by Unknown
“Shall we sit?” Brid indicated the table as she shot her sister a disapproving look.
“Sure,” I followed her over and Arach held a chair out for me before taking his own. We were directly across from the sisters and a grim looking Beira sat on my right. “What's up, Cailleach?”
“Hey, Godhunter,” she spared me a little smile. “Sorry about all this.”
“It's not your fault at all,” I said generously.
“Anyway...” Brigit drawled. “Who killed our sister?”
“Brigit!” Brid chastised. “You can't just ask that. We talked about this.”
“Yeah but that's all I want to know.”
“But that's not all that we need to know.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
“Okay.”
“Okay,” Brid sighed and looked back over at me and Beira. “We know Brighid hadn't been herself since the loss of her husband and son. We tried reaching out to her several times but to no avail. So we're not exactly shocked by her death. However, as her sisters, we felt her loss keenly and will find no peace until the full details of her death are given to us.”
“You don't know about the human terrorist group she created?” I watched them closely, as closely as they were watching me.
“What?” Brigit growled as Brid merely gaped at me.
“She convinced a group of humans to end the world,” I sighed. “She was angry, both at the humans and the gods. She wanted to destroy us all.”
“No way,” Brigit ground her teeth. “She wasn't that crazy.”
“She did blame the humans for creating that myth about Bres and Ruadan,” Brid whispered.
“Brid!” Brigit shouted.
“Stop it, Brigit,” Brid looked at her sister and Brigit immediately calmed. “You know as well as I that she was angry. So angry that it could only grow bigger, festering until it exploded.”
“She blamed the humans,” I confirmed, “and she blamed Nuada for not saving Bres,” I looked over at the shocked god.
“There was nothing I could do,” Nuada gaped at me. “I can't raise the dead.”
“Well she did,” I looked back at her sisters. “She developed a combination of magic and disease that basically turned people into zombies. Their souls were gone of course but her magic animated the flesh. I went to investigate with the God Squad.”
“The God what?” Brid's lips twitched a little.
“It's a term I use for the gods who fight for humanity with me,” I explained. “We discovered what Brighid was up to and we stopped her. It was a close call though. At the end, Brighid cut me off from the others and was killing me. Thor saved my life by killing your sister, who happened to be his girlfriend at the time.”
“She was dating Thor?” Brid's eyes went wide. “The Thunderer?”
“And the bastard killed her?” Brigit snarled.
“Brigit,” Brid placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. “It must not have been an easy thing for him to do.”
“No, it wasn't,” I confirmed again. “Thor was really hurt by what she'd done. She'd been playing him the whole time, using him to keep an eye on us. He hasn't had the best luck with women, I'm afraid.”
“Oh, poor baby,” Brigit sniped.
“Enough, Sister,” Brid said decisively. “Beira, swear to me that you had no part in driving her to this.”
“What?” Beira gaped at Brid. “You think I'd drive Brighid insane? For what? What if she had accomplished what she'd set out to do? I'd be dead along with my entire family.”
“Bullshit, gods are immortal,” Brigit scoffed. “You can't kill us with a virus.”
“Actually,” I paused and then thought better of sharing that information. “You're right,” I said instead, earning a narrow-eyed look from Brid. “You can't kill us with a virus but the world would have been destroyed and the gods would have suffered for it. No more sacrifices to be had, right?”
“Yeah, alright,” Brigit grudgingly agreed.
“I'm satisfied with these explanations,” Brid declared and I was finally able to relax. “Thank you for providing us with closure if not peace.”
“I would have felt more closed if I could have killed someone,” Brigit grumbled.
“Remember your magic, Sister,” Brid said as she stood. “We are good goddesses.”
“Good, bad, whatever,” Brigit stood and sighed. “Take care of Brighid's magic, Callie,” she said to Beira.
“I'll be honored to bear it,” Cailleach Bheur inclined her head to the women. “I feel our connection more strongly now.”
