29. VAGRANTS AND CUTTHROATS
Chapter twenty-nine
VAGRANTS AND CUTTHROATS
Ornella
“ W hat is it that you want from me, exactly?” I asked the Autumn Prince after a moment.
“That depends on you, Ornella. You are a rider, and it is your right to take what we have to offer without any expectation of compensation beyond your faithful service. Protection, loyalty, companionship, it is all yours by the simple virtue of your place among us,” Rian reassured me before he took a deep pull on the pipe in front of him.
“But?” I prompted knowingly, waiting impatiently for him to slowly exhale the smoke out through his nostrils.
“But I think we can agree that there are some external factors that necessitate some additional considerations. Chief among them being the Rot and the Fuath sweeping across Ahnnaòin,” he pointed out.
“Agreed,” I conceded because if nothing else, I wanted to help protect Sage’s family. I accepted the wand for the pipe when he passed it back to me again.
“Then I shall catch you up,” he offered as he sat back on the couch. “In the absence of unifying leadership from our long indisposed queen, or any other political entity in this court, the Wild Hunt committed itself to the defense of Ahnnaòin. We have spent years searching for a way to either reverse the effects of the Rot or reinforce our wards against its decay. We are still searching for the kings and queens of the Four Courts. They are all too weak to help, but it is my hope they may possess knowledge on how to strengthen their magic against the Rot. And if not, then I intend to… encourage them to abdicate their thrones in the hopes that renewing the monarchs might strengthen their power again.”
“You think you can make them abdicate?” I verified.
“They can either choose to do it or I will force them,” Rian assured me with an unnerving confidence.
“Have you tried healing the Rot?” I asked.
“Aodhan, among other fey, have all attempted to use different kinds of magic to heal or repair the Rot without any success. It is difficult to get close to and magic is not as easily corrected as physical ailments. We also visited every known library and ancient archive of other courts to search for records on the creation of our world. That was when we learned the blight was not unique to Ahnnaòin. But it was not until we amassed our army that we finally ascertained our ability to slow it by concentrating fey in their courts,” Rian explained.
“And you just happened to amass an army?”
“Oh, it was intentional,” Rian assured me with the hint of a cocky smirk. “As you no doubt know, blood feuding is a nasty habit to break for some of the old bloodlines. And in a time when our court needed unity, some remained intent on division that was costing precious fey lives. So I decided to move an army between the warring nations to discourage them,” Rian explained.
“Right. And then you started attacking the Vale.”
“I never attacked them. I wanted negotiation, but their queen would not receive an audience with… What was it she called us?” Rian asked, turning to Ciaran who leaned against a decorative table with his arms crossed.
“Vagrants and cutthroats,” the blond rider replied.
“Ah, yes,” Rian murmured with a shake of his head and a derisive snort. “But now you know just how dire the situation has become, and things are getting worse as the Rot continues to spread faster. Uniting Ahnnaòin was just the first step. The Four Courts must all be conciliated if we are to deal with the source of the pollution.”
Sage had said as much the day he first showed me the blight poisoning the autumn forest, but the concept of a war between the fey and the Vale still terrified me. I was less concerned with the impact for humans, but the griffins had provided a haven for our people when we desperately needed it long ago. I knew Sage felt they had done it for selfish reasons because they wanted access to the magic that fey inherently fostered through our elemental bodies. But I still believed that we needed to at least try and communicate with them about this.
“Fighting this war will cost fey lives,” I pointed out.
“A fact that is not lost on me. It is why I have not yet made a move in that direction,” said Rian. “It will always be my preference to use diplomacy, but when it becomes impossible, then I won’t hesitate to do what is necessary to prevent the courts from collapsing.”
I sat for a moment, staring down at the mouthpiece of the pipe that I’d nearly forgotten was in my hand while Rian told me of his endeavours to save his court. And I realized this was the moment that I’d been dreading when I needed to make a dangerous choice. A choice I feared to make in case I was too blinded by yearning for my anam while the lives of millions of fey and griffins hinged on what I was about to do.
