The Iron Cursed

by J. M. Briggs

  “We don’t know enough yet,” Leugio said. “They’ve been peaceful for so long. Maybe some are still peaceful. Besides, a full war against them would hurt all of us as well.”

  “Maybe,” Flaitheas said. “But I want to know who this lord of theirs is and how to stop him.” She looked at him seriously. “Do you think your magic can help?”

  “I don’t know,” Leugio admitted. “I’ve never used it for much. It’s strongest around the Sídhe.”

  “There, you see.” Flaitheas looked at him triumphantly. “That means that you have magic for fighting them. Just like the old stories said.”

  “Yes, but I don’t know much about how my magic works,” Leugio said. “I’ll practice of course and see if it can help me learn more about the Sídhe and what they are doing, but we need to be careful.” He tried to smile for her even as a knot formed in his gut. “I am only one mage.”

  Flaitheas just smiled softly at him. The triumph had faded and there was a hint of understanding in her eyes. He wasn’t sure how to interpret it. His chest tightened and he was aware of his own sweaty palms. It was completely ridiculous.

  “I have faith in you,” Flaitheas finally said. She looked ahead of them at the rolling hills once more. “Even before you knew you had magic, you were willing to enter a Sídhe mound for your sister.”

  “She’s my sister,” Leugio replied quickly. “Of course I’d fight for her.”

  “I envy you that.” Flaitheas glanced his way again. “I always wanted a sibling, but both my brothers died and after mother passed…” She trailed off and shook her head. “Well, I’m afraid it’s just me and Father. I suppose that’s why he’s so eager for me to have children. He worries about what will happen after he dies.”

  “I’m sure your father has many years left.”

  “I hope so, but these Sídhe attacks are worrying him greatly. Even the ones in the other areas that don’t concern his subjects have him concerned. Another king could try to take advantage.”

  That was a possibility that hadn’t occurred to Leugio. He was a shepherd in his own mind despite his magic. He didn’t like the idea of waiting for there to be attacks in other areas, but at the same time, he didn’t want to lose family and friends to another series of raids. Swallowing, he pushed the idea aside. The best thing he could do right now was focus on the Sídhe threat, but if they were active in other areas, what was he supposed to do?

  “Are the attacks bad in other areas?” It was hard to ask the question.

  “No worse than here,” Flaitheas replied. “Some kidnappings and a few outright attacks, but nothing too bad. The other kings are sending troops around like my father is. Though as far as I know our kingdom is the only one to have a mage.”

  Leugio didn’t know what to say to that. On one hand, it pleased him. He was the only mage: the only one who could do magic. On the other hand he felt guilty for even the brief flicker of pleasure that had given him. The Sídhe were turning dangerous once more. They weren’t content to just occasionally cause trouble now. They were actively taking steps that could lead to a war, and he was the only mage. All those other areas lacked magic to help them.

  “Flaitheas…” he trailed off and tried to find the right words. “If things get bad someplace else… I’d feel like I needed to go. Even if it is outside your father’s kingdom.” The words hung in the air, suffocating him as Flaitheas remained silent.

  Then she nodded and sighed a little. “I understand,” she said. “And in that case, I’d suggest to Father that I go with you. If he argued with that, then I’d understand you needing to slip away.” Relief hit Leugio squarely in the chest as Flaitheas gave him a smile. “You’re a good man, Leugio, and while I won’t claim to fully understand the responsibilities of being a mage, but if someone has to have the power then I’m glad it is you.”

  Leugio wanted to say something in response to her words. He felt like he should, but his tongue was too heavy and his chest was too tight. Instead, he smiled at her and nodded gratefully. At least she would understand that he wasn’t seeking to help another king or anything political like that.

  Night was falling around them and Aodh stopped long enough to pull forth some torches. It wasn’t easy to keep the horses moving in the twilight, but they managed. As the last shadows vanished with the sun, Leugio became all too aware that they had entered the time of the Sídhe. Every burst of wind or creaking of a tree made his heart jump and him look around nervously.

  Then he noticed it. Magic was building in his chest. It was a slight increase, but the spark was stronger than before. Leugio looked down at his hands and flexed his fingers. White sparks appeared around the fingertips of his right hand. He urged the sparks to come together and to his surprise, they formed an orb that seemed solid in his hand. A white glow surrounded him.

  “Leugio?”

  “Flaitheas, I think there are Sídhe nearby.”

  At his words, the others drew their weapons with the smooth slide of metal against leather. He looked over his shoulder. Aodh and Nyle were ready and scanning the hills around them. Leugio wanted more light and began to raise his hand, but the orb floated out of his hand and over his head.

  The light might have helped the Sídhe find them or they may have already been close. Moments later a group of Sídhe dressed in their leather armor and swinging their bronze weapons came charging over the crest of a nearby hill. In the light of the orb their violet eyes flashed, and Leugio could see just how pale their skin and hair were. One came straight for him, squinting its eyes against the glow of the light orb hanging over his group.

