Chapter 53 #3
“Good. Don’t hurt anyone else. We have been making good headway on negotiations with Rian. I don’t want to jeopardize them,” I advised her, relishing the comforting squeeze from Orion as I glanced regretfully at Mator.
Helena looked conflicted, and then she shook her head at me sadly.
“That is not my decision, Amira. Riordan has been… Perhaps you will be able to speak some sense to him,” Helena advised as she went over to check the orc’s pulse.
Finding him dead, as I expected, she closed his eyes with two fingers and then turned him onto his back with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Thank you,” I told her as another portal opened.
Orion and I turned, hoping to see our king, but I was shocked when two people with bags over their heads were shoved into the room and forced to their knees.
“Thárrosi!” called Ares who stood behind them with a curved blade to the man’s throat. I wanted to return his pleased smile, but my attention stayed on his prisoners. Even with bags on their heads, I knew who they were.
“Helena!” I objected as I turned to glare at her.
“I am sorry, Amira, but these were the king’s orders!” she insisted in exasperation.
“Ah, of course,” sighed Rian as if he had just realized who had attacked him. “I suppose you did warn me that he would be angry and reckless,” he recalled with a smirk in his voice. His irreverence made Ares snarl and press his knife harder against the fey’s throat.
I had no idea why the Autumn Prince allowed Ares to manhandle him that way, but I suspected they may have found a way to disable his power.
“I hope you haven’t already forgotten our discussion,” Rian warned me, ignoring Ares. “Be sure they are gentle with Nuala. She was injured in the battle,” he added.
“I am alright,” replied the witch. Although I could tell she was in pain from the grip of the griffin warrior behind her who had his hand squeezing the back of her neck.
“Release her. Now,” Orion ordered the warrior who was confused but obeyed immediately.
“I have not forgotten our discussion,” I assured Rian, and Orion followed me as I walked toward where he and Nuala knelt.
Helena stayed silent, but Ares flicked his tail in reluctance when I nodded my head for him to step back from Rian.
He glanced up at Orion behind me as if hoping he would disagree, but my mate growled his impatience.
Once Ares released Rian and stepped back, I removed the hoods from both of the prisoners.
Rian glanced around, his stunning gold-and-emerald eyes checking on Nuala first before he took careful note of every person around him. When he finally looked back at me it was with a hard edge of warning in his gaze that told me our deal was hanging by a thread.
“I must admit I am impressed,” he said begrudgingly. “Very smart of you to take us off guard right after a battle while we are still recovering. And that powder is—”
Rian hesitated when he noticed Mator’s body on the floor behind Helena, and his expression darkened.
“He was barely grown,” he snarled as he looked from Helena to the two Vale orcs as if trying to decide who was to blame for killing the young guard.
“He was in the way,” retorted one of the orcs.
Rian stared at him hard as if to burn his face into his memory for later.
Another portal opened, breaking the tension, and this time it was my king who finally came through.
“Riordan!” I cried in relief and rushed for him without caring how it looked to Rian or anyone else as I crashed into my mate.
And he clearly didn’t care either because he swept me off my feet and crushed me against him before sinking to his knees with me cradled on his lap.
I could feel him shaking slightly as he kissed my head and neck, his every breath harsh.
Then I felt him reach out one arm, and Orion was pulled against him too, which sandwiched me between the two men.
It would have been much more comfortable if Riordan were not wearing his gold armour, but I was just happy to be back with both of my mates.
“We are safe,” Orion promised, his voice muffled in the king’s neck where Riordan had pulled him.
“Why can’t I speak to either of you or even hear you through the bond?” Riordan demanded once he sat back. He began to look us over, his hands trailing down both of our backs to ensure that we were unharmed.
“I think the magic used to bind us may have muted it,” Orion explained.
“But I can still feel you,” I added when Riordan’s face hardened. “It is coming back gradually.”
Riordan nodded, although I could tell that he was still unsettled as he took in both of our faces. He looked tired, and there was a frantic energy humming under his skin.
“I thought I had lost you both,” he admitted.
“We’re alright,” Orion insisted as he pulled Riordan forward to kiss him deeply.
That kiss seemed to finally diffuse the king’s anxiety, just as it had eased me moments before.
Riordan melted, and his shoulders rolled down around me as he returned Orion’s kiss with fervour.
It was a moment before their lips parted slowly, and then the king released a breath as he leaned his forehead against Orion’s cheek.
“This is all very touching,” Rian interrupted drolly.
Riordan stiffened again and raised his head to glare at the Autumn Prince with unmistakable intention.
“No!” I said sternly when he attempted to lift me with him so he could return to his feet. Riordan looked startled by my outburst, but I remained firm. “I know that you are angry and you want revenge. But they only took us to try and protect their court, and they didn’t harm us.”
“Amira,” Riordan sighed. “Your tender heart is one of the many things that I love so dearly about you, but there is a time and place for it.”
“And the time and place is now, Riordan! I have been talking to Rian, and we have common interests with them. We cannot continue making this worse for Autumn and the Vale; we need to just stop and listen and talk!”
I could tell he wasn’t hearing me, but luckily Orion was there to get his attention by holding out his arms.
“Look!” Orion commanded the king, and I breathed a little easier when I saw the hard edge soften in Riordan’s eyes when he saw the brands were gone. He had been too upset to listen before, but I could tell this made enough of a dent in his defenses to finally get through to him.
