"No," Regan called. "Go with us. Don't go back to Dirkk."
Hades appeared before her. "Go where? Where do you lead?"Regan closed her eyes. She didn't want to lead; she just wanted to go home with her son. A hand touched her arm and she opened her eyes. It was Angus.
"We will take them to Hafgan's. It is not far," he said.
She took a deep breath and nodded. "Follow us."
Regan reached to grab Daniel by the hand. "You stay right beside me."
Hades nodded. "I will follow."
*****
"Okay enough already," Regan said to the sky as more mud squelched beneath her feet. "The fire's out."
Overhead, thunder grumbled and lightning flashed. She'd tried to reach Zara to ask for a halt to the storm, but the dragon would not answer, and it was the same with Lilith and Llyr.
Regan looked around. She didn't like this. It was too easy. Where were Dirkk and the fenris'ena? She couldn't believe he'd just let her walk away with his little army of etain'daman.
Her hair had escaped its braid and damp tendrils clung to her face. Daniel sloshed along beside her, his fingers hooked beneath Maggie's collar. Regan glanced behind her. The etain'daman followed in silence. Thunder crashed and the two nearest to her and Daniel winced.
The etain'daman saw her look. "It is better than the cages."
Regan turned and trudged on. She lifted her hand to push another strand of clinging hair behind her ear and brushed her earring.
"Regan," Kelsey's voice demanded inside her head.
Regan stopped in mid-step. She had tried again to reach her sister, but to no avail. At last they far enough away from Dirkk's cave. "I'm here."
"It's about time. Where are you? Is Daniel with you? Dirkk—"
Regan laughed and Daniel reached to touch her hand. "Momma?"
"Just a minute, Daniel. I'm talking to your Aunt Kelsey."
She went back to Kelsey. "Slow down. One question at a time. Yes, Daniel is with me. I don't know where we are. Hopefully close to Hafgan's place. Where are you?"
"Rourk and I are at Hafgan's."
"How is Peter?" They both asked at the same time, then grew silent when they realized neither knew.
"I'm sure he's fine," Kelsey hastened to say.
A hand touched Regan's shoulder and she whirled around. An etain'daman stood there.
"Why have we stopped?" he said.
"I'm talking to my sister," she said.
Angus sprinted from around an oak tree. "I've found it. It's just beyond us."
"Angus just came back," Regan said. "We're close."
"Regan, watch out for the moat," Kelsey said.
"The moat? Why?"
"There's a real nasty in there with a bad attitude. Just get across it as quickly and as quietly as you can."
"Right, the moat. We'll be careful. I'll see you soon." She dropped her hand away from the earring. "Kelsey and Rourk are already at Hafgan's."
Angus turned without replying.
"Follow," Regan said to the etain'daman.
*****
The keep's wall rose before them, quiet and ordinary looking.
"Angus," Regan called.
The dwarf halted and looked back at her in irritated impatience.
"Kelsey says to watch out for the moat."
Angus nodded. "I know. Just don't fall into it." He turned and stalked on.
Regan reached to grasp Daniel's hand. The boy looked up in surprise. "Just until we cross the moat."
"They are expecting us. The gate is down," Angus called back, "and the portcullis is up."
Behind her, the etain'daman murmured their unease.
"It'll be fine," she told them reassuringly. "Just walk in the center of the bridge and stay away from the water."
"Momma, they're not moving," Daniel said.
Regan stopped and looked back. The etain'daman stood in a soaked huddle. "Come on."
Hades came toward her. "We don't like walls."
Regan swore beneath her breath. "This wall will keep you safe."
Hades shook her head. "You have freed us and we thank you, but we will go back to our village."
"No, you must stay with me. I don't know what Zara will do if she sees you alone."
Hades stopped in front of Regan. The etain'daman's eyes narrowed. "Then we are your prisoners now?"
"Of course not. You're free."
"Then we will go to—"
From the woods behind them, a wolf howled. Another answered, and then another. An etain'daman screamed in fear. Regan stared across and over their heads. A fenris'ena charged from the trees and the etain'daman screamed and rushed toward the open portcullis.
