My smile was a relieved one. I turned back to stare at the goblet again, but it was gone.
“Enjoying your meal?” Drake asked, sliding into the seat across from me.
“Can’t you see the joy in my face?”
He shifted uncomfortably. Over his shoulder, I saw Sorcha glance in our direction from across the room.
“How is Scarlet?” he asked, fixing his gaze on me.
“She’s fine. She’s asleep for the night. Zoe and Bekind are with her. Oh, and Líle.” I blew out a breath. “I’m not sure if I thanked you before, but—”
He held up his hand. “There’s no need. I was there. It was the right thing to do.”
“I was too far away.” My voice quivered. “I would never have made it.”
His knee touched mine under the table. “I was there. You didn’t have to make it.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. “If anything had happened to her…”
“You love her. I understand.”
“She’s amazing.” I blinked back tears. “Every day, there’s something new. I’m just glad she’s back with me. I feel like I missed out on…” I let my voice trail away. He had missed out on everything, and it was starting to look as though he actually cared about that.
Cathal suddenly reappeared, smiling even though his eyes were as hard as ever. “Ah, there you both are.” He patted me on the shoulder. “A worthy opponent, this one. Always one step ahead of me.” He set a goblet of wine in front of me. “I propose a toast…”
I stopped listening when I noticed how straight Drake’s back had gotten. I absentmindedly reached for the goblet, but Drake got there before me.
He held the cup in front of his face and gave the lineage consultant a humourless smile. “As Cara doesn’t drink faery wine, I’ll have her glass.”
The lineage consultant mumbled, “I don’t think… um… that’s not a good…”
Drake lifted the cup to his lips. Cathal stopped talking, but beads of sweat appeared on his nose.
“Drake, don’t,” I said, a little too loudly.
Drake drank from the cup then slammed the empty goblet on the table. It didn’t refill. Drake smiled, but it turned into a wince. His pale skin turned bright red. His forehead glistened, and then the redness darkened as though shadows were forming beneath the surface of his skin. His body tilted to the left.
“No!” Sorcha screamed. She raced across the room and caught Drake before he fell out of his chair.
“It was him!” I pointed at Cathal as he fled toward the door.
Arlen grabbed the old man’s arm and yanked him back.
I spotted Brendan hurrying toward us. “Get the Miacha!” I called to him.
“What happened?” Sorcha asked through gritted teeth. Her eyes shone with unshed tears.
“He drank from my cup.” My hands shook as froth bubbled out of Drake’s mouth. “I think it must have been poisoned.”
“He’s dying,” she said as if she couldn’t quite believe it. “He’s going to die.”
“He’s not,” I said firmly. “Sorcha, look at me. The Miacha is going to help him.”
But she wasn’t paying attention. I recognised the fear in her eyes, the way her fingers trembled as she hugged Drake to her chest. I had been the same way about my daughter. I stood by helplessly, unsure of what to do.
Grey Eyes arrived with Brendan and immediately took over. She briskly tended to Drake, giving him something that helped him breathe. Sorcha stood nearby, and her tears were long gone. She turned in a semi-circle until her gaze fell upon Cathal. She stalked him, moving like a predator. Faeries hustled out of her way as she hunted her prey. I inched toward Brendan, terrified, and even Arlen backed away from Cathal.
“What’s happening?” I whispered.
“She can’t stop now,” Brendan murmured. “Death has been invited, and he must take what he is due.”
Sorcha’s eyes were wide with grief. “You killed him,” she said in a voice that wasn’t her own. “He wasn’t yours to kill.”
Cathal cowered, pleading and begging. From nowhere, wind gusted through the room, drowning out his words. Sorcha’s skin turned grey as she raised her arms and spread her fingers. From her fingertips, some kind of mist sprayed and surrounded Cathal.
“Please,” he said. “I meant it for her. You know as well as I do that she’s a curse on this realm. But he… he wasn’t supposed to drink it. It was meant to be her.”