  Leugio scrambled off the horse frantically. The horse reared up sharply as soon as his feet hit the ground. The Sid didn’t have time to move before the hoofs of the horse hit its chest. Leugio grimaced in sympathy as the horse’s fearful cries blended with a howl of pain, but he didn’t linger. The magic rushed to his soft call, flooding down his arms and gathering in both of his hands.

  Two Sídhe watched him, their bronze swords at the ready. He met their gaze as calmly as he could and debated attacking directly. Behind him he could hear his horse pawing at the ground and was fairly certain that the Sid who’d tried a frontal assault was dead. Magical being or no, being shredded by the hoofs of a frightened horse was deadly.

  There were more of them now. The Sídhe were closing in around their small group. Aodh shouted something and swung his axe down at the head of one of the creatures. It hissed and dodged, slashing towards Aodh with its bronze sword. Shifting his axe, Aodh easily stopped the blow. With a shout the tall man twisted his axe to force away the blade. He hit the Síd in the face with the iron axe blade. There was only a brief splatter of silver blood before the body had dissolved and the blood vanished.

  “Watch yourself, Leugio!” Aodh shouted.

  Leugio look to his right to find another Síd charging him. Magic flashed off of his hands as he instinctively brought them up. A bolt struck the Síd, sending it collapsing to the ground. Leugio fumbled to draw his iron sword as the Síd struggled to stand. He jumped forward and smashed the sword down onto the Síd’s head, missing the neck. There was a moment of resistance, but silver blood poured out and the Síd’s body began to vanish.

  Turning around, Leugio switched his sword to his left hand and called on more magic. It was easier now and he quickly moved his eyes between the pair of Sídhe who were watching him. They looked ready to run and he wished they would, but both stayed in place. He brought up his hand and pushed on the magic. A wave of white rolled through the air. They both crumbled to the ground. One began to vanish while the other grunted and climbed onto its feet.

  Leugio told the magic to make a bolt. It blasted the Sídhe and made it fall apart into dust, but another one came rushing through the collapsing body. Leugio gasped, barely twisting out of the way as a bronze sword sailed towards him. Then another one came at him from the right.

  The world had narrowed. Leugio saw nothing other than the twin swords trying t
o catch him. He brought up his sword and blocked one blow. His right hand opened and white sparks surged around the other Sídhe. Blood pounded in his ears. Leugio danced back as the sword moved again. His magic destroyed one, but another came at him. He shouted. Fear clawed at his chest and the white sparks twisted around him wildly. He didn’t know what to tell them. A Síd moved in the corner of his eye and there was a flash of bronze. A white bolt destroyed it, but something slashed at his arm.

  Leugio’s magic formed another orb in his hand and he threw it at the nearest Síd. It screamed and fell back. He just managed to avoid another blow. His lungs were beginning to burn and the spark in his chest was beginning to hurt. The sense of power was fading. A Síd stepped in front of him, sword raised overhead. Suddenly, a sword burst out of the chest of the Síd, slicing through its leather armor. Blinking up in surprise, Leugio was silent as the Síd groaned in pain. Silvery blood glittered on the sword but began to fade away as the Síd’s body dissolved into golden sparks. Then it was gone and he was looking up at Flaitheas. Her long brown hair was a mess with one of her braids hanging in her face. She was panting, but there was a pleased smile on her face.

  “Thanks,” Leugio managed to say. He swallowed, embarrassed at how weak his voice sounded. “Good thrust.”

  “You looked like you needed some help,” Flaitheas replied. Then her expression turned serious. “Almost all of them went straight for you.”

  “How many were there?” Leugio asked. He glanced around to make sure that they were all gone. His left arm was bleeding a little, but it wasn’t deep. Aodh was cradling his right arm as Nyle began to bandage it. “I lost track.”

  “I’m not sure. Some started to run when you began to use magic,” Flaitheas said. She stepped closer to him and touched his left arm gently. “Let’s get that bandaged and keep moving. I don’t want to stay out in the open any longer than necessary.”

  Flaitheas worked with fast and purposeful motions. She wrapped the wound after rinsing it with water. Aodh was a bit shaky on his feet but proved himself able to stay in the saddle. Above them the orb of light was dimmer, but was still providing enough illumination that they could retrieve their fallen gear. Thankfully the horses hadn’t run too far.

  No one spoke as they moved on. The orb of light followed them, and Leugio found himself looking up at it in surprise. In his chest, the spark continued to ache a little, but he didn’t think he was pulling on more magic. The orb didn’t last much longer before flickering away. They pulled forth torches and kept the horses moving.

  “There,” Flaitheas said as they came up a hill.

  Sighing in relief, Leugio almost fell out of his saddle. The fortified village of Eochu Finn was in sight, and even from here he could see the torches along the wall. It was a welcome sight and made him hope that he’d be home soon. Two encounters with Sídhe warriors had left him nervous about the state of his own home village. If the Sídhe everywhere were turning so violent, then his home was far too close to a mound.

