She nodded. “I know. I’m sorry. But I need you to find the fight within you again because I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
Chill bumps sprouted along his arms. He sat up straight, glaring at her. “You did it again, didn’t you? You stole my throne. You’re going to make me fight my own damn people to get it back.”
“I’m afraid not,” she said dryly.
“Then, what the hell is it?” he asked. “It can’t be much worse than that.”
“Glencora is the Namhaid. And humans are coming to conquer Tir Na Nog.”
Shock punch him in the gut, and he pushed up from the sofa. “None of that is possible.”
“I saw her with my own eyes,” Mariel said. “I saw the humans as well.”
“Humans wouldn’t attack Tir Na Nog.” He shook his head. “And Glencora can’t be the Namhaid. It was Lorcan all this time. Even Reyna thinks so and she was in love with the damn fool.”
He winced and closed his eyes. Just speaking his name sent new waves of grief barreling over him.
“Alright.” She stood. “Just because you don’t want to believe it doesn’t make it not real. This is important, Thane. Everything is at risk.”
“Everything is always at risk,” Thane muttered.
“I’m very well aware.” She strode toward him and tapped him on the chest. “You need to take this information to Reyna and the other kings. Right away. I’ll fly back to the coast and keep blowing the ships back as long as I can, but that won’t work forever.”
“Blowing the ships back? None of that even makes sense.” Thane sighed and dragged a hand down his face. “I should kill you or arrest you or throw you out the window.”
“Probably. Are you going to do it?”
“No. I’m too tired for all that.” He sat hard. “Alright. I’ll tell Reyna. She’s not going to like any of this very much.”
54
Eislyn
Eislyn sat in her Wood Court chambers with Lir. They still hadn’t decided to do about their future together. She’d been wrong about the Namhaid and likely the Ghaisgeach. Tir Na Nog didn’t need her anymore, and Fomor needed Lir.
But she couldn’t bear to leave Reyna in her grief.
A knock sounded on the door. With a frown, Eislyn stood from the sofa and crossed the room. She pressed her ear to the door to listen, still wary of this place.
Lir sighed. “It’s the air king. The one who wanted to marry you. You can let him in.”
Eislyn winced and cracked the door open. Thane stood on the other side, wringing his hands, clear worry plastered to his golden features. A deep scar ran down one side of his face, still orange and mottled from where Lorcan had stabbed him with the Iron Dragon. “I need to speak with you. Immediately.”
She frowned, opening the door wider. “Why? What’s going on? Please don’t tell me something else has happened.”
“Something has happened,” he said with a tense shake of his head. “But it won’t be what you think it is.”
“Well, now you’re starting to scare me.”
He strode inside and stopped short when he spotted Lir lounging on the sofa. The bronze Emperor lifted his brows nonchalantly and flicked the tips of his massive wings. Eislyn rolled her eyes. He was posturing to the air king, trying to make a point.
“So…” Thane cleared his throat. “This is your husband.”
Thane had been unconscious when she, Nollaig, and Rhain had rushed into the Tower of Thorns to find the carnage of the fight. She’d only seen him in fleeting moments since, and she hadn’t mentioned Lir. Someone else must have told him.
“Lir, meet Thane. Thane, meet Lir.” She popped her hands on her hips. “Now, tell me what’s happened. I don’t have the patience for small talk right now.”
“It’s about your sister,” he said.