Sorcha opened her mouth wide, deaf to his pleas. More mist was released. It seemed to be some kind of poisonous gas because as it surrounded the man, his skin turned grey like hers, and his eyeballs filled with red. He clutched his neck, choking as grey liquid burbled up out of his mouth. He suffered for a few agonising seconds before collapsing on the floor.
As soon as it was done, Sorcha turned back to Drake. The Miacha’s medicine had helped, and he appeared to be recovering. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she held his hands. I suddenly understood a truth that cut me to the core. She was in love with him. The banshee actually loved her husband.
Chapter Fifteen
“It sounds as though it was a close call,” Fiadh said as we watched our children play together.
Dymphna was spending as much time alone with her daughter, Eithne, as possible before we left. Zoe and Líle had gone out for a walk, and Grim was busy with Brendan, trying to figure out if anyone else had been involved in the poison incident.
Realtín darted around the children, giggling as she narrowly avoided Scarlet’s clutching fingers. Setanta was smiling, a look of peace in his eyes that wasn’t often present. Conn stood guard, as always, but he was accompanied by an extremely talkative Bran.
I absentmindedly fondled Bekind’s furry ears. “I hear Drake will be well enough to leave tomorrow. The Miacha saved the day as usual. Besides, the poison wasn’t meant for him.”
“Are you certain?” Fiadh asked.
“It was my cup. The stupid old man thought I was the one getting in his way. I made an enemy of him; I doubt anyone else was part of it.”
“Still, it must have been terrifying to be attacked so.”
I forced myself to smile. “It was probably more scary to see him get punished by the banshee. Anyway, it’s not the first attack that’s happened since I’ve been here.”
She set down her cup, looking ill. “Oh?”
“Don’t worry. You’re safe. It was outside the castle. Brendan and I went for a ride, and somebody shot arrows at us.”
She glanced at Conn, fear creeping across her face. “Somebody from this court?”
I pursed my lips. “Everyone thought it was Darksiders.”
“Darksiders?” Fiadh shook her head. “This close? I could see them harming a member of the Green Court, but never you.”
“I was kind of harmed a lot in the Darkside, Fiadh.”
“You provided an heir and ended Deorad’s life. He was a monster, even in the Darkside. And Sadler’s proven himself to be ten times worse, yet you took his eye. The Darksiders may have a complicated view on life, but we see you as the queen. No. Look closer for your attackers. Only the Green or the Silver could have gotten so near. The surrounding countryside is covered in their armies. There’s no way the Darksiders would risk such a thing.”
“The Darkside army is not here,” Conn said. “They are guarding Sadler. It’s the only move that makes sense… until his reinforcements arrive. Smaller troops may be scattered, but that’s for information.”
“They’ve been attacking us for the last year,” Bran added. “Closer and closer all of the time. Who else would it be?”
Conn shook his head. “Your information is wrong.”
“Then who tried to take my daughter?” I asked.
“In the human realm?” Conn shrugged. “It’s possible that Darksiders are responsible. But their thought process would have been a rescue.”
“Rescue from who?” I demanded.
“The human mother who didn’t know any better?” H
e inclined his head. “Or from the clutches of rival courts. Maybe even from Sadler. I don’t know, and neither do you. That’s the problem in this court. We only know what we are told.”
I was beginning to think he was right. “I didn’t come here to chat,” I said, sighing at the look on Conn’s face. “This journey could be dangerous. The destination definitely is. So I need you to make sure you have an escape plan.”
“Conn does,” Fiadh said softly. “We’re prepared to run with all of the children. And your human friend. If the worst happens, we’ll wait in the human realm. If you don’t follow…”
“Yeah,” I said. “Good. We all have plans.”
Realtín’s laugh drew my attention. Scarlet had fallen heavily on Setanta.
I rushed over to pick her up off of him. “Sorry, kid,” I said, batting Realtín away from the children.
Setanta refused to take his eyes off my daughter. “She’s my medicine.”
I swallowed hard. Those were the first words I had ever heard him say. He reached out and brushed his hand against hers, leaving a shadow on her skin. She giggled and tried to snatch at him, but he pulled his arm away. When I sat back down, still holding Scarlet, Conn gave me a strange look.
