip, as if preventing the words threatening to escape.
Slàine smirked, seeming to know just what Finn was thinking. “You are one of the three queens. By birthright, you are Queen of the Dair, not just of your tribe, but of all. Oighear the White is Queen of the Aos Sí, and we do not know the name of the third queen, only that she is a magic wielding human.”
Finn nodded, and Kai’s eyes widened. Could it be true?
“Rulers among the Dair are not chosen by blood,” Finn explained, her eyes flicking from Kai, to Iseult, then back to Slàine. “We’re chosen by birth,” she continued. “I was born during a rare alignment in the stars, placing me next in line to rule, but our previous queen, Maeveen, still lived until just before I-” she hesitated. “She was killed,” she explained evenly, “and I was no longer around to take her place.”
More confused than ever, Kai watched as Finn batted at the tears forming in her eyes. Iseult placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She nodded and muttered, “I’m well, do not fret.”
Still reeling from the news, Kai turned to Slàine. “So you went after Finn instead of Oighear, not bothering to figure out the third queen’s identity?”
“We know only that she is human, and will reveal herself in time. That left us with two queens to choose from, and we knew Oighear would be difficult to reach once she resurfaced. Finn was the most practical choice.”
“And you would have killed her,” Iseult stated before Kai could, even though he’d been thinking the same thing. If Slàine wanted to prevent the prophecy at all costs, she would eventually resort to killing the three queens one by one.
Slàine shrugged. “If we had to. As you may recall, the bounty asked for her alive and unharmed. We were willing to negotiate.”
“Hmf,” Iseult replied. “I gather your presence here means you’ve reconsidered the power you hold in this situation?”
She nodded, pushing a stray lock of gray hair behind her ear. “Yes, I know I cannot stop Finnur if she chooses to move forward. I now only hope to convince her of the truth.”
Kai turned his gaze to Finn at the odd elongation of her name.
Not seeming to notice, she frowned so deeply it cut her face in half. “Well Oighear is already dead,” she admitted, “and there was no third queen there when she was killed, unless you mean Bedelia.”
All eyes turned to Bedelia, who shrunk like a black and blue flower wilting in the cold.
“Not her,” Slàine confirmed. “The third queen is a magic wielding human. Each of the queens is,” she hesitated, “or was, in Oighear’s situation, capable of ruling over all with their innate powers. No matter which queen wins, the world will change, and countless lives will be lost. Such great change cannot come about without great tragedy. It does not matter who dies first or last. It is the claiming of the shroud we’d hoped to prevent.”
Kai tensed. If that was the case . . .
“It is already done,” Finn muttered, her gaze on Slàine. “I have claimed the shroud.”
“Then it is finished,” Slàine sighed. “One of the three queens has claimed the shroud. I have failed.”
“I’ll step down,” Finn pleaded. “I was never officially acknowledged after Maeveen’s death. If I refuse to claim my birthright, then the prophecy cannot come to pass.”
Slàine shook her head. “That you are ruler by birth is all that matt
ers. It is the claiming of the shroud by a woman meant to rule that will set things in motion.”
Finn looked like she might cry. Kai took her hand and gave it a squeeze, wanting only to offer comfort.
Her tears began to fall. “It’s all my fault then. The world will end because of me.”
Kai looked to Slàine hopefully. There had to be some sort of catch. Finn would never bring about the end of days.
Slàine simply stared back at him, her gaze unwavering.
He sighed. “What will happen now?”
She shrugged. “I do not know. The prophecy ended there. Regardless, we have failed.”
Ealasaid, who had been hunched in her seat, making herself as small as possible, cleared her throat. “Forgive me, but didn’t you say that two of the three queens must die for the prophecy to come to pass? From what you’ve explained, the shroud is only the first step. If Finn and this third queen are both still alive, perhaps not all is lost.”
Slàine narrowed her eyes at her, then nodded. “Perhaps.”
Finn exhaled in relief. “I will do whatever it takes to stop anything horrible from coming to pass. I will put an end to the Cavari, and any others who might threaten this land.”
Slàine’s eyes widened, then she bowed her head. “If that is truly your will, my people will aid you. If we cannot stop this budding war from occurring, we can only hope to end it quickly.”
Kai watched, somewhat awestruck, as Finn nodded sharply. Something had changed in her demeanor. She was becoming the powerful woman she was always meant to be.
Slàine and the others continued to converse well into the evening, while Kai contented himself with a dram of whiskey, glad to at least be safe and warm with Finn by his side.
The Blood Forest (The Tree of Ages Series Book 3) Page 22