“You musn’t snatch,” Fiadh said, but her lips were twitching. “Especially not so roughly.”
Setanta gazed at the fan in his hand in wonder then weakly waved it.
“He’s growing stronger,” Fiadh murmured to me. “Even though we’re returning home.”
“You don’t have to stay,” I said. “It’s not forever.”
“I know, but I’m starting to believe his home is wherever your family goes. Have you seen him? How his strength grows in her presence?”
“I see it,” I said reluctantly. “But I don’t know what it means.”
“It means we’re on the right path.” She slipped her hand in mine. “Whatever you choose to do.”
I had no idea what the right path was, if I had ever been on it, or ever would be. But that didn’t matter anymore. Throughout my life, I had set my limits and expectations as low as possible to avoid disappointment. I kept myself safe in ways that had only ever hurt me in the end. For all of my mistakes, my daughter was the one light in the darkness. I couldn’t ask for anything more for myself, but for her, I’d ask for the sun and moon.
The carriage slowed, and Drake appeared at the door. “Get the child and ride out of here on Dubh. There’s a Darksider camp nearby. If they attack, we need you ready to flee.”
“Is it safe?”
“Safer than not being ready. Hurry, Cara. We can’t risk losing either of you now.”
When had my child become the saviour of the realm? I bit down on a smart remark, picked up Scarlet, and climbed out of the carriage. Rumble and Bran were waiting.
“They won’t attack,” Vix said from atop the carriage.
I shielded my eyes to look up at her. “Have you been there the entire time?”
She grinned. “I like the view.”
I handed Scarlet to Bran so I could mount Dubh. “Do you know who’s out there?” I asked Rumble.
“No. I would guess Darksiders who have been exiled or are in hiding from Sadler. He’s locked up tight in his castle. There’s no way he can spare soldiers right now.”
“What about you?” I asked as he helped me onto the horse.
“Don’t worry about me.”
Bran planted a child-sized helmet on Scarlet’s head then handed her to me. He gave me an apologetic smile. “We don’t have time to properly prepare Dubh. You’ll have to hold her in front of you. We’ll surround you in case of trouble, but if it comes, you’re to leave us behind.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve been told to remind you that there’s no going back to save anyone else this time.”
I made a face and got as comfortable as possible. Scarlet gripped my arms tightly, but she looked more curious than scared.
“Move back a little,” Vix called. “You’ll unbalance yourself before you begin.”
“Dubh won’t let me fall,” I said.
She somersaulted off the top of the carriage.
“Show-off,” I muttered.
She smiled. “I prefer convenience over safety. In your case…” She adjusted Scarlet until we were both more comfortable. “Relax. The more tense you are, the more the child will be.”
I tried to do as she said, but it was hard to relax when I had a tiny vulnerable being in my arms whom I was responsible for. Taking risks with my own life just wasn’t the same anymore.
We walked the horses slowly into the shade, avoiding the sun. The carriages continued on their way, with us alongside them. Vix had gotten back up on the carriage. I was surrounded by Rumble, Bran, and Líle.
“What if I talked to them?” I asked in a low voice. “What if they decided they wanted to be involved in all of this?”
“What if they stab you through the heart?” Líle asked.
“They aren’t going to hurt us. Look at how many soldiers we have. It would be pointless to attack us.”
“Scared men do idiotic things,” Bran said.
“And scared women do what’s right,” I retorted. “Look, this will be a good test of what’s to come.”
“I’ll go,” Rumble said. “If it’s safe, I’ll signal to Vix.” He discreetly moved away from the group and headed into the forest.
Bran looked around with a worried expression. “The other soldiers are not going to let us leave the troop.”
“So we’ll need a distraction,” I said. “We’ll think of something.”
Bran looked sick, but Líle just shrugged, as if she were fine with the idea.
“You’re not going to try and talk me out of it?” I asked her.