But the Tithriall wanted me to save Amira and protect Riordan for a reason. I just had to believe that I was taken captive, forced to join the Wild Hunt, and then found my anam among them for a reason.
“What if… I could get the griffins to meet?” I asked Rian tentatively. And the words somehow felt like both a betrayal and a heavy burden was lifted.
I raised my eyes to the Autumn Prince to gauge his reaction and was surprised to find that he did not look shocked by my words. Instead, he seemed quite pleased as if I’d said exactly what he was waiting to hear.
“You owe me fifty óir ,” Darragh declared to Ciaran who rolled his eyes.
“I was hoping that you would say that,” Rian told me, ignoring his riders. “Seeing as you were the one who returned King Riordan to the Vale, I hoped you would have some sway with him.”
My eyes widened before I could conceal the reaction, and Rian smiled triumphantly, evidently pleased to have taken me off guard.
He knew! He knew, and he’d waited to see if he could trust me enough to be honest about my connection to the Griffin King. I didn’t know if that made me angry or… appreciative for the chance to prove myself to him.
“What is he talking about?” Sage asked, and I winced before glancing guiltily up at his concerned expression.
“Our Vale spies came home this afternoon to inform me that the Griffin King returned to Kórinthos the same day we took her,” Rian explained. “His curse is broken.”
“He was the one she was protecting,” Ciaran insisted to my anam . “I always knew she was a Vale spy.”
I growled and tensed, but Rian held up a hand as if to tell me to stand down while he turned to look at Ciaran.
“Her loyalty to her former king is admirable. She was prepared to lay down her life just to distract us from him. That is the kind of dedication we need as well.”
“But she is dedicated to the enemy!” Ciaran argued in exasperation.
“I suspect she knows perfectly well that he represents millions of lives. Am I right?” Rian asked, tilting his head back toward me with his brows raised expectantly.
“Of course,” I growled, my eyes narrowing on Ciaran who returned the glare tenfold.
“And her motivation to protect those lives has made her reveal her connection to the king now that she better understands our intentions. His personal interests are not her priority, the interests of all the lives he represents are. Honestly, Ciaran,” Rian sighed before he returned his attention to me again. “Is that why you passed between worlds so often in the last few months? You were helping the king break his curse and return home,” Rian guessed.
“No! I only met Riordan a few days before I met you. Obviously I knew who he was and was prepared to help get him home. But…”
I hesitated in uncertainty, trying to decide how much was safe to reveal about my precious friend.
“Secrets are a poison I will not tolerate among my riders, Ornella. We want the same things, and if we are to get them on mutually agreeable terms then we must purge all the secrets. Now ,” Rian commanded, becoming truly firm with me for the first time since I had walked into his tent.
He was right, but it went against everything I knew. Everything that had kept me safe all these years. I wanted what he was offering, I wanted what Sage promised me, but what potential cost was I prepared to pay for it?
I glanced up at my anam , saw the concern in his eyes, and wished again that I could speak directly into his mind to reassure him. I’d be able to if I were initiated; I could know him in a way that I’d never known anyone before. I’d know all the riders like that, even if I would prefer never to see Ciaran’s face again. But everything that I had ever craved—protection, safety, family—all of it could be mine among the aes sídhe and the Wild Hunt.
But I would not be initiated until Rian was satisfied that they could trust me completely.
I thought Sage might be angry or feel betrayed by the revelation about Riordan, but he was not. When I glanced at him, he moved toward me, set the wine bottle on the table and sat next to me. His proximity provided me with a sense of security and support at my back as I faced the Autumn Prince again.
“It is not Riordan’s personal interests that I hold dear, and it is not wholly… I do care a great deal for the lives of millions of fey and griffins,” I added sharply to Ciaran whose mouth twisted in disapproval. “I’ve been passing back and forth because I was sworn to protect a fire witch in Uile Breithà. She has become… a friend,” I admitted.