“Nuala removed his brands, Riordan. She did not have to do that, but she knew that it was the right thing to do. We have this opportunity to stop fighting, to stop a war, and make things right,” I urged him.
“Killing him would accomplish the same,” he growled as he narrowed his eyes on Rian again.
“I assure you it would not,” Rian spoke up before me. “My new king will certainly not tolerate you coming into his court to murder fey he has just pardoned and upheld publicly for our services to Ahnnaòin.”
Riordan went still beneath me as his mouth parted a little in surprise and uncertainty.
“New king?” he repeated with grudging interest.
“Caelan Den Lasair Shíoraí is now King of Ahnnaòin. His first concern was to finally heal the Rot in this court, just as we always hoped he could. But his first official edict was to pardon myself, the Wild Hunt, and anyone else connected to us,” Rian explained significantly.
If you want Balor removed from our kingdom before he gets too comfortable there, then we will need Rian, Orion spoke up through our bond. And I was relieved it had already strengthened enough for us to use it again.
I don’t want this monster in the Vale, Riordan retorted sharply even as it felt like his mind caressed both of ours in relief that our connection was restored.
I am not sure how you did it, but he is clearly not able to use his magic right now, Orion pointed out.
Riordan didn’t answer as he continued to glare at Rian while he debated his options.
The fact that he was pausing to think was good.
I knew Riordan could be impulsive at times, but he always did what was right once he slowed down to consider things.
It probably also helped that he had us back and safe since Helena made it sound like the king had become… difficult after we were taken.
“And this is the same fate you had planned for Balor? You will force him to abdicate his throne and pass power on to his heir?” Riordan verified cautiously.
“That was always our plan,” Rian confirmed drolly. “Once Aisling has been made Spring Queen, she will be able to remake her court. It will not bring back millions of dead fey, but it would not be an insignificant gesture for you to help facilitate this righting of wrongs.”
“That was never intentional—” Riordan began.
“I have caused a lot of collateral damage in my time, Vale King, but I have always taken accountability for it,” Rian cut in sharply. “Intentions matter, and yours are the only reason I am even entertaining a discussion with you. But they do not absolve you entirely!”
Riordan bristled, but I put my hand on his to make him pause again. Because Rian was right. We had not meant to cause such harm, but that did not mean people had not died because of the deals we made.
“What do you want?” Riordan demanded finally.
“I want Balor. I want the Spring Court fey and any of my agents in your prisons to be freed. And I want to kill the one who is using blood magic to mobilize the Fuath in your kingdom,” Rian listed his demands.
“His queen was using blood magic that they think was shared with her from our world,” I explained to Riordan when his eyes narrowed at Rian in confusion.
“Blood magic is illegal in the Vale. We are very aware of how harmful it is,” Riordan reassured Rian seriously. And I knew he must be thinking about the witch who had used such magic to kill his brother and siphon his power. Then tried to take Riordan’s life and power as well.
Someone sucked in a breath sharply, and everyone’s attention turned to Nuala kneeling next to Rian.
It seemed that her sight still worked despite whatever Riordan had done to dampen their magic.
Because those mismatched eyes were milky white, her expression was eerily slack, and a brown sigil had appeared on her forehead.
“What in the nine hells—” Ares breathed.
“Silence,” Rian hissed at him before he turned back to Nuala with anticipation.
“You have suffered great loss. The death of a brother,” Nuala stated, and her voice had gone much deeper. It was unnerving enough that even Ares stepped back from her.
Rian had said she could See more whenever she was exposed to people and places. But she must have been able to pick up on some of our thoughts somehow as well, because how else could she know about Adonis?
“You are also marked for consumption, just as he was. You and your mate have been hexed! There is a curse upon you both. One that I could free you from once Rian has been unbridled,” she continued.
“Wait! Are you saying you can remove the magic that is limiting our power with the Fuath?” I verified eagerly and glanced at Riordan. He seemed unnerved by the witch but still intrigued as he waited for her answer.
“Yes. But I will not. Not yet,” said Nuala flatly.
“And why not yet?” Riordan demanded, and I knew he expected her to try and extort us.
“Because she will know. And then it will be too late,” Nuala stated simply, still unblinking as I shivered.
“She?” Riordan verified tentatively, going even more still beneath me.
I was not sure either of us even breathed as we waited to see if she could finally tell us who was plotting against us.
All I was able to get out of Hypatia was that they were an entity of many threads all layered over one another so they could not be cut.
And apparently they had a song of divine retribution in their blood.
Whatever that meant…
“She is a drinker of magic born under a dark moon on the darkest night. She is a weaver and a thief; the Spider who stole a thousand threads,” Nuala said as her brows tightened slightly as if she were trying to focus.
And my skin instantly began to crawl when I recalled that Despoina had also mentioned something about this.
She spoke of blood magics that pierced the veils, and that everyone was beholden to someone called “the Spider.” That must also be the person who Hypatia claimed could weave threads together to keep them from being cut.
“Who is the Spider?” I asked anxiously, even though my heart had begun to see the truth.
“The scorned daughter of the Erinyes has had many names in her extended lifetime. But I think you know her best as the blood witch they call… Jade.”