I pushed my hand out and away as if shoving that aside. I still reeled from the leaders of demonkind casting me aside in this fight. That humiliation was dimmed but was still there rotting my sense of good will toward them all.
I didn t stop to think about it s meaning. I mean, I can t believe it took me so long. No wonder Cael s running circles around me if it takes me this long to s-s-see &.
I started hyperventilating, sucking in gulps of air as if my lungs suffered a sudden shortage. Numbness spread from the base of my neck down my spine, and mixed with tingling at the tips of my fingers and toes. Lightheaded, I blinked to try and ease the sudden dizziness and heavy pressure on my chest. I giggled nervously then stumbled, starting to grasp a fainting spell was imminent if I didn t start breathing normally.
No!
I gasped as if to take back everything I d just discovered. I snatched my hand away from Breandan and buried it in my stomach, doubling over. My other hand clasped my throat as the truth gripped it and squeezed. My breaths were hysterical pants that were broken by the choking sound of my gag reflex.
Breandan reached out to me, and I slapped his hand away. He had known all a long. And he hadn t told me.
Don t touch me,
I rasped pushing my hair back, and tucking it behind my ears in case I actually vomited.
You must understand
No,
I snapped. I had to swallow hard, the sour taste in the back of my throat making me antsy. The queasiness passed, but the woozy feeling remained.
Not now. We need to explain what s happened to everybody else before they end up killing them all.
Turning on my heel fists clenched I left him to deal with the Clerics we d fought, and marched down the rest of the path unhindered towards Lochlann. I didn t hide the pain of Breandan s betrayal from the bond. I let it run free, hoping the depth and severity of the emotion hurt him as deeply as he had harmed me.
Lochlann was busy securing four unconscious Clerics whilst Daphne gathered a rather large pile of dead bodies beside her. Sheer force of will and understanding the practicalities of letting her feed from them allowed me to ignore her greedy sucking.
Conall,
I barked.
He paused, startled by the harshness of my voice. He finished knocking out a Lady Cleric by slamming the hilt of his sword to the back of her neck. The Cleric s eyes rolled as she crumpled.
Where s Ana?
I demanded.
He gave me an odd look before carefully moving over to my side, golden eyes wandering.
Are you okay?
Bite me. Where is Ana?
I repeated.
His sword arm dropped, and the tip speared the earth. His expression was one of blank shock for a fraction of a second before his face smoothed.
She s bound in the centre of the Wyld, back up the path where you came from. When Lochlann realized who she was, he trapped her there with a spell. She cannot leave its confines. Your friends Roland and Alex are there too. We felt it was safer that way, the black magic that seeps from them is upsetting to some.
I gritted my teeth, refusing to be distracted by the treatment the Tribe inflicted upon my closest friends. I d get to that difficulty soon enough.
This attack was down to witchcraft. The Clerics are hexed again. Cael is throwing them at us as a distraction like last time. I need her blood to banish his influence.
There. That was a decent opening for him to contest that belief. He said nothing. Not a damn thing. I speared him with a look akin to the one I d delivered to Breandan, but it was less effective as I didn t have a magical bond to send stabbing pains down at the same time.
Oh, wait. I don t need Ana.
I motioned to him than me.
I have two perfectly acceptable members of Cael s bloodline right here.
Stomping over to the Cleric he d knocked on her ass, I used her dagger to slice her palm and mine. I clasped our hands together and drew on the Source.
His blood, their blood. By my power, by my right, I command you to leave!
Funny how last time the same spell had caused me so much trouble. When you aren t being punched in the face with dark magic counter-spells are a damn sight easier to cast.
The Clerics on the ground convulsed. The few standing clawed at their faces, screaming. They then collapsed. As they thrashed, poisonous smoke seeped from their ears and poured from their mouths. It merged into an impenetrable mist that glittered mysteriously.
Tendrils of ice crawled over me then something unseen shattered. Pulses of dark magic rippled from the cloud that dissipated on a spine-chilling gust of wind, leaving the demons uneasy.
I dropped the Cleric s hand in disgust, and roughly swiped my healing palm on my thigh to get rid of the blood.
Conall wore a pained expression, but I just glared at him, too angry to speak. He moved to hold me and I shrugged him off violently. The anger rising in me was too potent and ugly.
You know, considering we can t lie I can t help but feel you and Breandan, hell, all of you spend most of your time not telling me the truth. Why haven t you all realized the more you keep from me the more danger I m in.
Throwing up my hands, I turned from him, not wanting the heartbroken expression on his face to sway me into forgiving him so quickly. Out of everybody, he had the most to explain. Breandan, I expected this kind of idiocy from. He avoided telling me things he thought would see me come to some harm, stupid, but understandable. Conall was my Elder! He should have told me of this when we first spoke of our family and our history.
It was difficult to explain,
Conall began.