I expected the riders to react angrily to this disclosure, witches were not well liked by fey since they slaughtered our kind for their magic. But the only one who betrayed any response was Ciaran who looked surprised before he glanced at the curtained doorway to Rian’s chamber.
“What a coincidence,” muttered Darragh.
“She is the one who helped break the king’s curse?” guessed Rian, reclaiming all my attention, and I nodded. “Then she is his new chosen mate, and you have leverage to force him to meet with us and discuss terms.”
“Perhaps, but emptying the Vale of all fey will leave it vulnerable to the Rot as well,” I pointed out firmly.
“Griffins are not fey, they feed off our magic, and it is probable that all the power they syphon into the Vale has allowed the Rot to spread in the Four Courts,” Rian said. “They are of no concern to me.”
“But they are a concern of mine ,” I maintained sternly. “My friend won’t leave her mate, he will not abandon his people, and I cannot allow her to be hurt. We will find a way to get what we want on mutually agreeable terms, that is what you just said,” I reminded him.
Rian hesitated, drawing in a reluctant breath before he released it in a long sigh through his nostrils.
“I cannot force them to cooperate,” he dismissed.
“No, but you can make your terms agreeable .”
“One of us needs to give up their home, Ornella. I am not volunteering. Do you think the griffins will?”
No, absolutely not. Especially if there was nowhere for them to go. They would fight to protect their home the same as the fey were fighting to protect theirs.
“It’s late, and all of this new information requires a bit of thought on my part, so we’ll discuss the griffins later,” Rian advised me. “Before you find your beds, there are other developments of which you must be made aware.”
Rian rose, still graceful in spite of how intoxicated he must be. My body felt like it was buzzing, and he had been consuming the wine and cneasú before I arrived.
“Ciaran filled me in on the situation with the Fuath and their rather crafty alchemist. We fly to Aes Mirr in the morning to convince Eive to move her people before they can become the next target,” Rian informed us.
“We should bring my mother with us. Her words will be far better received by the other Sua,” Sage interjected. “The Shadow Banshee will not appreciate us suggesting that she cannot defend her people.”
“Ah, but I was looking forward to watching her try and turn Rian away,” Ciaran responded, smirking for the first time in my presence as he looked at the Autumn Prince.
“As amusing as that may be, Sage is right,” said Rian. “We must not threaten to override the authority of the Sua whilst offering them our aid. Sage will retrieve his mother in the morning to accompany us to Aes Mirr. Once they are made safe, we will turn our attention toward dealing with the Fuath before they can take any more territory.”
“How do you plan to do that?” I asked him.
“However I must,” Rian answered unflinchingly.
“The Sua do not want their forests and rivers burned,” Darragh said, sounding as annoyed by this as Rian appeared to be.
“Yes, so I have heard. I will just have to root the Fuath out one by one with blade and shadow. It is probably for the best. The revenge will taste better if I am face-to-face with them while they die,” Rian mused coldly.
His cruel smile was uncanny on such an angelic face, but it was the shadows that began to seep out of his hands that made me really nervous. They manifested like mist which congealed into wispy tendrils that curled sensually up his bare forearms. They were not like the intangible shadows Ciaran and Sage could draw to them and hide in. These had a solid and velvety quality to them as if they could touch and be touched, and I knew instinctively that they were his dark gift from the Destroyer. These inky appendages were a manifestation of the terrifying magic that could devour living things.
Rian seemed to remember himself, and he turned away from us abruptly. The shadows dispersed around him as seamlessly as they had appeared.
“Ancient wards around a temple in Kaldthjem were dismantled and the priests were slaughtered,” he said, evidently moving on to a new topic. He had approached a beautiful globe that was suspended from a wooden pole in the roof of his tent and tapped it so it began to spin.
Kaldthjem was an underground city of archives in the Winter Court that was legendary. I had never been there, getting access was almost impossible, but I’d heard about it from my father and Riona of the Foraoise.
“I was asked to attend the scene and offer any insight I was able to, but I did not need my gifts to recognize the culprit right away. Cian O’Duinn escaped imprisonment,” Rian advised us significantly.
