Saints. I knew what he would ask.
“Stay by Reese’s side, earn his trust,” Quinn said. “Throwing assassins at him would be futile; he can heal through poison. And he sleeps with one eye open—sword at his side. But he might lower his guard around you, given time. When he does . . . ”
My mind spun. To whom did I owe my allegiance, to whose side did I fall?
“Kill him.”
Chapter 63
Brighid
In the tattered remains of my wedding gown, I looked down over the kingdom to which I could never return.
The thick jungles of Lavaire climbed up the rocky slope, a layer of green to conceal me from the world.
I heard a faint click behind me. Vaf joined me by the cliffside, curly black hair tousled in the breeze.
“Quite the finale,” he mused. “Did you intend for it to end like that?”
No. I’d lost control of myself, of my mind. All had become fire and rage.
It had been intoxicating.
“You could have avoided this.” Vaf lifted his chin. “Had you taken my deal.”
“Deals with fae promise a fleeting reward for eternal suffering,” I said. “I was never stupid enough to make a pact with you.”
Turning away, I strode across the cliff, pressing my fingers into my temples.
How did I feel? Satisfied?
My father, my mother. Lord Sorley. Countless others, those I had no quarrel with . . .
Burnt to cinders. Their final moments had been agony.
Even now, I could not muster joy or relief. I felt empty.
My father, Sorley . . . they had taken and taken of me, until nothing remained but a hollow shell.
Breathing out, I lowered my hands.
“The Diath of flame has always been a remarkable creature.” Vaf pulled something from his pocket and circled me. “You are no exception.” He brushed a strand of hair from my face. “They will chase you to the ends of the earth, seeking blood. I’ll help you, if only you ask.”
“Ha.” I jerked my chin away. “You’re persistent, I’ll give you that.”
“Have I done aught but aid you? What have I asked for in return?”
I studied his face—what parts of it were visible. What did he want? I still had no idea.
‘What I want comes far from today.’He’d said back then.‘It needn't concern you. But fate spins along your path, and I want to be a part of it’
A presence washed over me, powerful, violent. Dread shook through my bones and sank deep into my soul.
A low, resounding voice followed. “Vaf can offer you nothing of worth.”
Vines shot down from the black sky and rose from the cliff face, twining into an arch. A man stepped from its threshold—another fae.
An enveloping black cape shrouded him in darkness, and red waves brushed against its high collar. A black mask, crackedwith red like blood, concealed half his face. From the other peered a silver eye, its pupil a dark slit.
