Witchbane (Book 5 in The Twilight Court Series)

by Amy Sumida

  I was focused so intently on Anu and his light, that I barely noticed anything around me. I could feel Cat leaning into my leg, her body warm and relaxed as she stared at the god along with me. I could hear a crackling in the air, like lightning. Not thunder, just lightning. The sound of powerful, god-made electricity. And I could feel heat on my arms, as well as a prickling which warned me that magic was gathering. But I couldn't look away from Anu. So when he finally lowered his arms, his light fading away gently, it took me a few moments to realize what he'd done.

  The gore that had surrounded us was gone. There were no corpses scattered around the field. No debris of any kind to testify to the vicious butchery that had just occurred. In its place was spotless grass, as bright as the day it had first stretched its blades to the sky. A cool breeze blew the scent of strawberries and pine around me, the song of jubilant birds twittered in my ears, and the awe-struck faces of my Star's Guard stared back at me. Alive, all of them. Truly alive and completely whole.

  I gasped as I finally realized what I was looking at, and ran forward to embrace my resurrected friends. A miracle indeed. Anu had worked several. All of our dead were back, looking around them in shock and confusion. I was bawling, hugging each of my knights tightly before moving on to the next.

  “You're welcome,” Anu said smugly.

  I broke away from my Guard, giving a quick glance to Killian, who was frozen, gaping at the restoration around him. That's when I saw him. A dark smudge upon the fresh slate before me. My human father. Ewan Sloane. He laid where he had fallen earlier, frozen where Rue had left him. I stumbled to Anu on shaky legs and dropped to my knees.

  “Please,” I waved a hand to my father. “You brought back everyone but Ewan. Can you not bring him back as well?”

  Anu's smug smiled disappeared. “I cannot,” he whispered. “Your father's soul left the moment Rue killed him, and it has found its peace. Ewan Sloane doesn't want to return, and I refuse to force him.”

  “But then...” I looked to Ewan and saw that there was absolutely no movement to him. He was as still as death.

  “He has not suffered as you feared,” Anu laid his hand gently on my head. It was a dark umber color now, and wide enough to span my entire head. I stared up into eyes the same shade as the grass beneath us, and was shocked to find a tear slipping free from one of them. “Take what little comfort you can from that. Ewan's soul moved on instantly. He is with your mother now. Rue was powerful, powerful enough to animate a corpse, but she wasn't strong enough to entrap a soul. She was not a goddess, no matter what she proclaimed. As soon as Rue died, her magic fled with her, and your father's body lost all animation.”

  “Oh,” I sighed. There was some comfort in knowing that Ewan hadn't suffered. And that he was where he wanted to be.

  “I can give you this though,” Anu nodded to Ewan's corpse and the body paled. The rot vanished, skin becoming whole and healthy looking again. “You can at least take him home for a proper burial. People will be able to pay their respects, and you can say goodbye to your father.”

  “Thank you,” I whispered. “And thank you for the lives you returned. I'm deeply grateful.”

  “Your trials are far from over,” Anu said sadly. “But I will help you as much as I can. Stay with me a little longer, Daughter.”

  “Stay with you?” I blinked up at him.

  Anu had shifted again, his skin taking on a pale golden cast, and his eyes darkening to nearly black. His hair, a bright auburn, hung to his waist.

  “Can you pick a look please?” I huffed through my tears.

  He burst out into boisterous laughter, and it seemed to ring through the air, setting the whole world alight. I gaped at him again.

  “Danu was right, you're amusing,” Anu finally said.

  “You speak to her?” I frowned. “How?”

  “We are family,” Anu cocked his head at me. “And gods. She may not be able to cross over into my realm, but I can still hear her when she speaks to me.”

  “Oh,” I said dumbly.

  “Yes, quite,” he chuckled. “How is this one?”

  He had taken on Tiernan's image, and my heart stuttered to see it.

  “No, it doesn't suit me, does it?” Anu winked at me. “He is not one of mine. Is this better?” Killian suddenly stood before me.

  I heard Killian make a choking sound behind me.

  “Now you're just messing with me,” I grumbled.

