Page 13

Arianna

Rion settled with his back against a tree and Cara carried a chair over for Sive to settle in. The female with Conall had fetched some ink and Sive was now working on drawing lines across Rion’s arms. Arianna wasn’t sure she liked the woman putting anything on her mate that might alter his mind, but after seeing what he’d done …

Arianna eyed the wreckage surrounding them. Rion had shattered four of the chairs and the table was left as nothing more than tiny fragments scattered across the broken ground. Loose particles of dirt littered the area like a coating of fresh snow.

She gently tugged on the bond again. Rion glanced up, but it was only to ensure she was safe before he looked away again.

Her mate was suffering. Drowning. He had been for weeks and now he’d finally gone over the edge.

“How are you doing?” Cara asked, kneeling in front of her.

Arianna stared at the female and bit back the tears trying to claw their way up her throat. Arianna just shook her head, then Cara handed her a glass of water.

“I can have another come to work on your wounds if you like, it might help ease the pain.” Arianna caught the slight way Rion’s head lifted at that.

“I’m not sure that would be a good idea.” She’d been so eager for answers that she hadn’t even bothered to consider how her mate would handle it. He’d seemed okay, if a little agitated, but he’d also asked her to stay. He’d been on edge already and she’d shoved him off that tottering cliff.

“What is she doing exactly?” Arianna asked, watching as Sive painted markings across her mate’s forearm. She still couldn’t believe Rion was allowing someone else to touch him.

Cara settled on the grass beside her. “They’re runes. Weavers pull magic from the earth and weave them through those symbols to hold their power in place. It’s an ancient language of sorts, said to have been developed by those who learned it from the gods themselves.” Cara crossed her legs. “The histories in the northern continent are even more complicated than here.”

“They wouldn’t be complicated if it weren’t for Niall.”

“Niall is a monster, but his father is far worse. He’s the one to really blame for the state of the world.”

Arianna glanced around. “Where is Conall?”

“Inside. Sive felt it was probably best for him to give Rion some space until she’s finished.”

Arianna glanced down to her wrists and the faint scars there. “He set you free?”

Cara looked at her then and offered a small smile. “He did. Myself and my family.” Cara paused. “It was … frightening at the time. He had a brutal reputation even then. But when he offered me a chance at freedom, well…” her gaze drifted to Arianna’s wrists. “I’m sure you understand.”

Arianna rubbed at one of her scars. Memories flooded back, reminding her of all the death, the whips, the wishing she could be anywhere else.

Arianna ran her hands over her pants, fiddling with a loose strand in the garment. “You said you spoke to my mother?”

Cara smiled at the memory. “I remember walking toward the bridge at the northern gate. There were warriors guarding the entrance. We weren’t sure what to do when we saw them. We just stood there, staring until one ran off. Lady Lillian arrived within minutes. Honestly, we all nearly ran, but she promised we’d be safe. That night, we were all cleaned up and went to bed with full stomachs. She helped us settle in. Some decided to pursue an education while others took up a long loved craft.”

“And you?”

“I opened a tea shop.”

“Which one?”

“It’s near the river in the western district. My son told me it received some damage during the raid from Fiadh, but otherwise it’s doing well.”

Arianna’s eyes went wide. “The Gilded Leaf?”

“You’ve visited?”

“It’s my sister’s favorite place.” Arianna’s voice lowered. “She loves the western district. Claims it has more taste than the eastern side.” A weight settled in her chest. She wanted nothing more than to take her sister there again. See her smile.

Cara rested her hand on Arianna’s knee. “You’ll see her again soon.”

Arianna paused. “What do you mean?” She hadn’t mentioned anything about her sister yet.

“Conall wants to help you find her.” At that, Arianna saw Rion’s head lift. “He wanted to be the one to tell you himself but given the situation—” She met Rion’s gaze and Arianna saw a flicker of hope there. “He intends to raid Ashling and release the prisoners, your sister included.”

“Don’t give her false hope.” Arianna turned to find Conall standing in the doorway. Her gaze darted to Rion, but her mate remained still. She sensed uncertainty down the bond but no hostility. Conall seated himself on the first step and folded his hands together.

“You can save her?” Arianna asked.

“Maybe. We’ve infiltrated Ashling before and have stolen a few of their prisoners. But we haven’t dared to enter the upper levels.”

“But you said you would,” Cara pressed.

“For The Divine, without hesitation. But it won’t be an easy feat. Lady Evelyn is likely kept in the upper levels. We’d need nothing short of a miracle to find her without alerting the High Lord himself and if we do it, it’ll likely trigger him to act against the entire continent. He’s already hell bent on revenge as it is. Rescuing her means this will be our last chance to grab the others and any information within his stronghold.”

