“If the darkness spreads, come to me,” Grey Eyes said.
I nodded. “What do you make of the boy? I gestured at Setanta without looking his way. “Will he recover?”
Grey Eyes frowned. “It’s hard to say.”
“He’s improved so much,” Fiadh said enthusiastically.
Grey Eyes handed Scarlet back to me. “Fiadh tells me you’re heading back to the Darkside. Is that wise?”
“It might be the only way,” I said.
“This might be forward, but may I come?” Grey Eyes asked. “I could keep an eye on the boy, and your daughter, and even your friend here.”
I glanced at Zoe then asked Grey Eyes, “You can help her while she’s here?”
“Perhaps. Mostly, I can warn you when she has been here too long, before it is too late.”
“Yes,” Zoe said. She looked at my expression and made a face. “Come on, Cara.” She lowered her voice. “You need me. You need to remember who you really are, not what they call you.”
I swallowed hard. I was the person who had murdered my own daughter’s grandfather, no matter what name anyone gave me. “I’ll… talk to Brendan about it, Zoe.” I nodded at Grey Eyes. “I’m sure he would appreciate the Miacha on his team.” I knew I would.
“I think my sisters can live without me for a while longer,” the Miacha woman said with a knowing smile.
“Great.” I plastered a fake smile on my face. “Looks like it’s going to be one big happy family.”
“Can you accompany me to the kings now?” Grey Eyes asked. “There’s not much time to prepare.”
I nodded, waved at Fiadh and Setanta, who was more alert and lively than I had ever seen him, and left with Bran, Scarlet, Zoe, and Grey Eyes.
Downstairs, in Brendan’s office, Grim and Drake were having a lively conversation that ended abruptly as soon as I entered the room. Brendan stood to one side, looking amused.
“Um,” I began, unsure of why there was so much tension in the room. “We wanted to discuss the trip to the Darkside. I need to bring Scarlet with me, so of course, everyone else has decided they need to come, too.”
Drake frowned. “Exactly who is everyone?”
I grinned. “Me, Scarlet, Zoe, my Miacha friend here, Fiadh, Setanta, Conn, Dympha, Eithne, Anya, Bekind, and Líle. Oh, and I suppose my shadow over there, too.” I gestured at the guard. Bran gave a weak little wave, looking embarrassed.
Brendan leaned against the wall, his eyes bright. “Am I being asked a request?”
I smirked. “We’re just telling you so you aren’t surprised by the number of people who leave here tomorrow.”
Brendan rolled his eyes a little. “Of course you are. Drake and I have already agreed we’re both going. Grim will be left in charge here, Sorcha will rule the Silver Court in Drake’s absence, and the rest of us will try to make sure that Sadler’s ships never land.”
“If they exist,” Drake added sharply.
Brendan waved his fingers. “Of course. That.”
“And if everything does not go to plan?” Grim asked. “What will happen?”
“Conn, Líle, and Dymphna will shepherd the children and the others to safety,” I said.
“But not you?” Drake asked.
I blinked rapidly. “Everything will go to plan.”
Chapter Fourteen
Anya had been fidgeting for the last half hour.
I picked up a piece of crust Scarlet had dropped on the floor then paused to stare at my fae friend. “Why don’t you go talk to him?”
She flinched. “I wouldn’t even know what to say.”
“Maybe he’ll do the talking then.”
“He hasn’t tried yet.”
Zoe nudged her. “He carried you in from the carriage.”
“That was different.” Anya sighed. “I’m afraid to knock on his door. What if he sends me away?”
“Do you want to sort things out?” Zoe asked.
“Of course I do.” Anya bit her thumb, a mischievous look crossing her face. “Cara, do you mind if I take Scarlet for a walk?”
“A walk in which you might accidentally bump into loverboy?” I grinned. “Go. Use my daughter to talk to boys.”
“I won’t be long.” She beamed as she fetched Scarlet’s coat.
“Take Bran with you,” I said. “He’s waiting outside the door.”
“I don’t know if that’s good or bad,” Zoe said when Anya had left. “The whole men-standing-guard thing.”
