Eislyn took a step back toward the safety of the tree line.
“No need to fear, Princess,” Vreis said quietly. “This is a friend, not a foe.”
“That is a ship of the Sea Court,” she whispered, her eyes darting back to the sea fae’s face. Unlike Imogen, this fae looked as though he had been born in the sea itself. His skin shimmered beneath the glow of the moon, creating the impression that he wore translucent scales. His deep blue hair was long, almost to his waist, and parted by his viciously sharp ears.
“That ship once belonged to the Sea Court, but you’ll find that it does not belong to them now. There are sea fae on board, but there are air and ice as well. None of them pay allegiance to any court.”
She twisted toward him then, searching his eyes for confirmation that she could trust him. He had never mentioned the sea fae before now. Had she been wrong to believe Vreis’s words? Her heart thumped as worry twisted her gut. For awhile it had seemed that there was a shadow fae inside Dalais Castle.Someonehad lied, several times, in the lead up to Thane’s gruesome coronation where Eislyn had been stolen away. And that someone had used Vreis.
Or had Vreis been the liar all this time?
Never trust an air fae.Eislyn could hear her sister’s voice whispering in her ear, reminding her that no one inside of Tairngire meant them anything but harm. But Vreis might not even be an air fae. If he’d lied to get her here, he was nothing but the worst of them all: a fae of shadows.
She shook her head and stumbled back, her feet knocking against the root of an ancient tree. “I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to stay in Tairngire.”
Vreis frowned. “The city isn’t safe for you anymore.”
“Maybe I’ll take my chances. Reyna wouldn’t run.”
Hurt flickered in his mismatched eyes. “Princess, I have put my own life at risk to ensure you escaped this city safely. I…” He shook his head, ground his teeth together, and glanced at the horizon. The sea fae still stood on the shores, silently watching them from a distance, the frothy waves lashing his bare feet.
“You what?” she asked.
“I am no lord, nor a baron or a druid or a landowner of any kind. But I have dedicated my life to the crown, and I have been rewarded well with airgead. I have spent very little of it. Until now, to hatch this escape. It has required all of my coin to buy not only this ship and the crew on board, but to purchase their silence.”
Eislyn stayed rooted to the spot, her mind reeling.
“Eislyn.” Vreis had never spoken her name until now. It was always Your Highness or Princess, a warrior’s respect for titles never faltering. So, it made her listen. “If I wanted to do you harm, if I worked for the Grand Alderman, do you truly believe that I would have done what I have? Would it not have been much simpler to merely march you to the foot of his dais, to throw you at his feet and to his mercy?”
He had a point.
But more than that, she knew she had little choice. She still stood on the path that led from the castle to the sea. There were only two directions she could go. She could choose to return to the castle where Aengus would no doubt have her punished, used, or executed. Or she could go with Vreis.
So, Eislyn swallowed her fear, stepped off the path, and strode to the waiting ship.
4
Reyna
“This is the first time I’ve been outside.” Reyna strode beside Tarrah in a courtyard just outside the tower where she’d been held prisoner these past weeks. Tarrah wore full plate shadowsteel armor, the Shadow Court’s twisting antler sigil etched deeply into the dark breastplate. Her ebony hair swished at her waist, vibrant and healthy, a direct contrast to her sunken cheeks and haunted eyes.
Out of all of the High King’s closest confidantes, Tarrah was the most like an enigma. At first, Reyna had believed her to be nothing more than a con artist. A shadow fae skilled at weaving convincing lies. Pretty smiles could go a long way toward convincing lonely males to listen, and the High King was nothing if not lonely.
But now, Reyna was not so certain. Perhaps Tarrah truly did believe her own words. Perhaps the visions were true. Other magic had begun to spark throughout Tir Na Nog in recent months. As strange as it may be, and as difficult as it might be to believe, it was not impossible that the gods had passed visions on to Tarrah.
Of course, Reynamighthave been able to believe the girl if it weren’t for Tarrah’slatestvision. Reyna Darragh, fighting for the shadow king. It was an impossibility.
“What do you think of the gardens?” Tarrah asked as her lips twisted into something resembling a smile, almost as though she were not accustomed to the expression.
With an impatient sigh, Reyna took in the surprising number of flowers blooming along the path that cut through the center of the castle courtyard. Most were varying shades of lilac with a few bunches of silver and gold mixed in with the rest. The vines were twisting and full of sharp edges, choking the path tight. It looked as though they had only been cut away recently, remnants of the wild brambles flaking the path.
“I’ve never seen anything quite like it,” Reyna said honestly. She would have said they were beautiful, but she was not certain she could find pleasure in anything inside these black stone walls. Even the most delicate and vibrant flower would look like a token of death.
Tarrah’s odd smile crested her lips again as she continued down the path with her hands twisted tightly behind her back. Reyna cast a quick glance behind them. They were heavily guarded. There must be fifty or more warriors watching them, and Tarrah carried her own sword by her side as well as a bow upon her back.
Reyna’s eyes flicked to the castle wall they approached. It would be the perfect opportunity to hatch an escape, regardless of how many guards stood behind them.
But somewhere inside that castle, her sister was trapped.
