“You really think it’s as simple as that?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Even though they were here to speak to a god, she did not want to disturb whatever lurked in that pool. What if it wanted to eat her?
“Perhaps. Magic and running water go hand-in-hand,” Lir said.
“That’s not running water.”
Barbin let out a huff of irritation. “Princess Eislyn. We journeyed all the way here so that you could ask the bloody gods a question. Stop wasting our time. We don’t want to camp here in this forest if we don’t have to.”
She glared at him. “So, then why don’t you ask the question?”
“Because I’m not the one who’s going to end up being the fucking Namhaid, am I?
Her hands fisted. She wished she had a stupid shield so that she could slam it in his face.
With that thought in mind, she smiled and turned toward the pool. It rippled in the light wind, the surface shimmering in the dying sunlight. Slowly, Eislyn stepped toward it and sank to her knees. With a shaking finger, she reached out and poked the surface.
Nothing happened.
“We said drink it,” Barbin growled. “Not tap the damn thing.”
“Give me a second,” she said, exasperated. “I’m about to ask a god if I’m going to destroy the world. I need to steel myself for it.”
“For fuck’s sake.”
Eislyn just rolled her eyes and turned her attention back on the pool. These Fomorians wouldn’t understand. They didn’t have to live with themselves if the gods answered with a yes. And they certainly wouldn’t have the threat of death hanging over their heads.
She gripped the edge of the bank and leaned over. Her reflection peered back up at her. Haunted eyes bored into her soul, and her shaved hair had begun to grow back in weird clumps. Was that what she looked like? She supposed it had been a few days since she’d had a proper bath.
“Get the hell on with it!” Footsteps thudded behind her, and two hands shoved her back.
A cry shot from her throat as she tumbled into the pool. Her face hit the water first, stinging from the contact. Waves rushed around her, filling her mouth and her lungs. She didn’t know how to swim. She’d never learned.
Fear spiked her heart. Arms flailing, she tried to grab onto the vanishing bank, but it was no use. The waters swallowed her hole, dragging her under.
The last thing she heard was Lir’s roar.
20
Reyna
“Wake the others.” Thane drew his sword from under his pack. Dappled moonlight danced down the blade, highlighting the sharp tip. A soft wind swirled through the camp and rustled the fallen leaves. “I’ll distract them long enough for everyone to gather their weapons.” He ground his teeth together, his jaw rippling. “Keep Glencora safe.”
Reyna’s jaw dropped as he rushed into the forest, his golden hair rippling behind him. He was going to get himself killed if he rushed into the middle of a group of cursed fae like this. But then she clamped her mouth shut. He was already gone. Only a flicker of gold remained of him. With a growl, she leaned down and shook Nollaig awake.
The shadow fae groaned and rolled over. Even in her state, the hood of her cloak remained tight around her hidden face. “What the hell’s going on? I thought my—”
“Get up,” Reyna hissed into her face. “The cursed fae found us. Grab Rhain and my sister. Stay on either side of her. I have to go after the bloody High King of the Air Court and make sure he doesn’t get himself killed.”
At that, she rushed off, Nollaig shouting in agitation. She dove through the trees. Branches slapped her arms. Thorns scraped along her exposed skin. Ignoring it, she pushed through the dense brush, and the scent of iron grew stronger.
She stumbled into a clearing where Thane stood surrounded by wood and shadow fae. Quickly, she took stock of the situation. There were only seven of them, but that was at least three to many for Thane to take on by himself. She’d seen him fight, and he was good, but she doubted most warriors could take on seven enemies at once, even if they weren’t trained in combat.
Thane gripped his sword, spinning in a slow circle. The fae surrounding him were in various states of undress, though there was nothing erotic about it. Rags hung from gaunt frames. Some of their linens were older than the Fall, and there were holes in the shape of teeth on others. And some of their garments looked as though blades had sliced clean through them, hacking away the material.
It was an odd sight.
“This was smart,” Reyna said with a roll of her eyes. “We probably could have fled before they attacked us. Now, I’m going to have to save your damn life.”
Thane swallowed hard as he kept his gaze locked on the cursed fae surrounding him. “You speak as though that’s a distasteful thought. And here I thought we were friends.”