“It takes a while to get used to. Back when everything started, my first bodyguard tried to kill me, so Líle took over.”
“You say that like it’s nothing.”
“Well, I didn’t get hurt. My point is that warriors are supposed to protect the weak here. So even though it’s kind of annoying to be the weak little female having to hide behind a man, over here, it isn’t about gender. People like Líle and Dymphna are expected to do the protecting, too.” But I had been working hard in the human realm to learn how to protect myself, and it still rankled that I was considered weak.
“Have you ever seen Líle fight?” Zoe’s eyes widened. “She’s like something out of a cartoon. In a really, really good way.”
I laughed. “I’m sure.”
Her cheeks flushed, so I decided not to pick on her too much. I wasn’t sure what was going on between my friends, but a little life had returned to Líle, and for that I was grateful.
Zoe rummaged under the sofa cushions then pulled out Scarlet’s hat. “Anya must have forgotten this.”
I jumped up and took the hat from her. “It’s freezing outside. I’m just going to pop downstairs after her. Hey, if you see Bekind, tell her I need to talk to her.”
“I think she’s spying,” Zoe said breezily.
“Of course she is.” I rolled my eyes then left the room.
On my way downstairs, I bumped into Bran. “Slacking off?” I asked.
He rubbed the back of his head. “I was kind of sent back up. Arlen’s with Anya.”
I held up the hat. “She forgot Scarlet’s hat.”
He looked at me blankly.
“It’s cold,” I said. “She needs her hat.”
“I’ll come with you,” he said eagerly.
I tried not to smile as he ushered me down the stairs. “Feeling a little useless, Bran?”
He made a face. “Arlen is a legend, and there are enough stories about Líle to make anyone feel inadequate.” He cleared his throat. “Not that I’m not… useful or… I’m just saying…”
“Don’t worry about it. Nobody’s perfect, no matter how many stories and legends people tell about them.”
“There are quite a few stories about you, too.”
I let out a short, sharp laugh. “I haven’t done anything story-worthy, trust me.”
In the main hallway, I heard shouting outside.
Bran swallowed hard. “Perhaps we should stay here and keep out of that?”
“Or not,” I said, a little annoyed that Anya and Arlen were having a fight in front of my daughter.
“Sounds like the troops are arriving,” Bran said as we neared the doors.
Outside, Anya and Arlen were verbally laying into each other, but Scarlet wasn’t with them. The first set of soldiers was galloping on horseback across the courtyard.
“Scarlet?” I whispered, scanning the steps. I raced over to Anya. “Where’s Scarlet?”
“What?” She spun around, her face falling. “Scarlet?”
A distant yowl from a cat caused my breath to hitch. I scanned the yard. My heart dropped when I spotted my daughter. She was toddling into the path of the oncoming horses.
“Scarlet!” I screamed, racing toward her.
I would never make it. The horses were too fast, hadn’t seen her, couldn’t stop even if they tried.
“Scarlet!”
I heard footsteps running behind me, but my eyes were on Scarlet as she slipped in the mud. She turned onto her hands and knees, and her eyes wid
ened when she noticed me running toward her. The horses would reach her first.
My heart was in my mouth as I sprinted, screaming at the soldiers to stop. Some slowed, but others either ignored me or didn’t hear. Right before hooves trampled my baby, a flash of silver crossed the mud. Scarlet was snatched into the air and moved to safety without a split-second to spare. Drake stood there, holding Scarlet with a dumbfounded look on his face. The baby seemed too stunned to cry as she stared up at her father with wondering eyes.
I ran the rest of the way to them, tears rolling down my cheeks. My hands ran across Scarlet’s face in an attempt to make sure she was okay. Her lower lip trembled, but she didn’t cry. I tried to take her, but Drake held on to both of us, shaking almost as hard as I was.
“She’s safe,” he murmured. “I have her. She’s safe.”
“They would have killed her. She could have…” A sob shook my entire body.
Drake put a finger under my chin, tilted my face up, and gazed into my eyes. “I will never let her come to harm. Do you understand me? Never.”
