Iron (The Warding Book 1)

by Robin L. Cole

  The Lynx nodded. He looked thoughtful, in a distracted sort of way. “The situation certainly seems to warrant such a bold move. It may pain you to take a stand against your kin, but I think you will find few who will fault you, your royal highness. Tír na nÓg was a much brighter place in your mother’s day. The people need justice. A justice only you may now provide.”

  “A justice I may only provide if I return home,” Kaine said. He stopped in his tracks, fixing the Lynx with a hard stare. “Tiernan’s power is absolute. His geis remains: I cannot cross the Veil. I have exhausted all efforts in trying to do so.”

  “Ahhh.” A slow, knowing smile crept across the Lynx’s face and, for just a second, I could see how he had earned his nickname in that Cheshire Cat-like grin. “So this then, is where you need my help.”

  Mairi was a ball of quivering energy beside me. I could feel her trembling. Gannon left the doorway, standing behind my loveseat; tense and gloomily serious. Even my nerves were jangling. This was the moment that we had all been waiting for, myself included. The million dollar question hung in the air, unspoken.

  The Lynx was looking up at the ceiling, musing. “As you now know, there is little that can counteract the Word of the High King.”

  “You say little, not nothing.” Gannon’s hands were clenched on the back of the couch, his knuckles white.

  “Indeed. The High King is as close to being omnipotent as any Aos Sí may be. Too close, some might say.” I did not miss his dig, however subtle. He continued, “So long as your brother wears the Diadem of power he is nigh unstoppable. However, our ancestors would not have invested such incredible power in their sworn liege without ensuring that there was a fail-safe.”

  “Which you know of.” It was not a question. An eager gleam lit Kaine’s eyes from within. “You know of a way to break the Word.”

  The Lynx regarded them all in turn. After a long, lung-crushing moment, he said, “Yes. I know of a way you likely have not yet tried.” He held up a hand to forestall any whoops of joy. There was a grave air about him. “But be warned—it is no simple task, nor one many would dare undertake. I cannot guarantee you success and it will not be without danger.”

  My heart bobbed like a buoy between elation and despair. Difficult often also meant lengthy. If this wasn’t a quick fix, I could kiss my hopes of them getting home in time to stop Texas Pete goodbye. I knew I should be equally concerned for the fate of their realm and mine, filled with innocents on both fronts, but I was a little too preoccupied to spare much thought on that. The Lynx had made a very good point about madness breeding paranoia and I had held no illusions: the existence of a Warder would breed lots and lots of paranoia. My first concern was my own hide, however petty that was, and knowing it was not likely to be saved made me want to cry.

  A look bounced around the room, shared by the three companions. It did not surprise me that no one raised dissent. They were willing to undertake any threat at this point—what choice did they have? Kaine nodded. “Understood. Any chance, however small, is one we must take.”

  “Fair enough. You must find the Claíomh Solais.”

  “The shining sword,” Mairi whispered reverently.

  Kaine didn’t look nearly as impressed. “The Claíomh Solais has not been seen in many an age. It was lost to our ancestors long ago. Many believe it has been destroyed.”

  The Lynx smirked. “Many are wrong.”

  I looked over to Gannon. He knew weapons better than anyone I had ever met. Even he looked doubtful. A deep sigh welled up from the bottom of my soul. I guess I didn’t find it surprising that this quest would be on-going, or that it would require some kooky fae artifact straight out of Mythology 101. I had strongly hoped otherwise, but the truth of it all had always been staring me in the face: this wasn’t an easy problem to fix.

  Kaine said, “And this sword, it will break Tiernan’s bond?”

  “Yes and no. Possession of the sword alone will not allow you to break the geis, but it is the key. With it, you can challenge Tiernan’s claim and petition one whose magic may override his Word.”

  An uneasy silence filled the room. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. A stronger magic than the all-powerful banishment of the High King? That did not sound good.

  It was little Mairi who finally had the balls to ask the big question. “Who’s magic is that?”

