Blight

  “Sacrifices,” I whispered. When we first met, Drake risked his life to spare me from being sacrificed. How could he have changed so much? And I had been horrified by death. Now I caused it. How far I had lowered myself with the fae?

  “I must admit, even though I was used to a king like Sadler, I found the process unsettling. The man suffered. The queen left the hall after that, and I was forced to remain until the day at court was over. I was given a place at the king’s table and a bed in the servants’ quarters and then sent on my way.”

  I frowned. “What do you make of it?”

  “There are power struggles within the Silver Court,” he said hesitantly. “It is hard to predict the king’s intentions.”

  “He might not come?”

  He shrugged. “I do not know. He may send a representative in his place. The daoine sídhe sent her well wishes to you and the lady Fiadh.”

  We were interrupted by a number of crows whooshing into the hall. The fae chattered excitedly as a pile of scrolls was dropped at my feet.

  “Fealty.” Caellan sounded surprised.

  I nodded grimly then picked up one of the scrolls. I read aloud from each of the documents. A number of fae cheered when they heard the names.

  “Good families,” Fallon said. “And more will come.”

  “Why?” I asked. “Why are they choosing us now?”

  “Perhaps the tribesmen you dispatched are more diplomatic than my brother and I thought,” Fallon said. “But I would guess the child is the draw.”

  I glanced over at my daughter. So much was being placed on her shoulders without her knowing it. “I’m going to select advisers today,” I said. “Any suggestions?”

  “Take some of the old bloodlines,” Caellan said. “And at least one from the new families.”

  “What about Rafe?”

  They exchanged an indecipherable look. “Rafe would be an excellent choice,” Fallon said. “I would also suggest a warrior or a scholar to round out the depth of experience.”

  “And a pair of emissaries?” I smiled at their reaction. “Go. Eat and freshen up. We have a lot to do still.”

  They hesitated. “You have been busy in our absence.”

  I relaxed as I thought of the progress we had made. “There’s no point sitting still.”

  “We have other news.” Fallon’s expression grew grim. “It is not our news, but it's news all the same.”

  “What is it?”

  “The darkness that's killing our soil and our people has spread virulently into neutral territory and beyond. As we passed through the Great Forest, we saw many ancient trees withering. Death will come soon.”

  “Unless somebody does something,” I murmured.

  “Even if we knew how to stall the spread, the damage has already been done.” He gazed at me with serious eyes. “The realm may never recover from this.”

  “Then we’ll have to hurry up and fix it,” I said, and I bade the next person to approach.

  ***

  Scarlet toddled around the room, clutching a stuffed rabbit Zoe had given her, similar to one I had owned as a child. Bekind was inconveniently absent, as she had been for days. I was still staring at the clothes in my wardrobe, wondering what a queen wore when she met her new advisers for the first time. I barely knew most of them, and I worried the meeting wouldn’t go well. I had grand ideas of the court becoming some kind of democracy, but that might be a step too far for the Dark Court right then.

  “Come on, butterfly,” I whispered. “We need to get ready. We’ve a big day ahead of us.”

  Scarlet looked at me and gave a smile devoid of cunning or cruelty. I knew I had to do whatever it took to preserve her innocence.

  Fiadh had organised an official meeting room for us. The large oak table in the centre of the room was surrounded by comfortable chairs. The stone walls were covered in dark tapestries that had been retrieved from Sadler’s stash of goodies. Shelves were stuffed full of books I had never seen. A display cabinet of oddities nestled in the corner of the warm-toned room, and an area for Scarlet to play in waited on the far side.

  I traced my fingers along a Celtic symbol of four linked circles embedded in the table. “The round table,” I whispered.

  “The first of my name built it by hand many generations ago,” Fiadh said. “It’s beautiful, is it not?”

  “Not that I’m not grateful, but why did you bring it here?”

  “When Sadler encroached, my grandfather sent some family heirlooms away in case they were damaged. I simply took them back once I felt safe again. And that was when you took this court for yourself.” She cocked her head. “Besides, we don’t need the other courts to see us as their poor relatives. Many a war council has met around this table. We should start as we mean to go on—at the top of the food chain.”