“I think it’s time for Scarlet’s nap,” I said as brightly as possible. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Fiadh. I hope the journey won’t be too tough on Setanta.”
“He’s a lot stronger than last time,” she said with a smile.
I headed back inside, carrying Scarlet. Bekind followed in her cat form, Realtín was perched on my shoulder, and Bran trailed us like a puppy. When we got to my room, Anya was sitting on the floor outside my door. She looked miserable.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said, opening door.
“But, please, I have to—”
“Just come inside,” I said wearily. “Come on, Bran, you, too. It’s about time you had a break.”
Bran took an armchair away from the fire, looking awkward. Anya sat on one sofa, and the rest of us gathered on the other, except for Scarlet, who toddled over to Anya for a snuggle.
Tears ran down Anya’s cheeks. “I’m so sorry,” she said, holding Scarlet tightly. “I didn’t mean to let her wander off. Arlen distracted me, and I got caught up, and… I made a mistake. It won’t happen again.”
“I know it won’t,” I said. “Because if it does, I’m getting on Dubh and running you down.”
“Cara, I would never do anything to hurt Scarlet. She’s like… you know how I feel about her.”
I knew. I would probably never forgive Anya, but I wanted as many allies as possible. Scarlet needed people who cared about her. Anya fell into that category, and it had been the first time she’d ever messed up with Scarlet. I should have forgiven her, but I couldn’t find it in my heart. Life had hardened me, and being back in the faery realm had caused me to fall into my old ways with Drake and Brendan, but I could never forget what was at stake. Protecting my daughter was my true mission.
“Maybe you should go fetch Scarlet’s meal,” I said, removing my daughter from Anya’s arms. “Taste it first, won’t you?”
Her lower lip trembled. “I’ll do anything you want. Anything at all.” She got up and left.
“As annoying as the pixie is, that wasn’t like you,” Realtín chided, peering into my eyes as she hovered above me. Scarlet reached out and caught her, holding her to her chest like a toy.
“I can’t be like me anymore,” I said, ignoring the way the fur rose on Bekind’s back. “It’s not safe.”
I fetched a bag of wooden blocks and sat on the floor with Scarlet. I could play games with her, but when it came to everyone else, I had to be tougher. I had seen Sorcha in action, and we were her enemy. Scarlet was in the banshee’s way just by living.
Realtín teased Bekind until the cat started chasing her around the room. Shaking my head, I handed Scarlet a block. She held it in her chubby fingers then let go, but the block didn’t fall. It hovered in the air. I snatched it and looked up sharply. Bran turned his head away, and I wondered if he had seen.
“No,” I whispered to Scarlet, my heart racing. “This is how we play.”
I placed the block on top of another and prayed nobody else had noticed the floating toy. Scarlet was changing in the faery realm, and the longer I kept it a secret, the less of a threat she would seem.
***
Zoe was staring at me as I dressed Scarlet.
“Just spit it out already,” I snapped.
“Settle down, queenie. I heard that you made Anya be Scarlet’s new food taster. What’s that about?”
“It’s about the only way I can stand her presence right now.”
“I know she epically fucked up.” She held up her hands when I grunted. “And I’m mad at her, too. But it was a mistake. An accident. She loves Scarlet. Everyone knows it. Why are you being so hard on her? You act as though she doesn’t exist, at best. At worst, you sit there sending daggers her way.”
I stared down at my daughter. She beamed back at me. “If I can blame Anya, then maybe I’ll stop blaming myself.”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“Sometimes…” I cleared my throat. “Sometimes, I feel as though the things that happen are a punishment. When I was pregnant, I thought about ending the pregnancy, ending Scarlet, and now I’m being punished by almost losing her. I feel so guilty, and when she almost got hurt, it would have served me right.”
Zoe moved around the bed to touch my arm. “Are you serious? You big eejit. This isn’t your fault, and you’ve nothing to feel guilty for.”
“You didn’t want me to get an abortion, Zoe. I remember the way you looked at me back then.”