  “Yes, I'm afraid I am,” Anu smiled indulgently. “You should be careful what you ask of the gods, little one.”

  “I'll remember that,” I got to my feet.

  “Your work here, in my realm, is not done,” Anu said. “It would be best if you remained a little longer, Seren. But you,” he lifted his gaze to my Star's Guard. “All of you may return to your realm. I will see to Princess Seren's safety for now. I, and the guardian I have chosen for her,” he waved a hand to Killian, gesturing him forward.

  My Guard started to protest, then abruptly thought better of it. Anu had just brought them back from the dead. They weren't exactly in a position to argue. Killian, on the other hand, strode forward eagerly, and knelt beside my feet.

  “I accept the honor of protecting the Princess for you,” Killian bowed his head.

  “I knew you would,” Anu teased him. But then he went serious, and laid his hand on Killian's head. “You shall have the strength you need to protect Princess Seren. Do so honorably, and it will never fail you. But use the power irresponsibly, and you will feel my wrath.”

  Anu's hand began to glow and the light transferred to Killian. The witch's body shook and then settled. Killian lifted his head and stared at Anu with the fervent eyes of a zealot.

  “I will not fail you,” Killian vowed.

  “No, you will not,” Anu said grimly before transferring his gaze to me. “And he will not be the only help you receive. Look for aid in strange places, Daughter. I work mysteriously, you know,” he gave me a sly wink.

  “Aid in what? What is it you wish for me to do?” I looked to Ewan's body. “Do you mean the funeral?”

  “That, yes,” Anu sighed and glanced towards the trees at the back of the property. “And one other thing. I know this is a heavy task to hand you, and my sister is even now voicing her protests. But this is a sacrifice I require of you, Daughter. To bind us together in the deepest, most powerful magic there is: blood.”

  “Who do you want me to kill?” I felt my back straighten, my hands clenching in anticipation.

  I needed this, needed some kind of purpose to drive me through my grief. To make me feel strong again. And nothing gave an extinguisher more purpose than a hunt. I may not be a soldier for the Council anymore, but perhaps I could be a soldier for God. I almost laughed at the thought. Killing in the name of God seemed a thing for religious radicals and psychopaths hiding behind a mask of righteousness. But faced with Anu, with God himself, I wanted that righteousness. I wanted to kill for him.

  “You have it,” Anu nodded in satisfaction, as if he could hear my thoughts. “Be my sword and I shall be your shield,” he leaned forward and kissed my cheek.

  A violent shiver of magic rushed through me, a flash of sparkling citrine. My body shook with its power, and when it finally settled low in my chest, I felt like a warrior. Gone was the Princess. Gone the diplomatic Ambassador. For now, I would be what Anu intended me to be. His Sword. I looked down to where Killian still knelt, gazing steadfastly up at God. My shield.

  “Who?” I asked Anu again. “Tell me who you want me to kill.”

  “Uisdean Thorn of Unseelie,” Anu said the name with a booming voice, his anger clearly running through it. “I need you to kill your uncle for me, Seren.”

  That was when we all realized that Uisdean had fled.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  The proof, not only Anu's existence, but of his involvement in the lives of his people, rocked both worlds. The fact that Anu considered half-humans (like myself) and witches to be both his an
d Danu's children, shocked them even more. Suddenly the witches were reevaluating their beliefs, and speaking seriously of switching up their worship. They lived in Anu's realm, after all. Anu could actually hear them, whereas Danu could not.

  I scried my father and told him about the momentous events. Keir could hardly believe it, which I thought was funny. He was a fairy, firm in his faith of Danu and all she entailed. He should believe in Anu even more strongly than the humans, who had little proof of their god's existence. But it wasn't that Keir hadn't believed in Anu, it was that he'd thought Anu to be ambivalent. Keir was shocked that the God had saved me, and even more shocked that Anu had claimed me as one of his.