I was reluctant to reveal to you how my own rejection of him added to the mess our parents made. I didn t want my failings to taint your opinion of Lochlann, and what he is trying to do.
I yanked on the ends of my hair.
I am such a fool. It s all because of us isn t it? Our family is the biggest disaster I ve ever come across or even heard of. The next time something goes wrong all I ve got to do is assume one of us has messed up, and I d be right.
I waved my hands at him.
Probably a distant cousin or a nephew or &.
Slack-jawed, I clasped a hand over my gaping mouth.
Oh my gods, Ana!
I d been seeking her to confirm to me if Cael was my brother but had conveniently failed to connect that we too were related. It explained why Conall had always been so protective of her.
Conall nodded.
Kin. Our fairy blood, the Sight, helps her to remain pure. She is not tainted like the human witches.
More than just kin,
I roared, my anger finally bursting through.
She never told me. She must have known, and she must have seen how I would find out. She sees the future for god s sake.
Indeed. I wish she had warned me of this,
Conall muttered and winced when I shrieked at him and thumped him on the arm, his rocklike bicep hurting me more than I hurt him.
Rae,
Breandan s hand settled on my waist and soothing waves rolled down the bond.
No!
I pushed him and his calming effect away with spikes of anger. I physically shoved him again to reinforce the message.
Don t you dare,
I hissed.
You ve gone too far this time. I swear it, Breandan, you will regret this.
He tried to place his hands on my shoulders. I hissed at him, striking out when he grabbed my wrists.
Please, calm down,
he begged,
you are scaring people.
Oh really? Well that s just fine by me. They can get a taste of how I feel most of the time.
I was not going to get him to release me without a real fight, so I stopped struggling, and became still as stone.
Let me go and move away. Far away.
He did, reluctantly, walking out of my line of sight. I turned back to Conall and my lip curled. I kept my voice at a normal le
vel.
You and I are going to have a talk one of these days, a long in-depth talk, and you are going to tell me everything. Everything.
He nodded emphatically.
Slowly, the unconscious Clerics came around and started freaking out. As trained, they coalesced together, weapons at the ready in shaking hands. Many lay dead. Few were badly wounded, but a handful still had some fight left in them. They surrounded the others ready to die but looking confused as to why they were in the situation.
Thankfully, Samuel was not among them.
It was past time I found an audience with the Priests and educated them as to what their Clerics were up to just how much they risked allowing rogues to attack unprovoked like this.
Lochlann was difficult to manage before when the Sect had kidnapped Maeve. Now, he would be insufferable.
NO!
The bellow had me spinning around ready to fight.
What I saw knocked the breath from me. The anger rushed from my fingertips and was replaced by fear and panic. I sucked in a breath and choked on it. Frantic, my gaze roamed the space seeking Breandan wishing I had not sent him away from me in anger.
He looked as if someone had run him through.
He took a step then froze not able to move any closer. His entire body shook his face so pale under the moonlight it was bleached white.
My heart thudded then sunk. The bitter taste of failure filled my mouth choking me.
This changed everything.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Alec clutched Maeve in his arms, her lax body trampled and covered in blood. Her eyes were half closed, chest motionless. I could not see the spark of her aura, the bubbly glow that was her fairy nature.
I took a slow step, then another. My feet were made of lead. Standing over Alec, the loud buzzing in my ears increased. The sound popped, and I flinched. Heart squeezing sharply, I pressed a hand to my chest, terrified it was giving up, and dropped to my knees.
It was not my own pain I felt, but Breandan s. His engulfed mine, blotted it out, and suffocated me. Blocking as much of Breandan s emotion as possible, I placed a hand on her cold body and felt & nothing.
Conall pushed me out of the way and pulled the dagger out of her chest. He placed his hands on the gaping wound, a clean thrust through her heart. He placed the other over the deep slash across her neck. Muscle and sinew bulged through the cut the delicate skin of her throat torn.
I dug my hands into the earth and stared at my brother s fingers working over the green skin. I d seen this girl take a bullet to the chest before, I d seen her survive something horrific. She could survive this. More than this, she had the best healer known to this fairy Wyld to save her. As long as we were not at the point of exhaustion, our bodies healed the moment we were damaged.
Conall s shoulders slumped, and he pulled away from her.
The insides of her body remained on display.
I looked from him to her repeatedly, not understanding. Her spark remained cold.
Without speaking, he stood and walked over to where Lochlann stood staring straight ahead. My brother placed a hand over his heart and bowed his head. Dark hair unbound, it flowed over his shoulders and hid his aggrieved expression.
Raising a hand to stop the heartfelt murmurs of his friend and ally, Lochlann turned on his heel and walked away.
The shifters were returning to the Meet, some with prisoners in tow that they pushed towards the other human survivors.
Byron prowled past, his eyes resting on Maeve then Alec. He tipped his head and screamed at the sky. His two daughters flanked him and did the same.