  As I was about to protest, the advisers began to arrive. After taking a seat as directed, most gave surprised looks at the children playing in the corner of the room, but nobody commented.

  I slipped into my seat and took a good look at those around me. Fiadh had helped, but ultimately, I had used my instincts when deciding whom to invite. Surrounding me were the twin emissaries, Caellan and Fallon—the obvious diplomatic choices—Donncha, who was in control of the army, and Rafe, who was amazingly skilled at managing logistics. Also present were Thistle—who took charge of our husbandry, farming, and household needs—and an ancient-looking scribe called Levin, master of lore and education, as well as Marron, who had innovative ideas about rebuilding the realm. And finally, there were Fiadh, who knew a lot about the noble families, and Bart, an odd character whom I wanted to understand. Truthfully, I took Bekind—whenever she showed herself—Rumble, and Vix as my own personal advisers, while the others were the kingdom’s advisers.

  “You’re all here because you bring a unique perspective,” I said. “You’ve seen this court, and this realm, from different levels. If we’re going to be able to support and defend ourselves, then we’ll need to consider every angle. We cannot afford a war, and we need to deal with the blight—because that’s exactly what it is. This blight is spreading rapidly.” I nodded at the emissaries. “Tell them what you saw.”

  Caellan nodded. “On our way to deliver messages to the other courts and potential allies, the land looked to be in a grave state.”

  Fallon added, “And on our returning journey, matters had already deteriorated further. The land is withering away, not only in our territory but in others as well. Something has happened to speed up the process.”

  “What can we do about this?” Rafe asked.

  “When the other courts come to us for the ceremony, I’ll ask the kings for their help in ending the spread. Someone in the realm must know what we should do.”

  “And if they don’t?” Marron asked.

  “Then there won’t be a realm for much longer.” I rapped my nails on the table. “And we’ll have to move elsewhere.”

  “If this spread is truly quickening, there may not be anywhere else to go,” Levin said.

  “Then that stays in this room until we know more,” I said. “But Levin, try to look into the old volumes of books we found. There might be records of similar cases in the past.”

  “I will,” he promised.

  “And when the other courts arrive, we need to present ourselves well. They can’t know how weak we are.”

  “Do you suspect an attack?” Donncha asked.

  I frowned. “A king would need to be sly about taking over this realm. But that’s not my biggest concern right now. The doctor is dead. Sadler is dead. The ships are gone. But what if they reappear? We need to be prepared for anything.”

  “That can wait until after the ceremony,” Bart said. “The sooner you are officially sworn in, the better. We can’t brand you as a royal, but naming you regent is the next best thing. Your daughter will be part of the ceremony, of course.” He glanced over at Scarlet, and his eyes narrowed. “So keep her well, my lady.”

&nbs
p; ***

  A representative of the Silver Court arrived with a gift of two young hounds. “They will guard you and your daughter.” The unfamiliar fae bowed low. “And my court will be only too glad to come to the celebrations. We thank you for the invitation.”

  I nodded. “Of course.” The pups were shaggy and wolflike. The black dog had piercing blue eyes while the smaller snow-white bitch had black eyes and a black patch of fur around one eye.

  Drake’s emissary lifted the pups in the air by the scruff of their necks. “They are a breeding pair. They will soon be large and fast—good hunters.”

  “And safe around children?”

  “They are bred for protection. They will be fiercely protective of those who care for them.”

  I wondered if Drake assumed Scarlet and I would be the only ones capable of truly caring for the dogs.

  The emissary brought the pups to my lap and knelt at my feet as I snuggled them. He lowered his voice. “The king in particular wonders if you need assistance by way of soldiers.”

  “Does he now?” I murmured. I raised my voice. “Tell your king that I thank him for the gifts. And your queen also, of course.”

  “Of course. I should tell you that we travelled far to find these pups. Their offspring will be very valuable and useful. Our king would like you to know that he would appreciate the opportunity to purchase a dog from the first litter.”