  And Keir didn't care one whit for Anu's wishes or claims, despite the fact that the God had saved my life. Keir told me to return to Twilight immediately. The undead had been put to rest, the struck humans had been un-struck and returned home, and the imprisoned witches were free. In his opinion, I had done all I'd needed to do. Keir declared that he would speak with the Councils and help them decide who to send after Uisdean. But it wouldn't be me. His daughter had done enough and needed to come home.

  I disagreed.

  It was like my life suddenly made sense. All this time I had been so angry, so frustrated with Danu. I'd thought I was upset because she was manipulating me, and it seemed as if every fairy I knew was on board with her. But it went so much deeper than that. She had been trying to draw me further to her, making me more hers than Anu's. The God hadn't said so directly, but it was implied. Anu knew his sister had been gently coercing me into becoming entirely hers. A little bit of divine sibling rivalry. Danu had taken advantage of Anu's more lenient guidance, and thought she could mould me into what she wanted before Anu even realized what had happened.

  But Anu had changed all that. Now I knew that I didn't have to alter who I was. I was a child of two gods, a daughter of two realms, and that was exactly as I was meant to be. A bridge between races and worlds. I couldn't change for my new people, no matter how much I loved them, because then I would cease being what they truly needed. A link.

  I was half human, half Anu's, and that side wasn't shameful or weak. It was powerful and proud. I was a descendant of two of the Great Five Families of Ireland, and that was something to cherish. My humanity was something to cherish. It would give me a different perspective on the Fey. Hadn't one of the first things I'd done in Fairy been to upset the balance they'd made? I had freed prisoners from both Seelie and Unseelie. I had gone on to help put a new king on the throne of Unseelie. I don't believe any of that would have happened, had I been a pure fairy.

  So I told Keir I would see this through, but I would be sending my Star's Guard back to him. When I was in Anu's realm, I would listen to the God. How could I deny him after all he'd just done for me? Anu had saved my Guard, they wouldn't have been there without his intercession anyway. So if Anu wanted them to leave, I'd send them home. Keir sputtered and tried to reason with me, but he was beginning to see that he would continue to have the headstrong, half-human, extinguisher girl he'd started out with. That Seren wasn't going anywhere, no matter what her surname became.

  After speaking with my father, I saw my Guard off through the rath. I didn't know why Anu wanted them gone. Maybe it was purely because they were fairies and he didn't want Danu to influence me through them. Whatever it was, I would honor his request. Though I kept Cat with me. As strong as I felt on this new mission, I was still a grieving woman who had just lost a man she'd considered to be her father, and I needed my best friend. So Cat stayed. She stayed right by my side. As did Killian.

  Killian and I had one last meeting with the Collective. They offered us help with hunting Uisdean, and I accepted it. Anu had said to accept help when offered, and he'd divested me of my Guard, so I needed whatever assistance the Collective could give me. I knew their connections would be invaluable in locating my devious uncle, and I'd also need supplies; vehicles, weapons, and possibly funding (if Keir decided to cut me off). The Collective was happy to provide these things for us.

  After the meeting, I saw to the gathering of weaponry and gear. Then I made sure the Human Council's jet was on standby, refueled and ready to go in a moment's notice. I met with the Kavanaugh twins, who had stuck around to continue to help us, and finally, I scried Raza. He deserved an update on the situation, as much as Keir.

  Raza, surprisingly enough, wasn't as shocked as Keir had been over the Anu thing. He had frowned, but only slightly, the crest of his dragon brow coming together over his long nose. His golden eyes had narrowed, and then he finally nodded.

  “Yes, that makes sense,” Raza concluded.

  He wasn't surprised over my decision to remain in HR either, simply nodding once more. Though he was upset about the dismissal of the Star's Guard, and he even threatened to return to Ireland and take their place. I finally convinced him to stand down, that I had plenty of soldiers to make up the ranks of my missing fairy knights. Raza had sighed deeply, and nodded once again, deciding that he could satisfy himself with the fact that Rue had finally been dealt with, and he would trust in my abilities to see that Uisdean received a similar punishment.