  “The Morrigan.”

  A gasp rippled around the room. Even I tensed. The name rung distant bells in my memory banks, harkening back to my fluffy Wiccan days. Surely he couldn’t mean the goddess from Irish folklore, could he? The scary tough-as-nails one of battles and crows and whatnot? The grim looks surrounding me made me believe he was. That sent a wave of the heebie-jeebies down my spine. Faeries and trolls were one thing. Gods were another entirely. Such a creature couldn’t actually, physically exist… could she?

  “You can’t be serious,” Gannon said. He looked angry enough to spit the aforementioned nails.

  There was only a tiny bit of apology in the Lynx’s words. “I’m afraid so.”

  Kaine had gone white. Straight up, sheet of paper, shaken to his core white. His arms hung at his sides, hands trembling. “Only a fool would dare summon Her. She long ago ceased to show any concern for her children.”

  “Perhaps. But She will answer the call of the sword.”

  “Madness,” Gannon spat.

  The Lynx spread his hands. “I can only tell you what I know. Did I not warn you it would be dangerous? She is the only being powerful enough to break the High King’s geis. Like it or not, she may be your only hope for getting home.”

  “To fight one madness, we must condemn ourselves to another.” Kaine’s laugh was a cold, bitter thing. He scrubbed at his chin with one hand, gazing out the window. When he turned back around, he still looked shaken. “And do you know the whereabouts of the sword?”

  “You are correct in saying that it was lost for many years. However, a few years back I crossed paths with one whose mind revealed to me that the Claíomh Solais had been unearthed once again. Humans have long held it, never knowing its importance. To them it is merely a relic of a bygone era—but to those of us who know the truth, it is so much more. I myself tracked the sword for some time. Our history’s effects on this world are something of an interest of mine.

  “Unfortunately, I never came in contact with it. The trail went cold and other matters took precedence, but before it I gave up I was able to trace it here to a private collector in New York City. I can point you in his direction, if you like. From there, I’m afraid you’ll be on your own.”

  “Then that is where we will start looking,” Kaine said, mollified. It was far from the happy ending we had all hoped for, but it was something. It was likely the best chance they were going to get.

  The Lynx stood. He pulled that familiar little notebook from his back pocket and wrote down an address. He tore the page from it and held it out. “I’m sorry I don’t know more. Truly.”

  With a jerk of his head, Kaine had Gannon step forward and take the paper. He held out his hand in the Lynx’s direction, face solemn. “Do not be. The information you have given us may yet save our realm. You have done all that you can and, for that, you have my thanks.”

  Surprise was writ upon the Lynx’s face as he clasped Kaine’s forearm and shook. Something told me such familiarity was rarely wasted on the lower class. He said, “Good luck, your royal highness.”

  “Thank you. I fear we will need it.” He and Gannon retreated to the far corner of my dining room, shutting us out of their private huddle.

  Dismissed, the Lynx turned his attention to me. He settled himself on the edge of my coffee table, putting us fairly level. He regarded me with a look of wry affection. “You are a resourceful woman, Ms. Caitlin. You succeeded where I am sure many have failed.”

  For all the good it had done me. That was hardly his fault by any stretch of the imagination, so I strove for some small burst of decorum. “Thanks. If i
t’s any consolation, you certainly made me work for it.”

  “Indeed. All the same, I must ask a boon of you.”

  “I’ve had shit luck in making promises with your kind,” I told him, giving him my best don’t-mess-with-me stare. “Forgive me if I insist on hearing the fine print before agreeing to anything.”

  “I would expect no less. Your Gift is quite possibly the rarest there is. This poses a unique danger, both to you and to myself. Many would seek to do you harm, to quell or possess your Gift—a fate I well understand. I too have many enemies and quite a few of them who would love to be able to find me, as you have. I ask for your word that you will never use your Gift to locate me at the behest of another again. In turn, I will keep your secret safe and never breathe word of your name to another soul.”