Dirkk had found them.
"No," Regan yelled. "Don't panic."
She jumped to the left as they fled by her unheeding.
"Daniel, get out of their way." She watched her son and Maggie scramble to the side. The etain'daman charged the bridge.
"Watch the moat. Don't push," Regan cried.
An etain'daman male careened toward the side of the bridge. He stumbled, wind-milled his arms, and vanished. Shrill screams overpowered the howling of the wolves. The etain'daman at the bridge's edge tried to push into the center. Regan watched three more fall into the moat before all made it beneath the portcullis.
She ran to Daniel and Maggie.
Daniel pressed his face against her stomach. "Momma, Momma, what's happening?"
"I don't know."
Regan looked back across the valley. The fenris'ena had stopped their charge, but paced at the beginning of the valley's floor. She pulled a strand of power along her arm and into her palm. "Daniel, Momma's calling up the Power. You and Maggie stay behind me." Her hand tingled. She could kill them right now, but they weren't coming any closer. Did they deserve to die? Dirkk made them what they were. He was the one who deserved death.
She turned to look behind her. Kelsey and Rourk emerged from beneath the portcullis, swords ready. Her sister walked to the edge of the bridge and looked down into the moat, then touched her pendant. Her voice rang inside Regan's head. "Come on. It's not here."
Regan touched her earring. "What's not there?" She looked again at the fenris'ena. They had turned and were going back into the forest. "Look, there's Aunt Kelsey. Let's go."
At the beginning of the bridge, Maggie stopped. Her hackles rose and she growled low in her throat. The basset hound yelped in surprise as Rourk bent and scooped her into his arms.
"You're a brave girl," he said, "but now's not the time."
Kelsey waved them forward. "Go."
"No, you go," Regan said. "If anything shows its head above the edge of the moat, it'll be toast."
Kelsey and Rourk backed toward the portcullis, their gazes never leaving the bridge's edge. "Okay, come on, Regan. We're inside."
The Power burned and Regan almost wished whatever it was would raise its head. Instead, she willed the strand to become a part of her. Her arm grew hot and, for a moment, there was a pale blue haze between her and the moat. Then it was gone, and she was running toward the commons. As she cleared it, the portcullis closed with a ground-shuddering thud.
The etain'daman stood in a wet, bedraggled mass in the common's center. Their silver eyes darted quick glances around the enclosure.
Regan frowned skyward. Would the damn rain ever stop?
"Here,," a voice shouted, and relief washed over her when she saw Angus running toward them. "The old stable is the closest. Let's get them inside."
She nodded. Rourk still held Maggie, and the basset hound didn't seem interested in being set down among the milling crowd.
Regan spotted Hades standing at the fringe of the etain'daman. She motioned to her. "We're going to get you out of the rain first."
The etain'daman nodded and shouted to the others. "Follow."
With heads down, they trudged behind Angus toward the stables.
*****
Regan stepped across a puddle. Frowning, she glanced towar
d the stable doors. Where the hell was Hafgan? She'd sent the stable boy for him at least an hour ago. Wind whipped through the door and flattened her shirt against her body. Shivering, she ran her narrowed gaze over the stable's sodden walls and ground. The place wasn't fit for rats, although there seemed to be plenty of the rodents scampering about.
Exhaustion had forced the etain'daman to seek drier parts of the stable, and finally to settle down on the muddy floor. She heard a soft snort and the shifting of restless feet. Jax stuck his head across the lower half of a stall door. She walked to him and scratched between his ears.
"Angus?" the gelding sent.
"I don't know," Regan said. "How are you?"
"Hungry." He rubbed against her shoulder.
"Me, too."
"Hey," Kelsey said, and Regan turned away from the horse. "They're all settled. Let's talk."
The sisters circled a stream of muddy water running across the floor. Perched upon a hay bale, they stared into each other's eyes for a moment and then Regan said. "You go first."