  “Of course. They are beautiful.” I waved a servant over to me. “Take the emissary to his quarters. He is our guest. Ensure that he has whatever he needs.”

  The emissary bowed again and followed the servant, leaving me with the puppies.

  “What the hell do I do with these?” I asked, laughing, as the pups fought on my lap.

  Some of my advisers crowded around me to take a closer look.

  “This is an extravagant gift,” Levin said. “A sign of great favour.”

  “A pair of dogs?” I asked.

  Rafe gingerly lifted the black pup’s ear until the animal snapped playfully at his fingers. “This is a cú sídhe. It’s… very valuable.”

  “I’ve never heard of a white one before.” Thistle frowned at the second pup. “It’s a beauty, but a white cú sídhe?”

  “It’s defective then,” Fiadh said crossly. “An insult. This is no breeding pair.”

  “No,” I said softly. The patch of black hair on white reminded me of my daughter’s pale patch through her dark hair. “It’s not an insult at all. So, you’ve never seen a white one of these?”

  They all looked at each other. “I’ve never seen a black one either,” Fiadh said with a smile.

  “Are they rare?” I asked.

  “Something like that.” Thistle knelt and stared at the white dog in the eyes until it growled at her. “They’ve been gone for a very long time.”

  “The emissary spoke truly.” Rumble lifted the dogs out of my lap. “According to the tales, they will protect and hunt, and on the battlefield, they will make any warrior think twice. This is a good gift.”

  Levin let out a startlingly high-pitched laugh. “The Silver Court favours you still.”

  “Even though I stole the Darkside?” I murmured.

  “Perhaps especially because of that,” Thistle said with a mischievous grin. “Who wouldn’t respect such an act?”

  My cheeks burned. “I’ve never owned a dog before. How do I train them?”

  “You don’t train a cú sídhe,” Rafe said, and the others laughed as though it were a great joke. “But you need never worry about an enemy sneaking up on you. This dog is mostly silent, but when a fully grown cú sídhe howls, the people of the world will feel the ground tremble beneath them.”

  “Don’t exaggerate,” I said with a smile. “Come on then, faery dogs. Let’s go see what the children think of you. And try not to pee on me.”

  The white dog yelped as though it understood me, and I bit my lip as the others looked at the animals in wonder.

  The children were in the garden with Rat and Vix. Conn still hadn’t returned on Dubh, which made me nervous. Rumble carried the pups outside while I walked alongside Fiadh.

  “What’s the significance behind the gift?” I asked.

  “That Scarlet’s safety is important,” Fiadh said. “And there is a concern from the Silver Court in that regard. I do wonder how they managed to get their hands on these pups. A breeding pair means they came from different bloodlines.”

  “Are they really so special?”

  “Legend says.”

  We reached the children, who were digging in the dirt in their very own patch of garden. No plants would grow there, but at least it was an excuse for them to get out of the stuffy court and outside into the fresh air. Scarlet’s hands were black from the soil, and my heart beat in double-time at the sight. Although a couple of the Miacha’s herbs had managed to grow around Brighid’s flower, most of the gardens were dead. But if Scarlet could help tainted children heal, then perhaps she'd be a good influence on the land, too.

  I knelt by Scarlet and Setanta, trying not to think about the problems. “We got a present, Scarlet. Look.”

  Rumble dropped the pups next to us. They immediately rolled over for the children. Rat almost lost her mind over the pair, while Scarlet giggled as a pup gently nibbled her fingertips.

  “A present?” Vix sounded dismayed. “Those creatures?”

  “They’re dogs,” I said wryly. “Calm down. What do you think of them, Setanta?”

  His cheeks were flushed. “They’re beautiful.”

  “You can help me choose their names if you like.”

  He looked pleased. “Mother, may I have a dog?”

  Fiadh made an oddly strangled sound in her throat. “Perhaps someday, when you’re older.”

