“Rhiannon?” I asked. “What are you doing here?”
“Mallt, it’s been years. I haven’t seen you since you pulled my husband’s soul from his decapitated head.” She flashed her teeth at me. “And mortal? There must be a tale to tell there.”
Rhiannon had been demanding even for a queen. I doubted death had softened her.
“You’re Rhiannon Half Fae, Queen of Dyfed?” Belis asked, standing up and peering at the old woman.
“I was, when I dwelt under the living sun. Now I am merelyanother of the souls that live in the afterworld.”
Belis smiled at her. “I think you might be my great grandmother, give or take a few generations. My father’s mother came from Dyfed.”
Rhiannon sniffed. “Possibly. I only had the one son but he was rather more profligate with his affections than I would have preferred. I am sure I have descendants all over Britain and even the mainland.” She brushed off her cloak. “You needn’t think I will grant you any favours. I owe fealty only to Arawn these days.”
Belis blinked, a little upset at having this offer of familial connection slapped down. I watched as she swallowed the emotion down then stepped back and nodded. I rolled my eyes at the old queen, annoyed at how she had spoken to Belis.
“Death suits you, Rhiannon,” I said. She grinned toothily at me. Belis held out a hand to help her up.
“We had better leave.”
“While you’ve been hiding in a tree,” I paused to shoot a glare at her, “things have deteriorated in Annwn.”
“So you’ve noticed at last.” Rhiannon crossed her arms, tapping slanted nails against her sleeves. She smiled at me, revealing all her pointed teeth, and reached back into the split trunk to pick up a satchel. “The shadow will not easily give us up. We may need to fight our way out.”
“We can sustain injuries from them without becoming corrupted,” Belis said. “We’ll get you out.”
“Perhaps, but you can still be killed,” Rhiannon countered, “and once dead you’ll be just as susceptible as me. Are you ready?”
I looked back into the shadows, watching the dust motes dance on the air. I was hardly eager to step back into the woods but I could not see another way out. Belis nodded; her grip on her spear was steady. I unsheathed my sword and held it out in front of me.
Rhiannon fetched a knife from her bag and pricked the edge of her forefinger. She squeezed the flesh so that a bubble ofblood formed on the tip and dabbed it on her eyelids, the tip of her nose, the bridge of her lips, all the time muttering in old Brittonic.
“Half-fae blood,” she said, noticing us watching her. “Acts as a protection against the corruption. Only works on me, though, more’s the pity.”
She held out an arm and the eagle hopped from my shoulder to hers. She stroked its beak affectionately and looked up at us.
“Follow quickly and do not fall behind.”
She strode into the darkness. Belis met my eyes and smiled before following. I hesitated for a moment, then hurried after them.
The woods were loud now, the eerie silence replaced with a cacophony of screeches and snapping twigs. The undergrowth was alive, leaves twitching as strange, scaled things crawled beneath. Lines of ants wound around the tree trunks, rolling over larger insects and tearing them apart.
Rhiannon moved quickly, turning left and right through the maze with an old familiarity. Belis and I stayed close. I ran my thumb over the hilt of Belis’s sword, unsure if I was ready to use it. I had felt confident that I was, out under the blue skies of the open, but here in the darkness of the maze I wasn’t so certain. What was I now, no longer with my strength and speed? I had tried to fight with Belis when the Romans chased us into the sea and all I had managed was to almost drown. I was weak. Belis deserved a better person to fight beside.
Something moved to the side of the path and I paused, peering into the blackness. There was a pale man stepping neatly between the trees, white hair gleaming in the low light. I hissed a warning to Belis and she turned back, following where I pointed.
“You see him?” I whispered.
Belis shifted her spear, eyes locked on the strange man.
“Should we strike? Or hope he doesn’t come after us?” I asked. Belis chewed her lip, trying to make a decision. Rhiannon was still walking, chittering under her breath to the eagle.
“I don’t want to start something this far from the entrance,” she said, keeping her voice low. “I don’t know if the witch couldrun all that way if we pick a fight we can’t finish. I’ll watch our backs, you catch up with Rhiannon and look out at the front. Whistle if you need me.”
I nodded and darted back along the path to Rhiannon. Behind me Belis was stepping backwards, keeping her eyes on the figure in the trees.
We’d walked a little while longer when I caught hold of Rhiannon’s arm and pulled her to a halt.
“Over there.” I dipped my head to the left. A second man, this one with long dark hair, was wading through the undergrowth. Belis caught up with us, her eyes locked on the road behind.