“I wouldn’t have liked it,” she said softly. “But I would have still loved you. You didn’t try to kill Scarlet. You thought about ending a pregnancy in the early stages because you had a good reason for it. Lots of people have kids and don’t even care about them. How is that better? You love Scarlet. You light up when she’s around.”
“But I can’t keep her safe! No matter how much I plan, a little mistake shows me that I can’t protect her from everything.”
She wrapped her arms around my waist and leaned her head on my shoulder. “Nobody can keep anyone safe from everything in the world, Cara. That’s not possible. Sometimes, you just have to enjoy what you have and not consider the what-ifs. You’re driving yourself mental.”
“Yeah, well, I’m already a madwoman.”
“Stop punishing Anya. You miss her. I know you do. And so does Scarlet.” She gave me a meaningful look. “Try to forgive her.”
“I won’t forget it.”
Her look turned pitying. “I know you won’t.”
“I’ll try,” I said after a moment.
Later, I carried Scarlet downstairs, with Bran on my heels. Brendan had requested we all join him for dinner, and I was nervous because I was afraid she would show signs of being different. We were the first in the dining room. Bran walked to a table and pulled out a chair for me. He had been unusually quiet all afternoon, and I was sick of worrying.
Instead of sitting, I glared at him. “Do you have something you want to say?” I made my tone as cold as I could manage.
He shook his head, glanced at Scarlet, and then looked away.
“Don’t be foolish, Bran,” I said. “The journey tomorrow is dangerous enough without you doing anything stupid.”
He shook his head. “I haven’t done a thing.”
I lowered my voice. “Please, Bran, please keep it that way.”
Colour flooded his cheeks. “I’m not here to spy on you. My job is to keep you both safe. That’s all.”
Scarlet reached for him. She had no fear, and that terrified me. Bran took a step back as if he were afraid of her.
“Hold her for a minute, will you?” I dumped Scarlet into his arms without waiting for a response.
He held her awkwardly. Most of the fae weren’t used to children, and Br
an was no exception. “I… I don’t know what to do with her.”
“Just don’t put a target on her back,” I whispered, clutching his arm. “Don’t do it.”
His expression changed, something proud and defiant crossing his face. “I told you what my job entails. I’m not as naive as you assume.”
I allowed a smile. “Good. Now give me back my baby before you pass out.”
With a great deal of relief, he passed her back then indicated the chair. The tension in my chest eased a little as I sat down at the table.
Grim, Realtín, and Bekind came in, and I moved down a place so Grim could sit next to Brendan. When the brownie sat next to me, he smiled at Scarlet. She had already grabbed a napkin and stuffed it into her mouth.
“Her cheeks are red,” he said. “Is she too warm?”
“I think she’s cutting a tooth,” I told him. “Plenty of dribbles and chewing going on.”
“The journey may be difficult for her.”
“At least she’ll be safe… safer with us.”
“I hope so. If you were to leave her here, Realtín and I would watch over her.”
I reached out to squeeze his hand. “I know you would. I just hate being apart from her. And I wouldn’t want to put you at risk if any Darksiders decided to look for her here.”
He shook his head. “I wish we were able to go with you.”
“It’s for the best.” I sighed. “I know I’ll need you, but—”
“You don’t need anyone,” he said firmly. “You thrived in the Dark Court without my help.”
Before I could respond, Drake and Sorcha strolled in, arm in arm, surrounded by their bodyguards. I tried to swallow, but there was a knot of emotion in the way. They walked to the table and took the seats opposite me. Sorcha looked better than usual, as if the death of the lineage consultant had revived her somehow. Drake was pale, but he seemed to have recovered from the poison.
Grim had stood when they came in, but there was no way I was going to do that. I sensed Bran inch closer to me as if he were aware that the true enemy had just arrived.
Scarlet made an attempt to climb onto the table. Sorcha glared at her then abruptly reached across the table to grip Scarlet’s face. Without thinking, I grabbed Sorcha’s arm and squeezed. I felt her skin burn under my fingers.