Chapter 3
Chapter
Three
Asharp knock interrupted Riona’s dreams. Aiden’s golden eyes faded away and were replaced with the familiar water-stained ceiling she’d woken up to every day. She could still almost hear Aiden’s laughter and feel his hands. The pleasure of her dream dissipated, and embarrassment took its place.
Why was she dreaming about Aiden?
She hated Aiden. So why did the thought of his hands on her body make her feel like a puddle of warm mush? If she had to mark when things began to go wrong in her life, the day she met Aiden would be the day.
No. He’d removed her glamour, but he wasn’t the cause of everything wrong in her life. Still, it was unwise of her to think about him. He was the enemy. He was a Fae. Not someone she should be fantasizing about, no matter how much his smile made her stomach flutter with butterflies.
A knock sounded again.
“Riona!” Meg’s voice called through the door. “Wake up. The Elders are holding a meeting.”
Riona sat up in surprise. A meeting the day after she’d gone by to tell them about her conversation with Aiden... That was good.
Another knock.
“I’m coming!” Riona called and jumped out of bed. She tried to put her dress on by pushing her arms through her sleeves, but her head got stuck inside the dress. Riona didn’t want to keep Meg waiting any longer, so she blindly walked toward the door and shimmied the fabric down her body. Bumping into the door, she pulled it open for Meg.
Hands reached out and helped Riona right herself. Meg’s smiling face appeared in place of her fabric prison. Her amber eyes were twinkling with amusement.
“Never were one to rise with the dawn, were you?” her friend asked.
Meg’s laughter was barely contained. The sun was already high in the sky, indicating it was later in the morning than Riona would have liked. Meg walked over to Riona’s night table and picked up her brush.
“Thanks,” Riona said between yawns. She took the brush from Meg and brushed the tangles from her unruly red hair.
Meg shuffled her feet impatiently waiting for Riona to get herself together. Riona brushed faster, and her hair crackled against the horsehair bristles. Meg paced around the kitchen table. Her friend couldn’t hold still long, and her impatience made her even more restless.
“What is the meeting about?” Riona asked as she grabbed her hair and tucked it under a scarf. A curly strand slipped out from a green strip of fabric. Riona tried pushing it back under, but her hair had a mind of its own.
Meg shrugged in response. “Not sure. Dolan only said that it had something to do with our patron.” Her voice sounded rough, and there were dark circles under her eyes. It was good to see her friend up and about, but she looked wan, and her brown eyes didn’t hold the sparkle they usually did. Her tawny skin didn’t have its typical glow and was almost ashen. Riona worried about Meg.
“You don’t look well.”
Meg snorted at Riona’s words, but that was her only response. It frustrated Riona. There was something wrong with Meg, and it was getting worse and worse.
“You should tell Aiden.”
A snort and look of incredulity were Meg’s response this time.
“Meg, I’m serious. Your spells are getting more frequent, and you look ill.” Riona crossed her arms, preparing for a fight. The town hall bell sounded, indicating that a meeting was starting soon, but the two women only glanced out the window momentarily and faced each other again. Meg had a mulish look on her face. Internally, Riona sighed.
“I will not be speaking to Aiden,” Meg shot back. She stared at Riona, searching her face for an answer. Riona wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the question. After a pause, Meg asked,” Why do you suggest I confide my secrets to Aiden? Why do you suddenly trust him?”
“I don’t, but he’s Fae. He may be able to help you or know someone who can.”
Meg shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about my problems with Aiden. That could just make them worse.”
“What about the village healer? She might be able to help.” Riona didn’t miss the fear in Meg’s eyes at Riona’s suggestion.
“She can’t help me. I can’t do anything but try to figure out a solution myself,” Meg said quietly.
“But what are you going to do?”
“I’ll get better soon,” Meg said cryptically, but she didn’t elaborate.
The bell tolled again. The meeting would be starting any minute. Both women walked to the door, but Riona made it to the door first and put a hand on the door to keep Meg from opening it.
“Please, Meg, if you need help, I’ll help you, but don’t ignore your sickness. I don’t know what is happening, but I will do anything to help you.”
Meg smiled and placed her hand on top of Riona’s. She squeezed it reassuringly. “I know. You’re such a good friend, but I must do this on my own. Don’t worry.”
Riona bit out a sharp laugh. “Of course I’ll worry, but I trust you know what you are doing.”
“I do, but I have to be brave enough to do what needs to be done,” Meg said cryptically and opened the door.
They stepped out onto the path. Other villagers nearby were also making their way to the meeting hall. A few shot Riona suspicious looks, but no one accosted them. Having Meg at her side, a respectable widow, most likely deterred them.
Meg had only recently moved to Loch-Gaar, but she and her son were well liked. She was an amazing weaver, and her work was sought after by all. Riona laughed internally at how the villagers would feel if they found out Meg’s talent had to do with her Fae past. But even under the threat of torture, Riona wouldn’t tell Meg’s secret.