  I didn’t think he would betray me, with or without my promise. He just didn’t seem the type to sell me to the highest bidder. Still; it never hurt to have your tracks covered. I nodded, “Deal. I will not lead another to you, ever again—so long as you keep my identity a secret.”

  We shook hands, as Kaine and I once had. There was no exchange of blood this time and I wondered, briefly, if this pact was as binding as the one Kaine and I had struck. It didn’t matter, really. I had every intention of keeping my promise. My honeymoon with the fae was over. Knowing that there was at least one person out there watching my back, even in the vaguest way, was a comforting thought.

  When we broke apart, he smiled at me fondly. “You are an extraordinary lady. There are not many who would have adapted to this so well, so late in life. The Warding is a hard Gift to bear, and the danger you will face will be no easier. I wish you the best, in all that you do.” Sadness overtook his smile. He reached out, his hand hovering in the air next to my cheek for a moment before it fell back to his side. “You have her way about you. She would be proud to see such strength in you.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Who would be proud?”

  “Your mother.”

  He grinned and then he was gone.

  My jaw worked soundlessly, my wide eyes staring at the blank space he had occupied only heartbeats ago. My mother? He couldn’t have been talking about Sarah Moore, the woman who had birthed and raised me. No one had ever compared me to my mother. We were polar opposites in just about every way, from looks to personality and then some.

  I wracked my spinning mind but could not think of a single plausible instance where she could have crossed paths with such a man. Never mind that she was the most mundane woman on the planet; there was no way in hell she knew anything of the fae or had any idea of what I was going through with them. But if he hadn’t meant her, then who?

  Well. Didn’t that just throw me for a fucking loop?

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  My mother.

  Those two words kept ringing in my head.

  I sat on my bed, which was still stripped bare to the torn mattress, and stared off into space. An open duffle bag sat at the foot of the bed, with Mairi stretched out beside it. She was also staring off into space, though she kept her hands busy at unknotting one of my necklaces. I didn’t think she was tearing herself up internally as I was, but I was glad for her company. It made the emptiness of the room feel a little less oppressive. I had been right about how depressing it would be, to sit here and look at all the stuff in my life that was now missing. Having some company, even the silent kind, made it hurt a little less.

  We had left Kaine and Gannon to their private powwow in my living room. They had ignored us from the moment the Lynx had handed over the lead anyway. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised by that. They had never included either of us in any of their planning before. Since I had pushed Kaine to absolve me of any further involvement in his quest to return home, why would they bother to include me now? It had been easier to let them be, and run off to wallow in my own confused thoughts.

  I had intended to pack up some more of my stuff when I had first stormed off. It made sense to get it over with and figure out if there was anything else worth taking. Then, I could be done with it and make the final break from this life. Once I was smack dab in the middle of it, however, it all suddenly seemed so much less important. What did it matter if I took more clothes or another pair of shoes with me? How would any material possession help me figure out the next step in my broken life?

  I threw the shirt I was holding into the bag with a frustrated snarl. Try as I might, I just couldn’t make myself stop thinking about what the Lynx had said. Those words rattled around in my head like a ping pong ball. I kept thinking back to the night I had met Kaine and the gang; the night someone had first questioned my parentage. I had thought them crazy at the time. Who wouldn’t have? Only, now, I couldn’t so casually dismiss it as being a ridiculous notion. There were too many questions I couldn’t answer and, to be frank, I wasn’t sure I wanted to answer them anymore. The specter of “what if?” loomed over my shoulder.

  Mairi was the voice of reason. “He could have been lying, you know.”

  “And monkeys might fly out my butt.” Oh, how I wanted to believe that. So much of my internal strife would be quelled if I believed that. Only… I didn’t. I couldn’t. I drew my knees up to my chest, resting my chin atop them. I was probably pouting, but I didn’t care. I said it aloud, to make it real. “You don’t believe that and neither do I.”

