Chapter 52
Chapter fifty-two
WE ARE ALLIES
Rian
Aoibheal finally disintegrated into a pile of rotten leaves in my hands, and I slumped to the ground with Ciaran’s hand still on my shoulder. He had given me as much of his power to heal me as he could without hurting himself, and thank the gods, it was enough to keep me alive.
My head snapped up at that thought, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Sage cradling Ornella. She had lost consciousness, but I could still feel her in the bond. They were both completely exhausted but alive.
I wanted nothing more than to put my head back down on the ground and sleep, but I put my hands under me and forced my aching body up again.
I left Ciaran and gritted my teeth through the agony as I crawled over to Nuala, pulling her into my arms. Just touching her seemed to ease the dread that had been eating at me since I realized that transferring Aoibheal’s magic might kill me.
I wanted to relieve her pain and consume the magic wreaking havoc on her mortal body, but I didn’t have the strength left to help her.
She had risked everything for us, and I wasn’t even able to stop her suffering.
I glanced up at the other riders in the hopes that someone could heal me enough to help her, but we had exhausted ourselves.
Even Darragh had used up his power in his light shield, which had protected all of us from my shadows.
The thought that Nuala would be forced to suffer until we regained our strength made me sick.
“I am sorry,” I whispered into her hair and held her more tightly as tears stung my eyes. “I am so sorry.”
“Rian,” breathed Darragh who had remained kneeling in front of me with a hand on Nuala’s arm. He redirected my attention over my shoulder toward Sage and Ornella, only this time it was Caelan who drew my eye.
The former prince standing over Sage and Ornella had become luminescent.
His skin had gone from sickly grey to more of a bruised burgundy colour, and his wings were spread wide with veins of pure fire running through them.
But the most breathtaking change were his horns that had been set ablaze like a crown of fire.
Every Draugr behind him was on their knees, but I also saw that our army had moved closer, and those fey were on their knees too.
Caelan was not looking at any of them. He seemed thoughtful as he turned his hands over as if curious about the new power in his veins. He was perfectly comfortable with all that magic that nearly killed every member of the Wild Hunt just to move from one vessel to another.
Caelan finally raised his head with his lip curled as if in discomfort. It was midmorning now, so I could tell that his attention was on the blackened trees that had appeared at the edge of the southern forest. The Rot had spread greatly after so many fey had died the night before.
And Caelan could feel its decay.
My heart began to pound with excitement as he knelt to touch the ground.
I felt him unleashing his magic into the earth in a comforting pulse of warmth that spread through the soil and foliage.
Tears stung my eyes again as the grass and shrubs around us brightened with a renewed vigour and vibrancy.
I heard birdsong erupting, and the air grew fresh and crisp with the scent of ripe apples and goldenrod.
I could even feel our king’s power soothing my aching body, as if his presence were as much a balm to us as he was to Ahnnaòin.
But it was when I saw the effect of his magic upon the Rot in the distance that tears began falling from my eyes. Ahnnaòin was healing. The blight that had been slowly suffocating our court was finally receding.
“Thank the gods,” I heard Ciaran hiss through a sigh, and it felt like my heart would explode in joy as a cheer went up from our army.
I was so emotional that it took me a moment to realize that Caelan was walking toward me. I looked up as my new king knelt next to me with his curious eyes on Nuala before he met my gaze.
“The Wild Hunt has my thanks and the gratitude of all of Ahnnaòin,” he began, but I quickly shook my head.
“I did what was needed,” I said and bowed my head in the hopes he would not see the smirk I couldn’t repress.
“And will you obey me now as your king or will you continue to do what you believe is right?” he asked.
I suddenly had the uncomfortable realization that if he wanted to kill me, then this was the time to do it when my magic was exhausted. He knew I was too powerful to be fully controlled, and that could make me a threat to him.
Especially if he ever learned of the kernel of power that I had kept from his mother; the power that Nuala had foreseen would become mine many weeks ago.