Kelsey told of their race away from the fenris'ena to Zara's cave and how she'd felt the weird tingle when she entered the cave. She told how Zara and Lilith had saved them from the wolves, and that her going into the cave had broken the spell and released the dragons. Her voice lowered as she told about Zara declaring she owed blood debt, and how Kelsey had demanded payment when they'd been attacked outside Dirkk's cave.
Regan sighed, then nodded. "I guess your running into Zara's cave was for the best."
"But she will kill the fairies."
"No, we've worked it out."
"Then the two of you are talking again?"
Regan shook her head. "She still feels I betrayed her."
Kelsey squeezed Regan's arm. "So how did Dirkk get you?"
Regan told Kelsey of the doorway Dirkk opened inside her chambers. That he had Daniel, and how she stepped into the doorway and that Maggie had followed her. She told Kelsey about Hades and the etain'daman, how they'd been kept in cages, were once fairies, and about the emerald dagger Dirkk wore.
"How did you get away?"
Regan smiled wanly. "The collar around Maggie's neck. Dirkk's wards don't affect it. It helped me use the Power."
Kelsey looked across at a group of etain'daman. "What's going to happen to them?"
"I don't know. Will the other fairies ever accept them?" Regan suddenly stood, glancing toward the stable door. "Isn't he the one I sent to Hafgan?" A boy leaned against the stable door eating an apple. Without waiting for an answer, she stalked toward him. "You, come here."
He watched as she neared, then turned away and took another bite of the apple. Disbelief and anger rolled over her. We stand shivering and cold in this miserable stable, and he's having an apple. The Power surged inside of her.
"You, dung heap." A figure stepped from the shadows behind the boy. He jumped as the apple was snatched from his hand. "We starve while you eat?" Angus said. "Where is your lord?"
Without replying the boy pulled another apple from his trouser pocket and bit into it. Regan watched Angus' face flush. She reached out and slapped the apple from the boy's hand. It rolled across the floor and an etain'daman grabbed it.
"Hey, that's mine."
Angus grabbed the boy by the scruff of his neck and gave him a shake. "Your lord?"
"He's eatin' and won't be disturbed for the likes of you all."
"Won't be disturbed?" Angus shook the boy again and then dropped him. "Come," he said to Regan. He hoisted his battle axe onto his shoulder.
"Where did you find Xuya?" Regan said.
"In the pig-sty of a room provided me at my first visit. I'd hidden it beneath my bed. It is good it still remained, or heads would have rolled. Come," he said, and marched out into the rain.
*****
From a window two stories up, Patrick Bannion looked down at the approaching figures. The queen bitch and the dwarf. So they're here. My father will be pleased to know. He smiled, thinking of Dirkk. It was wonderful to be with him again. At first Patrick had been angered to find out Dirkk had been in the cave for the past seven years, but his father explained secrecy had been of the highest importance.
Patrick laughed softly. His father was alive, and soon he would rule all of Daradawn at his side. Angus glanced up and the boy stepped away from the window. He mustn't see me, Patrick thought. He knows I went with Thomas to father's cave. Patrick clenched his hands into fists. So, I must hide like a frightened game hen, but not for long.
*****
Angus did not stop at the closed doors to the estate, but instead stiff-armed them open. They slammed against the walls.
A maid ran down a long hallway toward them, smoothing her hair and adjusting her dress as she came. "What are you doing? You can't just march in here." Two guards came rushing to join her from another branching hallway.
Angus swung Xuya before him. "You will stop me?"
Shaking their heads, they raised their arms in a warding-off gesture and stepped back.
"Where is Lord Hafgan?" Regan said.
"The dining area," the maid said. "I will show you."
"No need," Angus said, pushing by her. "I know the way."
He stopped before two wooden doors, then slammed them inward.
Hafgan held a chalice to his mouth. He gasped and spewed a mouthful of wine across the table.
Regan swept a gaze over the food-laden table, the flickering flames of the fireplace and the Power surged inside her again. Breathing slowly, she walked to the table, picked up a handful of the purple cantaloupe beans and popped one into her mouth.