“That's because you've become family,” Brid came around the table and kissed Beira's cheek. “Go maire sibh bhur saol nua.”
“Thank you,” Beira said softly.
Brigit went up to Beira and kissed her quickly on the cheek as well, then both women headed for the door.
“My ladies,” Cian stood. “May I offer you a carriage to take you back to the End of the Road?”
“No thank you, High King,” Brid said as both of them bowed to Cian. “We enjoyed the walk here and we shall enjoy the walk home, even more now that we've found the truth. It was good to meet all of you, though the circumstances could have been better.”
“Actually, I'm shocked to say that it was a pleasure to meet you,” I grinned at her.
She chuckled and resumed walking out the door. My fire fey parted for them, nodding to them as they passed, and the goddesses in turn smiled at my fey. I watched them leave and then looked back at Beira. Her eyes were tearing.
“What did she say to you?” I asked but she shook her head, overcome with emotion.
“She said, May you enjoy your new life,” Nuada answered for Beira. “It's a Celtic blessing.”
“Well, that was not at all what I expected,” I laughed.
“The Brighid's have always been known as kind goddesses,” Nuada continued. “Brighid herself was a wonderful woman before her husband died. They all did a lot for their human followers and the gods loved them as well. Her sisters weren't the only ones to mourn Brighid's passing.”
“It's horrible, what happened to her,” I agreed.
“She made her own decisions,” Nuada sighed, “and like the rest of us, she had to take responsibility for them.”
I set wide eyes upon Arach and he grinned at me. It was like Nuada had known what we'd been talking about. Arach just shook his head, probably knowing exactly what I was concerned about and thinking I was being ridiculous. But he hadn't been around gods in a long time and I think he'd forgotten just how sneaky they can be. I wouldn't put it past Nuada to be a mind reader.
“Well, I guess we can head home now,” Arach said as he started to stand.
“Oh, please stay for dinner at least,” High Queen Meara cajoled.
“Yes, stay,” Beira finally found her voice. “I'd like to be able to visit more with you.”
“If you insist,” Arach nodded but stood anyway. “Let me just see to our people.”
“Just let one of the brownies know what they need,” Cian offered. He started to say more but was cut off by an unexpected arrival. Queen Aalish sans her king.
“Where are they?” She demanded.
“Pardon me, Queen Aalish?” King Cian stood in an outraged manner.
“Where are the goddesses who that mongrel has brought down upon us?” Aalish growled. “She's brought chaos to Faerie for the last time, King Cian! I will not stand for any more of these assaults upon our realm. She must be banished!”
“What the what?” I gaped at her.
It took a moment but the wheels started turning in my head. Her appearance was too quick to be coincidental. She had spies in the High Court and they were keeping tabs on my movements. The only reason she'd be so keen on knowing what I was up to in the Castle of Eight would be if she were behind the trouble in the Water Kingdom. Then she'd want to know as soon as I made an appearance, wouldn't she?
It wasn't looking good for Aalish.
&n
bsp; “How dare you,” it was Queen Meara who growled this, standing to her impressive height and staring down the Queen of Earth like she was a bug who'd just crawled out from beneath a rock. “How dare you come into our presence and make such accusations! Such demands! I am done. Done with your idiocy. With your flippant disregard for courtesy, respect, and etiquette. This is the High Court of Faerie and you will respect it or you will pay dearly!”
“What?” Aalish gaped at Meara, stopping dead in her tracks, about ten feet away from our table. “But she's a traitor to Faerie!” She pointed at me. “Time and again she has brought harm to our doorstep.”
“And time and again she has brought blessings as well,” King Cian said softly, giving me a gentle smile. “I value Queen Vervain and I'm inclined to say, Queen Aalish, that I value her more than you.”
Aalish gasped.
“Well said, darling,” Meara smiled at her husband.
“Thank you, love,” he spared a moment to kiss her cheek. “Now, begone, Queen Aalish, or I shall reconsider the idea of banishment... for you.”
