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
Kai 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 Ealasaid,” 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.”