Cian O’Duinn was another legendary name, that of a Summer druid who had dared to rally his people against the Destroyer after the Summer Queen was killed. He had lost everything, his people were slaughtered, and he was entombed as punishment in Uile Breithà.
“What in the Four Courts would he be looking for?” Ciaran wondered aloud.
“The Jotunn are going through their texts now to see if anything is missing. It will be some time before we hear back, but I hope to know the answer soon. What do you know of him?” Rian asked, turning his attention to me.
“I never met him, but other druids came to recruit for his army. He was mad with rage, so I’d say he will begin right where he left off,” I advised Rian with a shrug.
“The Destroyer sleeps. O’Duinn must know he cannot achieve his revenge,” Ciaran dismissed my suggestion.
“Unless he manages to wake him,” pointed out Sage. “He may be one of few who could accomplish it.”
“Which would be a problem,” I added to Ciaran who merely shook his head as if to further dismiss me.
I noticed Rian tilt his head as he examined the turning globe in front of him which I realized was a model of the Tithriall weaving through worlds. Not all of the worlds, obviously, there were far too many to be counted, but his striking model showed the Vale, each of the Four Courts, and Uile Breithà.
“What if it were not a problem? What if the Destroyer is exactly what we needed?” he mused thoughtfully.
I glanced at Sage and then Carrick, relieved to see that they both appeared as alarmed by this thought as I felt.
“We need to annihilate the humans. Who better to do that for us than the Destroyer?” Rian insisted when he saw all of our uncertain expressions.
“And how do you propose to control such an entity?” Sage wanted to know.
“I am not sure control is necessary. We would merely unleash him in their direction. I expect his nature would take care of the rest for us,” Rian explained his reasoning. “Something else for me to think on,” he dismissed when no one spoke up. “The last thing I need to tell you is that I’ve acquired another recruit: a Seer. Perhaps when she has awakened, she will provide clarity on O’Duinn.”
“Just the two of you went to retrieve her?” Sage asked, looking at Darragh who frowned and folded his arms over his chest while glaring at Rian’s back. “You went alone ?” Sage gaped, spinning back toward his cousin.
“Why are you all so preoccupied with that little detail? Do you really think I need a guard?” Rian snapped.
“With the Griffin King back in the Vale, thanks to our dearest little Summer doe, we cannot be too careful!” argued Ciaran, and I glowered at him.
“Nuala was not in the Vale, she was in Uile Breithà,” Rian advised us. “She is a witch,” he added, nodding his head at me before taking a swig of the bottle in his hand.
There was a moment of silence while his revelation detonated between the riders.
“You brought a witch to Ahnnaòin?” demanded Sage, and Ciaran thrust his hand at him while looking pointedly at Rian as if to say, See ?
“Listen carefully,” Rian growled, his voice deepening sternly as he turned to face the whole room, but he looked specifically at Ciaran. “You will be pleasant when you meet her. If I sense so much as a hint of unkindness, I will bind you to the whipping post and let the orcs take turns having their way with you. Is that perfectly understood?”
“You cannot be serious,” Ciaran growled in disbelief, looking to Sage as if expecting him to intercede, but my anam remained quiet and cautious when I looked at him. Eying Rian and then his father with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.
“I could not be more serious, Ciaran,” Rian asserted. “Nuala has been through a kind of torment that none of you, perhaps with the exception of Ornella, could begin to comprehend. But she believes in what we are doing.”
“I can attest to both her condition and her conviction,” Carrick admitted with a sad glance toward Rian’s private chamber. “The girl deserves grace.”
“She really wants to help destroy the humans and her own people?” I verified. Amira disliked most humans and a good deal of other witches too, but I didn’t think for a second that she would happily aid in their destruction.
“She does,” Rian answered me with full confidence. “You will know her pain when you meet her, and I hope that once you are recovered you’ll assist in healing her,” he admitted more gently.
“Of course,” I assured him.
“They did unspeakable things to her,” he added to the whole room. “So she will be our divining eyes, and we will be her world’s reckoning.”