“We all know that would be wasted breath,” Líle said. “Besides, you would never let Scarlet come to harm. I’ll trust you on this, even though I’m not sure what it is you’re trying to do here.”
“The more Darksiders we get on our side, the more chance we have of changing Sadler’s plans. If those ships land, it’ll be like a world war. All three kingdoms will have to fight together. That’s what it’ll take.”
“If those ships land, none of us will live long enough to see that happen.”
“So we should just give up?” I glared at her. “You made a promise to me, Líle.”
She gave me a warm smile, her amber eyes glistening. “I did. And I even meant it.”
A cawing sound came from the forest. Vix got up on her knees on top of the carriage. She glanced down at me, shrugged, then stood and faced the opposite direction. She extended her arm and waved.
“Get down!” one of the soldiers yelled. “Get her down from there before she signals the Darksiders.”
Vix leapt off the carriage and sprinted into the woods. A number of soldiers broke ranks and charged after her.
“Now,” I commanded and took off on Dubh in the direction Rumble had gone. I really hoped I didn’t get us all lost.
Líle and Bran struggled to keep up. I had to credit Bran; he looked torn, but he came along anyway.
Nobody seemed to have noticed we were gone yet, so I pushed faster, desperate to reach the Darksiders and at least find out what was going on with them. The not knowing was worse. Scarlet let out a gleeful giggle.
“Daredevil,” I whispered, tightening my hold on her.
The cawing sound came again, followed by the sound of Rumble’s gravelly voice.
“We’re over here!” I called. When Líle and Bran tried to shush me, I said, “What? We don’t want to get lost.”
“You need lessons in stealth,” Líle said with a shake of her head.
A dry twig snapped to our left. Rumble stepped out from behind a tree, led by four Darksiders I had never seen. They weren’t soldiers, far from it. Wingless, all but one had thick beards that covered half their faces, and their hair was overgrown and tangled. Their simple brown shirts and trousers were covered in muck and dirt. They held knives that looked more suited to skinning than stabbing.
A fifth walked behind them, his face creased with wrinkles where it wasn’t covered in hair. When they reached us, he stood apart, as if he were in charge—or maybe because he didn’t want to get too close to Rumble. I was pretty sure Rumble wouldn’t have a problem breaking free, and he seemed uninjured. So we were playing it safe. I could handle that.
“Do you know who we are?” I asked the old man.
He observed me, holding his chin up high. His beard was streaked with mud as though he’d used the dirt in an attempt to darken the grey patches. “Enemies of mine. Hunting us every day and night. All we want is a place to sleep and food in our bellies. We’ve committed no crimes.”
“Then why are you armed and holding my friend hostage?” I asked. “And I’m no enemy of yours. I haven’t hunted you. I haven’t deprived you of food.”
“Nobody wants to be the one,” he said, shaking his head. “Nobody ever wants to take the blame.”
“Could you stop pointing your knives at him?” I asked. “He hasn’t done anything to deserve that.”
“I don’t think you’re the one to tell me that.”
“Are you Darksiders?”
“We’re no
one nowadays. There’s nothing in the Darkside for us. Nothing here, either, it seems. We won’t hurt your man here if you walk away and leave us be. We saw the soldiers before. We hid. And still you come looking.”
“If I get down off this horse, what will you do?” I asked.
“Cara, no!” Líle said.
I held the old man’s gaze. “I just want to talk to you. That’s all.”
His eyes slid to Scarlet then back to me. “I reckon you won’t be dangerous with the baby in your arms. Get down all you will, but there’s nothing you have to say that the likes of us will want to listen to.”
I carefully passed Scarlet to Líle so I could dismount. Bran started to get down to help me, but I waved him off.
“Who are ‘the likes of you’?” I asked as I turned to face the old man. “Are you a tribe or a family or what?”
“I’m the head of the family,” he said. “Our clan was… lowered by the king.”
“Sadler?”
