Aengus frowned as if this thought had not even occurred to him.
Of course it hadn’t. One mention of the wood king, and he had gone scurrying away like the rat he was.
“Quite right,” Aengus said, rubbing his chin. “We will need someone who is trusted, particularly amongst you lords and ladies of the court.” His eyes slid to Mariel. “You. I need you to take charge of this castle in my stead.”
Her lips twitched. “Of course. I won’t let you down.”
* * *
Aengus left at first light with a company of guards. The entire court saw him off, waving and smiling and tossing golden handkerchiefs in the air. Celebrating his great victory in allying with the wood king, of course. But as soon as he was out of sight, Lady Regan turned to Mariel with a scowl.
“Gods, am I glad to get his weaselly face out of my sight. I thought he’d never go!”
Lord Neil strode closer, beaming. “He’s like a fungus. Hard to scrub out.”
Mariel crossed her arms over her chest. “Whydidit take so long? Frankly, I thought one of you would kill him. Did you not get my letter?”
Lord Neil and Lady Regan exchanged a glance. “We weren’t certain it was true until we saw you with our own eyes. And, truthfully, we were worried about that curse. You saw what happened to the Selkirks when they murdered a king.”
Mariel frowned. “Aengus is the Grand Alderman. He doesn’t hold the Seat of Power.”
“Then, why didn’t you kill him? You had plenty of chances yourself.”
“It isn’t the curse. It’s the principle,” she said. “My father always taught me that if you need to kill someone to gain power, then you shouldn’t have that power.”
Lady Regan’s eyes softened. “Ah, your father. He was a good king.”
“Unlike Sloane Selkirk,” Mariel said through gritted teeth. “The fae who killed him.”
“Well, my dear, he got his due in the end. He’s gone and so is the rest of his dreadful family. And you’re here. The throne is yours for the taking.”
“Except it isn’t. Not truly. Thane Selkirk still holds it, wherever he is. And Aengus is the Grand Alderman. He can claim it upon his return, and it is rightfully his. In name, only. But his.”
They exchanged a glance again. “We will never allow him to have it. Besides, he won’t be coming back.”
Mariel raised her brows. “Don’t tell me you sent assassins after him.”
Lady Regan smiled. “Not at all. As I’m sure you’ve guessed, the wood king did not write that letter. He didn’t extend a hand to Aengus. And when Aengus trots into the Wood Court on that high horse of his...”
“High King Ulaid Molt will chew him up and spit him out.”
“Perhaps literally.”
A shiver went down Mariel’s spine. She had known the lords and ladies were conspiring, but she had not guessed quite how much. It was clever, she would give them that.
“But how did you do it?” she asked. “We can’t lie. Not even in a letter.”
Lady Regan shrugged. “We had a human write it for us. Turns out, there are far more of them on this continent than you’d think.”
Mariel smiled.
So, Aengus truly was gone. He would not survive the Wood Court, no matter how cunning he was. Hopefully, Thane would never return either. He had been a decent lad. He’d tried to do the right thing until he’d abandoned his people. In the end, the Selkirks had torn the realm apart. The kingdom of air needed a fresh start. A new ruler. Someone stronger. Someone fairer. Someone not tied to a cursed family.
They needed Mariel Dalais.
It was her court now. Her throne. Her city. Her rule.
And she would never allow anyone to take it from her again. The Bloody Dagger was finally home.