  No one spoke as they urged their horses towards the village. Exhaustion hung heavy in the air and Leugio desperately wanted to sleep. His eyelids were heavy and his eyes were beginning to burn with the effort of staying open. Thankfully their horses seemed to know that the end was in sight and sped up.

  The guards let them pass and two men helped Aodh out of the saddle. Nyle nodded to them both before quickly following Aodh into one of the roundhouses. Leugio dismounted and lingered near Flaitheas, unsure of what to do now.

  “Flaitheas?” he called softly. “Are you going to speak with your father?”

  “No, he’s already asleep!” Flaitheas snapped. Then she sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m just… frustrated, I suppose. We’re on the edge of something; it could be horrible or nothing, and I just can’t tell yet.” She rubbed her eyes. “And Father…” She shook her head. “He’s not happy with me wanting to check on these things myself.”

  Leugio nodded in understanding. “We don’t know yet what is going to happen,” Leugio said carefully. “But I’ll help you however I can.” He paused and debated with himself a moment before he spoke again. “I think there may be a way to get some information.”

  “How?”

  “When my sister was taken, I bartered a cruit to a Síd for information.”

  “I remember.” Flaitheas smiled a little at the reminder of his story. Then a look of understanding took over her face. “You think that it might barter with you again?”

  “Maybe,” Leugio said. “Iúdás and I spoke briefly and he was quick to stress that he had no power in other mounds. I wonder if he already knew that another Sídhe was gaining power.” He ignored the way that Flaitheas’ eyes widened at the revelation that he knew a Síd by name.

  “I’m not impressed with their loyalty.”

  “No, but maybe that’s the key. If some Síd is taking power then I doubt they are all in agreement. If we’re lucky, maybe we can find a dissenter who will share information in exchange for goods or something else.”

  “We can’t give them any children,” Flaitheas said firmly. “Just so we’re clear.”

  “Of course not,” Leugio agreed in a rush. “I wouldn’t consider it, but we need information about what is happening.”

  “So should we go to the mound near your home or somewhere else?”

  “We?”

  “I want to know what is happening,” Flaitheas replied. “Besides; you travel to my home all the time. Maybe I should return the favor.” Her smile softened and there was a faint rush of color on her cheeks. “You’ve met my father, but I’ve never met your mother or the sister you brought from the mound. Keelia was down there even longer than you were. Maybe she would have some insight.”

  Leugio tried not to smile. There was a fluttering in his stomach. Flaitheas wanted to meet his family. Of course, they had a mission and a plan, but she’d actually mentioned meeting his family. Did that mean something? He wasn’t sure.

  Then Flaitheas smiled at him. The color on her cheeks brightened and she leaned forward. His eyes widened, but he was frozen in place. Warm lips brushed against his own and her nose bumped his. It was strange, a touch awkward and it made his heart constrict painfully. Flaitheas pulled back, looking a touch nervous and Leugio realized that he hadn’t moved at all. He smiled at her and Flaitheas’ expression instantly softened. She giggled softly and Leugio let himself laugh. Then he leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

  “So we’ll discuss the plan in the morning?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Flaitheas agreed. “Father won’t be happy I’m leaving again.” She paused and gave him a teasing look. “But I suppose we could tell him that I’m just going to meet your family. He’d be pleased with that explanation.” Then her smile faded away a bit. “Go and get your arm seen to, Leugio.”

  With that Flaitheas vanished into the roundhouse. Leugio released the breath he’d been holding. Her parting words finally reached him and he looked down at his arm. Oddly, he hadn’t even noticed it hurting. He smiled a little and turned on his heel. Something about Flaitheas put him at ease. It was like he’d known her forever. His smile somehow widened further.

  22

  Life Marches On

  Life had to go on, despite whatever the Sídhe were doing and Arthur and his mother were planning. School wasn’t very high on the priority list anymore, but she was still going. It was almost a waste. Alex eyed her textbook with distaste. Somewhere along the line, studying literature had stopped being fun. Probably about the time that she’d become a character in an overly complicated fantasy story that had her dealing with invading magical species and the reincarnation of an old enemy. Plus, it had left her personal life a mess.

  “Alex?” Bran asked. “You okay?”

  Blinking, Alex straightened up in her chair. They were at the library in one of the study rooms. It was a bit too hot as they’d shut the door, and bags of chips and a plastic bag of homemade cookies sat open on the table amongst their water bottles. Bran w
as looking at her from his place beside her with a small frown. His own textbooks were stacked in front of him with his physics book open to a page full of equations.

  Bran’s question had made the others look up. Nicki was seated across from her and gave Alex a searching look. Jenny tucked a strand of dark hair that had escaped her braid behind her ear while studying her. Lance and Aiden were at the far end of the table and both looked her way.

  “Fine,” Alex said quickly. “Just zoned out I guess.” Shaking her head, she looked down at her book and sighed. “Anyone else just done with school?”

  “For the year or in general?” Aiden asked. “Because I am so ready for summer. With everything that’s happened this year I’d rather not have to worry about doing homework around magic duties.”