Long and low, a howl echoed into the night and was followed by foster baying of the wolves.
The aggression in the atmosphere was amplified as a wilder aura drew near.
A bear padded closer, beady eyes darkening with fury, rough snout hair matted with blood. Fur rich brown and thick rippled as he pushed up onto his hind limbs. The enormous bulk of him was frightening obscuring pastel shafts of moonlight.
Forepaws swiping angrily, Baako tossed his head back and roared the sound ancient and enraged.
Streams of air rushed overhead. Giant eagles, hawks, and falcons passed over us. The Raptors hollow shrieks added to the soulful clamor, a gut wrenching mourning of the dead.
Conall had walked away. Lochlann had walked away. Breandan had died a little inside.
She was gone.
Byron s screams ceased, and he lopped away to hide in the shadows as he Changed. Amelia and Nimah stayed close to Alec, brushing past him to try and offer comfort.
Alec hugged Maeve s body to him.
I don t believe it,
he whispered.
I can t believe &.
A sob racked my frame and had my entire body rocking. Startled by the sound, Alec stared at me intently.
She only wanted you to be safe. You know that? She tried to send you away because she wanted you and her brother to have a chance. To live.
Tears wet his cheeks as he held her.
She was so strong, so clever.
Alec stretched himself out beside her and tucked her limp body close. He leaned down to press a kiss to Maeve s still lips.
I cried over her body, refusing to move. Breandan sank down beside me and snatched me up, cradling me to his chest. He buried his head in the crook of my neck and wrapped his arms around me so tightly I struggled to breathe.
Maeve s skin grew colder.
I uncurled my fingers from hers, and shifted so I straddled Breandan s lap, locking my legs at the small of his back. Taking his head in my hands, I forced his chin up. I traced his dear features etched in pain. My breath hitched, and tears spilled from the corners of my eyes to roll down my cheeks. He lifted bloodshot eyes, the infinite depth of his gaze looking for solace in mine. I leaned over and rested my lips on his. He pressed back. A tear slid down his cheek and splashed on my neck. Deep sobs broke from him, and he ducked his head back down and hid his face in my hair.
Twisting away, knowing he needed more time, I stroked Maeve s fiery hair away from her face. Had you walked past you might think she slept beside Alec if you ignored the blood, ragged throat, and torn clothes.
I sat in a daze, searching for strength at the bottom of my heart.
I was aware of the bodies littering the copse being dragged away and a pyre built in the centre as we sat there.
Time passed silently.
Lochlann did not come back to sit with us.
I glared when a fairy Knight, Kian, approached us solemnly, bowing deeply and reverently. Sadness hung from him like a cloak.
Priestess, at Lord Conall s orders the pyre has been built. We saved a place for Lady Maeve at the top and arranged the humans below.
He swallowed.
It is custom for the Elder to place the body of the loved one upon the resting place, but Lord Lochlann seems,
another stricken pause,
overcome. He will not come when we call. What shall we do? The rest of the humans demand the right to bury their dead, but we have already covered them in oil and the torches are lit &.
He shrugged.
The dead must be put to rest.
Lochlann appeared from the shadows. He looked at me, and I looked away too much pain, too close to the surface. I already carried Breandan s burden and my own. I couldn t bear another.
I will honor my blood.
His voice sounded lifeless.
Lochlann bent down and gently scooped Maeve up into his arms. Breandan flinched. Alec didn t move, he stared as if she still lay beside him.
Lochlann rocked her from side to side as if cradling a newborn babe. She did look tiny in his arms, but Lochlann was uncommonly large. Love shone from his face as he gazed down on her, his one green eye darkening along with the other blue until they were both opaque. I wondered what memories he saw what moments of her life he relived to ease the pain. He hugged her close, the muscles in his arms and shoulders rippling with tension.
&
nbsp; He placed her body onto the centre of the pyre as if she were crafted from glass. Kian stepped forward, arms loaded with flowers and rich leaves woven into intricate garlands. Lochlann placed them over his sister.
Twinkling lights appeared in the dark, lighting up the tree boughs in a myriad of colour. The leaves shimmered faintly. Hundreds of eyes blinked at us, and the shadows of willowy bodies silently moved among the trees. The Tribe had come to pay their respects.
Changed into his human form, Byron came for Alec. The Alpha clenched his fists. He looked to the heavens and sought the stars for what to say. The energy I felt when near him intensified, and when his head snapped down, he was no longer in doubt, but ready to say what needed to be said.
Kneeling down, he lifted Alec up by the shoulders, tenderly, as if the boy had come from his own flesh.
Now is time for you to be a man,
he said gruffly.
I know you Claimed her, but your people need you now. Take your pain and make it strength.
The twin were-lynxes writhed around Alec s feet, tails brushing the ground and heads dipped low. Their agitated movement was testament to their grief.