I nodded shakily, unable to even speak anymore. My mind kept going to that bad place, the one where Drake hadn’t saved her, the one where her broken body had been left lying in the mud. I wanted to throw up, but I swallowed my tears and tried to calm down for Scarlet’s sake. It suddenly occurred to me that Drake had saved her. He had risked his own life to save my daughter.
He ran his thumb across my cheek then looked down at Scarlet. “She’s beautiful,” he said as if in awe. “I mean…”
He raised his head and appeared to notice that the rest of the world still existed. I followed his gaze and saw too many faeries staring at us. I shuddered violently.
“You’re freezing,” he said in a tight voice. “Take the child in to the warmth. I’ll deal with this.”
I bundled Scarlet into my arms. “Everything’s okay,” I whispered, as she clung to me. I walked blindly back to the castle.
As I passed Anya, she wrung her hands and cried, “Cara, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Ignoring her, I kept going, past Brendan and Líle, past Bran, past everyone who still stared. All I cared about was getting back into my room with Scarlet.
At the door to the castle, I glanced over my shoulder and saw Drake pulling soldiers off their horses. Brendan gazed at me, an unreadable expression on his face. I went inside, closely followed by Bran and a wailing Anya. I held Scarlet so tightly that she started to squirm to be free, but I couldn’t let her go. Not now or ever.
Outside my room, I gripped Bran’s arm. “Nobody’s allowed in except Bekind.”
He nodded and blocked Anya from following me. I went in and shut the door.
“Please, Cara.” Anya banged on the door. “Please!”
Zoe stood up and asked, “What’s going on?”
I shook my head then burst into tears. I let her take Scarlet out of my arms and guide me to a chair.
“What happened?” she whispered.
My hands were still shaking. “Scarlet,” I gasped. “She nearly died, and Drake… saved her.”
Zoe stayed with me as I cried out the fear and shock. But amongst the sickness growing in my stomach, there was one bright light. He cared. Drake really did care about our daughter.
***
Bekind the cat growled and nipped my hand as yet another knock on the door sounded.
“We’re unavailable,” I said, brushing the hair away from my sleeping child’s face. She had gotten over everything in about ten seconds. Hours later, I was still shaking.
Zoe groaned and stretched her legs over mine. “I’m sick of the knocking, though.”
Bekind shifted into her human form. “I’m answering it. You can’t hide forever.”
“At least put some clothes on,” I teased. “And where have you been lately, anyhow?”
“Protecting you.” She made a face. “Perhaps I’ve been spying in the wrong places.” She headed to the door.
Zoe grinned. “Don’t let her know, but she’s one of my favourites. She’s all about the family. I kind of think of her as your long-lost sister or something.”
“Who just happens to shapeshift into a cat,” I said wryly.
“That’s the best bit.”
“You’re taking everything too well. That’s the first sign of madness here: acceptance.”
Before she could respond, Bekind returned with Brendan.
He grinned when he saw us sprawled on the bed. “Not an unwelcome sight.”
“Stop being a perv,” I said.
His smile only broadened. Bekind shifted back into her cat form and hissed at him.
“I’ll behave,” he said. “Cara, would you please come to dinner? The lineage consultant is back, Sorcha is back, and Drake is in a foul mood, even worse than usual. Anya keeps crying, and Arlen is in a fury of some kind. Would you please save me from the madness?”
“I’m not in a sociable mood, either, you know. My kid almost got crushed by horses.”
He sat on the edge of the bed. “Is she all right?”
“She’s fine,” Zoe said. “I doubt she even noticed. She doesn’t comprehend danger yet. Cara’s the one who was in a state.”
“Then I understand if you don’t want to attend,” Brendan said.
“She’s going,” Zoe said abruptly. She pointed at me. “Scarlet’s asleep for the night. What are you going to do, keep staring at her for another eight hours? You’re being ridiculous, and you need to calm down. Go eat and take a break from this room. I’ll stay here with her. She’ll be fine.”