But that did not stop me from telling him the truth.
“I will always do what is best for this court. Kings and queens are not infallible,” I pointed out.
“You will not lecture me on infallibility, Rian. I heard that you nearly tore the Vale apart protecting your own. With millions of lives in the balance, you would destroy them all if it meant protecting your loved ones.”
And then Caelan dropped his eyes down to Nuala as if to also remind me of my promise that her safety was now my first priority. Not that I felt like I’d stayed true to that claim since she was suffering in my arms, and there was nothing I could do about it.
“I am not a king,” I dismissed Caelan.
“No. But you are possibly the next most powerful fey in the Four Courts,” he insisted.
“We both want the best for Ahnnaòin, Your Majesty. That makes us allies. Not enemies,” I reassured him.
Caelan was quiet for a moment as he eyed me before he nodded in agreement.
“For your service to Ahnnaòin, I will pardon you and the Wild Hunt and all the fey who served in your army for crimes of treason and sedition,” he declared.
I knew such clemency would have conditions even before he added, “But you must disband this army, Rian. I will not compete with a mercenary for control within my own court.”
I should have known this was coming, but everything had happened so quickly that I had not had time to think about what this all meant. It had been decades since I had to adhere to an authority who could make it difficult for me to continue my mission in the Four Courts.
“We will happily disband once the other monarchs are renewed and the other courts are made strong enough to heal from the Rot,” I attempted to bargain.
“Other courts are of no concern to either of us, Rian,” Caelan sighed in exasperation with me.
“I made a vow,” I admitted, and he shook his head in disgust as he turned his face away from me. “I can do it under your banner as your general if you want to avoid the perception that I am challenging you,” I assured him. But I already knew he would refuse.
“Were I to act against the other monarchs, it would be perceived by them as an act of war,” he reminded me.
“Then trust me to do this,” I urged him.
“And when the emissaries come from King Balor and King Ymir to demand that I deal with the insurrection in my court?” Caelan demanded impatiently.
“Caelan, I have been a traitor and a rebel for decades. Just tell them you have no control over me.”
“Rian,” he growled in irritation. I could tell there was a part of him that knew it would be better to kill me now while I was still weak, but thankfully, he decided not to. “Very well, but I will have your word that this army will be disbanded as soon as your task is complete.”
“You have my word!” I swore.
Caelan nodded curtly, and then he reached for Nuala, ignoring my defensive flinch as he placed a large hand over her forehead. I felt her ease instantly and then finally slump against me in utter relief.
“Her curse is revoked. Please do not make me regret this decision,” the king warned me.
Then he rose elegantly to his feet and vanished along with the entire army of Draugr behind him.
Amira
It had been hours since the sun rose, and no one had come to feed us breakfast. Not that we had seen anyone at all since a horn sounded the night before, and the woman on the night shift had rushed out.
The guards had been very punctual with all our meals during the last couple days up until then, so I guessed something must have happened.
That haunting alert was the only noise that seemed to be able to pierce the wards around our prison, although we had been able to feel the earth trembling beneath us.
“Battle formation,” Orion had explained with an ear to the ground. “They are mobilizing very quickly.”
“Do you think it’s Riordan?” I had asked nervously, but he shook his head.
“I do not foresee Riordan sacrificing so many warriors to challenge Rian in open war. This is something else.”
We had sat in near silence all night while the earth had shaken from whatever was happening.
My fears about an invasion were alleviated when Orion assured me that the fighting was staying far away from the camp.
But then the temperature had dropped so suddenly the grass went stiff, and my skin felt numb.
The potent scent of methane made me cringe as the air crackled with a strange energy.
“What is that?” I breathed, my breath hanging in the air in front of my face, but Orion had shaken his head.
And then another power had rushed through the earth beneath us, something crisp and invigorating, before there was finally stillness and peace.
I was exhausted from sitting up all night, so I had just about fallen asleep when Rian suddenly ducked into the tent with two plates of food.