Chapter Five
Rion settled himself into the dark alcove of a nearby building and waited. He watched Nàdair’s main gate. The sentries stationed there had no idea The Demon was so close, evidenced by the one who’d snuck off and returned with a pair of steaming mugs. He hoped for their sake there was only coffee or tea inside. Stronger substances would result in them losing their positions. It was a law their father had implemented after their mother’s disappearance.
Rion’s gaze drifted to the pack he’d placed on the ground. There wasn’t much inside. A pair of clothes, a small medical kit, a vial of tea from Saoirse. The latter probably wasn’t what most would consider important, but it was small and wouldn’t do anything to weigh him down.
Rion returned his attention to the gate. He’d arrived an hour early just to see who would get there first. He wanted to study them first, even if it was only for an hour. Saoirse had been right about one thing. He’d have to constantly watch his back, otherwise he’d end up having a very bad day.
He was nothing to them. An expendable asset. He should have refused. It would have been the smart thing to do, yet Rion couldn’t convince himself to do it. He reasoned it had nothing to do with a pair of amber eyes that had looked at him as if he were a normal Fae instead of a monster.
Thirty minutes later, the triplet sisters arrived. He watched the one with short braids. She appeared to lead the other two. Perhaps she was the eldest. The most dangerous, for certain. She was a walking storm just waiting to be unleashed.
All wore black and possessed a small arsenal across their bodies, both weapons seen and unseen. Rion noticed the sentries stood straighter in their presence. None spoke and they took positions among the shadows, blending in so well that if Rion hadn’t arrived first, he might not have seen them at all.
The male with brown hair arrived next with the shorter female following close behind. The others trickled in, but again, no one talked. Probably for the best since they wanted their departure kept quiet.
Surprisingly, Selina arrived last, right on time. Rion emerged from the shadows then, letting his magic rise up to surround his body as he strode forward. Their cautious eyes flew to him. Selina offered a quick nod, did a head count, then gave the signal, and they were off.
She’d promised more information at their first checkpoint, wherever that was. Likely not too far off, given how lightly they’d packed.
Rion trailed just behind, keeping a steady eye on each should they choose to turn on him. The importance of the assignment hadn’t hit him until last night after his sister’s departure. Selina was right: If they failed, they could very well see a power shift among the nobles, and Rion ventured a guess that it wouldn’t be in Brónach’s favor.
The Fae warriors began shifting. Two grew wings, one brown and large, the other black and small. They shot into the open sky, soaring among the canopies and stars above. The three sisters shifted into wolves. One black, one gray, one white.
Another shifted into a panther, its fur black as the night itself. Selina’s body bent and Rion watched as her fingers retracted and morphed into wide paws. A tan fur coat replaced her clothing and a tail grew out from the base of her spine. Her muscles rippled with each stride.
A lioness. A huntress. A predator.
Saoirse’s words returned to him. Be careful. Rion steeled himself. He would be. Selina wasn’t the only predator capable of hunting.
The final few remained in their Fae forms, leaving Rion to assume their animals shifts weren’t suited for traveling long distances. He was silently grateful. At least he wouldn’t have to explain that he lacked the ability, even if most of Nàdair already knew he’d never get one.
Demons with desolate magic weren’t permitted such a thing. They weren’t given a mate, either.
He knew Saoirse hadn’t meant to sting him with her words, but they floated back anyway. About a female dealing with him. The unbearable truth was that none likely would. He’d be utterly alone where that part of his life was concerned. Unless, of course, he ever chose to flee and conceal his identity. He grimaced in the dark. Tricking a female didn’t exactly sound like the healthiest way to start a relationship.
Rion shook the thoughts away and kept running, following the lead of the others as they weaved between the trees they’d all known since birth. Southeast, then.
He glanced up through the canopy overhead and caught glimpses of the night sky through the boughs. Bright and clear and full of stars, the moon nothing but a sliver in the darkness.
He’d return before it was full.
It was just another mission. Another task to complete. He’d be successful just as he’d been successful with others, and avoid any pitfalls along the way.
***
They ran through the night at a steady pace, only stopping once to catch their breath. The trees disappeared as they crossed the terrain. They waded through waist-high water, trudged through an area covered in ash, then found themselves back under the trees again.
It wasn’t until they closed in on a large cabin in the middle of the woods that Selina slowed her pace. The others fanned out and Rion hung back to watch their movements. Selina hadn’t given him orders, so he stayed close and kept his magic low.
She prowled forward on silent feet. Rion steadied his breathing, willing his heart to slow. Sweat rolled down his neck and he pressed himself against a tree when Selina stopped.
He listened. Waited.
No lights flickered to life inside. No heartbeats, either.
He scented the air, then eyed the lioness and those who awaited her command. Why were they waiting? Surely they could hear the same things he did. No one occupied the space.
Rion focused his magic, searching the grounds for any signs of vibrations. He only felt the slight footfalls of the thirteen currently present.
Selina moved closer, still cautious.
Who had Alec sent him out with? Novices?
Rion clicked his tongue, earning what he thought might have been a glare from Selina. He walked forward anyway, no longer caring how much noise he made.
