Eislyn shifted her head to peer up at the gathered Fomorians. One of them was missing. She didn’t ask where he’d gone. The mound of dirt nearby gave her all the answers she needed.
The empire needed her to return home just as much as Reyna did. If Lir kept protecting her like this, his people would rebel against him. The peace they’d fought so hard for would fold like a rotting roof.
“I asked if I was the Namhaid, and the gods said no.” She pulled back and gave him a sad smile. “I am not the Namhaid, Lir. It isn’t me. I’m not going to destroy the world. What’s more, I’m not the Ghaisgeach either. None of that is happening yet. The Cleaving of the World isn’t here.”
He wrapped her up in his arms and shuddered in relief. His hand found the back of her head, pulling her close. “Thank the gods, Eislyn. Thank the gods. I don’t know what I would have done if they’d said yes.”
* * *
The journey back to Tusail held more tension than the trip to Inishfall had, even though they had gathered good news. Lir had executed the Fomorian who had pushed her into the pit. Barbin, who had served the Emperor for decades. His other guards were uneasy and angry, and they kept casting her furtive glances that were full of menace.
She didn’t blame them, although it made her sleep closely to Lir each night. Even if she wasn’t the Namhaid, she would not be surprised if they tried to sneak up on her with a dagger in her sleep. Lir tucked her close to his chest each time they camped, but neither made a move for anything more.
It was as if Lir could sense her hesitation.
In truth, Eislyn wanted him again, but she knew it wasn’t right. Not when she planned to leave him.
They returned to Tusail with little fanfare. Citizens lined the streets, staring at her with distrust in their eyes. Word must have gotten out about her, and the Fomorians had come out in droves to get a look. Lir kept her tight to his side as they strode through the winding streets up toward the palace.
When they were finally inside, she let out a breath of relief. Tension had been high in the city. The buzz of revolt was in the air. One shout, and chaos would have exploded in the streets.
“What would you like to do first, my wife? Food or drink? Bath?” He winked. “Or me?”
She flushed. “Bath first. Then food. I think I’m too tired for anything more.”
A beat passed between them as Lir searched her eyes. “I see. I’ll alert the servants. Would you prefer to dine alone tonight or…”
Her heart banged, and she reached out to grab his hand. “Of course not. I…”
He cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand. The look on his face almost melted her resolve. “Something happened in that cave, didn’t it?”
“I spoke to the gods,” she whispered.
“You seem so shattered by it.”
“Maybe everyone who speaks to the gods finds themselves shattered by it,” she said. “Didn’t the Dagda even struggle with what he heard and saw?”
“You could very well be right,” he said with a fond smile. “Dagda was so destroyed by the burden placed upon his shoulders that he fled the mortal realms for a life beyond.”
“The Court of Death.”
“Please don’t tell me you wish to join him there,” he murmured. “Once you leave these lands for a life on the other side, it is almost impossible to come back.”
“I don’t want to go to the Court of Death, Lir. I have some fight left in me yet.” But she did want to return to Tir Na Nog. A conversation for another time. First, they needed food, rest, and Eislyn really wanted a bath. She would be no help to anyone if she did not take care of herself.
At that, Lir released her from his embrace, spun on his feet, and strode through the gleaming golden halls. Eislyn stared after him, her heart yearning to follow so that she might leap into his arms and never let go.
But Reyna was her sister, and sisters came first. She had to find her before Unseelie got to her. She just hoped it wouldn’t be too late. She’d wasted far too much time already.
34
Reyna
Urisks lived underground. Most of them carved homes out of caves, but some dug holes into the side of hills and packed the dirt in tight. Her father called them hermits because they weren’t particularly fond of visitors most of the time.
When the Ice Court had first discovered the frozen glass in the mountain caves, Urisks had fought to protect it. That was their home. That was their ice glass. They didn’t want anyone to touch it but them.
Unfortunately for them, there were far more fae than Urisks. Their female population had dwindled over the centuries, and they hadn’t stood a chance against fae armies.