“You think it’ll push him to war?”

“I know it will.” He shifted, pushing one foot out in front of him to stretch the joint. “He knows about us. He’s known since the beginning.”

“And you’ve been the leader from the start?”

“No, no. I’ve had several predecessors. It’s the group that has survived through the centuries and preserved it’s original ideals.”

“Which are?” Arianna turned to find Rion standing on the other side of the wreckage. He glanced at her, his eyes full of shame and questioning. Arianna let her gaze drift to the markings along his arms.

Sive still sat in the chair behind him, her partner tending to her. Arianna wondered if weaving the magic was taxing on her body or if her discomfort was simply due to sitting in one place for too long.

Rion started toward the far side of the area, but Arianna tugged on the bond, beckoning him closer. He obeyed and settled in the grass across from Cara. The female smiled at him, then Conall continued. “We want to bring down the High Lord and set the continent free.”

“But why is he doing this at all? What’s the point?”

Conall clasped his hands together. “Did Niall ever tell you the previous Divine’s story?”

“He told us she lost her mate then basically went mad.”

“He told you the truth. The part that he omitted was that she had a previous lover.”

Arianna’s lips parted. It couldn’t be. That was impossible. Improbable.

“But she lived so long ago.”

“Approximately ten thousand years have passed. In his anger, the High Lord convinced himself the mating bond was nothing more than an invisible set of shackles. He believed the female he loved, The Divine, was forcefully taken from him. Due to those beliefs, he’s set out to discover how to break an already formed bond. He’s failed at every turn and now believes you might be the key to unlocking an answer he’s sought for centuries.”

“Then why the whole fiasco at the royal city?” she asked. “What was the point in trying to convince the world that Niall was really my mate?”

“To maintain the story he’s written. I can’t say what was going through his head at the time, nor what he might have been doing in the shadows, but my guess is that he had to make the story play out, if only for a little while.”

Conall looked at Rion. “And he might have been enjoying the pain it put you through. He holds a very deep grudge toward the previous King. So much so that he made a point to kill all the ones that followed.”

“So what made me different?” Rion asked.

Conall shrugged. “What indeed. My only guess is that you escaped a few of his attempts. Or maybe he uncovered the same information we did and finally realized you needed to live in order for The Divine to be born.”

“Why not kill me afterward? Why take me prisoner?”

“That was Niall, not his father. Our sources tell us that Niall isn’t privy to all his father’s plans. At least he wasn’t. It could be different now that the royal city has fallen.”

Arianna rubbed her temples, trying to process the information. It all seemed so far-fetched. Like they were inside some messed-up, fevered dream.

The door opened behind Conall and his female companion smiled at them, a little unsure as she stood there with another tray. “I thought I’d bring you all a few more refreshments.”

Cara stood to retrieve them. She set the tray in the grass and poured their tea before passing a mug to everyone. She handed Arianna a soft cookie, then placed the tray before Rion. “Eat something, it’ll make you feel better.”

Arianna took a small bite. The sweet sugary flavor burst across her tongue and she inhaled the rest of it, earning a smile from Conall’s partner before she sat beside him.

Rion finally took one and bit into it.

“If there’s anything else you’d like—” The female trailed off.

“Get them both some food.” Arianna turned to find Sive standing behind them, moving closer to sit in one of the cushioned chairs that hadn’t been destroyed. “They need the nourishment.”

The female disappeared inside again. A beat of silence filled the space.

“I apologize,” Rion finally said, his gaze locked on the ground. “For my outburst.”

“No, I apologize,” Conall countered. “Sive warned me to choose my words carefully. I didn’t mean to spring on the fact that your mo—” Sive cleared her throat and Conall stopped speaking. His jaw worked. “She’s okay, by the way. She wasn’t injured during the attack. Neither was your sister.”

Rion glanced up, a spark of disbelieving hope in his eyes.

“How do you know?” Arianna asked.

“We’re able to send small messages with the runes.”

“Is my father okay too?”

Conall nodded again. “The High Lord only suffered minor injuries. Nothing to be concerned over. We’ll have more information once your companions arrive.”

The female emerged from the cabin, carrying a tray with two steaming bowls. Arianna’s mouth watered from the hearty aroma. Cara stood once again and took the tray. She carefully held one bowl and offered it to Rion. He hesitated before taking it. Cara lifted the tray with the remaining bowl and balanced it in Arianna’s lap.