“Aye, him. We had no land, nothing. We tried to live, but nothing would grow. His soldiers were wild. That Fox is leading them to ruin, my wife always said.”
“Is she here?”
“They killed her.” His eyes hardened. “Killed her for nothing.”
“Reynard is scum.” I held up my ringed fingers. “And Sadler has lost his mind.”
“You’re the young wife?” He looked stunned. “The human wife that fed the people?”
My face burned. “I shared the food the midwife made Sadler get me. He wanted the baby to be healthy. He wanted to use her.” I gestured at Rumble. “And this man helped me save her.” I rolled up my sleeve and showed him the black veins. “This is what the Darkside gave me.” I nodded at Scarlet. “But she wasn’t harmed by the taint.”
The old man peered at Scarlet. “That’s not a child born in the Darkside.”
I shook my head. “I was in labour when I left. She was born in this forest.”
He studied me for a few moments before nodding at his family. “Let him be.”
“What are you talking about?” the youngest protested. He looked to be in his mid-teens, and the veins in his neck were streaked with black.
“This one is the queen,” the old man said with a strained laugh. “That makes the little girl our princess. Like it or not, we’re Darksiders. We have the plague, but our princess is clean. If they got her clean, they can help you, too. Now don’t be foolish.”
“Why are you with the soldiers?” the youngest asked me.
The old man smacked the boy in the back of the head. “Don’t ask stupid questions.”
“We’re going to the Darkside to try to end this war to Sadler,” I said. “He’s called reinforcements from across the sea.”
The old man’s face paled. “No. There’s nothing good out there for us.”
I nodded. “That’s why we have to stop it. If something comes, we’ll have to fight that instead of each other. The Green and Silver Courts are working together on this. And maybe Sadler will see how ridiculous this is if I talk to him.”
A sly smile crossed the old man’s face. “You mean the Darksiders might listen to you instead o’ their king.”
I grinned back. “That, too.”
He looked at the others. “Well, go on, then. You heard her.” When they stared at him blankly, he added, “We’re going home alongside our queen.”
“We’ll die there,” the youngest said.
“We’ll die here,” the old man responded. “We’re not wanted. And this… queen needs all of the help she can get if she wants to sway the Dark Court from chaos. Get a move on, lads. We’ve a lot of walking to do.” He looked at me. “Ye have food, right?”
“Plenty.”
“My name’s Jackie, in case you were wondering. Those are my boys. They’re all I have. The eldest is married, but his woman stayed behind with her family. Too scared to leave, they was. He came with us, said he didn’t want to watch her die, too. They’ll call this the Age of Death, you know. Or the era of war. The time with three kings when the queens had all the power.” His smile turned sly again. “You must be a powerful kind of witch to have the ear of so many important people.”
I tried my hardest not to shiver in front of him.
On our way back to the carriages, we bumped into a group of silver scouts who had been looking for us.
“I don’t understand,” a female scout said, sounding confused. “You voluntarily went to find these… people, and now you’ve brought them back with you?”
“That’s exactly it,” I said. “You’re a bright spark. Congratulations. Where’s Vix?”
“Who? Oh.” She screwed up her nose. “The Darksider. In chains, walking behind the Silver King’s horse.”
“I’m going to kill him,” I muttered. “Bran, can you go ahead and explain things to Brendan?” When he hesitated, I looked at Líle. “Um, maybe it should be you.”
“I can do it,” Bran said. “I can talk to the king.”
“Try not to pee your pants,” I said with a smile. “He’s just a man.”
Bran swallowed hard and set off.
One of the male scouts sneered. “I doubt my king wants this trash in his camp.”
“Well, he puts up with you well enough,” I retorted.
The old man chuckled. “This is the best fun we’ve had in weeks, boys.”
I pulled Scarlet closer. She had been extra quiet, and I worried. Having so many Darksiders around was a gamble I had to take.
“Are you honestly going to keep a queen waiting?” Líle demanded. “Have you any idea how ridiculous you’re being?”