“What?” Aalish's hand flew to her throat. “You can't be serious? I can't live in the Human Realm. I'm a Queen of Faerie.”
“Faerie Queens have been replaced before,” Meara said with menace. “Quite recently in fact.”
Aalish turned and fled.
“Well sprinkle sugar on me and call me cookie,” I huffed.
“What was that, Queen Vervain?” Meara asked as she took her seat.
“I'm rethinking the possibility that Queen Aalish may be responsible for the trouble in Water.”
“I hate to be the one to point out your incorrect assessments, Vervain,” Arach shook his head. “But it appears that our first assumption was right.”
“Arach,” I sighed, “the line is I told you so.”
“Oh, yes,” he blinked, “that's much easier to say.”
“And much more satisfying,” I added.
“And much more satisfying,” he grinned, showcasing his sharp canines. “Though satisfaction will be had in greater quantities when we prove Queen Aalish's machinations.”
“And how exactly are you planning on doing that?” King Cian looked supremely interested.
“We need to get a spy too,” I huffed.
“Too?” King Cian raised a bright brow.
“You must realize that her arrival was too timely,” I looked at him sympathetically. “She has a spy here, maybe more than one.”
“Spies in my court?” Cian growled and looked over at the guard in the corner. He visibly cringed and then ran off, presumably to investigate. “We will find them.”
“Good luck with that,” I nodded. “But we need to get our own spy. Someone who could keep an eye on her and report...”
“Vervain?” Arach lifted a red brow at me.
“Do you guys know about the god spell of invisibility?” I lifted a brow back at him.
“Invisibility?” Arach growled. “The gods can make themselves invisible?”
“The fey can't?” I countered.
“We can camouflage ourselves till we're practically invisible but any royal would see right through that,” Arach exchanged looks with Cian and Meara. “I have a feeling you're speaking of something else entirely.”
“She sure is,” Nuada added in a cheery tone. “We can go completely invisible and just walk right into that kingdom without anyone the wiser.”
“What do you mean we?” I cocked my head at him.
“Well, you can't take him,” Beira was grinning as she gestured at Arach. “You're gonna need some kind of back-up, aren't you?”
“Do you guys seriously want to be part of fey espionage?” Both of my brows rose.
“Yes!” They said together.
“Incorrigible,” Cian laughed.
“It sounds like fun,” Beira looked like she was going to jump out of her seat.
“And we'll get to see inside the Earth Kingdom,” Nuada added. “I've never been to Castle Crith-Fuinn.”
“Alright then,” I chuckled, “you can come.”
“Are you sure you can do this?” Arach, bless his little dragon heart, looked worried. Real worried.
I concentrated, visualizing the room around me and then seeing it without me in it. I felt myself go invisible with a tingling rush of magic. He jerked back in his seat and the High Royals gasped in shock. A brownie who'd been attending us, fainted and all the fire fey, who were still waiting to see what we were going to do next, shouted in alarm. Nuada and Beira just laughed.
“See,” I made myself visible again. “Nothing to it.”
“You've forgotten one major thing,” Arach sighed.
“What?”
“You don't speak Fey,” Arach shook his head. “Even if you do get into Crith-Fuinn and you do happen to hear Aalish confess to everything, how will you know what you're hearing? The fey only speak English for your benefit. I highly doubt Aalish will be using it in the comfort of her own home.”
“Oh poop,” I huffed. “Yeah, I hadn't thought of that.”
“Then you're definitely going to need us to go with you,” Nuada transferred his smile to Beira and she grinned back before before they both turned to look at us.
“We both speak Fey,” she announced smugly.
“And we can be your witnesses,” Nuada offered. “I'm sure you'll need more than your word to condemn a Faerie Queen.”
“I'll accept your word as neutral witnesses,” King Cian nodded to Nuada. “I trust you, my friend.”
“Thank you,” Nuada beamed at Cian and then looked over at me. “So when do we leave?”