Blocks of cut cheese sat to one side of the tray while crackers were neatly piled on the other.

Arianna felt Rion’s uncertainty down the bond. Cara looked between them. “I can try it first if you’d like.”

“It’s okay,” Arianna said. She spooned some of the broth and sipped on it, letting the flavors explode across her tongue. A moment later, Rion did the same.

“It’s wonderful.” Arianna said. “Thank you.”

Conall shifted again and slipped the iron bracelet back on. The female settled down next to him.

Arianna’s brows knitted. “Why are you wearing iron?”

“It was customary in past days to wear iron in the presence of royalty. It was a sign of complete submission.”

If their current situation were different, Arianna wasn’t sure she’d like the idea but given that they still didn’t know much about these people, she found the gesture … appreciated.

“You said my mother was involved. How?”

Conall peered over them all to Sive. “Are you sure?” Sive asked. “We can discuss her at a later time.”

“I’m sure.” Arianna studied her mate. He was calmer now than he’d been since they woke. She stared at the lines on his arm, wondering what kind of long-term effects they might have on him.

“Eimear found us shortly after she married your father,” Sive said. “It was then that she adopted a facade that made the High Lord believe she was under his control. It was clear he kept careful tabs on her, therefore she had to tread with utmost caution when it came to this group. We’ve moved over the centuries, adopting one refuge after another. Eimear claimed we’d be safe here for a long while and we’d know when it was time to move. I’m starting to think she was referring to your arrival.”

“Does this High Lord have a name?” Cara asked. “Or are we just going to keep referring to him by a title he doesn’t deserve?”

“Vairik,” Sive said. “And the previous Divine’s name was Laoise.”

“Do you think he followed us here?” Arianna asked, fear suddenly pulsing through her anew. She could barely move, if she had to run—

“I think we’d already know if he had, however, I doubt it will take him long to figure it out.” Sive’s gaze drifted to Rion. “He’s always possessed an uncanny ability to locate those who came before you.”

Rion swallowed hard. “You mentioned how she’d been captured …” He trailed off again.

Sive’s face fell. “Her actions were ones that any mother would take for her child.” Sive’s hand moved over her stomach. “Eimear received her first vision of who you’d become when you were only three years old. We actually celebrated for an entire week, though she could only stay for a few hours. She’d even brought you along, though I’m certain you were too young to recall such an event.”

“She drug a child across the continent?” Arianna asked.

Sive shook her head. “We were closer to Nàdair back then. I think there was a lake house nearby.” Rion perked at that. “Her visions … changed after a time, as if they were being manipulated by an unseen force. She grew frantic and honestly believed those from Ashling had figured out a way to manipulate her visions. She consulted with Conall’s predecessor for years on what might be done. She considered putting you under his care, but the visions would shift again and they weren’t … pleasant to say the least.

“We were forced to move away from Nàdair and went south for a time before relocating to Móirín and finally here. There were less permanent dwellings along the way.”

“So what happened? If she knew how Rion’s life would turn out, why didn’t she change it?” Cara asked.

“We believe she tried,” Sive said. “The very night she vanished. She wouldn’t tell Conall’s predecessor exactly what she had planned for fear of the outcome changing again. From what we’ve pieced together, Eimear was on her way to Ashling. Our only guess is that the attack on Nàdair turned her around. Somehow, she was captured before she ever made it back.”

“But wouldn’t she have seen them coming?” Arianna asked.

“A seer’s visions are not something they can call upon whenever they wish. They can focus and try to listen for whispers but they’re not always found. Eimear’s gifts were strong, even for a seer, it’s why she wore iron so often, otherwise they’d render her unable to function in daily life.”

“So you knew her personally,” Rion said.

Sive nodded. “I would love the opportunity to speak with her again. Perhaps help her if your family permits.”

Rion glanced down at his arm but Arianna said, “Wouldn’t that make you over a century old?”

“Five centuries actually.”

Arianna’s eyes widened. Five centuries. That was five times the age of Rion. Nearly half the age of her father. She was a mere—

Shouting echoed from behind and Arianna turned to find a group of Fae emerge through the trees. No—not emerge. They blinked into existence, popping into her reality one at a time.

Metal slid free from its sheath then a familiar face had a male pressed against a tree with a blade to their throat.

Conall jumped to his feet and slid the iron bracelet off, letting it fall into the grass. Arianna hardly noticed. She cared for little else when she’d spotted that familiar hair.

Talon. Talon was here. He was alive. And just like with every other time in her life—he’d found her.