He shuffled into the Roost where the Wood Court’s Falconer was tending to the birds. She turned to him, confusion rippling in her eyes at the state of him. He hadn’t stopped to change, even though he looked as though he’d just bathed in blood. At any moment, the slumbering Cursed One would awake inside of him and regain control.
“Your Highness?” Lily frowned, her amber hair flowing around her strong shoulders. She reminded him a lot of Reyna. Strength and power radiated from her body due to all her time spent hunting in the woods.
“I need to send a letter,” he said through gritted teeth. The words were harder to get out now.
“To whom?” she asked, reaching up toward the nearest owl. It was a small, brown thing with wings the size of her head.
“Reyna.”
Alarm flickered through her eyes. “I thought Reyna was a traitor. She turned on us.”
“No,” he grunted out, staggering to the side. “Whatever you heard is wrong. Please, hurry. I need to send a letter before…” He trailed off, unsure how much he should tell her. If he warned Lily of what had happened to him, the Cursed One would no doubt want to kill her before she could tell anyone else. It was best he kept it to himself, for now. Once Reyna got his letter, she would know what to do.
“Alright. What do you wish to say to her, Your Grace? And where should I send it.”
“Tell the owl to find Wingallock. He’ll be somewhere in the forest, though I don’t know where.”
“And the letter?” she asked.
“Tell her that’s he angry. And that he’s coming.”
18
Reyna
After her father went to fetch the sea king and withdraw their troops from Murias, Reyna stole through the forest with Thane and Glencora just behind her. Cos hadn’t wanted Glencora rushing off on a godforsaken quest any more than Reyna did, but she’d made up her mind. She was along for the journey.
On the way, Wingallock brought her a note.
We’re going to destroy you.
She crumpled it up and burnt it in the fire, anger pulsing in her veins. She knew who it was from, even though it had no signature. Lorcan had woken and found them all gone, and he’d made his threat clear. If he had his way, he’d kill them all.
They met Rhain and Nollaig halfway to Craobhan and set up camp, filling them in on everything that had happened. Glencora kept casting curious glances at the cloaked fae. Reyna could hardly blame her. Nollaig was an odd one. Reyna had long since grown accustomed to her presence, but she’d been caught off guard when she’d first met her, too.
They all settled on the ground around the crackling fire, staring into the flames. Nollaig was the first to speak.
“So,” she announced after taking a swig of her tankard, no doubt filled with her favorite beverage, Buntata. “How are we going to stop this curse then? Any brilliant ideas?”
“We’ll have to read the rest of the book.” Reyna tapped the leather cover of the tome, swallowing down her dread. “There are a lot of pages. It could take awhile.”
Rhain held out a hand, his rings glinting against the light of the fire. “Might as well start now. I’ll take the first shift. You should get some rest. You’ve been running all night.”
Rhain was right. As much as she hated to admit weakness, weariness dragged her bones into the dirt. The three of them hadn’t dared to stop when they’d fled from Murias. If Lorcan caught them, all of this would be for nought. Either he would fall, or Tir Na Nog would.
And Reyna couldn’t let either of those things happen.
Reyna handed over the book, took her pallet, and dragged it away from the fire where she could scarcely feel the heated glow of it. The dense, humid air still clung to her skin like a second cloak, but at least back here she would be away from the blazing heat of it all. Glencora followed just behind her, dropping her own pallet next to her sister’s.
“You don’t like the fire either then?” Reyna asked as Glencora settled on the ground with her legs crossed beneath her.
“I don’t love it. I don’t hate it either. It never really bothered me the way it bothers you.”
“Is this about Thane then? You don’t want to sleep beside him?”
A slight smile lifted the corner of her sister’s lips. “I don’t mind his presence, but we haven’t consummated our marriage yet, if that’s what you’re trying to ask.”
Reyna snorted. “Don’t let anyone else hear you say that, or they’ll question the validity of it. You know how the courts are. They like unions. They like heirs.”