“We’re not stopping the queen,” the head scout said. “We’re stopping the tagalongs. How can we trust them? Who gets the blame when they assassinate a king in the dead of night?”
“Whoever failed to guard said king,” Líle said. “The child is too small to be out for so long without food and drink. We’re going back. Now. All of us.”
“I don’t think so,” the scout said.
With a huff, Líle leapt off her horse and unsheathed her sword. “Do you think you’re capable of stopping us?”
“Am I missing a party?” Brendan asked from the other side of the clearing. Drake came into view a moment later.
The scout snapped to attention and addressed Drake. “Sir, I was merely trying to—”
“Be an arse,” I snapped. “This is what we came out here to do. What the hell is the problem now?”
“Then why did you sneak away?” Brendan asked good-humouredly. “If this is the plan, why all the subterfuge?”
“Oh!” I pointed at Drake. “If Vix has been chained or—”
“It was a threat I didn’t execute,” Drake said flatly. “Fiadh convinced us that it would cause more trouble than we need today.”
“At least somebody has sense,” Jackie said. He nodded at both kings. “Now, no trying to kill us. We’re here for our queen, nothing more, nothing less.” He grinned. “Well, maybe for the food, too.”
“Seriously,” I said. “Look at these people. These are the dangerous Darksiders haunting the Great Forest? Are you kidding me? Has anything you people told me been true?”
“We’ve been attacked,” Drake said vehemently. “We don’t distinguish between Darksiders or—”
“Your daughter is a Darksider!” I hadn’t meant to yell at him, but I just couldn’t hold in my anger.
The entire group went silent as a veil of shock spread over us. It was the first time I had really said the words to him so directly.
I shifted uncomfortably as Scarlet gave a little moan of distress. “And she’s tired and hungry, so can we all please go back to the carriages now?”
“Do you vouch for these men?” Brendan asked in his I’m-the-big-bad-king voice.
“Yes. They’re mine,” I stated.
The men flinched as one.
Jackie looked up at me with a curious expression. “Well, now. This is going to be interesting.”
&nbs
p; “Then they’re safe,” Brendan said. “Safe from my men, at least. But you know there will be trouble.”
“Hey,” I said. “We already eat apart. Why not have our very own Darksider camp just for the cool kids?”
“There’s no need for segregation,” Brendan said softly. “I’m sure we can all manage, as long as there is no provocation on your side.”
“My side will behave,” I said, wishing I could guarantee that. “And we’ll stay friendly as long as everyone else stops treating my people like dirt.”
“Your people?” Brendan tilted his head. “Well, your people look like they could use a good meal. I think we’ll settle in early this evening and figure out tomorrow’s route.”
Drake looked at him in surprise. “You want to change the route?”
Brendan shrugged then gave me a knowing smile. “I’m sure our little queen will want to pick up a few more friends before we reach our destination. Safety in numbers. Isn’t that what we’ve been saying all along?” He turned his horse. “There’s a green army and a silver one. Let’s see what Sadler makes of a chaos army.”
I bit my lip to keep from displaying my triumphant smile.
Chapter Twenty-One
The journey had been way less fun with so many stuck-up fae around, I decided as I looked around at my group. We were completely separated from the others. In their hatred of the Darksiders, the Green and Silver soldiers had banded together. The five newest Darksiders, known collectively as “Jackie and his boys,” had built a nice bonfire. Jackie had taken charge of the cooking without actually touching the food, or even getting up off his arse for that matter. He chewed on a blade of grass in the evening dusk as his boys ran around following his orders. The youngest moved slowly, but he did his best to keep up.
“It’s the least we can do,” Jackie told me. “Given you’re feeding us and letting us tag along.”
“And here’s me thinking you were doing me a favour.”
He smiled around the grass. “That, too.” He nodded at a group of Silver soldiers lingering nearby, their eyes never leaving us. “Not a friendly bunch, are they?”