  She put the chain, kink free once more, atop the clothes in the bag. Her sad eyes only made me feel worse, so I focused on my feet. I heard her sigh. “Yeah; okay. I guess you’re right. I figured it was worth a shot though. I’m fresh out of ideas to cheer you up with.”

  I shot her a grateful smile. “Thanks. Unfortunately, lying to myself hasn’t gotten me very far. Might be better to just nut up and accept this curve-ball.”

  The Lynx had no reason to lie and we both knew it. I had already agreed to his terms; we had agreed to cover one another’s asses and make sure no one used one of us to find the other. Why on earth would he lie to me? He knew something. It sounded like he knew or had known this woman, who he somehow thought was my mother. I had been too dumbstruck in the moment to find out more, and now it was too late. I didn’t think I’d have much luck finding him again, even if I tried. Something told me he wouldn’t be sticking around Riverview much longer, and I highly doubted he would ever cross Gilroy’s doorstep again, just in case.

  Maybe I was better off just letting it go, however hard that was. I mean, what choice did I have? My throat was tight as I zipped the duffle bag shut. There was no point in prolonging the agony any further. When I looked up at Mairi, my heart broke. Her cheeks and nose were red behind her tears, her bottom lip quivering. She threw herself across the bed at me and clung to me like it was the last time we would ever see one another.

  It probably was, so I could hardly fault her.

  Hot tears streamed down my own cheeks as I hugged her, my words interrupted by the occasional wet sniffle. “I’ll keep in touch. As soon as I find a place to settle down, I’ll find a way to let you know. I promise.”

  “I’ll miss you so much.” Her voice was a whisper.

  It made me cry that much harder.

  After a moment, she finally pulled away. She turned away from me, scrubbing at her face, and I knew there was nothing more to be said. Neither of us had any words to make this any easier. I grabbed my bag and tossed it over one shoulder. I paused once, in the hall, and looked back over my shoulder toward the dim light of my living room. I knew I should thank them and part ways on better terms—but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t face them and let them see me losing my shit, even to say goodbye.

  I hurried out the front door and let it slam shut behind me. Even that sound cut straight through me. It was the goodbye to everything I had ever known.

  Outside, the chilly evening air slapped me across the face. It was just what I needed to keep the shaking at bay. I took a deep breath and choked back a sob. I was nearly at my car when the stairwell door banged open behind me.
Gannon called out, “So this is it then? You’re just going to run away?”

  I couldn’t turn around; couldn’t let him see the tears glimmering in my eyes. I popped the trunk and tossed my bag inside. “Yup, pretty much.”

  “Come on, Caitlin. This is stupid…”

  My laughter was harsh and ugly. I hated how hearing my name fall from his lips shot a shiver up my spine. I snarled and slammed the trunk of my poor little Camry closed as hard as I could. “Well that’s me, isn’t it? The stupid, silly little human, running away and trying to save herself before the High King squashes her like a bug.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that,” he said, sounding exasperated.

  “I really don’t care how you meant it.” I was being petty; whiny—but, who the fuck cared? Not me. “This is the one chance I have to get ahead of whatever that bastard sends after me and I’m taking it. Not like I have much to stay for anyhow. A shitty job? A family that hates me? A best friend that won’t even speak to me anymore? Oh well. I’m sure I’ll survive.”

  “You’re being overly dramatic,” he said, scowling. “Come back inside. Let’s talk about this, before you make a rash decision.”

  “Oh yeah? Is that an order from your prince?” He looked away; his shame clear. I had to spit the words through clenched teeth. “You knew all along and not a single one of you told me—warned me!—who I was dealing with!”

  He gave me one of those perturbed looks that made me feel like a petulant child. “All the signs were there. You should have figured it out.”

  That only made my face burn hotter. “Yeah, well I didn’t, did I? I was in deep over my head from day one and no one thought to tell me. But I guess that’s my own fault, because I was too stupid to figure it out.”

  He heaved a sigh. “I never said—”

  I cut him off with a decisive wave of my hand. “You didn’t need to. You’ve made your feelings about me pretty clear.”