He could have taken the opportunity to learn their formations but he was tired, and hungry, and couldn’t wait to get his boots off.
Rion’s magic rose from the ground and surrounded his body as he strode through the wooden door. The hinges creaked from misuse, piercing the silence. Rion wiped away a spider web just inside and flooded the space with his magic. It raced toward the back, up the walls, into the corners, over the dusty furniture, and beneath the tables.
Still no one.
It took rummaging through a few drawers before Rion found a candle. He pulled a match from his pack and lit it, blinking against the offending brightness.
A thick layer of dust covered everything, along with cobwebs in every corner. No one had occupied the space for a very, very long time.
He lit another half-burned candle seated in a dusty brass holder. Then another and another before he placed the candle in a stand of its own in the center of the half-rotted wooden table. He wouldn’t dare sit on the furniture for fear of falling through or disturbing some unpleasant creature.
Selina stormed in, no longer in her lioness form. She bared her teeth at Rion, her mask of innocence gone. “This mission is meant to be covert.”
“No one’s here,” he said, his tone a bit bored and borderline irritated.
“You didn’t know that.”
“I did, actually.” And they should have, too. “There weren’t any heartbeats.”
“Believe it or not, Rion of Brónach, there are Fae in the world who are able to conceal such things.”
“Not in Brónach there aren’t.”
“And did you just automatically assume everyone we’re after is from Brónach?”
“Who else would want to overthrow the High Lord?”
“Those who might benefit politically. We still don’t know how far this faction’s reach has spread. If Pádraigín, for instance, was involved, we’d need to report such things back to the council. So unless you want to explain to your brother how you blew our cover on day one, then I suggest you follow my lead from here on out.”
He blanched and the fury in Selina’s gaze somehow made him feel smaller despite her chin barely reaching his shoulder. He opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came to mind. He’d assumed the issue was a civil matter, but she was right. If other countries had gotten involved, then he could have just given them away.
She huffed. “We are meant to function as a team. Even without the possibility of other countries working against us, this was a good training exercise and—”
Rion interrupted with a soft snarl. “If your warriors still require training, then perhaps they shouldn’t be here.”
Tension filled the air. “For you ,” Selina snapped. “I was hoping to give you the chance to see how we work together so that I could implement you into our regiment.”
The male, who was beginning to somehow remind Rion of a loyal dog despite his animal shift, growled as he said, “Selina is our commander. You would do well to show her some respect.”
Selina held up her hand to silence him, then returned her cold glare to Rion. “How am I supposed to know you’ll follow more complicated orders later if you can’t follow simple ones now?”
His face burned and Rion was suddenly glad he hadn’t lit more candles. Saoirse and Caol had been the only ones to ever reprimand him. And this female with her hands on her hips and stern gaze made him feel like a youngling all over again.
He should have apologized. Should have just stayed behind her instead of marching up the stairs. Instead, Rion bit out, “You’re not. And don’t pretend I’m your underling. We both know the entire lot of you would rather see me dead.” She opened her mouth to reply, but Rion beat her to it. “Let’s make it simple for both of us. I’ll play the little role you and Alec have planned and you can stop pretending I’m anything more than another target for you and your team.”
Selina sighed and rubbed her temples. “Aila, Orla, light the oil lamps. Alana, see if it’s safe to get a fire going.” The three sisters obeyed. No one else moved. “Listen,” Selina said, stepping forward despite the particles of earth moving at her feet. “I know you don’t like working with others. You’re the solo type, I get it, but we can’t have anyone jeopardizing this assignment.”
“You get nothing ,” he seethed. “You and everyone else in Brónach can pretend I’m the solo type ,” he emphasized, “because I chose to be.” He closed the space between them and those behind her drew their weapons. She held up a hand to steady them. “But what everyone fails to realize is that I wasn’t given another choice.” Something in her gaze softened at that. Rion hated it. Hated seeing sympathy where he expected resentment. Resentment was easier. Resentment he knew.
“I’ll complete the mission with or without you for Alec’s sake, but if I feel like you or anyone on your team is luring me into a trap, rest assured I won’t hesitate to confront it.”
Her brows rose. “You think we’re setting you up?”
He finally looked at the shadowed faces standing behind her. The sisters hadn’t taken their eyes off him. “Don’t try to deny that any one of you would kill me without a second thought.”
“I won’t,” she said. “But maybe you should consider that the reason everyone feels that way is because of what you put off. You’re not exactly friendly.”
He scoffed. “You expect me to be friendly?”
“I expect you not to judge our team based on experiences from your past. Give them a chance. You might be surprised at the outcome.” Rion opened his mouth and closed it again. Selina sighed “Look, we’re all tired and hungry. Let’s call it a night and we’ll pick things up in the morning.” Never mind that morning was only about an hour off.
She turned her back to him, but the others didn’t do the same. They didn’t sheath their weapons either. He saw the truth in their eyes, even if hers had been different. Even if hers had seemed to . . . understand.
Rion stormed from the room, his magic following in his wake.
He didn’t want to try. There was no creating allies where you weren’t wanted.