Chapter Fifty-Five
Luckily, Aalish had turned tail and fled with all haste so we could leave almost immediately without worrying about running into her. In fact, it was decided to be best if we could catch up to her so we could sneak into the castle right behind her. Otherwise getting the giant doors open would be a problem. Even if we did manage it somehow, the trolls whose job it was to open them might see us.
So we raced after her on phookas until we caught sight of Aalish and her attendants entering the Earth Kingdom. We dismounted then, leaving the phookas behind. They faded into the forest to wait for us and we ran to catch up with Aalish as we cloaked ourselves in invisibility.
As we passed through the forest of giant guardian trees, which spread to either side of the only path into the Earth Kingdom, the trees began to shiver. I recalled how they'd shivered before, when I'd entered the kingdom to investigate the disappearance of some brownies(the fey kind, not the delicious dessert). We'd had an invitation then but I'd had a feeling that if we hadn't, the trees would have attacked us. I was about to see that theory put to the test because although our invisibility fooled the fey, it didn't appear to be fooling the trees.
“Run faster!” I whispered to Nuada and Beira.
I heard their footfalls increase as the shivering of the trees also increased. The branches creaked above us and just as I was sure we were about to be assaulted with whatever they could throw at us, we reached Aalish's company. The trees settled but I saw Aalish peering out of her carriage at them suspiciously.
We'd have to be more careful. I slowed to a walk, reaching out to locate Nuada and Beira. Their hands gripped mine and we continued on in silence, keeping up with the carriage and out of way of the earth fey who marched around it. Soon we turned right, onto another path and then the path opened up to a clearing in front of a mountain. The mountain soared upwards but I knew no one lived in it, like we lived inside the mountain which housed Castle Aithinne. The earth fey lived below the mountain instead.
At the base of the foliage covered mountain, were a pair of shiny wood doors. They were slick as glass but carved from wood with scenes of earth fey partying among their weird plants. There were no handles, no hinges, nothing to indicate how the doors would open and I realized that I'd been too busy taking everything in the last time I'd been there, to see how the trolls did it. This time, I'd pay att
ention.
Aalish got out of her carriage and headed for the doors. I squeezed Nuada and Beira's hands and pulled us forward so we could enter with her entourage. Two massive trolls came out of the shadows beside the doors and pushed the outer ends of each door. The doors swung out on a counterbalance and I grinned. How had I missed that? I should have at least noticed the way they were attached to the mountain in their centers instead of at their ends but I guess I'd been a little overwhelmed at the time.
We hurried in with the end of the earth fey retinue and the trolls came in behind us, pushing the doors closed. I'd forgotten that as well, that the trolls went in after closing the doors. How did the earth fey come and go if the doors only opened for royalty? There must be other ways in, which was something I'd probably do well to remember. In fact, it occurred to me that it was extremely important information since I had no clue as to how we'd get out of there after we found out what Aalish was up to.
The trolls trudged off down a side tunnel as the earth fey continued on. We followed them into the brightly lit dining hall I'd visited before. It was pretty spectacular and I heard Nuada and Beira both inhale sharply. The walls and ceiling were covered with plant life, vines hanging down from the high ceiling with glowing flowers that competed with the lights of the fey lanterns floating there. The floor was polished citrine and we padded across it quickly, hurrying after Aalish as she stomped out of the dining hall and down a corridor.
The fey that had been in her retinue scattered in different directions with what looked to me to be relief. But we were intent on Aalish. I'd never been further than the dining hall and I had no desire to get lost. I continued to hold hands with Nuada and Beira, the best way to keep tabs on them, and we worked well together. When a random earth fey came passing by, we all slid to the side as one, no verbal direction needed.
Then Aalish opened a door and walked into a room. I hurried over and let go of Nuada's hand so I could catch the door before it shut all the way. I immediately reached out for him and reclaimed his hand as I listened at the door. When the sound of conversation drifted out, we nudged the door open and slid inside, as quietly as three people holding hands can be. Then Beira shut the door behind us.
