Dawn arrived with no news. Rhain had read through the night, finally finishing the book. He’d found nothing else to suggest a cure. The Dryads were their only option now. Reyna tried not to worry about what that might mean, but she could not help the dark thoughts from clouding her mind.
If the book didn’t mention a cure, maybe there wasn’t one.
Thane found her in the stables, brushing Enbarr’s mane while Wingallock sat on her shoulder. He shot her a fond smile and gave her mare a pat. “You look troubled.”
“I thought the book would spell out the cure. I was wrong.”
The scent of hay and must swirled through the air, reminding her of home. With a sigh, she gave Enbarr one last stroke and then tossed the brush into a nearby bucket.
“That doesn’t mean there isn’t one,” Thane said gently. “I know you’re worried about him. I am, too. But he’s got two of the best fae in the world on his side.”
Reyna couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “I see your ego hasn’t taken much of a beating these past few months.”
“I’m backing myself, that’s all. You should, too.”
She sighed and leaned against her horse, breathing in her familiar scent. Home called to her, like a distant horn, almost so far away that she could barely hear it. Her skin yearned for the touch of ice. The humid air of the Wood Court was stifling. She knew she could go home now. If she decided to leap onto her horse and ride north until the dirt beneath her feet turned to ice, no one would stop her.
She could escape this, her haunted life. All this pain.
But she would never leave Lorcan to die.
“You’re right. We can do this.” She hoped that by speaking the words aloud that she could manifest them as reality. If she believed it to be true, maybe it would be.
“There it is.” Thane grinned. “That stubborn Darragh spirit.”
At that, her hope dimmed. “Listen, Thane. I need to ask you something about my sister.”
“Uh oh.” He crossed the stables and leaned against the timber plank that held up the roof. “I’m almost afraid to hear the question.”
“You should be.” She elbowed him in the side. “You probably don’t even know which sister I’m going to ask about.”
“Reyna,” he said slowly. “I never meant…Eislyn and I, we barely got to know each other. I can’t lie and say that I didn’t start to feel something for her, but we never had a chance to find out if something really was there.”
“I know. I don’t blame you for marrying my sister.” She coughed, grinning. “I mean, my other sister.”
“So, what’s this about then?”
“Have you noticed anything off about Glencora?” she asked, hating that she felt the urge to do so. “Does she seem…I don’t know, like herself?”
His golden eyes searched hers. “I suppose so, though I don’t truly know her either. Not yet. She’s an agreeable bride. I can tell that she educated herself on the ways of court. The only thing that caught me off guard was her insistence on coming with us on this quest. That seems unusual. Why are you asking me this, Reyna?”
“I worry that she’s still suffering,” she said plainly. “The other night beside the fire, she spoke to me about visions and dreams. She seemed to think they were real.”
“Ah.” He winced. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Reyna, but haven’t you said you have visions, too?”
“Ihadvisions,” Reyna said. “From the Ruin.”
“And they were real?”
“Some of them.”
“Then, maybe hers are, too.”
Reyna nibbled on her lip and spun away. She paced the stables, her worn boots sinking into the soft mud. Glencora’s dreams terrified her, though she wouldn’t admit that to anyone, least of all Thane. She didn’t want him repeating anything she said to her sister.
“Can you just keep an eye on her for me?” she asked. “It took a long time for Eislyn to recover from the Ruin’s attack. If Glencora is still suffering, we need to find a way to help her.”
“Of course,” Thane said, stepping up behind her. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, to signify his support. “Are you sure there’s nothing more to this?”