"Wonderful, aren't they? I have them delivered to me regularly from Fertile Isle Valley," Hafgan said. He sipped from his chalice and smiled, but his shaking hand belied his composed words.
Regan forced herself to swallow the bean. "Were you aware we waited in the stable?"
"The old, broken-down and very wet stable," Angus clarified, fingering the edge of Xuya.
"What? Of course not. I will order the head groom flogged," Hafgan said indignantly, waving a hand toward them. "Please, sit and join me." He clapped his hands and a maid came from behind a curtain. "Bring two more plates and bowls."
"We have guests with us," Regan said, and watched a frown quickly cross Hafgan's face.
"By all means, have them join us also."
"You have a bigger room?" Regan asked.
Hafgan hesitated before answering. "The ballroom."
She turned to the maid. "Show your lord's guests to the ballroom, and then have the cook see to their empty bellies."
"Yes, milady," the woman said, scurrying from the room without waiting for Hafgan's orders.
Hafgan smoothed the lace at his wrists. "How many friends are with you?"
Angus smiled. "I do not know the count. Around five hundred, I would say."
"Five hundred," Hafgan sputtered.
Angus swung his battle axe before him. "You object?"
"No, no, I just may need to order another room opened for them," Hafgan said, reaching for his chalice. A guardsman rushed into the room. "What?" Hafgan snapped.
"The queen comes," the guard gasped out.
Hafgan pushed his chair out and scrambled to his feet. "What? Tessa here?"
"They approach the gate. And, my Lord, she brings an army."
Hafgan raked his fingers through his hair. "Has everyone except me gone mad? First a ragtag of freaks shows up inside my lands, and now the queen with an army."
"Is the High Mage with them?" Regan said.
The guard nodded. "He rides beside the queen."
She turned and ran from the room.
*****
Peter stared at the wall before him. What am I doing here? I should be seeking Regan and Daniel, not readying myself to war against the dragons.
Queen Tessa lifted her hand and halted the troops who rode behind her. She turned to an armored guard. "Announce us."
Peter felt her gaze upon him, but
refused to meet her eyes. She had forced him to this moment, and it would be a long time before he could forgive her, if ever.
He had risen from his bed this morn before the sun. The din of assembling troops started soon afterward. Dressed, he'd held Catherine and awaited the summons. It hadn't been long in coming.
The knock came just before dawn.
"Yes?" Peter had answered reluctantly.
The door opened. A red-liveried guard stood there. "The queen awaits you in the inner bailey."
Peter nodded and motioned to Agatha. The young woman was wife to Clifton, a castle guard, and had just given birth herself. She had offered to nursemaid Catherine when she heard Regan was missing.
Agatha smiled down into Catherine's chubby face. Peter kissed the top of his daughter's head and handed her to the young woman. "Regan and I owe you much."
"Tis no problem, High Mage," she said softly. "I have milk to spare. Don't worry at all about her. She will be fine with my little William. You just find her mommy and come home."
Find her mommy. It's what I should be doing. Frustrated anger rose within him.
"High Mage, the queen waits," the guard repeated.
He had nodded and followed him from the room.
Queen Tessa stood at the head of a gray mare. She wore trousers and a shirt of dark blue. A wide-brimmed hat shaded her face from the rising sun. She acknowledged his arrival with a glance, and then mounted the mare. A stable boy stood at Skylar's head. In silence, Peter swung up onto the back of the white stallion. He reined Skylar up next to the queen and awaited her command.
Tessa waved her hand and urged her mare forward. Twenty of the house guard fell into step behind them. "The rest of the men join us at the barbican."
Peter caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. He twisted in the saddle, ready to call forth the Power if a threat came. At first, he would not believe what he saw, and then raw anger lashed his body. He held out his hand and a small marble of blue formed in his palm.
"No," Talix squealed, and streaked to hover at Tessa's shoulder.
"Cease," Tessa said, halting her mare. "He is here to guide us."
The Emerald Dagger (Daradawn Book 2) Page 22