“No, I can’t ask you to—”
“You’re not. I’m telling you what to do. Now get out of here, bitch.”
“Zoe!”
She looked at Brendan. “I’ll send her down. Is she supposed to dress up or something?”
Brendan lifted his shoulders in a half-hearted shrug. “She tends to do whatever the hell she likes.”
“Stupid question, eh?” Zoe glared at me. “Go get ready.”
Frowning, I got up off the bed.
Zoe grinned. “Good girl. Oh, and see if Líle wants to drop by while you’re at it.”
I wasn’t about to let her off that easily. “Oh, really? So you’re trying to get rid of me to get Líle alone? Niiiice.”
“Fuck off!” She threw a pillow at me. “I’m straight anyway!”
Brendan leaned toward her, his eyes twinkling. “Some say that love is straight as an arrow. But anything else is just the trappings. Gender, looks, titles, that’s all on the surface. It’s what’s underneath that a person falls for—the soul. That’s what love really is.”
Zoe gazed at him as if in a trance. I cleared my throat, and both of them jumped. I raised my eyebrows at them.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Brendan said, straightening. “See you soon, Cara.” He gave a little bow then left.
I watched him leave then turned to Zoe. “What the hell was that about?”
“I think he likes you.” Zoe stretched. “And he’s hot as fuck.”
Bekind purred as if in agreement.
I scowled at both of them. “What are you, twelve?”
“No, I’m your friend, and you need a bloody break from all of the drama. Have fun. Go away.”
I backed away from the bed dramatically slowly.
“I’m serious,” Zoe said. “You told me you were lonely, so do something other than mope about for a change. Geez!”
I rolled my eyes. Bekind shifted back to human form and helped me find something to wear. She sat on the counter in the bathroom and watched me change.
“Maybe Zoe is right,” she said. “Maybe it’s time you thought about… other things.”
I froze. “What are you on about?”
She blithely studied her fingernails. “There are a lot of rumours about you and Drake. People think you’re a danger to him.”
“I don’t care what people think,” I snapped.
“As you say.” She waved her hand. �
�But you spent the last year in the human realm without even considering moving on from him. Perhaps Brendan will help you do that here.”
“I’m not using Brendan.” I used a hairbrush to pull my hair back into a ponytail. “We’re not here to find me a boyfriend. We’re here to survive.”
“Maybe we can do both.” She shifted and dodged the hairbrush I threw at her.
***
I stared at the goblet of golden wine in front of me and thought about taking a sip.
“Cara,” Anya said, her eyes pink from crying. She took a seat next to me. “Please talk to me.”
“Not now.”
“The least you can do is hear her out,” Arlen snapped from behind us.
I turned in my seat. “The least you can do is fuck off until I forget how you let my daughter wander into the path of galloping horses.”
“Now isn’t the time,” Brendan said, coming to stand between Anya and me. “Tomorrow,” he told her.
When Arlen and Anya moved to another table, Brendan took the seat next to me. “Having fun?”
“Obviously.”
“Cara,” he said earnestly, resting his hand on my knee.
“Ah, sire, there you are,” Cathal, the lineage consultant, said as he approached the table. “I have a surprise for you.”
“Do you?” Brendan asked wearily. “What now?”
“I’ve found you the right bride.” Cathal beamed. “A new family, one who climbed the ladder after… your disappearance. A perfect match. Her entire line are prepared to back you after the marriage.”
Brendan shook his head. “We’re marching out tomorrow. I don’t have time for—”
“But time is of the essence,” Cathal insisted. “This is why we have to discuss—”
“Shut up,” I spat. “He doesn’t want to get married. Back off and let him enjoy his last night at home before we face Sadler’s army.”
“We,” Cathal scoffed before turning on his heel and stalking off.
Brendan rubbed his temples. “I’ll have to deal with this now, or he’ll follow us to the Darkside. Excuse me, Cara.”
Something in my chest tightened. “Deal with this as in let him marry you off?”
Brendan grinned, looking more like himself. “Not bloody likely.”
Usurper (Chaos #4) Page 14
