“Sounds sweet,” Kyla said.
The corner of Aubrey’s mouth kicked up. “Indeed. Many people have hunted this sword over the centuries. None more so than Taraghlan—the seelie king.”
The implication was that I didn’t have a hope in hell of finding it. But I’d bet there was no one else as motivated as I currently was.
“Why does he want it so bad?”
Aubrey circled the counter and pulled out one of the chairs, sitting next to us. “The legend of the blade does not match the reality. According to witnesses, the blade melted after it was used.”
Kyla held up a hand. “Can you start at the beginning? Who exactly was Grendel and why did this guy want to kill his mom?”
Aubrey grinned. “Let’s start with Beowulf himself. The man was fae-touched. This was during a time when many of the fae—both seelie and unseelie—were taking humans to boost their numbers. Occasionally, human children who grew up in the fae realms would grow into certain powers. Beowulf was taken as a changeling and a young goblin left in his place—glamoured to appear as a human child.
“But the seelie king at the time—Taraghlan’s father—had a seer who insisted this child be returned. She foretold a fate for him that would change the future for seelie and unseelie. The child—a toddler by this stage—was returned to his parents with them none the wiser. But his time in the seelie realm had given him certain gifts. He was both faster and stronger than an ordinary human.”
My mind was officially blown. “The portals were closed. How were they getting across?”
Aubrey gave me a look as if I was a fool. “Just as your demons were able to lend power to those without enough to cross from the underworld, the fae are able to do the same for mortals, allowing them to travel to our realms. Of course, most of those mortals will never have enough power to return to their homeland.”
“Gross,” Kyla muttered.
Offense flashed across Aubrey’s face for a moment, and then he shrugged it off.
“Our focus then turns to Hrothgar,” he announced, and I had a feeling he was enjoying himself. “This was approximately the sixth century of the common era in your time. He was the king of the Danes and, from all accounts, a good one. However, one of the seelie king’s courtiers had decided it would be amusing to turn a couple of giants loose. He wanted to see how much carnage both Grendel and his mother would cause in this world without magic.”
Kyla shot me a disgusted look, and I shrugged. Sounded on-brand when it came to the fae.
“Grendel attacked Hrothgar’s mead hall, killing Hrothgar’s best friend. By this time, Beowulf was grown, and he fatally wounded the giant, who crawled back to his mother. The giantess attempted vengeance, but Beowulf followed her back to her cave at the bottom of the lake.”
Kyla frowned. “Hold up. How did he get to the bottom of the lake without drowning?”
Aubrey smiled. “He convinced a selkie to loan him her pelt. That allowed him to breathe underwater as long as he had it in his possession. Grendel had been tormenting the selkie’s people.”
My mind flashed to Mella’s face and the sight of her sharp teeth as she’d taken a bite of Bruce’s heart. I shuddered.
“Anyway,” Aubrey said, “once Beowulf found his way into the cave, he attempted to kill Grendel’s mother with Hrunting, which proved useless. However, during the fight, he spotted a fierce-looking sword hanging on the wall, and he used it to behead the giantess. The sword’s blade melted, and Beowulf gave it to Hrothgar.” Aubrey scowled. “He should have known better. The blade regrew,” he said as I frowned. “Hrothgar kept it hidden away, well aware of how dangerous such a sword could be. We have few records of what happened to it next.”
“Okay. So the golden sword exists, and its blade is intact. Why does the light fae king want it?”
“The same seer who predicted Beowulf must be returned, also prophesied that the golden sword could be used to kill the unseelie king.”
“Fuck.”
Audrey nodded. “Indeed.”
The unseelie king would not be pleased if the weapon prophesied to be able to kill him ended up in his enemy’s hands. And he’d be even less pleased ifIwas the one to make that happen.
I swallowed. Finvarra was a scary bastard. Sure, I had no doubt that even with the sword in Taraghlan’s hands, he could more than look after himself. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t bepissedif he learned I was the reason his life was suddenly much more complicated.
I pushed that thought away. There was no limit to the things I would do—to the lines I would cross—if it meant saving Samael’s life.
“You said the seelie king had been looking for the sword. Who did he think had it?”
This time, Aubrey’s eyes were full of pity. He opened his mouth and I held up one hand, cutting him off.
“I know the chances are minimal. I have to try.”
He sighed. “You must talk to the Dearg Due.”