  “Maybe you’ll have one of their puppies.” A part of me felt uncomfortable about letting dogs breed, but if these were so rare, then perhaps we had to let nature take its course.

  “Oh, no,” Fiadh said hurriedly. “You don’t understand, Cara. These dogs will be extremely valuable. You won’t need to give them away.”

  “If Setanta wants one, he can have one,” I insisted. “If you don’t want to be responsible for it, we can take care of it with these two.” I reached out and brushed my hand across the black pup’s back. “They’re still babies. We’re talking about extremely hypothetical puppies here.” I looked up at her and smiled, but her face had whitened. “Are you okay?”

  She turned away to wipe her eyes. I was confused. What had I said?

  “I am most grateful,” Fiadh said after a moment. “You honour us with just the suggestion.”

  I turned my attention back to Scarlet and Setanta. They were both delighted with the pups. “He really likes the black one,” I said thoughtfully. “Maybe he should—”

  “No!” Fiadh touched my shoulder. “You cannot give away a gift. It would be an insult.”

  But I still wondered what Drake was thinking. Surely he hated me by now, so why was he offering soldiers? Perhaps it was a trick. I couldn't tell which version of Drake had sent that message.

  Later that evening, Rafe had already arranged a place in the stables for the dogs, but somehow, they both ended up eating meat from my fingers under the dinner table, much to the fascination of everyone present. And that night, the pups slept on either side of Scarlet on my bed. I sighed as I watched them. Maybe they would protect her if I kept them close. They were sweet pups. It was a good gift.

  A sound at the window caught my attention. A crow had landed on the sill, and it stared at me.

  “It watches,” Orlaith said.

  The bird flew into the room and perched on the headboard.

  “There’s no scroll,” I said.

  “It’s not a messenger,” Orlaith said. “They say that Badb was followed by crows. They were a sign on the battlefield.”

  “A sign of what?”

  “Death for her enemies and victory for Badb.”

  “Maybe there’s a nest in th
e ruined tower.” I looked at the bird. “Crows are smart. I read that they have good memories.”

  “They do,” Orlaith said. “They have been here and watched us and passed on the stories to their young. They have seen it all, but they cannot speak to tell the rest of us about it. Some call it their curse.”

  I shivered at the idea of crows passing myths on to other crows. But it wasn’t exactly weird compared to most of the things I had seen and heard in the faery realm.

  I got into bed next to Scarlet. The black pup looked at me, laid its head on my stomach, and sighed heavily. I fell asleep dreaming of giant dogs and a crow that spoke to me in a woman’s voice. I couldn’t hear the words, but as I woke, the sentence “You’re not ready yet” refused to leave my head.

  Chapter Five

  “A horse!” somebody shouted from outside before dawn broke.

  Waking suddenly, I climbed out of bed and went to the window. On the track leading to the castle gates, a couple of fae held up torches, providing enough light for me to spot Dubh trotting toward the castle with Conn on his back. I couldn’t see past Conn’s broad shoulders to tell if a short Miacha woman accompanied him. But at least Conn and Dubh had returned safely. I squeezed my eyes shut, dizzy with relief. Every day that had passed without Conn’s return had increased my guilt and reinforced the point that I was completely responsible for every single Darksider.

  I quickly dressed myself and Scarlet, ignoring Rat’s offers to help. The pups lay sprawled across the doorway until I opened the door. They sprinted outside, only to get tangled up in Rumble’s legs. I tried not to laugh as he extricated himself.

  “Conn is back,” I said. “Let’s go see what he brings.”

  Rumble nodded and escorted me downstairs to where Vix was waiting. She shot a look of disgust at the dogs. I brushed past her and hurried outside with Scarlet in my arms and the dogs at my heels. The animals ran off as soon as we left the castle, but I was more interested in Conn. He had already ridden through the gates, past the waiting soldiers, and when he saw me, he pulled up close. He jumped off Dubh, his massive black wings kicking up dust and dirt. A short woman with wrinkled skin the colour of ripe hazelnuts nimbly leapt off before Conn could help her down.