The meeting hall loomed ahead, and they walked through the doors into the gloomy hall. People were packed in tight. Riona, wanting to draw as little attention to herself as possible, moved to a corner of the hall in the shadows. A frown creased Meg’s brow as she watched Riona.
When Meg made to follow, Riona held up her hand and waved her toward the front, closer to the Elders. Riona didn’t want Meg to be seen in her presence too often or the villagers might start looking too closely at her friend. They had argued over this, and Meg had only agreed once Riona brought in Connal’s wellbeing. Meg didn’t like avoiding Riona though. She looked unhappy but moved away after a moment. She threw a look over her shoulder and frowned. Riona smiled back encouragingly. It really was for the best.
All six of the Elders were present this morning. Each one sat on the dais high above the other villagers. Riona eyed them warily. They were supposed to represent the people and act for the common good, but their actions always seemed to benefit themselves as well. Riona moved deeper into the shadows once Kendrick’s eyes landed on her. He smirked and looked away. She couldn’t help shivering in distaste.
The Elders waited a little longer until Rada stood up and jammed her staff on the dais three times in rapid succession. The sound reverberated off the rafters, and the villagers quieted. Their attention was drawn to the Elders.
Rada nodded at the small gray-haired man who had joined her standing. Marwin was the man’s name, the once famous bard. He was known for playing his songs among the nobles. It had even been rumored he’d played for the Fae a few times. He always had a kind word for Riona.
“We have called this meeting today in hopes that you, the people, are willing to help us end this blight. The village of Loch-Gaar suffers because our patron is angry. Let us come together and throw him a festival in his honor to appease him. On the eve of the full moon, we ask all of you to bring an item that holds deep meaning to you. You will give that gift to Aiden. We hope these gifts will make him content and end this blight.” Marwin stopped speaking. Murmurs passed through the crowd.
“Why do you think that this idea will work?” a young man Riona had gone to school with called out. His name eluded her.
“Aiden has requested this,” Marwin said simply. No mention of my name. Riona frowned a little at the omission.
His words made an impact on the crowd. Another villager called out, “So this will end the blight?”
“It is our hope,” Rada said.
Excitement and relief shone in the eyes of every villager Riona could see. They wanted this to work. It had to work, and if it did, it would be because Riona had spoken to Aiden, and he’d given her the solution, not the Elders. But the Elders hadn’t named her or given her honors of this plan. That stung, but perhaps they would say something once this was behind them. They couldn’t just ignore her part... could they?
The Elders waited for questions, but the villagers’ orders were simple. No one said a word of dissent. It was clear they would be happy to do as told. Giving a meaningful gift to the pooka was a small price for full bellies.
“Now go and gather your gifts for our Fae patron and be ready with them on the eve of the full moon,” Marwin said, and Rada struck her staff again, signaling the meeting was at its end. The villagers started to disperse. Riona waited for the crowd to thin out before leaving her shadowed corner to join Meg, but her friend’s attention was captured by her uncle. He was speaking to her with a frown on his face. Riona started to walk toward them, but Meg flicked her hand, indicating Riona should leave.
As Riona turned to go, she heard Kendrick call her from the dais. Her name on his lips had her rushing toward the door. He called again, but she pretended not to hear him. Her feet couldn’t carry her to the door fast enough.
The welcoming rays of the sun hit her face as she practically ran out of the meeting hall. She ignored the villagers’ questioning or nasty looks on her rush home. An air of unease gripped her until she pushed her front door open and walked inside. She slammed the door shut and leaned against the closed door.
Time was running out. Kendrick’s offer tightened around her like a noose. She slammed her hand against the door in frustration.
No.
She wasn’t going to take this. Her future was her own. No one dictated it but her. Her eyes fell on the cupboard holding the lute. She remembered how good it felt to let the music flow. Playing. Singing. Her voice ached to be let out of its imposed prison, and her fingers twitched in excitement at the thought of the feeling of the lute strings.
Why had she kept herself from music for so long at the behest of a woman who had lied to her and kept secrets until the end? Any answers her mother could have given were buried along with her.
There was no reason to hold back any longer. She would take her lute and play a song for Aiden at the festival. She would put her heart and soul into the song she prepared.
Maybe Aiden would be moved by her song like he had all those years ago in the forest. This time, the gift he offered would help her and not hurt her. What if she could save the village? She had to try.
Riona walked over to the cupboard and pulled open the drawer. The old drawer slid open much more easily than it should. With great care, she pulled her lute out and examined it. Age and disuse had taken a small toll, but she could repair the damage of time. The lute was a rich maple color with an ebony neck. On the back, her mother had spent probably countless hours painting the outline of golden leaves. She turned it over in her hands, tracing a leaf with her fingers. She smiled. A song was already forming in her head. Music was filling her mind. She ran her fingers across the polished wood gently.
“Hello, old friend.”