  Have I mentioned how much I love that dragon? Raza's calm faith in me was exactly what I needed. His acceptance of this new situation with Anu was a balm to my raw nerves. Even far away in Unseelie, Raza still managed to make himself a solid presence in my life. A support. I was beginning to wonder if I even wanted to attempt to fix my relationship with Tiernan any more. But as I wondered, I shook my head in denial. I had to try. Tiernan and I had been through hell together. We'd literally been chased by monsters, and he had kept me safe. I owed Tiernan one last go.

  When everything was prepared, and all the integral people spoken to, all that was left was the wait. Killian, Cat, and I went back to my suite, which Killian and Daniel were now sharing with us. With my Guard gone, there were lots of empty rooms for them to choose from. It didn't make any sense for the caster witches to take up extra space when we could share. We ended up spending most of our time together anyway.

  The Collective had promised to gather a group of experts to help us, and then send them to my suite. For now, we would rest and recover. I knew we'd need all of our strength to deal with Uisdean. He may have looked beaten back on that battlefield, but I knew my uncle better than that. Uisdean was wickedly smart, an uncanny tactician who could manipulate circumstances to suit any plot he concocted. Uisdean was powerful and coldly efficient about using his magic. And he was a fairy among humans. My uncle would have no problem hiding himself until he was ready to come forth. Hunting an insane, evil, ex-queen of Fairy, who wanted to rule the world, had been difficult. But hunting her slightly less evil, slightly more sane, ex-king of Fairy, devious husband, would be far worse.

  Killing Uisdean would be the easy part. Hopefully.

  Chapter Forty

  As the weeks wore on, I began to wonder why Anu hadn't killed Uisdean himself. He had killed Rue. In a mere second. If he wanted Uisdean dead, couldn't Anu just kill him too? Was it that whole hands-off policy of his? Had he felt like he had gone so far with Rue that he couldn't take it further? Or had Anu wanted me, specifically, to kill Uisdean for some other reason?

  I had gone though such ups and downs with my uncle. I'd hated him, barely tolerated him, then grown to like him just a little. But when Uisdean had killed my men, I had lost all sympathy for him. A rage had begun to grow in my heart, a bitterness of burning thorns which I couldn't wait to entangle Uisdean in. Keir could feel sympathy for his brother's broken heart, but loving one person didn't make you noble in my book. It certainly didn't make you sympathetic. Especially if you let that love twist you into a monster.

  I had plenty of time to think about my own romantic entanglements. Where Danu had doggedly pushed, Anu had gently coerced. His explanation of love, and his reasons for wanting to help me find it, had made me think. What was the best choice for me now? Was it Tiernan and his half-jealous/ half-sacrifi
cing love? A love that wanted to consume but wouldn't. A man who would love his goddess before he loved his woman.

  Or was it Raza and his eternal love? A fiery passion that would burn steadily no matter what I tried to douse it with. But it too would sacrifice complete possession in exchange for the will of Danu. Raza would share me as long as he felt he had the upper hand. Was that romantic or barbaric? Should I feel lucky to be able to hold two men to my heart, in my arms, or angry that they were willing to allow me to do so?

  Or was it neither of those? Maybe the best man for me wasn't a fairy at all. I stared at Killian over the rim of my glass and contemplated the change in him. With Anu's blessing, Killian had become a symbol of the divine for his people. A guide into this new belief that they were children of two gods. And Killian took his role very seriously, though not as seriously as he took his role of my protector.

  Killian went everywhere with me. Nearly everywhere. Before Anu, I would have said it was a ploy to get into my pants, but now it was different. He still laughed, he still flirted, but over the old Killian lay a new, more serious man, with power and purpose. He wanted me still, I could see it in the way he looked at me, but to pursue me now, in earnest, would be blasphemy in his mind. Anu had charged Killian to protect me, not have sex with me. I was off-limits until this mission was over.

  It gave the foul-mouthed soldier another facet of appeal. This forbearance. To see Killian's resolve and conviction was inspiring. It helped keep me focused through all the failures we had in trying to locate Uisdean. Killian was becoming a trusted companion, a valuable partner, and a cherished friend. It was a shift that made me appreciate Anu's foresight in appointing him to me. I admired Killian and his unshakable belief in his objective. Except when I was drunk and lonely.